The Silent Boy

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. At the turn of the 20th century, farm life in America looked a lot different than it does now. Imagine a day in the life of a rural teenager back then. What are some of the primary differences in how they lived their lives when compared with modern-day teens?

Teaching Suggestion: While The Silent Boy is primarily a coming-of-age story that deals with a loss of innocence, it is also a work of historical fiction set in rural America. As such, students will be able to better understand the book’s core themes—particularly those related to the violence and turbulence associated with farm life at the turn of the century in America for working-class Americans like Katy’s neighbors, the Stoltzes. 

• The Library of Congress’s “Rural Life in Late 19th Century” provides a snapshot of farm life at this time.
• Iowa PBS’s “Rural Midwest Farm Life in the Early 20th Century” is a 1-minute video that discusses the challenges for early 20th century rural families.

2. In 1911, 146 garment workers were killed in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. What was this incident? In what way did it help lead to legislation around safety conditions for workers?

Teaching Suggestion: Connected to the theme of Animals, Innocence, and Human Violence, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire helped Katy to understand disparities between social classes in America at this time. Katy, who is from an affluent family, realizes for the first time that girls her age were already working in factories, rather than going to school. In general, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire is emblematic of how poorly working-class Americans were treated at this time, especially women.

• PBS’s “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factor Fire: A Catalyst for Reform” discusses how this tragedy changed working conditions across the United States. 
• Smithsonian Magazine’s “Uncovering the History of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire” is an overview of how and why the fire occurred.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

From secret handshakes to made-up languages, kids often play with unusual ways of communicating. Think back to when you were growing up: Did you have any secret languages, either between you and your friends or you and your siblings?

Teaching Suggestion: One key theme in The Silent Boy involves Traditional Versus Nontraditional Methods of Communication. This prompt will get students thinking, in a lighthearted way, about the nontraditional modes of communication they may have used over the course of their lives.

• Slate’s “The Secrets of Twin Speak” talks about “cryptophasia,” the language specifically between twins.
• A Victorian Passage’s “Pig Latin, Goose Latin, and All Those Secret Languages” goes into the many varieties of made-up childhood secret languages.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a more interactive approach, have students watch ABC News’s 1-minute clip called “Teacher Has Incredible Handshakes with Each Student” as inspiration, and then ask them to pair off and come up with creative secret handshakes of their own.