The Transall Saga

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. Why were so many politicians and civilians anxious about the possibility of nuclear warfare during the 20th century? What events have you heard about or studied that might have contributed to this anxiety?

• This Britannica Kids article and this Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission report discuss the Chernobyl disaster and what it can teach us about the dangers of technology in the nuclear age.

2. Why was Ebola a source of concern for many during the 1990s and beyond?

• This article describes the Ebola virus and why so many were concerned about it in the 1990s.
• This World Health Organization article discusses COVID-19’s impact.

Teaching Suggestion: You may provide your students with the links above as part of their pre-reading homework assignments, assign them computer lab time for the same purpose, or display these resources on a smart board or other projection system in your classroom.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from enrichment might be entrusted to independently research the Reading Context questions above using additional online or library sources.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Imagine finding yourself transported to a distant planet. You recognize none of the vegetation or animals, and there is no sign of any other human-like beings. What do you do? What are your priorities? How do you plan to find food, water, and shelter? Would you pursue other intelligent species?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt can be discussed as a group, or used as an independent, free-writing exercise. Students are encouraged to put themselves in the shoes of one lost in an unfamiliar environment; this prepares them to relate to Mark’s predicament in the opening chapters, and to consider what they may have done differently. It also prepares them to reflect on the important theme of Survivalist Courage and Intuition.