Among the Hidden Novel Study Guide: Lesson Plans, Resources & Activities
Are you looking for ideas for your Among the Hidden novel study unit? If you’re searching for resources and teaching ideas to elevate your book unit beyond the ordinary, you’re in for a treat! In this blog post, I’ll share some of my favorite resources to kick off your literature study and some free teaching ideas to help you create a memorable post-reading experience for your learners. Plus, I’ll share some helpful information about the book, the first in a three-book series.
By the time you finish this post, you’ll have everything you need to implement this outstanding novel study unit. So grab your book and keep reading to learn more about what this great unit includes!
Among the Hidden: A Summary
In Margaret Peterson Haddix’s gripping tale, we’re introduced to Luke Garner, a boy forced to live in the shadows of society. In a world where families are restricted to two children, Luke is a third child, forbidden by law. Confined to the safety of his home, Luke’s only connection to the outside world is through his window, where he watches the bustling life he’s forbidden to be a part of.
But everything changes when Luke discovers another secret child living nearby, Jen Talbot. Determined to uncover the truth behind their existence, Jen introduces Luke to a secret resistance movement fighting against the oppressive government. Suddenly thrust into a world he didn’t know existed, Luke must navigate the complexities of loyalty, friendship, and the pursuit of freedom.
As Luke delves deeper into the hidden world of the third children, he uncovers shocking secrets that will challenge everything he thought he knew about his society and himself. But with the government closing in and danger around every corner, Luke’s journey is far from over.
Will Luke and his newfound allies succeed in their quest for freedom, or will their daring defiance lead to devastating consequences?
Pre-reading & Post-Reading Ideas You Can Use for Your Novel Unit
While this book is inherently engaging to students, starting with a high-quality pre-reading activity can really level up your literature study. Similarly, a great post-reading activity can create a lasting memory that students will carry with them for years to come. To help you plan your Among the Hidden book unit, I wanted to share some of my favorite free and low-cost activities.
Among the Hidden Pre-reading Activities
This story revolves around situations and experiences of a main character who students will both be able to connect with and yet not connect with at the same time. While he is generally like a peer to them, he is living an entirely different experience. Therefore, it will be important to make connections for your learners in advance. Here are some ideas for helping foster those connections.
- Reflect & Connect: Have students write about a favorite memory in nature or with friends (or pull out personal narratives from earlier in the year). After reviewing and sharing several, tell students the protagonist of the story has never had any experiences like these. Have them consider why this might be & how it might influence his understanding of the world.
- Population Control Discussion: Begin by discussing the concept of population control with your students. Explore real-world examples of population control measures and their implications. This can help students understand the context of the novel’s dystopian society.
- Introduction to Dystopian Elements through Media: Show students clips from dystopian movies or TV shows (e.g., “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent”) and discuss common elements and themes present in dystopian fiction. Encourage students to identify similarities and differences between these examples and then speculate what themes or topics they might encounter in the novel.
- Hidden Identity: Play a game of “Two Truths and a Lie” where students take turns sharing two true statements and one false statement about themselves. This activity can help students explore the theme of hidden identity and deception in the novel.
Among the Hidden Post-Reading Activities
After your Among the Hidden book study, it can be fun to add an activity or two to wrap up the experience. These post-reading activities are designed to help cement the learning experience and lessons from the story in the minds of your learners. For many students, these activities will be the things they remember for years to come.
Here are 10 engaging post-reading activities to add to your lesson plans after you finish reading Among the Hidden:
- Plot Timeline Collage: Have students create a visual timeline collage of key events from the book, using images, text, and illustrations to represent each event. They can arrange the events in chronological order and include captions explaining the significance of each event to the plot.
- Identity Mask Making: Explore the theme of identity in the book by having students create identity masks representing different characters or aspects of themselves. They can use masks as a metaphor for the characters’ hidden identities and inner struggles, decorating them with symbols, colors, and patterns that reflect their personalities.
- Protest Poster Campaign: Inspired by the book’s themes of resistance and rebellion, students can design and create protest posters advocating for change in their own communities or schools. They can address issues such as government control, censorship, or social injustice, using slogans, images, and symbols to convey their message.
- Underground Hideout Diorama: Encourage students to create a diorama depicting Luke’s hidden room or another location from the book where Luke spends time in hiding. They can use craft materials to build the room and include details such as furniture, belongings, and secret entrances.
- Visual Timeline Mural: Collaborate on a large-scale visual timeline mural depicting key events and milestones from “Among the Hidden.” Students can work together to create illustrations, captions, and annotations that highlight the progression of the plot and the development of characters throughout the book.
- Plot Twist Writing: Encourage students to brainstorm and write their own plot twists or alternate endings for “Among the Hidden.” They can explore different possibilities and consequences for the characters and the world they inhabit, showcasing their understanding of narrative structure and storytelling techniques.
- Dystopian Society Podcast: Challenge students to create a podcast episode discussing themes, plot points, and social issues raised in “Among the Hidden.” They can research real-world examples of dystopian societies and draw parallels to the book while sharing their insights and reflections with listeners.
- Character Scrapbook: Have students create a character scrapbook for Luke, the protagonist of the story. They can include drawings, written descriptions, and quotes from the book that represent different aspects of Luke’s personality, experiences, and relationships.
- Newspaper Front Page: Ask students to design a newspaper front page featuring headlines, articles, and images related to events and themes from “Among the Hidden.” They can write articles from the perspective of characters or journalists, reporting on issues such as government control, population laws, and resistance movements.
- Literary Analysis Gallery Walk: Host a gallery walk where students display and discuss their literary analysis projects related to “Among the Hidden.” They can create posters, presentations, or multimedia displays exploring themes, symbols, and motifs in the book, then engage in peer-led discussions and reflections on each other’s work.
Among the Hidden Literature Unit: What’s included?
Now that you have some ideas for what to plan for your pre-reading and post-reading activities, you might be wondering how to break down and teach the standards through the novel.
I’ve created over 300 novel units that do just this! Each comes with an instructional guide to help you quickly and easily lesson plan, PDF printables, and access to digital resources that cover key reading comprehension skills and text-based vocabulary in a student-friendly format that doesn’t overwhelm learners.
The Among novel study guide includes everything you need for a three week book study. Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll find in the downloadable PDF:
Daily Reading Response Questions/Comprehension
A single daily response question helps you plan for meaningful instruction. Unlike many literature units that have students respond to lists of chapter questions, you can focus on one skill or strategy at a deeper level to ensure students truly understand and can apply this to all their reading.
The comprehension portions of the Among the Hidden literature study were carefully crafted to align with the text and focus on skills that commonly require repeated practice. Here are a few skills covered in this unit:
- Generating main idea sentences & summarizing key events
- Text & dialogue analysis from the perspective of self & characters
- Identification of cause and effect relationship
- Making inferences and drawing conclusions based on text clues
- Analyzing point of view & how it impacts the reader’s experience
- Examining character traits & the development of relationships
- Exploring the author’s purpose & its impact on the reader
How do students practice the comprehension skills?
The comprehension prompts are provided in three formats. Below, I’ve outlined the benefits of each format.
1. Weekly Trifolds
The initial model for this “Among the Hidden” novel study was based on the use of trifolds. I designed these adaptable, trifolds to provide a week’s worth of comprehension activities using a single piece of paper.
Each day, students receive a targeted question that directs their attention to the specific comprehension skill of the day. This approach combines resourcefulness with practicality in a uniquely effective way.
The benefit of the trifolds is that they’re both engaging and approachable for students. Daily work takes up a third of the page, keeping reluctant writers from shutting down.
Additionally, the work is easy to collect and grade. Many students use the trifold as a bookmark, helping prevent missing papers.
2. Reader’s Notebook Prompts
The Reader’s Notebook prompts are perfect for advanced learners who need more space to provide in-depth analysis or offer differentiation for those who struggle with handwriting.
3. Google Slides
The digital slides offer another option for differentiation for students who may need to type responses. Instead of writing out their answers, they can type them into the slides to submit. This saves time and effort for those who struggle with handwriting, which makes it an ideal teaching tool.
Additionally, since students can refer back to the slides during class discussions or assessments, teachers can ensure that all learners are on the same page when it comes to understanding a concept.
The digital slides provide an all-in-one alternative to the paper-based format of this Among the Hidden Book Study, as they also include vocabulary on each day’s slide.
Daily Text-Based Vocabulary Word Study
The instructional guide includes both the academic vocabulary students need to know to understand the comprehension skills and the daily text-based vocabulary word they’ll study each day.
Here are a few of the vocabulary words students will encounter through this Among the Hidden Novel Study Unit:
- beseech
- pantomime
- coax
- propaganda
- hastily
Depending on your students, there are various options for engaging with the day’s word. They can write a definition, generate a list of synonyms and antonyms, or even draw a picture showing its meaning.
Purchase the Among the Hidden Novel Study & Get Instant Access
When you purchase the Among the Hidden Literature Study PDF from Differentiated Teaching, you’ll receive all the following resources in a downloadable format:
- Instructional guide with daily comprehension skill, objective, and key Tier 2 & text-based
- Comprehension prompts in three formats for differentiation
- Foldable trifold brochures (downloadable as a pdf file)
- Cut and paste journal prompts for interactive notebooks
- Google Slides for digital learning
- Weekly word of the day flipbook for text-based vocabulary
- Easy-to-follow directions for printing and prep
- Instructional planning guide
- Comprehension answer keys
