The Road

Use these activities to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY 1: “It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and We Feel _______”

Picture an end of the world scenario (that’s a little less dire than the one in The Road): there is no more culture, no nations, no technology. Instead, it’s you, your closest community members (or your classmates), and the need to survive. Whatever career ambitions you had, whatever plans you had for the future, are gone in a world that has been unmade. What would a satisfying life look like in this scenario? Would it be achievable? How would you achieve it? Brainstorm with your classmates what you would need to create a workable, satisfying society together.

Teaching Suggestion: This is a great activity to do as a group brainstorming session to encourage a conversation about shared values. Students may see the ways that the society that they live in is giving them a context for their own goals, dreams, and futures, and considering a world in which those pressures are removed might lead them to think about what they value personally.