Josh and JB are identical twins, but they are very different. Josh had long hair (well, HAD long hair!) and JB shaves his head. Josh is quiet and JB is loud. Josh wants to go to Duke and JB wants to go to UNC. They both struggle with finding their own identity, while still remaining close knit and growing up together. For this activity, students will create a T chart, comparing the two main characters.
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Due Date:
Objective: Complete a chart comparing Josh and JB in The Crossover.
Student Instructions:
Help the students to identify themes present in the story so they can analyze the central idea of the story and what kind of growth the characters will experience. Teachers can first ask the students to perform some theme-related activities to make a foundation for the lecture and later talk about character development and growth.
Discuss with students how the main events in the story are crucial for the growth and development of any character. Ask them to identify the main turning points in the story such as JB cutting Josh’s hair as he lost or Josh finding out his Dad had passed. Students can prepare a separate analysis of how each of these events led to Josh’s growth.
Ask the students to identify and analyze the types of conflicts that Josh experiences. For instance, his rivalry and fight with his brother and the internal confusion he was experiencing about his own identity had a serious impact on his character arc. Students can analyze all such instances to understand how they lead to character growth.
Students can list Josh’s personality traits at the start of the story and his personality at the end of the story in two columns and then bridge the gap between the beginning and the end by listing down the reasons for these changes.
Encourage the students to reflect on all the information that they have discussed so far. They can also prepare a critical report on how each event resulted in a particular change. Students can compare the growth each character experienced throughout the course of the story and how it formed a connection.
Although they both enjoy basketball, Josh is more contemplative and begins to experiment with poetry. JB is more gregarious and initially just thinks about basketball. They also approach problems in various ways. Josh and JB commonly share a love for football and both want to play it professionally but at different universities. They encounter comparable difficulties when attempting to live up to their father's expectations.
Josh grows to appreciate other kinds of self-expression and realizes there is more to life than simply basketball. JB discovers the value of balance and refrains from devoting his entire self to the game. Both the characters have an important connection with basketball as their lives and future decisions revolve around this game.