The Wave - Discussion Questions

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Are you a member of
any kind of club ?

Yes

No

Which is more important?

Individuality

Being part of a group

Does school create individuals or people who want to fit in to a group?

Individuals

Group members

Individual vs Group 

Obviously The Wave has something to do with choosing whether to be part of a group or whether to be an individual...  Think back to a time when you were part of a group...

How does it feel? Why might this make people want to form groups and be part of a group?

Would you do things you don't agree with because your club wants you to?

Definitely not

Maybe

Probably

Main characters

1. Ben Ross
2. Laurie Saunders
3.  David Collins
4. Robert Billings

Discussing Chapter 1

Define the following vocabulary:

• Perpetual
  
• Inept
  
• Charismatic
  
• Naive
  
• Lackadaisical
  

Perpetual - endless / continuous

Inept - incompetent

Charismatic - appealing / alluring

Naïve - ignorent / innocent

Lackadaisical- laid-back / lazy

Answer the following questions in complete sentences (in groups):

• Discuss Ben Ross’ reputation as a teacher and what it reveals about him. 
• How would you react to a teacher like Ross?
  
•  What concerns does Ben Ross have about his students?
  

Discussing Chapter 2

Define the following vocabulary:

  

• atrocities
  
• emaciated
• quintessential

atrocities - horrors

emaciated - skeletal / atrophied

quintessential - typical

Quotes

"How could the Germans sit back while the Nazis slaughtered people and say they didn't know about it? HOW could they do that? HOW could they even say that?"

"All I can say is, I would never let such a small minority of people rule the majority."

Quotes

"After the war, many Nazis tried to excuse their behavior by claiming they were following orders and that they could have been killed themselves if they hadn't"

"No, that's no excuse, they could have run away. They could have fought back. They could have had their own eyes and their own minds. They could think for themselves."

Answer the following questions in complete sentences (in groups):

• What is your impression of the quote describing Nazi atrocities: “How on God’s earth could anyone make anyone else do something like that?”
• Did the students all react the same to the film? If not, how did their responses differ?
  
• Why do you think the student that was bullied was the most enthusiastic about The Wave?

Why did nobody stop them?

Answer the following questions in complete sentences (do individually)

1. Do you believe people are quintessentially bad? Explain your answer in clear English

2. Which of the students in Mr Ross's classroom would you be? Explain why.

3. What did you think of the play? Explain your answer.