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ACTIVITIES to use with UNWIND by Neal Shusterman
1. Some children in the story were “storked”. Compare that to our folk legend of the
stork.
2. See what information you can find about the movie, “Playing for time”. How does
this compare to Risa‟s experience?
3. The Akron AWOL and Humphrey Dunfee are urban legends. Define “urban legend”.
Then tell about a modern urban legend you know.
4. The Admiral has posted his Ten Demandments. How do they compare to other lists
you know i.e. The Ten Commandments, the Seven Commandments in Animal Farm ?
5. Lev is a tithe. Research that word to see if it is still in use today. Write a paragraph
presenting your conclusion.
6. “Connor shrugs. „It was the last chapter in our history textbook, but we had state
testing, so never got to it.‟ The same thing may be occurring in Nebraska schools today.
Write a persuasive essay for or against the practice.
7. Look up chop shop. How is today‟s definition the same as it is used in the book?
How is it different?
8. “The Heartland War was pro-life vs. pro-choice and both sides lost.” Explain how this
is possible.
9. The situations in Unwind are futuristic yet they are realistic and identifiable with
events or issues from our past and present. Choose one of the following OR add one of
your own to research. Then explain how it relates to Shusterman‟s story.
Abortion
Adoption
Suicide bombers
Genocide
Refugee camps
Underground Railroad
Hiding from the enemy (i.e. the Jews in World War II)
Organ donation
Teen cliques
Pro-life
Pro-choice
Teen runaways
Evangelists
Red Cross blood drives
War profiteers
Racism
Homophobia
Teen angst
Orphans and orphanages
10. Parents in the book can sign an “Unwind Order” if they are having trouble
controlling their teens. Check with Health and Human Services or local law enforcement
to see what options might be available to parents in your city and state.
ACTIVITIES to use with UNWIND by Neal Shusterman
1. Some children in the story were “storked”. Compare that to our folk legend of the
stork.
2. See what information you can find about the movie, “Playing for time”. How does
this compare to Risa‟s experience?
3. The Akron AWOL and Humphrey Dunfee are urban legends. Define “urban legend”.
Then tell about a modern urban legend you know.
4. The Admiral has posted his Ten Demandments. How do they compare to other lists
you know i.e. The Ten Commandments, the Seven Commandments in Animal Farm ?
5. Lev is a tithe. Research that word to see if it is still in use today. Write a paragraph
presenting your conclusion.
6. “Connor shrugs. „It was the last chapter in our history textbook, but we had state
testing, so never got to it.‟ The same thing may be occurring in Nebraska schools today.
Write a persuasive essay for or against the practice.
7. Look up chop shop. How is today‟s definition the same as it is used in the book?
How is it different?
8. “The Heartland War was pro-life vs. pro-choice and both sides lost.” Explain how this
is possible.
9. The situations in Unwind are futuristic yet they are realistic and identifiable with
events or issues from our past and present. Choose one of the following OR add one of
your own to research. Then explain how it relates to Shusterman‟s story.
Abortion
Adoption
Suicide bombers
Genocide
Refugee camps
Underground Railroad
Hiding from the enemy (i.e. the Jews in World War II)
Organ donation
Teen cliques
Pro-life
Pro-choice
Teen runaways
Evangelists
Red Cross blood drives
War profiteers
Racism
Homophobia
Teen angst
Orphans and orphanages
10. Parents in the book can sign an “Unwind Order” if they are having trouble
controlling their teens. Check with Health and Human Services or local law enforcement
to see what options might be available to parents in your city and state.
Determine where the word or name fits in the puzzle based on the number of
letters and how it intersects with the other words. Each word should be used once.
4 letters 5 letters 6 letters 7 letters 8 letters 9 letters
CyFi piano desert harvest runaways Pastor Dan
Neal Harlan unwound Missouri nice socks
future Chop Shop Happy Jack
Connor Graveyard
10 letters 14 letters
Shusterman Humphrey Dunfee
The Goldens Simon & Schuster
Texas ranch
Unwind
Clueless Crossword Puzzle
Unwind
Clueless Crossword Puzzle Answer
H A R V E S T
H
H U M P H R E Y D U N F E E
R
G
U
N
U
P A S T O R D A N
T E X A S R A N C H
I
L
E
A
A
W
A
H
M
D
S
W
L
O
P I A N O
E
E
A
U
P
R
N
N
R
Y
S H U S T E R M A N
Y
L
&
S
T
S
D
J
A
S
C
M
A
N
C Y F I
O
I
C
H
N I C E S O C K S
F U T U R E
N
S
S
C H O P S H O P
T
R
U
G R A V E Y A R D
R
R
I
1
2
3 4
5
6 7 8
9
10 11
12
13
14
15
Across: Down:
2. Who else is in CyFi's head? 1. Who did kill the five kids in the crate?
3. Lady at the antique shop 4. What did Connor often say to change the
7. A camp no one wants to attend subject?
9. body parts 5. Risa's instrument
10. the Pastor's name 6.Lev's brother who becomes his
11. Connor's nickname after escaping guardian
13. The Admiral's son 7. The teacher who helped them
14. The color of Lev's skin is called_____ 8. The Admiral's top 5
15. CyFi's skin color is called _____ 12. The three clappers are: Mai, Lev & _____
Unwind Crossword Puzzle
C
T Y L E R
E
S O N I A N
V I P
E C I
M H A R V E S T C A M P
A A S H N
O R G A N S O E O
C N C G
U D A N A K R O N A W O L
S H S L
B D
L E
H A R L A N
I S I E N N A
N
U M B E R
Across: Down:
2. Who else is in CyFi's head? 1. Who did kill the five kids in the crate?
3. Lady at the antique shop 4. What did Connor often say to change the
7. A camp no one wants to attend subject?
9. body parts 5. Risa's instrument
10. the Pastor's name 6.Lev's brother who becomes his
11. Connor's nickname after escaping guardian
13. The Admiral's son 7. The teacher who helped them
14. The color of Lev's skin is called_____ 8. The Admiral's top 5
15. CyFi's skin color is called _____ 12. The three clappers are: Mai, Lev & _____
Unwind Crossword Puzzle
2010 One Book for Nebraska Teens
Discussion questions for Unwind by Neal Shusterman
1. How would you feel if you discovered you were going to be unwound? What would you do?
If you didn't want to go along with it but couldn't run away like Connor and the others in the
novel, what other options might you have?
2. How would you feel if you were in an accident, or had a rare disease, and you could be cured
only if your damaged organs were replaced by parts taken from unwound teens? What would
you choose to do? What if you were certain to die if you refused the parts? What if it wasn't you,
but someone you loved (a parent, a sibling) who was in an accident? Would your answer be
different?
3. You just found out the person sitting next to you is going to be unwound. Come up with ten
good reasons why they should NOT be. Remember, their life may depend on it!
4. When do you think the story takes place? The book never reveals the year. How many years in
the future might it be? What clues hint at how much time has passed? What companies or
products are named? What societal norms can you point to that have changed or remained the
same? What are the similarities between the world of Unwind and our own world? What are the
differences?
5. Which of the three main characters, Connor, Risa, or Lev, do you most identify with? Why?
What traits do you have in common? Which of their traits work for them, and which make their
lives harder? Which of your own traits would you like to give up? Which would you want to
keep?
6. In the course of the book, Connor and Risa get separated from Lev, who travels for a time with
another character. Why do you think the author chose to split the narrative into two distinct
threads? What do you think this achieves? How does this affect the evolution of the characters?
7. Compare the similarities and differences of Lev's journey with Cyrus to Joplin, Missouri, in
Unwind to Huck's travel with Jim down the Mississippi River in the novel Huckleberry Finn.
8. While being transported to possible safety, some of the kids on the run wonder, "Would it be
better to die or be unwound?" If given the choice, which would you choose? Why?
9. Another question the kids in the book discuss is, "If every part of you is still alive but inside
someone else, are you alive or are you dead?" They also wonder if consciousness can exist even
if it's spread out, and if the soul remains intact. What do you think?
10. Which adults in the story are depicted sympathetically? Which do you feel are not
sympathetic? Do any shift from one to the other? How did the author describe these characters to
make you feel one way or the other about them?
11. Risa is assigned to play in a band at a Harvest Camp, performing upbeat tunes while teens are
marched to their unwinding. Risa is conflicted: She knows playing in the band will keep her
alive longer, but it's at the expense of others, and her joy at having her fingers on a piano is
matched by the horror of knowing what's going on around her. How would you feel in this
situation? Would you accept the position? Are there any situations in history similar to this?
LikertScale Unwind Name________________________________________Readeachstatementandchooseyouropinionbaseduponyourcurrentknowledge.Statement Strongly
agreeAgree Neutral Disagree Stongly
disagreeCloningisnewtechnology.
Itiswrongtocloneanyplantoranimal.
Iamnotworriedabouteatinggeneticallyalteredvegetables.
Itisnotpossibletoclonehumans.
Itshouldbelegaltoclonepeopletohelpcuredisease.
Organdonationislegal.
Itiswrongtosharegeneticmaterialbetweenpeople.
Allreligionsareagainstcloning.
Iknowsomeonewhohasdonatedanorgan.
Cloningis“playingGod.”
Iknowsomeonewhodonatesplasmaformoney.
Itislegalforyoutopurchaseaneworganifneededtosaveyourlife.
Tile Puzzle for Unwind
Unscramble the tiles to reveal a message.
A V E
A D B
O R G A
W O U
I N D I
N O R S
H A P P
U N W
I F M
L D H
P E O P
E E N
N D O
E V E R
E N E D
O R E
L E H
N G N
Tile Puzzle Answer for Unwind
I F M O R E P E O P L E H A D B E E N
O R G A N D O N O R S
U N W I N D I N G N E V E R
W O U L D H A V E H A P P E N E D
Spoken by the Admiral, at the bottom of page 224.
UNWIND
By Neal Shusterman
Reading and Study Guide
Created by Eric Elfman
About the Book
In the not-too-distant future, teens Connor, Risa, and Lev are on the run for
their lives. Following the Second Civil War, between pro-choice and pro-life
forces, the United States now allows parents to unwind their unwanted and
difficult kids between the ages of thirteen and eighteen: their bodies are
surgically taken apart and all the organs and tissue are used in other people.
According to the law, the kids aren’t considered dead, they’re “living in a
divided state.” But Connor, Risa and Lev, and thousands of other teens
slated for “unwinding,” don’t see it that way. They choose instead to “kick
AWOL,” or run away. Unwind follows these three across the future United
States as they travel together, split up, and meet again when their destinies
cross in a “Harvest Camp” where they are slated to be unwound.
Pre-Reading Research/Activities
Research those who helped endangered people. They can study the pre-Civil
War “Underground Railroad,” a vast network of individuals who helped
runaway slaves make their way to freedom. They can also research the
stories of those who helped Jews escape the Nazi holocaust, including Oskar
Schindler, Raoul Wallenberg and Chiune Sugihara.
The novel takes places after the “Second Civil War.” The real Civil War was
fought, primarily, over the issue of slavery. Learn about recent civil wars in
other countries. What issues have they been fought over? (For example,
religion, race, politics.) In small groups, discuss the idea of a Second Civil
War in this country, and what it might be fought over. Do you think it could
happen here?
Find out how many people today elect to donate their organs after their
death. What is the process to do so. How are the organs handled and
delivered? How many lives do they save? Ask other students how many of
them intend to donate their organs. Stage a debate. Discuss whether it is a
good idea to donate organs and, if so, why do so few people do it?
Discussion Topics
• How would you feel if you discovered you were going to be unwound?
What would you do? If you didn’t want to go along, but couldn’t run away
like Connor and the others in the novel, what other options might you have?
• How would you feel if you were in an accident, or had a rare disease, and
you could only be cured if your damaged organs were replaced by parts
taken from unwound teens. What would you choose to do? What if you were
certain to die if you refused the parts? What if it wasn’t you, but someone
you loved (a parent, a sibling) who was in an accident? Would your answer
be different?
• You just found out the person sitting next to you is going to be unwound.
Come up with ten good reasons why they should NOT be. Remember, their
life may depend on it!
• When do you think the story takes place? The book never reveals the year.
How many years in the future do you think the story take place? What clues
hint at how much time has passed? What companies or products are named?
What societal norms can you point to that have changed or remained the
same? What are the similarities between the world of Unwind and our own
world? What are the differences?
• Which of the three main characters, Connor, Risa or Lev, do you most
identify with? Why? What traits do you have in common? Which of their
traits work for them, and which make their lives harder? Which of your own
traits would you like to give up? Which would you want to keep?
• In the course of the book, Connor and Risa get separated from Lev, who
travels for a time with another character. Why do you think the author chose
to split the narrative into two distinct threads? What do you think this
achieves? How does this affect the evolution of the characters?
• Compare the similarities and differences of Lev’s journey with Cyrus to
Joplin, Missouri, in Unwind to Huck’s travel with Jim down the Mississippi
River in the novel Huckleberry Finn.
• While being transported to possible safety, some of the kids on the run,
considering their fate, wonder, “Would it be better to die or be unwound?” If
given the choice, which would you choose? Why?
• Another question the kids in the book discuss is, “If every part of you is
still alive but inside someone else, are you alive or are you dead?” They also
wonder if consciousness can exist even if it’s spread out, and if the soul
remains intact? What do you think?
• Which adults in the story are depicted sympathetically? Which do you feel
are non-sympathetic? Do any shift from one to the other? How did the
author describe these characters to make you feel one way or the other about
them?
• Risa is assigned to play in a band at a Harvest Camp, performing upbeat
tunes while teens are marched to their unwinding. Risa is conflicted: she
knows playing in the band will keep her alive longer, but it’s at the expense
of others, and her joy at having her fingers on a piano is matched by the
horror of knowing what’s going on around her. How would you feel in this
situation? Would you accept the position? Are there any situations in history
similar to this?
• What positive consequences you can imagine would be realized by a
society where unwinding exists? What are the negatives? Do you think the
negatives outweigh the positives, or the other way around?
• A euphemism is a mild word or phrase that’s used to refer to something
unpleasant or embarrassing. “Living in a divided state” is a euphemism
officials in the novel use in place of “being unwound”.. Another euphemism
in the novel is “harvest camps” in place of “unwinding facilities.” Can you
think of any commonly used euphemisms in real life? Why do you think
people use euphemisms?
• In the novel, unwinding becomes big business, as there’s a lot of money to
be made from ill people and accident victims requiring fresh organs, and the
population looks the other way, not considering the source. Are there any
present-day situations you can think of where ethics have been compromised
because of money, or because it’s simply easier not to think about it? Predict
a situation in the future where greed or denial could defeat morals.
• Imagine that you are approached to join the Clappers, the novel’s futuristic
terrorists. How would you respond? What would you tell them?
• Connor’s anger and lack of impulse control is often a problem for him,
until he learns to control and channel his emotions. Do you ever feel like
your impulses are stronger than your will? What strategies do you use to
control your feelings? Do they work?
• The bully, Roland, makes life hard for Connor and Risa from the time they
meet him. What do you think of his ultimate payback? Did you think it was
fair? Was it satisfying, or did it make you squirm. Or both? Why?
Activities
In the novel, Sonia, the owner of the antique shop, has each of the teens she
helps write a letter to someone they love. Write your own letter to someone
you love and, like the kids in the novel, put everything you want to say to
that person, good and bad, in the letter. Would you be willing to show this
letter to the person you wrote it to? Why or why not? What about in three or
four years?
Draw up a “will,” but instead of your possessions, it’s your personality that
you’re giving away. List your personality traits. What parts of your
personality would you give, and to whom? (your sense of humor, your
determination, etc.)
Prepare testimony to Congress as they begin hearings on the status of Bill of
Life. Write your testimony from the point of view of either a teen slated to
be unwound, or from someone whose life was saved by receiving body parts
from an unwind. Hold hearings, where several students share their testimony
with the class. Then debate whether the law should be changed or not.
Risa’s band plays “Don’t Fear the Reaper” among other songs for the teens
who are going to be unwound. Put together a set list of songs your band
would play if you were performing at a Harvest Camp. Explain your
choices.
In the novel, the characters arrive at “the graveyard,” a safe refuge for teens
facing unwinding. In a group, invent another location where teens have
gathered. Describe how your own make-shift community functions, and
what each of your jobs is. Create a list of ten rules for getting along, in the
spirit of the Admiral’s “Ten Demandments.”
At the novel’s end, when different people who obtained parts from a single
individual are brought together, they begin to act as a unit. In a group, try
performing the acting exercise know as “the Machine.” One person does a
single repetitive motion, over and over again. Then a second person joins the
first, repeating a different but complementary motion. Then the others join,
one at a time. In the end, you will have a “machine” with a number of
different parts, all doing separate but related motions, acting as a single
entity.
Try telling a story in which every person, one after another, gets to donate
only one sentence. The goal is not to throw the story off track, or to be
funny, but to make the story coherent. Can it be done? Did the story make
sense?
Write a newspaper article dated one year after the end of the novel. What
news event has just happened? (For example, a new election, a riot, a new
terrorist attack.) Has it changed anything fundamental about the society or
the Bill of Life? Has the law been repealed?
Characters
Connor Lassiter - a 16 year old troubled kid. When he learns his parents
have signed an unwind order, he runs away in search of a place to hide until
he’s 18 years old.
Risa Ward - 15 years old, an orphan at a State Home. She runs away when
the administrators sign the order to have her unwound, and out of necessity
joins Connor in seeking safety.
Lev Calder - the tenth and youngest child of his religious family, a “tithe”
who was born to be unwound when he reached his thirteenth birthday. He is
“kidnapped” by Connor, who means to save him from his fate.
Pastor Dan - Lev’s minister and his spiritual advisor, Pastor Dan gives Lev
support as he approaches his unwinding, but at the moment Connor frees
Lev, he urges him to run.
Hannah Steinberg - the high school teacher who hides Connor and Risa in a
classroom
Sonia - an antique store owner who hides AWOL teens in her basement, the
first step on their roundabout journey to safety.
Mai - an AWOL Asian girl who Connor and Risa meet while in hiding.
Roland - a manipulative, ruthless AWOL bully who has continuing
confrontations with Connor
Hayden - a snarky but thoughtful AWOL with attitude
Cyrus Finch (CyFi) - a runaway teen encountered by Lev. Cyrus, who
received a piece of brain from an unwind, is searching for something the
unwound kid in his head is trying to tell him.
The Admiral - the adult, former U.S. Navy man, who runs “the graveyard”
where many AWOL teens stay for safety, the Admiral was one of the
drafters of the Bill of Life.
Unwind Slang
AWOL - a runaway teen, scheduled to be unwound, hoping to survive to age
18, said to be “kicking AWOL.”
Bill of Life - the law instituting unwinding.
Boeuf - a soldier, male or female (from the French word for Beef – also the
derivation of the word “buff,” as in muscular).
Chop Shop - the operating room where teen’s bodies are surgically taken
apart.
Clappers - suicide-terrorists who have replaced their blood with a
nitroglycerin blend. They blow themselves up by clapping their hands.
Harvest Camp (formerly called “unwinding facilities”) - where teenagers
awaiting unwinding are housed, as well as where the procedure is performed
Humphrey Dunfee - urban legend about an unwind whose parents go crazy
from grief and kill all the recipients of their son’s body parts, in an attempt
to reassemble their son.
Juvey-cops - Police officer specializing in taking down AWOLs.
“Living in a Divided State” -a euphemism for being unwound.
StaHo - State Homes, orphanages where wards of the state stay until their
18th birthday or they are sent to be unwound
Storked - babies who are left on doorsteps. The homeowner is obligated to
keep and raise the child.
Tithe - a child of a religious family who is born and raised to be unwound, as
an act of charity.
Umber - the socially acceptable way to describe someone who is Black. (In
contrast to sienna, the socially acceptable way to describe someone who is
Caucasian.)
About the Author
Neal Shusterman has written about a gazillion novels for Young Adults,
including Everlost, Full Tilt and Downsiders, which was nominated for
twelve state reading awards and was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults
and a Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. He also writes
screenplays for motion pictures and television shows, including Pixel
Perfect for the Disney Channel. He lives in Southern California with his four
children, none of whom will ever be unwound. Or so he says.
This Reading Group Guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for
classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its
entirety or excerpted for these purposes.
Written by Eric Elfman, author of many books for children and young adults
and several Study Guides for the Mark Taper Forum/P.L.A.Y.
S C N L N E S S I E N N A Y S T C R E G I E A
M H E A A D C L O S A L A M O I V U T B L I A
O A E U M S I P D L M M F H A T R A D I R F Q
O R T H R B L A R I M D A E M H T K W P M N T
W V R Z E A N H A T T R N P R E J E L U P A A
U E I N T L T C O Y R A I K U D S A Z M E G R
N S H U S M I B G P C W N S O R N E Z B L I I
W T T I U R S S D T P A E A T E S C L E E R Z
I C E W H P T R T X V S F T B U G I H R I R O
N A V I S C A I D O W I N Z A V A L T I G E N
D M E M V Y Z T U G R R T H T R J A C F H K A
K P S K E Z N E D A R K E Z E R C H U I T Y E
I D O V L O R C Z J T E E I L I K A V N E E M
L R A E L F L A S D R O X D A H M N G J E W I
M R R W C O N N E R Q T E P T J O P L I N E T
G S F I W O R C L A P P E R S V O X R Z S D A
Find each of the following words, they will appear either forwards, backwards, vertical or diagonal:
UNWIND STORKED UMBER
SHUSTERMAN ADMIRAL JOPLIN
HARVESTCAMP GRAVEYARD TITHE
CONNER THIRTEEN ARIZONA
CLAPPERS EIGHTEEN AIRPLANE
CRATE RISAWARD SIENNA
Unwind Word Search
S C N L N E S S I E N N A Y S T C R E G I E A
M H E A A D C L O S A L A M O I V U T B L I A
O A E U M S I P D L M M F H A T R A D I R F Q
O R T H R B L A R I M D A E M H T K W P M N T
W V R Z E A N H A T T R N P R E J E L U P A A
U E I N T L T C O Y R A I K U D S A Z M E G R
N S H U S M I B G P C W N S O R N E Z B L I I
W T T I U R S S D T P A E A T E S C L E E R Z
I C E W H P T R T X V S F T B U G I H R I R O
N A V I S C A I D O W I N Z A V A L T I G E N
D M E M V Y Z T U G R R T H T R J A C F H K A
K P S K E Z N E D A R K E Z E R C H U I T Y E
I D O V L O R C Z J T E E I L I K A V N E E M
L R A E L F L A S D R O X D A H M N G J E W I
M R R W C O N N E R Q T E P T J O P L I N E T
G S F I W O R C L A P P E R S V O X R Z S D A
Find each of the following words, they will appear either forwards, backwards, vertical or diagonal:
UNWIND STORKED UMBER
SHUSTERMAN ADMIRAL JOPLIN
HARVESTCAMP GRAVEYARD TITHE
CONNER THIRTEEN ARIZONA
CLAPPERS EIGHTEEN AIRPLANE
CRATE RISAWARD SIENNA
Unwind Word Search Answers
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