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 important events took place in the 1950s? What contributed to the economic growth in America? Where did many people live in the 50s? What role did women primarily play in America during this time? What are the differences between capitalism, socialism, and communism?

Teaching Suggestion: A Walk to Remember is set in North Carolina in 1958. The roles of women, the economic boom, communism (or “The Red Scare”), and capitalism in American society are topics featured in the novel, so class discussion based on students’ attempts with these questions may help to seat readers with necessary and pertinent historical details. It may be beneficial to allow some investigation time with these or similar resources, depending on the ages and backgrounds of your students.

• This article describes important events in 1950s America.
• This 3-minute video describes the difference between capitalism, socialism, and communism.

2. What is a stereotype? What patterns of thinking can stereotypes lead to? How might individuals overcome stereotypes? What is the problem with thinking of people as groups instead of individuals?