All We Have Left

Various characters make mistakes. What does the novel say about second chances?

• What mistakes do Jesse, Travis, their father, and other characters make?
• How do the characters handle their mistakes differently?
• In what ways do their mistakes alter the trajectory of their lives?
• Who gives someone a second chance? When and why? What is the result?

Teaching Suggestion: It could benefit the class to conduct close readings for some key scenes. Students might free write, reread, and then add to their free writes. One way to add additional depth to this discussion could be to ask students to develop multiple lessons about the second chances that the novel offers. This approach asks students to think beyond their first response and articulate a more nuanced idea about the novel. For the discussion, encouraging students to ask each other follow-up questions can be a way for students to build knowledge together rather than just presenting their ideas. As students discuss, asking them to quickly write ideas about a follow-up question before continuing to speak with each other can provide students more think-time and make room for additional voices.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students with attentional and executive functioning differences, looking through the entire novel can be daunting. It can be helpful to provide page numbers of three to five key scenes for them to focus on or start with.