All American Boys

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.

“What Does It Mean to Be All-American?”

In this activity, students will gather a variety of opinions on the meaning of the term “all-American” and connect these ideas to the novel.

Throughout the novel, Quinn, Rashad, and others question the meaning behind the term “all-American” and the deeper significance it represents regarding values of justice, honesty, loyalty, freedom, and equality. Explore this question further by investigating the potential connotations of the term and relating your findings to the messages prevalent in the novel.

In groups of 3-4, interview one person from each of the following demographic groups: a teenager (ages 12-17), a younger adult (ages 18-39), a middle-aged adult (ages 40-59), and an older adult (age 60+). These could be friends, family members, teachers, coaches, or others. Ask questions such as these and compile the responses:

• When you hear the term “all-American,” what ideas or images come to mind?
• What is at least one clear benefit to living in America? What is a clear negative?
• What is a crucial step or action in gaining values such as equality and justice for all Americans?

Once your group has completed your interviews, compile your findings in a presentation for the class. What conclusions might be drawn regarding the connections between values like equality and justice and the idea of “being all-American”? Take notes on the findings of other groups and draw parallels and comparisons.

Following presentations, reflect on this question in a journal entry: How do each groups’ findings connect to the overall message and actions in All American Boys?

Teaching Suggestion: Consider reaching out to other adults on campus such as counselors, teachers, and administrators who might be willing to speak with your students.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners and others who would benefit from assistance with transcribing interviewees’ answers, the use of a recording device might be helpful. If a student is uncomfortable with the interviewing process, they might work in a pair during the interviews or send questions in a note or by email.

Paired Text Extension: Freedom of Expression: Protest Songs

Quinn and Rashad come to a deeper understanding of the term “all-American” over the course of the novel, as evidenced by each one’s decision to attend the protest and stand up for injustice. Investigate the lyrics of one or more protest songs approved by your instructor. Research the song’s historical significance and compare the causes and effects involved in the song’s composition to the given circumstances of the protest in All American Boys. What parallels exist? Why might music be an effective way to convey the need for social change?

Teaching Suggestion: Some examples of protest songs you might consider sharing with students include U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday”; Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”; Bob Marley’s “Get up, Stand Up”; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s “Ohio”; and Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.”