Elsewhere

Stories about death and the afterlife often convey messages about how to be happy and live well while we still have a chance. What messages on these topics does Elsewhere convey? What evidence from the story supports your interpretation?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt offers students a chance to demonstrate how reading Elsewhere has deepened their understanding of the ways in which fictional afterlife scenarios are used to communicate advice about how to live our best lives. The prompt asks for “messages” rather than “a message.” If your class is answering the prompt orally, conversation should naturally generate more than one message, but if your class is answering in writing, you may wish to be explicit with students about how many messages you would like them to discuss, tailoring your expectations to time available and student ability. You can also accommodate these factors by adjusting the amount of evidence students need to provide in support of their answers.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who struggle with reading fluency or attention may have difficulty efficiently gathering evidence to support their answers; you may wish to allow these students to gather evidence in small groups or with a partner. If students are answering in writing, students who struggle with written expression might be allowed the alternative assessment of creating a graphic organizer that answers the question rather than being expected to generate a full essay-style response.