The Juvie Three

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.

PRESENTATION: “The Impact of ‘Juvie’ on Adolescents”

In this activity, students will research the impact of juvenile detention centers on adolescent attendees and share their findings in the form of a group presentation.

Korman’s novel explores the effects of juvenile detention centers, as well as “halfway houses,” on Arjay, Gecko, and Terence. Working in small groups, select one city or state in the US and conduct research on statistics, first person accounts, and/or studies related to the impact of juvenile detention centers on adolescent maturation. Use the questions below to guide your research:

• How many adolescents in your chosen city or state are in juvenile detention centers? How do these statistics compare to other cities and/or states in the US?
• What options are there for at-risk youth?
• Have detention rates increased or decreased over the past few decades? Why?
• Are there any preventative recommendations from non-government organizations and research centers regarding how to improve government methods for at-risk youth? If so, what are they?

After your group finishes researching, prepare a presentation and share your findings with the class. Be sure to include relevant visuals, videos, and text excerpts.

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to develop both their public speaking and research skills in the context of a group presentation. For students who may need support with research, consider reviewing important research skills, such as how to find legitimate sources on the internet, how to cite sources, and how to paraphrase.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Terence claims to have very few options in life, but he actually has a wide range of underutilized skills.

• What are some possible legal career paths Terence could take, and why would they be a good match for him? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 areas in the text that demonstrate Terence’s abilities and his beliefs about his own future.
• How does Terence’s character connect with the theme The Future Is Not Reliant on the Past?

2. The boys are required to go to group counseling as part of their rehabilitation.

• Is group counseling beneficial to the boys? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 areas in the text where the boys learn something about themselves through group therapy and explain why it is or is not a useful lesson.
• How does their experience at counseling connect with the larger theme of Honesty and Self-Awareness Is Integral for Growth?

3. Arjay, Gecko, and Terence all have very different family lives. In particular, Terence and Gecko spend a lot of time blaming their families for their actions.

• How much do families influence people and who they become? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 areas that demonstrate Arjay, Gecko, or Terence’s maturation in relation to their family ties.
• How does this character’s experience speak to the larger theme of Blood Family and Found Family?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Arjay refuses to plead guilty to murder because lying goes against his values; however, telling the truth got him sent to a worse place than if he had lied. Did Arjay make the right decision? What could he have done differently, and why?

2. Roxanne comes from a very privileged background and questions how her economic status affects her view of the world. How does socioeconomic status impact who a person is? If the halfway house boys had come from wealthier families, would they have made the same choices? Why or why not?

3. Mrs. Liebowitz and Ms. Vaughn are two of the novel’s central antagonists. How are they similar, and how are they different? Do either of these characters experience a change of heart towards “The Juvie Three,” and if so, how?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following sentences best summarizes Gecko’s relationship with Reuben?

A) Reuben is an influential older brother.

B) Gecko is Reuben’s nemesis.

C) Gecko is a bad influence on Reuben.

D) Reuben and Gecko are not on speaking terms.

2. Based on Terence’s description of his father, which of the following assumptions can be made about his homelife?

A) He came from a loving two-parent household.

B) His mother was abusive, while his father was supportive.

C) He experienced a difficult living situation as a child.

D) He never knew his real father.

3. Which of the following phrases best describes the first conversation between “The Juvie Three?”

A) A heated argument

B) An information session

C) An inquisitive conversation

D) A jovial comraderie

4. Which of the following words best describe the state of Alma K. Walker High School?

A) Modern

B) Underfunded

C) Imposing

D) Elite

5. Why does Arjay initially turn down Mr. Cantor’s offer to join the stage band?

A) Because he is no longer interested in music

B) Because he thinks bands are lame

C) Because he wants to make sure nothing jeopardizes his living situation

D) Because he is ashamed of his guitar skills

6. After Healy’s injury, Arjay says, “For all we know, Healy’s on his way home right now. But until he’s back, we’re obedient little robots, doing everything we’re programmed to” (Chapter 12). Which of the following literary terms is used in this quote?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Personification

D) Allusion

7. Which of the following sentences best describes how “The Juvie Three” react to Healy’s injury?

A) They flee New York City so they can go their separate ways.

B) They begin to fight and blame each other for Healy’s injury.

C) They try to maintain a semblance of normalcy so no one knows he is gone.

D) They alert Mrs. Vaughn about Healy’s absence so she can find a new team leader.

8. Which of the following sentences best describes why Terence dislikes school?

A) He is not challenged enough by the material.

B) He is reminded of his brother, who was abused at school.

C) He experiences bullying from his peers.

D) He struggles with reading and writing.

9. Which of the following words best describes Gecko’s relationship with his education?

A) He was a devoted student prior to his arrest.

B) He frequently tutors the other boys in English.

C) He becomes more studious as his time in the halfway house progresses.

D) He continuously abhors formal education.

10. Why is Gecko jealous of Roxanne’s relationship with her family?

A) Because she is wealthier than him

B) Because she feels like she belongs

C) Because she is educated

D) Because she has total freedom

11. As the boys decide their next steps with Healy, Gecko says:

“We could have given ourselves up the night of his accident. We didn’t. We could have identified him the minute he was diagnosed with amnesia. We didn’t. We could have come forward the whole time he was in this hospital. We didn’t” (Chapter 24)

Which of the following literary terms does Gecko use in this quote?

A) Allegory

B) Alliteration

C) Allusion

D) Anaphora

12. Why are Arjay and Gecko surprised about Terence’s detailed questions to Roxanne?

A) Because they have not seen him businesslike before

B) Because they thought he did not care about them as a group

C) Because they believed he had a learning disability

D) Because they thought he already had a girlfriend

13. Which of the following words best describes Healy’s reaction when Arjay reads his background aloud in the car?

A) Jubilant

B) Puzzled

C) Dismayed

D) Confident

14. Which of the following words best describes Delancey’s reaction to the boys’ behavior without their group leader?

A) Incredulous

B) Mocking

C) Disappointed

D) Apathetic

15. Which of the following words describes the final moments of the novel?

A) Shameful

B) Hopeful

C) Pitiful

D) Stressful

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the narration style of the story? How does this narration style link to the characters’ development?

2. What is the setting of the story? How does the setting influence the boys’ decisions throughout the course of the novel?