Orphan Train

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. How does the foster care system function in this country?

Teaching Suggestion: If anyone in class has been a part of the foster care system, this subject could be a difficult one. The resources here can be a way to include voices from some people affected by this system and a way for the class to build some common understandings before reading the novel, where the foster care system features prominently. The NPR resource focuses on experiences of Indigenous people, connecting to Molly’s perspective.

• In “How Foster Care Works in the United States,” Teen Vogue examines the foster care system, which well over 400,000 young people currently experience in the United States.
• “Native Foster Care: Lost Children, Shattered Families” is an NPR series examining the effects of foster care on Indigenous people; it includes multiple articles and options to listen to the audio.

2. What do you imagine an “orphan train” is? What was this experience like for children?

Teaching Suggestion: This aspect of history might not be known to students.