Code Name Verity

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. Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the real-life past. Typically, historical fiction is a way for authors to imagine how their characters would have participated in (and potentially changed the course of) notable historical events—for example, the end of World War II or the fall of the Roman empire.

Why do you think historical fiction is important as a genre? What are some challenges authors might face when writing historical fiction? Are there some historical time periods that better lend themselves to the genre than others? Why?

Teaching Suggestion: In some ways, historical fiction explores The Nature of Truth by shining a light on the stories of people, places, and things that might not be well documented in our history books. In Code Name Verity, the author not only questions what exactly constitutes “truth,” she tells the story of two women whose war work and efforts are sometimes overshadowed by those of men in World War II history.

• Journalist Megan O’Grady asks, “Why Are We Living in a Golden Age of Historical Fiction?” in this New York Times Style Magazine article. (Subscription may be needed to view.)
• Ten writers give their thoughts on the historical fiction genre in Lit Hub’s “Historical Fiction Is More Important Than Ever: 10 Writers Weigh In.”

2. In World War II, Hitler-led Germany sought to overrun and control Europe. When a nation was “occupied” during World War II, what exactly did that entail? Which nations fought against Germany during the war? How might citizens living in an occupied nation have coped, resisted, or suffered?

Teaching Suggestion: For students to have a deeper understanding of the national allegiances (and rivalries) in Code Name Verity, it will be useful to review the major national players during World War II, as well as what it means for Verity to be living in “occupied” France.

• The Holocaust Encyclopedia shows a map of “German Conquests in Europe, 1939-1942.”
• An 8-minute video featuring footage filmed covertly by Parisian cameraman Gaston Madru, “It Happened in Paris: WWII Nazi Occupation (1942 & 1944)” provides a firsthand glimpse of Germany’s occupation of France during World War II.

Differentiation Suggestion: Learners who might require a fuller explanation of the history and background of World War II might benefit from watching CrashCourse’s brief video overview “World War II: Crash Course History.” Students with hearing impairments might also benefit from watching this 13-minute video with captioning.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Consider a time in your life when, with the help of a friend, you overcame an obstacle you couldn’t have faced alone. The event could be a significant crisis in your life (for example, the death of a family member or loved one), or it could be a smaller one (like a time you struggled with a homework assignment and asked a friend for help). How did friendship get you through that period? Are you still friends with that person today? How did moving through this obstacle strengthen or weaken your bond?

Teaching Suggestion: Friendship is a core theme in Code Name Verity, and especially friendship that helps sustain and inspire two people through hardship. You might want to help students begin connecting to the novel in this prereading stage by introducing this theme; through the depiction of Julie and Maddie’s relationship, the author suggests that Friendship helps each of us transcend the limitations of who we thought we were, making us into better and stronger people.

• The Growth Equation breaks down how friends can impact our lives and behavior in “The Incredible Power of Friendship.”
• Reader’s Digest Canada looks at the scientific basis of friendship in “The Surprising Science Behind Friendship.”

DURING READING