The Misfits

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

No Name-Calling Week Campaign

Because of James Howe’s book The Misfits, a group of educators and the book’s publishers started something called “No Name-Calling Week.” You can use these resources to find out more about this event and get some ideas about how people participate:

• a 3-minute video by the GLSEN Student Ambassadors
• a brief overview by the Museum of Tolerance
• a more detailed guide that GLSEN created for educators

After you have spent a little time learning about No Name-Calling Week, think about what you would do if you were planning No Name-Calling Week for your school. Choose ONE of the following activities to complete:

• Create a Poster: Choose a form of name-calling that is a problem among students your age. Create a poster that uses words and images to persuade others that this kind of name-calling is hurtful and wrong.
• Create a Presentation: Do some research to find out what causes some people to call others hurtful names. Create a presentation that uses words and images to share this information with your peers.