Different Perspectives activity
One of the major themes in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is 'there is often more than one way to perceive something'. We can see this in the dichotomy presented to us by Clary's shifting perception from the 'mundane' world to the 'Shadowhunter' world. She is a vessel for both worlds, seeing and living in two realms. Using this theme as a base, you can engage the students in an entertaining activity that puts a spin on the old 'Compare and Contrast'.
Overview:
Have students find a historical or current event. Ask the students to write a brief journal entry regarding the event from a 'mundane' point of view. Then, beside it, have the students engage their creative writing skills to produce a journal entry from a 'Shadowhunter' point of view. Perhaps a certain major historical event had magical undertones that went unseen by regular human beings. For instance, while it appeared to humans that an iceberg had sunk the Titanic, maybe a Shadowhunter on-board had seen--instead--a giant sea demon that tore a gash in the ship's mainframe! Encourage the students to get really creative here! Use this activity in a pre-reading situation to lead students towards the discussion of this major theme.
Overview:
Have students find a historical or current event. Ask the students to write a brief journal entry regarding the event from a 'mundane' point of view. Then, beside it, have the students engage their creative writing skills to produce a journal entry from a 'Shadowhunter' point of view. Perhaps a certain major historical event had magical undertones that went unseen by regular human beings. For instance, while it appeared to humans that an iceberg had sunk the Titanic, maybe a Shadowhunter on-board had seen--instead--a giant sea demon that tore a gash in the ship's mainframe! Encourage the students to get really creative here! Use this activity in a pre-reading situation to lead students towards the discussion of this major theme.