Severance

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

What do many audiences enjoy about the zombie subgenre in post-apocalyptic media? What distinguishes a zombie plotline from other types of apocalypse stories? What deeper themes, social commentary, and tropes do you associate with the zombie subgenre? Do you think the subgenre’s effectiveness on audiences is fading, or are zombie stories still relevant?  

Teaching Suggestion: These questions can be used to activate prior knowledge and prepare for the activity to follow. Students might brainstorm zombie works (novels, films, TV series) in pairs or small groups, then share with the class to compile a list of titles for reference before addressing the prompt.

• This ScreenRant article offers an analytical look at common tropes in the zombie film genre and offers examples of movies that both subvert and adhere to these tropes. (Content Warning: Plot summaries and trailers include gore and mature content.)
• This website offers an extensive overview of various tropes for reference during the novel unit. (Content Warning: Trope descriptions include mature content.)

Short Activity

Quickly storyboard or summarize an original zombie story. Share the premise for your zombie story with the class, including a working title.

After sharing, reflect on the following and respond in writing in a journal or your notes: What tools did you rely on to complete this activity quickly? How similar was your story to others? If similarities were evident, why do you think this might be?

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Reflect on and write about your experiences during a time of natural disaster, such as a hurricane, a flood, or the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak. What emotions and thought processes seemed most immediate? What sorts of unrest or disruption did you witness or experience? What did you rely on to get through this period of unrest?

Teaching Suggestion: Because natural disasters may be a sensitive topic for individuals, it may be beneficial to remind students that they do not have to share beyond their comfort level. If opening the reflection to optional sharing or discussion after writing, it may be helpful to remind students of preestablished sensitive topic discussion protocols and SEL strategies.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would like to take part in writing and sharing but would prefer a less personal response, they might alternatively write about the actions of a main character in a work of fiction or a historical figure who faces a natural (or other) disaster. What direct and indirect conflicts do the protagonist or figure face? What skills or support systems do they rely upon to succeed?