Long Way Down è un acclamato romanzo per giovani adulti, scritto in modo commovente in vividi versi liberi. È la potente storia di un giovane di nome Will Holloman che deve affrontare una decisione che cambia la vita. Coinvolgi gli studenti con le attività Storyboard That!
Gli studenti possono identificare gli anagrammi in Long Way Down di Jason Reynolds e illustrare la relazione tra le parole.
Testo Storyboard
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CANOE
ANAGRAMS in LONG WAY DOWN: ORIGINAL WORD
OCEAN
NEW WORD
Will explains what an anagram is by using canoe and ocean as an example. He says “same letters, different words, somehow still make sense together, like brothers”.
SCARE
Canoe to ocean is also a fitting pair to compare to brothers, as a canoe helps one stay afloat in the turbulent waters just like a brother's love and support helps one stay afloat in life.
CARES
Will scribbled on his wall in pencil (in case his mother made him erase it) the anagram: SCARE = CARES in the room that he shared with Shawn.
FEEL
Shawn had been going out at night and Will and his mother were worried about him. The anagram represents Will's love for his brother mixed up with his fear and anxiety over what he might be up to. He knows that Shawn jammed his middle drawer shut so that nobody could go in it, the drawer that hid his gun. The anagram is a fitting paradox of what one feels for family and friends - love mixed with the anxiety that they might get hurt.
FLEE
When Will explains how he felt after Dani was killed, he says that at first, he cried all night. The next morning, Shawn explained "The Rules" and Will learned that he shouldn't cry. His feelings were building to the point where he felt them eating him up inside. He comes up with the anagram: FEEL - FLEE because he had to escape from those feelings and push them down deep.
ADD YOUR OWN ANAGRAM!
It isn’t until Will sees his brother crying at the end of the story that he feels "allowed" to express emotion for the grief he feels. In this way, the anagram takes on a new meaning. Can Will flee or escape from the cycle of violence by being able to acknowledge and cope with his grief in a way that does not lead to more destruction?