As Brave As You

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Genie’s Ideas About Being a Man”

After reading about the competing ideals of masculinity in As Brave as You, students demonstrate their understanding of Genie’s character growth in this area by drawing “before” and “after” portraits of Genie.

One of the important ways that Genie changes during this novel is in the way he understands what it means to be a man. In this activity, you will draw two side-by-side portraits of Genie that depict this change.

Think About It

1. At the beginning of the novel, what does Genie think makes a man “manly”? How do you know? What details can you use to show these ideas in a drawing?

2. At the end of the novel, what does Genie think makes a man “manly”? How do you know? What details can you use to show these ideas in a drawing?

Draw It

1. Divide a sheet of paper in half.

2. On the left half, draw a picture of Genie that shows the kind of man he hopes to become at the beginning of the novel.

3. On the right half, draw a picture of Genie that shows the kind of man he hopes to become after his ideas have changed.

Teaching Suggestion: The length of time this activity requires can be adjusted by changing the level of detail and finesse you ask for in the two drawings. The time required for students to gather ideas from the text can be reduced by allowing students to do the “Think About It” section of the assignment in small groups. If time allows and if your students are ready for the challenge, however, you might require them to do this section on their own and, as they complete it, provide specific quoted evidence from the novel to justify the choices they will make in their drawings. You might also extend the activity with a follow-up assignment asking students to briefly describe a man they admire—in their lives, in the world around them, or in fiction—who exemplifies the ideas of manhood that Genie learns to appreciate by the novel’s end.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with aphantasia and those who struggle with abstract thought may have difficulty imagining what Genie looks like and how to depict the changes in his ideas in visual form. You might allow these students to consult online images for ideas. Students with vision challenges may not be able to complete this assignment in its current form: A reasonable alternative for them might be to write a paragraph describing Genie’s initial ideas about manhood and another paragraph describing Genie’s ideas at the end of the novel.

Paired Text Extension:

This assignment—with “Genie” changed to “Cyrus” in the instructions—can also be completed for Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard.

Teaching Suggestion: If you choose to teach both texts and have students complete this assignment for both, you might ask students to post their drawings in the classroom and then discuss the similarities and differences in the way the two texts portray competing visions of masculinity.