TEACHER GUIDE

Playing in Traffic

Before Reading

•Poetry as an entry point: 

Read Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody.” 

I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—Too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise—you know!

How dreary—to be—Somebody!
How public—like a Frog—
To tell one's name—the livelong June—
To an admiring Bog!

Reflect on the following, either in writing or discussion:  Why might a person want to be “Nobody”?  In what ways can a person choose to be “Nobody”?  Is it better to be “Somebody” or “Nobody”?  Why?

•Essential Questions: 

Appropriate for Socratic Seminars or Reflective Writing

oDanger:  The book’s cover suggests danger.  In what ways are people attracted to and repulsed by danger?  In what ways are you attracted to and repulsed by danger?

oReality and Illusion:  To what extent is our knowledge of ourselves and others reality, and to what extent is it illusion?

oTruth:  How important is truth?  Why?  If truth is important, why do people sometimes not tell the truth?

oTrust:  How important is trust?  Why?  If trust is important, why do we sometimes not trust others?

oChoices:  To what extent are we the result of our own choices?  To what extent are we the result of the choices of others?

While Reading

Appropriate for Learning Logs, Reflective Writing, or Transactional Reading Journals

oMatt says, “I was doomed from the day she spoke to me” (p. 11). Predict what forms his doom could take.

oSkye tells Matt, “Maybe you aren’t the right one” (p. 17).  What could she be referring to?  Name several possibilities.

oWhat reasons might Taylor Banks have for involving herself in Matt’s predicament?  (p. 28)

oMatt says, “I had found the real Skye.  I’d save her” (p. 47).  What prompts this remark?  What might Matt do to save Skye?

oMatt says, “I would ride the mellow and wait to see what she did next” (p. 53).  What do you think Skye will do next?  Name at least three possibilities, supporting your ideas with what you’ve read so far.

oOn page 70, Matt and Skye discuss how much they love their sisters.  Do you find this affection consistent with their characters?  Why or why not?  Given what you know about Matt and Skye, how far do you think each of them would go to protect their sisters?

oWhen Matt tells Skye, “I’ll do anything for you” (p. 82), Skye is clearly pleased.  Why do you think this makes her so happy?

oOn page 109, Skye makes her request.  What do you think Matt should do?  What do you think he will do?

oOn page 135, Matt decides to call Skye’s parents.  What do you expect will come of any conversation he has with them?

oMatt says, “I could participate.  I would participate” (p. 144).  What has brought him to this decision?  In what ways do you think he’ll participate?

oOn page 167, Matt says, “Everything had collapsed and I couldn’t control anything.”  To what extent has Matt had control, and to what extent have Matt’s feelings of control been an illusion?  Now that Matt says he can’t control anything, what do you expect will happen?

After Reading

Appropriate for Learning Logs, Socratic Seminars, Literature Circles, Group Presentations, and Reflective Writing.

Knowledge:

oDiscuss the narrator.  What do we know about him?  How do we know?  Is he reliable?  Make a sociogram to illustrate your thoughts.

oDescribe the various settings in which the story takes place.  In what ways do the actions of Matt and Skye vary according to the setting?

oDiscuss the conflicts faced by both Matt and Skye, using the classic distinctions of man v. man, man v. nature, and man v. himself.

Understanding:

oTo what extent do various cultures include or exclude people like Skye?  Research at least two other cultures and/or eras and discuss the treatment of those “on the edge.”

oMake a visual illustrating the various compartments in Matt’s life.

oMatt finds it ironic that his mom gives parties, but he hasn’t been invited to any parties since 6th grade.  What other ironies do you find in Matt’s life?

oList at least five questions you have after finishing the book.

oIn what ways is the rave (pp. 60-68) an appropriate venue for Skye?  Research a ritual from another time and place that reminds you of a rave.  Discuss the similarities.

Application:

oMatt says he works hard at being inconspicuous (p. 12).  To what extent can you relate to this aspect of his character?  Discuss at least two other characters from literature that share this aspect of Matt’s personality.

oMatt compartmentalizes things (p. 14).  To what extent do you share this trait?  What are the positive and negative aspects of compartmentalizing?

o“The testosterone-fueled jocks called her slut puppy, the bland blondes in the plaid skirts wrinkled their snub noses in distaste, the teachers called her brilliant, and the counselors called her unstable” (p. 27).  Rewrite this sentence for three other characters, either from this book or others.  Use the same subject for each clause in the series, but change the predicate parts:  “The testosterone-fueled jocks…., the bland blondes in the plaid skirts…., the teachers…, and the counselors….”

oMatt and Katy discuss the Alpha-Beta-Gamma types of girls.  Chart these types.  In your chart, include three female characters from this book as well as at least three characters from other books you’ve read.

oTaylor says Skye’s always reinventing herself, and she claims that’s not so different from what all of them are doing.  Do you agree?  Do you think all teenagers are re-inventing themselves?  Give examples to support your stance.  What makes Skye’s behavior different?

oMatt researches the phrase “loss of affect,” which Mr. Colby used to describe Skye.  Follow the thread of Matt’s research.  Is this an apt description of Skye and her issues?  Why or why not?

oSkye says some people are prey and some are predators (p. 171).  Do you agree?  Why or why not?  Use the characters in the story to support your position.

Analysis:

oHow do images of darkness contribute to the story?

oGive examples from the text to show that Skye has a flair for the dramatic.  Discuss at least two other characters from literature and/or pop culture that share this trait.  In what ways are they like Skye?  In what ways are they different?  Make a chart of your findings.

o“I was the ghost of school corridors.  Skye was the devil” (p. 11).  Find at least three other references in the book to the supernatural and death.  How do these contribute to the tone and theme of the story?  Compare and contrast with references to the supernatural in one of Shakespeare’s plays, such as Macbeth.

oMatt is reading Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.  How are these two novels alike and different in terms of character, theme, style, and plot?

oMatt is drawn to both Katy and Skye.  What do Katy and Skye have in common?  What makes them different?  Make a sociogram to illustrate your conclusions.

oMatt wants to play it safe (p. 60).  He calls himself a living contradiction (p. 58).  “Didn’t Hamlet have a problem like that?” (p. 107) he wonders.  Compare/contrast Matt and his dilemmas with Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

oSkye gets in trouble during a class discussion of The Crucible.  Analyze Skye’s character is relation to Abigail in Miller’s play.

oMatt claims to have found the real Skye (p. 47).  Who is the real Skye?

oWhy is frat life attractive to Matt?

oMatt likes to read about heroes and says he wants to be one.  In what ways, if any, is Matt heroic?  Research the changing role of the hero in our culture and explain how Matt fits in.

oMatt claims he’s attracted to Skye because she’s everything he’s not (p. 152).  Is this true, or do they have more in common than he realizes?  Explain.

oIn what ways is Skye’s use of the camera consistent with her character?

Synthesis:

oCompare your predictions while reading to what actually happened.  What surprises do you find?

oExamine the morality of Skye, Matt, and their school culture.  Give examples to support your conclusions.

oMatt starts a chart of Skye and her contradictions.  Make this chart, finishing it for Matt.  Then make a chart of Matt and his contradictions. 

oRe-examine your pre-reading thoughts on the essential questions addressed in this book.  In what ways did the story reinforce your thoughts?  What new thoughts do you have after reading the story?

Evaluation:

oMatt tells himself he’s in control (p. 40).  Is he?  Defend your answer.

oMatt says he makes himself insignificant.  Contrast with the wit and power of his narrative voice, using examples from the text.

oHow is the organization of the book appropriate, given Matt’s character?

oGiles’ style could be compared to the loaded gun pictured on the book’s cover.  Explain.  In what ways is this style effective and appropriate?

oMatt makes a conscious decision to be insignificant.  Does Skye make a conscious choice to be dangerous?  Defend your answer using examples from the text.

oDo you see Matt as a “good guy”?  Why or why not?

oWould you describe Matt as emotional or detached?  Give examples from the text to support your conclusion.  How well do you think Matt knows himself?

oMatt says, “I had info I didn’t want, didn’t need, and didn’t know what to do with” (p. 35).  What do you think Matt should have done with this information?  Why?

oEvaluate the ending.  Was it a surprise?  Why or why not?  Can you justify Matt’s choice, or was he wrong.  Defend your answer.