Before the Ever After

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “Photo Reflections”

• Search for football images from the National Gallery of Art or among the NFL’s 100 Greatest Images.
• Pair an image or photo selection with a passage from Before the Ever After to demonstrate your comprehension and understanding of the text. An explanation of the photo choice should be provided, along with a citation from the text that uses section titles and page numbers.

Teaching Suggestion: Facilitate a discussion about the plot, characters, and ending of Before the Ever After to inspire students’ photo selections. Searches for “music,” “masculinity,” and other search terms compiled by students could widen selections for a larger variety of interpretations.

Paired Text Extension:

Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football’s Make-or-Break Moment by Carla Killough McClafferty is another good choice for use in this activity. Select images inspired by this text or other images from a local or online archival or museum collection to reflect interpretations of Before the Ever After’s plot, characters, themes, and more.

ACTIVITY 2: “Soundtrack Creation”

• Create a playlist of at least 15 songs to describe the plot, tone, themes, and character developments within Before the Ever After.
• Pair each track with brief description of the connection between the song and the novel.
• Write a brief paragraph explaining your selection process.

Teaching Suggestion: Open access music platforms such as YouTube or Spotify could be used, but a pencil and paper should work just as well. Examples of songs could include “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Right By You (for Luna)” by John Legend, “Old Memories” by Alicia Keys and more.

Paired Text Extension:

Investigate Garvey’s Choice by Niki Grimes, middle grade verse novel about science-loving Garvey. His father wants Garvey to be interested in sports, but Garvey has enough on his plate with being bullied at school for his interests and weight. After joining the school chorus, Garvey finds music as an outlet for his self-expression, much like ZJ. Create a playlist for Garvey’s Choice, then compare and contrast your two playlists for a discussion of each book’s literary elements.

ACTIVITY 3: “Support Network Mapping”

• Reflect on your own support networks, comparing them to ZJ’s support network in Before the Ever After.
• Using a graphic organizer or a piece of paper, map your own support network and show how the members of your network support you.

Teaching Suggestion: Provide a creative outlet by sourcing used magazines and other various craft supplies for mapping students’ support networks. Discussions around network mapping should include peers and adults, and any individuals who impact the students’ lives on a daily basis. Connect students’ products to the novel’s theme of A Support Network’s Role in Coping with Difficulties.

Paired Text Extension:

Bump by Matt Wallace, a middle grade contemporary novel, features MJ, a girl who aspires to be a professional wrestler. Unlike ZJ, MJ does not have a central and stable support network: She has no friends and school and her mom has been forced to pick up a second job, leaving little time for interaction with MJ. Discuss and analyze the differences between ZJ and MJ and ways in which their characters develop throughout their respective stories.