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 should schools and other organizations consider or take into account when working with homeless youth? What aspects of a student’s daily life are likely impacted by housing insecurity? How might a homeless student’s age or grade level affect this impact?

Teaching Suggestion: This question is designed to prompt students to consider the challenging life circumstances homeless youth face and how they can be supported. With sensitivity to individual circumstances in mind, encourage students to consider how daily home and school routines would change, like brushing their teeth, taking showers, sleeping, and where to go after school. Some students may have experience with housing insecurity or volunteering with people who are homeless. If students wish to do so, they might keep their experiences anonymous. This question relates to the central theme of The Consequences of Life on the Streets.

• This National Conference of State Legislatures report details the causes, demographics, and statistics of youth homelessness in the United States.
• This 5-minute interview features homeless 18-year-old EJ explaining how he’s lived on the streets for 11 years.