The Age Of Miracles

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. What causes division in society? How does the media impact these divisions? Do you believe media’s impact is positive or negative?

Teaching Suggestion: The slowing fuels divisions between characters and groups in the novel. Reflecting on these resources and current events before reading can make the symbolic nature of the novel more accessible. The class could generate a list of different causes of division. It could also be helpful to focus the discussion on a major division that is more recent, such as the pandemic. Then—if the discussion is productive—broaden it to other divisions. The class might revisit this discussion during some points of the novel and discuss connections between texts.  

• Time’s piece, “The U.S. Capitol Riot Was Years in the Making. Here’s Why America Is So Divided,” provides written and video background about America’s divisions.
• “‘Us vs. Them’ In A Pandemic: Researchers Warn Divisions Could Get Dangerous” from NPR in May 2020 analyzes ways divisions impacted a national health crisis.

2. How does the Earth’s rotation affect life on the planet?

Teaching Suggestion: Julia tells the story of the slowing. When the Earth’s rotation slows, it drastically affects the entire planet. Solidifying background about the movement of the Earth can guide students through the scientific aspects of the novel. The class might predict ways speeding up or slowing down the Earth’s rotation could impact the planet, and then revisit their predictions during reading to see how they connect to the novel. They could also return to these resources later in the unit and discuss how accurately the novel uses science to develop the plot.

• This 3-minute video from PBS explains the Earth’s rotation and orbit.
• “The Earth’s Rotation Is Changing Speed: Should We Be Worried?” from BBC Science Focus Magazine examines shifts in the rotation of the Earth, causes, and possible repercussions.
• With “The Coriolis Effect: Earth’s Rotation and Its Effect on Weather,” National Geographic explores how the Earth’s rotation affects different parts of the planet differently and the ways this impacts weather, people, and other planets.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

How would you compare middle school with elementary school? What are some major sources of social or individual conflict during middle school? Why do you think middle school can be particularly challenging? What has your experience been like in middle school? Or—if you are in high school—what was your experience in middle school?

Teaching Suggestion: The main character traverses sixth grade for much of the novel, so reflecting on this time can increase connection and engagement in the novel. This topic could yield a myriad of feelings and responses. It could be helpful to have this be an individual written reflection first, and then to have small or whole group discussion. After the discussion, it might be valuable to develop a list that includes different perspectives on middle school. Later, during the reading, the class could connect moments in the novel with the list.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who struggle with written expression, it could be helpful to allow them to do a bulleted list rather than a paragraph format in their written response. To further engage different learning styles, it could be valuable to allow students to incorporate their preferred learning style into their written response by creating an accompanying sketch or collage or finding a song that incapsulates the middle school experience.