Compare and contrast Janie’s understanding of What Constitutes a Family at the beginning and end of the novel. How does her perspective shift? Now, compare Janie’s understanding of family to your Personal Connection Prompt. What are the differences and similarities between your perspective and Janie’s?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt may lend itself to an engaging class discussion about the meaning of family. As an extension, consider having students create, share, and display a collage to show what family means to them.

Differentiation Suggestion: Visual learners may benefit from the use of a compare-and-contrast graphic organizer, such as a T-Chart or Venn diagram.