The Adoration of Jenna Fox

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 are some recent advancements in the technology of prosthetics? What are the limitations of modern-day prosthetics?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity to disabilities, consider allowing students to discuss the development of technology in prosthetics. Jenna Fox was injured in an accident, after which only 10 percent of her brain could be saved. Her parents managed to recreate her body with her father’s invention of Bio Gel.

• This 4-minute video describes new technology that allows people with prosthetics to control them in a way that feels more natural.
• This 6-minute video explains advancements in prosthetic arm technology.

Short Activity

Read the article about hybrid genre literature and answer the questions below.

• What is hybrid genre literature?
• What are some of the genres listed in the article, and what makes them hybrid?
• What are some other possible hybrid genres not listed in the article?
• Brainstorm some possible hybrid genres you have experienced in either books or movies.
• Be prepared to share your findings in a brief presentation to the class.

Teaching Suggestion: It may be beneficial to read the article with students and discuss what a hybrid genre is before the activity. Then consider allowing students to view the list of genres below or a poster of genres and brainstorm in small groups about cross-genres students have experienced. You might allow groups to share their findings.

• This 2-minute video explains the difference between a genre, a sub-genre, and a hybrid genre.
• This article about cross-genres explores the most common combinations of genres.
• This article by the California Department of Education is a comprehensive list of different literary genres.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

The Adoration of Jenna Fox is about difficult choices. Explore the theme of Choices (Can vs. Should). Describe a time when you were forced to make a moral decision. What options did you have? Were there options that were inconceivable to you? Describe how you made your final decision. Did you make the decision because you felt you should or because you could? In hindsight, do you feel you made the right decision?

Teaching Suggestion: Jenna Fox’s parents made the decision to keep Jenna alive, even though it was illegal for them to do so. Because of their decision, Jenna is forced to adapt to many life changes. The theme of Choices (Can vs. Should) is explored through the novel’s central conflict.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who require an additional challenge, consider asking them to research the different forms of dilemmas: ethical, classic, and moral. Then ask students to analyze examples of these types of dilemmas in popular literature. Students may want to share their findings with the class or note their new knowledge as a “sidebar” topic on the board or display.