The Intersection Five
Using The Intersection in Your Classroom
SEL Themes and Discussion Starters
“Children don’t always need someone to solve their problems. Sometimes they need someone to help them understand their feelings.” As educators, we know that some of the most meaningful lessons don’t come from a worksheet; they come from a story. Stories help students explore emotions, develop empathy, and wrestle with life’s biggest questions in a safe and meaningful way. They allow readers to step into another person’s experience while discovering language for feelings they may not yet know how to express.
That is one of the reasons I wrote The Intersection. While the novel follows the emotional journey of a twelve-year-old boy whose life changes in an instant, its greatest purpose is not simply to tell a story. It is to create opportunities for conversation, reflection, and growth.
Whether you teach upper elementary, middle school English Language Arts, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), or lead a small group in a church or counseling setting, The Intersection offers rich opportunities for students to build empathy, resilience, and hope.
Why Stories Matter in Social-Emotional Learning
Social-Emotional Learning helps students develop skills that influence every part of their lives.
Students learn to:
Recognize and understand emotions.
Build healthy relationships.
Make responsible decisions.
Develop empathy.
Practice self-awareness.
Strengthen resilience during adversity.
These skills cannot always be taught through direct instruction alone. They are often learned through stories. When students connect with believable characters, they begin asking thoughtful questions about themselves and others. Literature becomes a bridge between academic learning and emotional growth.
SEL Competencies Explored in The Intersection
Self-Awareness
Throughout the novel, students observe how emotions change over time.
Discussion Questions
How does grief affect the way people think about themselves?
Why is it important to recognize our emotions instead of ignoring them?
What healthy ways can we express difficult feelings?
Self-Management
Students see examples of healthy and unhealthy coping strategies while learning that healing is a process.
Discussion Questions
What are healthy ways to manage overwhelming emotions?
Why is asking for help a sign of strength?
What routines help us feel safe during difficult seasons?
Social Awareness
One of the strongest themes in The Intersection is empathy. Students consider how loss affects families, friendships, classmates, teachers, and entire communities.
Discussion Questions
How can we support someone who is grieving?
Why do people grieve differently?
What assumptions should we avoid making about someone experiencing loss?
Relationship Skills
The novel encourages conversations about trust, communication, forgiveness, and accepting support from others.
Discussion Questions
What makes someone a trustworthy friend?
How can listening become an act of kindness?
Why is it sometimes difficult to accept help?
Responsible Decision-Making
Characters face choices that affect both themselves and others. Students evaluate those choices while considering consequences, compassion, and personal growth.
Discussion Questions
How do emotions influence our decisions?
What makes a decision both wise and compassionate?
How can difficult experiences shape future choices?
Trauma-Informed Teaching Connections
Many students enter our classrooms carrying invisible burdens. Although educators cannot remove those burdens, we can create environments where students feel emotionally safe. The Intersection supports trauma-informed instruction by encouraging teachers to:
Create predictable classroom routines.
Encourage respectful dialogue.
Validate students’ emotions.
Normalize asking for help.
Provide opportunities for reflection through writing or discussion.
Foster hope without minimizing pain.
When students feel safe, they become more willing to learn, participate, and connect with others.
Classroom Activities
Reflective Journaling
Invite students to respond to prompts such as:
Describe a time someone showed you kindness.
What does courage look like during difficult times?
How can hope grow even when circumstances don’t change immediately?
Character Growth Timeline
Ask students to create a timeline showing moments when characters experienced emotional growth.
Discuss:
What changed?
Who helped?
What lessons were learned?
Vocabulary Through Emotion
Create an emotion word wall using words from the novel.
Students can categorize emotions such as:
grief
courage
fear
compassion
resilience
forgiveness
hope
gratitude
This activity expands emotional vocabulary while strengthening literacy skills.
Perspective Writing
Invite students to write a journal entry from the perspective of one of the characters. How might another character describe the same event? How does perspective influence understanding?
Cross-Curricular Opportunities
The Intersection integrates naturally across multiple content areas.
English Language Arts
Character analysis
Theme
Point of view
Symbolism
Narrative writing
Literary response
Social-Emotional Learning
Emotional regulation
Empathy
Healthy coping skills
Goal setting
Reflection
Character Education
Integrity
Compassion
Respect
Perseverance
Kindness
Responsibility
Faith-Based Education
For Christian schools, homeschool families, and church groups, students can also explore biblical themes such as:
God’s presence during suffering
Hope and perseverance
Prayer
Community support
Comfort found in Scripture
Before You Read
Consider asking students:
What does friendship look like during difficult times?
Why do people respond differently to grief?
What does resilience mean?
How can one act of kindness change someone’s day?
These questions prepare students to engage thoughtfully with the story.
After You Read
Encourage deeper reflection by asking:
Which character changed the most?
What surprised you?
What did you learn about grief?
What did you learn about courage?
What message do you think the author wanted readers to remember?
How has this story changed the way you think about supporting someone who is hurting?
More Than a Novel
As a former educator, I have always believed that literature can do more than improve reading comprehension. It can build compassionate classrooms. It can strengthen emotional intelligence. It can create conversations that students remember long after they finish the last chapter.
My prayer is that The Intersection becomes one of those stories. Not because it has all the answers, but because it gives students permission to ask honest questions. And sometimes, that is where healing begins.
About Dr. Jerry L. Woodbridge
Dr. Jerry L. Woodbridge is an award-winning Christian author, educator, speaker, and advocate for grieving children and families. She equips educators, counselors, parents, and ministry leaders with practical, faith-centered resources that help children navigate grief, build resilience, and discover hope. Her middle-grade novel, The Intersection, was written to foster meaningful conversations about loss, healing, empathy, and the enduring presence of God in the lives of young readers.
