TEACHER-LED DISCUSSION GUIDE & COMMON CORE LESSONS

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR THE ATLAS OF CURSED PLACESThe Common Core State Standards for Reading divides student reading achievement goals into four areas as follows:

KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical

inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

CRAFT AND STRUCTURE4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining

technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including

visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently

and proficiently.

WRITING ABOUT THE ATLAS OF CURSED PLACESThe Common Core State Standards for Writing focuses on three types of writing:

1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

The following sets of discussion questions and prompts for each title in The Atlas of Cursed Places series are intended to support these key areas in small group discussions and in written responses.

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR BREAKDOWN1. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS The atlas gives a few reasons as to why Pike’s Cave might exist. What are those

reasons? Which one do you think is most likely to be true?

2. CRAFT AND STRUCTURE How do Owen and Maddy get separated in the cave? How does Maddy help save Owen

from Pike, and what detail about Owen becomes important then?

3. INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS Pike has the ability to possess people and make them do his bidding, even if they try

internally to fight back. Think of another story with possession as a plot element. How does possession work in that story? What happens to the possessed person?

4. RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Everyone at the police department thinks Maddy’s mom is okay, but Maddy has

a feeling that her mom is in trouble. Have you ever been in a situation where you had a feeling that something wasn’t right? Did other people share that feeling? What happened?

WRITING PROMPT FOR BREAKDOWN1. Imagine that you are Maddy’s mom and that you have to write a police report on the

incident. What will you write? Will you tell the truth about the supernatural events, or make up a more believable story?

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR DEADMAN ANCHOR1. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS Kendal keeps thinking about the story of Nellie Bly and the curse throughout

Deadman Anchor. What happened to Nellie Bly? Why is her story relevant to Kendal’s adventure?

2. CRAFT AND STRUCTURE How does Kendal grow as a character—what is the difference between Kendal at the

beginning of the story and at the end? What causes this growth?

3. INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS Kendal and her dad don’t always see eye to eye, but the ordeal on Mount Hood

brings them together. What’s another example in fiction of a difficult event bringing two people, especially parent and child, together?

4. RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Even though she knows about the curse, Kendal has a brief moment when she

wants to take the gold, and she has to tell herself not to. Have you ever wanted to do something that you knew was wrong? What did you end up doing? How do you stop yourself from doing the wrong thing?

WRITING PROMPT FOR DEADMAN ANCHOR1. Finding out about Nellie Bly and the curse was part of what helped Kendal save

the day. Now she has to finish the story. Pretend you’re Kendal and write the end to the tale of the curse, explaining what happened and warning travelers about the consequences of being greedy on Mount Hood.

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR’S CUT1. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS Several spooky events happen before the friends agree that the movie set is cursed.

How does the curse manifest itself in the movie set town? What makes each member of the group of friends realize that the curse is causing problems?

2. CRAFT AND STRUCTURE Why is Alex so concerned about whether or not the gang will remain friends?

Why is it difficult for him to maintain friendships? Does the end of the book indicate that they will remain friends after the events of Director’s Cut?

A haunted lighthouse, a cursed bog. Places can have

more secrets than people. These entertaining titles follow

students at the mercy of a cursed place—until, that is,

they find THE ATLAS OF CURSED PLACES.

3. INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS African American actor John Willis’s scenes were largely cut out of Man with the

Silver Star, even though Willis’s character was supposed to be the hero of the movie. Can you think of a real-life example where someone’s contributions or efforts were devalued or erased? Why was the person forgotten?

4. RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Alex stands up for Ahmed when Tanner Crook bullies him about being Muslim.

What do you think when you see people discriminated against because of a parts of their identities? How do you act in these situations?

WRITING PROMPT FOR DIRECTOR’S CUT1. Imagine that for film class, you have to write a report on the truth about Man with

the Silver Star. What do you reveal? How do you discuss your findings? If someone had never seen the movie, edited or not, how would you describe it to them?

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR THE GATEWAY1. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS Hannah, Mia, and Jasmine used to be best friends, but now the dynamic is

different. Why did it change? How were their summers different? How and why has Jasmine changed, and why are Mia and Hannah uncomfortable around her now?

2. CRAFT AND STRUCTURE How does Eddy try to turn Jasmine and her friends against each other, and why

does it sometimes work? How do they deal with Eddy in the end?

3. INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS As they figure out where their friendship stands, the three girls also solve a historical

murder. What other book can you think of where modern people learn the truth about events from the past? Was there a supernatural element, or was it all realistic?

4. RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Hannah and Mia rightfully have a bad feeling about Eddy, but Jasmine doesn’t want

to hear it. Have you ever known that someone couldn’t be trusted, but couldn’t make others listen? What happened? What did you do about it?

WRITING PROMPT FOR THE GATEWAY1. Write an article for the school newspaper from Mia, Hannah, and Jasmine’s point of

view about what happened in the bog and what they discovered.

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE1. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS Much of Radioactive is about choices and consequences. What choice did Halwin

make many years ago, and why was it a complicated decision? What do you think about the choice that Zack and his friends make at the end of Radioactive? Why did they make the choice, and what does it mean for the fate of the island?

2. CRAFT AND STRUCTURE Halwin tells Zack, “Every person alive today exists because of the people who

came before them. Some of those people did terrible things to make your existence possible. I’m not saying that’s your fault, son. But you can’t pretend it has nothing to do with you. . . . [S]ometimes you have to answer for crimes you didn’t commit.” Why does Halwin say this to Zack? How does this relate to themes of the novel? How is the choice that Zach and his friends make similar to or different from Halwin’s choice?

3. INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS In Radioactive, the events of the past influence what happens on the island in the

present. Can you think of any fictional or real-life examples in which something from the past made an impact on a situation in the present? What happened?

ABOUT DARBY CREEKDarby Creek, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, creates series fiction titles for emerging, striving and reluctant readers ages 7 to 18 (Grades 2-12). Founded in 1959, Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s largest independent children’s book publishers with thirteen imprints and divisions. For more information, visit www.lernerbooks.com or call 800-328-4929.

800-328-4929 www.lernerbooks.com

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Look for these titles in The Atlas of Cursed Places series: 4. RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Nola must grapple with the truth of what her grandfather has done and decide

whether or not she can forgive him. Have you ever found out something about someone you respected that made you see them differently? What happened? How did you deal with it?

WRITING PROMPT FOR RADIOACTIVE1. Write an article on what happened on the island as if you work for Zack’s father’s

newspaper. How will you describe the events factually and neutrally?

STUDENT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SKELETON TOWER1. KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS Why is it significant that Jason starts to want to break the curse and fix up the

tower, rather than deciding to leave? How does he grow as a character over the story? How do he and his parents switch roles?

2. CRAFT AND STRUCTURE How does each member of the family’s view of the lighthouse shift and change?

What causes them to change their minds one way or another over the course of the book? Why is it significant when the family starts to see the lighthouse as home and how is that different from what they’ve thought in the past?

3. INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS The crew of the Laura Lee was unjustly blamed for the curse on the lighthouse, as

it was actually Seth Blake’s curse. What other stories have a misunderstanding in which someone is blamed for something he or she didn’t do? How do they work out in the end?

4. RANGE OF READING AND LEVEL OF TEXT COMPLEXITY Part of the reason why Jason starts to want to fix the lighthouse and break the

curse is because he is inspired by Emma’s bravery and heroism. Have you been inspired to do something outside of your comfort zone because you were following the example of someone you admire? What happened?

WRITING PROMPT FOR SKELETON TOWER1. When Morgan and Jason grow up and move out of the lighthouse, they want to set

the record straight for any potential new residents. Write from their point of view about what happened in the past with Emma and the Laura Lee, and what happened when Jason and the family originally moved in.

Key Ideas and Details• Determining themes or central ideas; summarizing• Story elementsCraft and Structure• Meanings of words and phrasesAll Anchor Standards: CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.3, CCRA.R.4Correlations are estimated and not final until verfied by 3rd party expert.