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. What are some common conflicts that occur within families? Why do you think families sometimes have difficulty resolving conflicts?

Teaching Suggestion: To prepare students for this prompt, it may be a good idea to review the definition and types of conflict as a whole class. Conflict is a common occurrence between family members, and it is important to remember that some students may have different thresholds when it comes to what conflict means to them. Sharing some of the viewpoints from the first resource before students address the questions may help them brainstorm examples of conflicts. You might consider displaying the first question for students to collaborate on in small groups or as a whole class, then having students do a think-pair-share for the second question.

• This MasterClass article reviews the difference between internal and external conflict and details the six types of literary conflict.
• This conversational piece from the New York Times shares student viewpoints regarding family conflict during the quarantine at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.