Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

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. What is our right to privacy on the internet? Is everything we say or do (e.g., comments, posts, and searches) discoverable by others? Should it be?

Teaching Suggestion: Simon is extorted because someone sees his private emails. For many young people, the internet feels like a safe place to be their true selves while paradoxically believing they can remain anonymous. It may be beneficial to expand this question if time allows into a larger research or debate question to prompt deeper thinking.

• This article discusses internet safety as it pertains to kids and families specifically.
• This article from the Pew Research Center discusses protecting personal privacy online.

2. What does it mean when a person in the LGBTQ+ community “comes out”? What are the negative ramifications if someone else “outs” them?

Teaching Suggestion: This question is designed to help introduce the theme of Reintroducing Yourself to the Universe. Due to the sensitive nature of the prompt, a private, individual response may be most appropriate.