Rebound

by Kwame Alexander

This moving novel in verse explores the story of Charlie Bell as he discovers basketball and his own inner strength. It is a powerful exploration of grief and growth.

Big Idea

Resilience is built through the rhythm of life's challenges, where grief and growth intersect like a well-played game of basketball. Through verse, we learn that even when we feel knocked down, we have the power to rebound and redefine our own stories.

Discussion Questions

1.How does the format of a novel-in-verse change the way you experience Chuck’s grief compared to a traditional prose novel?
2.In what ways does the setting of 1988 and the influence of jazz music shape Chuck’s transformation throughout the summer?
3.How do the graphic novel panels and comic book inserts contribute to our understanding of Chuck’s internal world?
4.Why does Chuck’s mother decide to send him to his grandparents, and how does this change in environment impact his personal growth?
5.What does the title 'Rebound' mean in the context of basketball, and how does it serve as a metaphor for Chuck’s life?

Lesson Plan

⏱ 60 minutes📦 Copies of 'Rebound', scissors, glue, markers, blank paper for graphic panels, and a timer for the performance.

Learning Goals

Analyze how poetic structure and verse contribute to the emotional tone of a narrative.
Identify and explain the significance of metaphors used throughout the text.
Synthesize themes of grief and personal growth by creating original poetic responses.
Evaluate the impact of visual elements (graphic panels) on the reader's interpretation of the story.

Activity Steps

1.Review key passages from the book that highlight Chuck’s internal struggle and his eventual growth.
2.Have students select 5-10 lines or phrases from the text that resonate with the theme of 'rebounding' from a challenge.
3.Instruct students to cut or rewrite these lines to form a new, original poem that captures the essence of resilience.
4.Encourage students to add their own 'graphic panel' illustration to accompany their poem, mimicking the book's style.
5.Host a 'Poetry Slam' where students perform their poems, focusing on rhythm and pacing.

Standards Connections

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task.
National Core Arts Standard: Creating (Anchor Standard 1) - Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Pace-Write-Read Study with Pace-Write It!

The Pace-Write-Read study of 'Rebound' invites students to treat the text not just as a story, but as a musical score. By examining how Kwame Alexander manipulates white space, line breaks, and rhythm, students learn that the speed of reading is dictated by the emotional weight of the words on the page. This approach encourages students to 'pace' their reading to match the intensity of the basketball court or the quiet reflection of grief. By slowing down to notice the structural choices, students gain a deeper appreciation for how verse can accelerate or decelerate the reader's heartbeat, mirroring the protagonist's own journey.

Element	How to notice or teach it in the novel
Pace	Observe how short, staccato lines speed up the action during basketball scenes.
Plot	Track how the plot moves from the tragedy of loss to the discovery of self-worth.
Prosody	Read aloud to hear the natural musicality and jazz-like cadence of the lines.
Word Pause	Notice how single-word lines create a heavy, intentional silence for the reader.
Concept	Focus on the concept of the 'rebound' as both a physical and emotional act.
Voice & World View	Analyze how Chuck’s 1988 perspective is shaped by his love for comics and his father's memory.
Setting & Place	Contrast the urban environment of home with the slower, disciplined life at his grandparents' house.
Point of View	Discuss how the first-person perspective makes Chuck’s grief feel immediate and personal.
Original Characters	Examine how Roxie and the grandfather act as catalysts for Chuck’s change.
Dialogue	Note how dialogue is often sparse, forcing the reader to infer meaning from the surrounding verse.
Details	Look for specific references to 1980s culture that ground the story in time.
Descriptions	Focus on how the author describes basketball moves as if they were dance or art.
Strong First Lines	Analyze the opening lines to see how they immediately establish the tone of loss.
Immediacy & Engagement	Notice how the present-tense narration pulls the reader into the heat of the moment.
Story Scenes & Summaries & Unique Structures	Identify the shift between traditional verse and comic book panels.
Flashback & Flash Forward & Cliffhangers	Track how memories of his father interrupt the present narrative.
Tension & Suspense & Surprise	Observe how the threat of the 'tough crowd' creates rising tension.
Page Turns and Chapter Breaks	Notice how chapter breaks often occur at moments of emotional realization.
Performance	Encourage students to perform poems to feel the rhythm of the language.
Personality	Discuss how Chuck’s personality evolves from withdrawn to confident.
Humor	Find moments of levity in the banter between cousins.
Pause	Use the white space on the page as a literal instruction to pause and breathe.
Poetry and Poetic Devices	Identify metaphors related to basketball and jazz.
Repetition	Look for repeated phrases that emphasize Chuck’s internal mantras.
Rhythm	Clap out the rhythm of a specific poem to feel the 'beat' of the verse.
Punctuation	Observe how the lack of traditional punctuation creates a fluid, stream-of-consciousness feel.
Questions	Note how Chuck asks himself questions that the reader must also ponder.
Compare-Contrast	Compare Chuck’s relationship with his father to his relationship with his grandfather.
Objects	Analyze the significance of the comic books as a bridge to his past.
Threes	Look for lists or sequences of three that build momentum.
Whitespace & Negative Space	Discuss how empty space represents the 'void' left by his father.
Art & Graphics	Analyze how the graphic panels provide a visual break and a different narrative layer.
Interactives & Gamification	Treat the reading process like a game where students 'score' points for identifying literary devices.

Pace-Write It!

In a 20-minute 'Speed-Read' session, have students read a high-action basketball scene and a quiet, reflective scene back-to-back. Ask them to map their reading speed on a graph, noting where they slowed down and why, then discuss how the author’s structural choices forced those changes in pace.

Classroom Activities

The Rhythm of Resilience: A Found Poetry Workshop

Students will create 'found poetry' by selecting powerful lines from the text that represent Chuck’s emotional journey, rearranging them to create a new poem that reflects their own understanding of resilience.

The Rhythm of Resilience: A Found Poetry Workshop

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