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. How are criminal organizations like the Mafia depicted in pop culture? How do crime families typically function? What is the primary purpose of crime organizations?

Teaching Suggestion: Mac and his best friend Vince run an underground Mafia-like operation in their school. The novel explores the power dynamics between Mac and his adversary, Staples. Consider discussing pop culture references to crime families and describing the stereotypical function of a crime family. Then consider using the resources below to explore this topic further. It may be helpful to create a chart to compare stereotypical crime operations to Mac and Vince’s operations as the novel progresses. Modulate the prompt as needed for younger classrooms.

• This article describes the Mafia, its historical rise to power, and how a crime family functions.
• This 12-minute video explores the five Mafia families in the United States and their roles in society today.

Short Activity

What types of problems might an underground student organization be able to solve in a school? Consider these questions in your response: