Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider what you know about bullying, especially bullying that takes place after middle school. What are some of the ways in which teenagers are bullied? Where might this bullying often take place? What are the possible effects of bullying on a young adult’s development?

Teaching Suggestion: This question encourages students to think about how bullying is related to The Harmful Effects of Stereotyping and Gossip. In the novel, Simon uses his About That platform to expose his classmates’ lies and perpetuate gossip throughout Bayview High School. Although his platform had negative and consequential effects on his peers’ lives, the platform also had a harmful effect on his own life, as he was strongly disliked by his peers and eventually committed suicide as a result. Students may appreciate the chance to respond privately in a reading journal or in their notes; you may want to establish guidelines regarding what is appropriate for class discussion if you open the topic for responses aloud. The links below might be helpful for a general discussion about the various types of bullying and statistics related to bullying in the US.