The First Rule of Punk

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 is punk culture?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to provide students with a chance to work with a partner to generate a list of objects or adjectives that come to mind when they think of punk culture. For instance, they may choose to describe a band or a celebrity, or simply talk about what they think would be the typical appearance of a punk. After talking with a partner, students may wish to share their ideas with the whole class.

• This article on punk contains accessible information to help students understand the punk aesthetic and culture arising out of punk.
• This article from National Geographic contains a clear definition of punk as well as a history of the movement and its aesthetic.

2. What do you think would be the most difficult thing about changing schools in seventh grade?

Teaching Suggestion: Because this topic is hypothetical, students can discuss their answers without having personal experience or knowledge about this experience. Consider breaking students into small groups and having them come up with a list of things they think would be difficult, such as making new friends, learning where classes are, and trying out for new sports teams or joining new clubs. Then, after the small groups have discussed, you could bring students back to a whole-group discussion in which you write down their ideas on the board.

• The article “What to Do When Your Kid Is 'the New Kid' in School” contains suggestions and instructions for parents. Students may find they agree or disagree with the advice, which would prove to be an interesting topic of discussion for class.
• This very brief article in Fatherly magazine contains an argument against changing schools, which would serve to introduce some of the challenges experienced by the protagonist in The First Rule of Punk.

Short Activity

The First Rule of Punk tells the story of a girl named Malú of Mexican-American heritage who lives in the United States. Malú’s mother is Mexican-American and her father is white. Research current statistics about those of Latinx descent in the United States to learn more about this diverse, multi-racial group. Compile information about the current population as well as the different Latinx cultures, languages, and arts.

Teaching Suggestion: For some students, this may be a new topic they have never explored. Others, who may themselves be Latinx, may have connections to family history. Consider giving students a graphic organizer to help them structure their research into the categories of population, culture, language, and art. Working in pairs or small groups may be beneficial depending on the amount of time allotted for this small research project.

• This article from the Pew Research Center contains facts about US Latinos, such as population size and trends.
• This article entitled “9 Things Latinos Are Tired of Explaining to Everyone Else” by feminist and journalist Raquel Reichard provides an interesting list of assumptions about Latinos and a discussion that may help clarify questions students may have.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who struggle with larger tasks may find that working with a partner or in a small group will make this assignment more manageable. For these students, you might also consider offering a question for each category specified in the prompt. Students who work more comfortably in languages other than English can choose online resources written in their preferred languages.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Young people sometimes rebel against their parents or guardians, against their school, and against their peers. What are some of the reasons you think young people rebel? Can you think of a time you or someone you know rebelled against their parents or guardians, their school, or their peers? Describe what happened and what impact this rebellion had.

Teaching Suggestion: Make sure that students who do not wish to discuss their families or guardians or their own experiences of rebellion are not made to feel uncomfortable with this activity. Reassure them that they can write about someone they know or heard about if they wish not to share a personal experience.

• This article entitled “Rebellion and Defiance in Adolescents” in Psychology Today contains information about teen rebellion, including changing brains and emerging identities.
• This paper entitled “Adolescent Rebellion: Causes and Guiding Strategies” is a brief scholarly article that examines adolescent rebellion during puberty.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who prefer to express themselves visually may choose an alternative approach to completing this activity by drawing an image symbolizing rebelling. They can choose any visual characteristics they feel signal a person’s rebellion, as well as surrounding contextual details that convey a story.