Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott novel study lessons, CLICK HERE for lesson on TpT.
Blog Introduction: In 2019, Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott novel captivated readers with its raw and honest portrayal of a young couple struggling to come to terms with the reality of cystic fibrosis (CF). The novel was recently adapted into a feature film, and now it can capture the attention of your students. Teaching this meaningful story in your classroom is an excellent way to engage students while also teaching them about CF. Here are some tips for how to effectively incorporate this novel into your classroom.
Using the Movie Adaptation as a Supplement
The movie adaptation of Five Feet Apart Rachael Lippincott may provide additional context and resources that you can use in your classroom. Showing clips from the movie is a great way to jumpstart conversations about CF and its effects on people’s lives. After watching a clip, ask your students questions about what they observed or have them discuss their reactions to certain scenes. This will help them access deeper themes in the story that may be difficult for them to discuss initially. It may also be helpful for you to use visuals from the movie when explaining concepts related to CF such as infection control procedures or treatments associated with CF care.
Incorporating Other Resources
When teaching any novel, it is important to provide additional resources so that students can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the material at hand. With Five Feet Apart, there are many opportunities for supplemental materials beyond just the book and movie adaptation. Consider having students research current scientific advancements related to CF or explore what advocacy organizations exist today that are dedicated to helping people living with CF or other chronic illnesses. Additionally, having guest speakers visit your class who have personal experience living with CF would provide powerful insight into how this medical condition affects individuals’ daily lives.
Discuss Cystic Fibrosis Before diving into the novel, it’s important for educators to discuss what cystic fibrosis actually is—a genetic condition that affects the lungs and digestive system of those suffering from it. Educators should also explain why this disease makes it difficult for sufferers like Stella and Will from Five Feet Apart to be around each other in real life, as well as how this impacts their relationship throughout the book.
Explore themes of the book Once students understand the basics of cystic fibrosis, they can begin exploring some of the deeper themes within Five Feet Apart — such as young love, isolation, empathy and understanding between different groups or individuals. Encourage students to think critically about these issues as they read through each chapter – do they agree with Stella or Will’s perspective? What would they do if they were in their shoes? How have these characters changed over time?
Provide open-ended discussion questions Open-ended discussion questions are a great way to get students thinking more deeply about what they’ve read and discussing their thoughts in class. Some examples include: “How did Stella and Will’s relationship evolve throughout the book?”; “What advice would you give them if you could?”; “How did you feel when __ happened?”; “Do you think it was right for them to break rules for one another? Why or why not?”; etc.
Themes and Morals
One way to start teaching the novel is by discussing its themes and morals. Five Feet Apart has a lot of meaningful messages that can be discussed with students, such as resilience, hope, courage, and accepting yourself. After introducing these topics, invite students to come up with their own interpretations of the text and discuss which themes they think are most important. This activity allows students to reflect on the novel and express their thoughts while engaging with one another.
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In-Depth Analysis
For those looking for a more in-depth analysis of Five Feet Apart, consider breaking down different aspects of the novel such as characters or events. For example, explore Stella’s transformation throughout the book and how it impacts her relationships with others. You could also have students examine Will’s decision-making process and how his choices changed over time during specific scenarios. These activities help students develop critical thinking skills and gain a better understanding of how characters interact with each other within stories.
Group Projects
Another way to get your students excited about learning from Five Feet Apart is by assigning group projects around different topics related to the book. Assign teams different tasks like creating a poster that reflects one of Stella’s major life lessons or creating a character timeline showing key moments throughout Will’s journey in the story. These projects are great for getting your class involved while allowing them to use their creativity when exploring certain ideas from the novel!
Teaching Rachael Lippincott’s novel Five Feet Apart provides an opportunity for meaningful learning experiences while also introducing students to an important topic like cystic fibrosis in an engaging way. By utilizing resources from both within and outside of the book itself, teachers can create unique learning experiences where their students can develop empathy for those affected by chronic illness while gaining knowledge about medical science and advocacy work at the same time. Incorporating this novel into your lessons is sure to be an enriching experience for everyone involved!
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