Part B - Book Club Questions

For Young Adult / High School grade level.

Ember's Gallop: Expanded Book Club Guide
Environmental Resilience & Climate Action
Key Question
How does Ember's wildfire survival strategy reflect real-world challenges in climate disaster response? What systemic failures does the novel critique?
Discussion Prompts
  • Compare Ember's reliance on ancestral knowledge to human reliance on technology.
  • Analyze how the herd's lack of control over their environment mirrors marginalized communities in climate crises.
  • Explore climate migration in mustangs vs. humans.
  • Discuss knowledge transfer between generations during disaster.
Action Plan: Community Wildfire Preparedness Guide
  1. Research: Interview local experts, study mustang migration, review indigenous fire practices.
  2. Design: Draft a 10-step guide combining animal instincts and modern strategies (evac routes, fire-resistant landscaping, pet safety).
  3. Advocacy: Present to local leaders, launch a social media campaign, partner with community organizations.
Librarian To-Do
  • Facilitate research and expert interviews.
  • Guide collaborative guide creation and feedback sessions.
  • Arrange public presentations and outreach events.
Leadership & Non-Human Communities
Key Question
How does Ember's leadership challenge human hierarchies? What can organizations learn from the herd's consensus-building?
Discussion Prompts
  • Is Ember's leadership democratic or authoritarian?
  • Compare herd leadership to historical human leaders.
  • Discuss decision-making in crisis: herd vs. human communities.
  • Explore succession and collective intelligence in animal groups.
Action Plan: Wilderness Leadership Workshop
  1. Simulation: Create crisis scenarios with assigned roles (mayor, ecologist, tribal elder, animal welfare advocate).
  2. Execution: Use book quotes as prompts, facilitate group decision-making, document outcomes.
  3. Reflection: Publish workshop insights, connect fiction to real-world leadership models.
Librarian To-Do
  • Prepare role cards and scenario materials.
  • Facilitate workshop and debrief sessions.
  • Coordinate publication of student reflections.
Sensory Storytelling & Animal Advocacy
Key Question
How does the novel's sensory immersion critique human disconnection from nature? What ethical obligations does it imply?
Discussion Prompts
  • Should animals have legal rights to habitat protection?
  • How does Ember's nonverbal communication expose limits of human language?
  • Discuss anthropomorphism vs. authentic animal perspective.
Action Plan: Build a Sensory Awareness Toolkit & Exhibit
  1. Toolkit Creation:
    • Smell: Scent jars (herbs, spices, safe essential oils)
    • Touch: Textured objects (stones, fabric, putty)
    • Taste: Individually wrapped mints or hard candies
    • Sight: Inspiring images, fabric swatches, calming lights
    • Sound: Headphones with curated nature sound playlists
  2. Exhibit Design: Interactive stations for each sense, inspired by Ember’s world (e.g., hoofbeat soundscape, sage scent station, tactile trails).
  3. Advocacy: Use the exhibit to promote wildlife protections and sensory-friendly policies; draft outreach emails to local leaders.
Librarian To-Do
  • Gather sensory materials and prepare station signage.
  • Facilitate toolkit assembly and exhibit setup with students.
  • Coordinate advocacy outreach and community engagement.
Assessment & Sustainability
Impact Rubric (Sample)
CriteriaExemplaryProficient
Novel IntegrationLinks 3+ themes to real-world actionReferences 1-2 themes
Community ReachEngages 100+ peopleImpacts 10-50 people
LongevitySecures funding/partnerships for 2+ yearsPlans 6-month follow-up
Sustaining Momentum
  • Form a "Herd Council" for ongoing project leadership.
  • Apply for grants and seek community partnerships.
  • Document and share project outcomes for future groups.
Printable & Digital Resources
  • Facilitator scripts and question cards
  • Project planning templates and timelines
  • QR code links to guides, checklists, and presentations
  • Reflection journals and peer assessment forms
© 2025 Ava C. Ryder | Designed for High School Librarians | Inspired by Ember's Gallop
Environmental Resilience & Climate Action Tasks
1. Compare ancestral knowledge vs. technology
  1. Interview local elders about traditional fire management practices
  2. Create comparison charts: Ember's instincts vs. modern weather apps
  3. Design infographics showing tech limitations in rapid climate events
  4. Stage debate: "Ancestral wisdom vs AI predictions in disaster response"
2. Herd environment vs marginalized communities
  1. Map environmental justice zones using EPA's EJ Screen tool
  2. Role-play city council allocating disaster resources
  3. Analyze case studies of communities displaced by wildfires
  4. Create PSA videos about climate vulnerability disparities
3. Climate migration comparisons
  1. Track mustang migration patterns using USGS data
  2. Compare with human climate refugee routes from UNHCR reports
  3. Design interactive maps showing barriers to movement
  4. Host debate: "Should species migration corridors get legal protection?"
4. Intergenerational knowledge transfer
  1. Record oral histories with multigenerational community members
  2. Create "survival knowledge" time capsules for future generations
  3. Design board game simulating knowledge loss/gain over decades
  4. Host intergenerational wildfire preparedness workshop
Section 1
Leadership & Non-Human Communities Tasks
1. Is Ember's leadership democratic or authoritarian?
  1. Create decision-making flowcharts comparing Ember's choices to democratic/authoritarian models
  2. Stage a mock "leadership trial" with students arguing for different classifications
  3. Analyze 5 key novel scenes using leadership style rubrics from political science
  4. Design infographics showing hybrid leadership models in animal/human groups
2. Compare herd leadership to historical human leaders
  1. Research Shackleton's Antarctic leadership vs. herd crisis management
  2. Create Venn diagrams comparing Ember's choices to Churchill/Roosevelt wartime decisions
  3. Host debate: "Animal collective intelligence vs. human hierarchical command"
  4. Develop leadership style timelines showing historical evolution
3. Crisis decision-making: Herd vs. humans
  1. Simulate wildfire evacuation using herd vs. human decision protocols
  2. Analyze COVID-19 response case studies through equine leadership lens
  3. Create crisis response scorecards evaluating speed/empathy/effectiveness
  4. Film PSAs comparing animal collective action to human bureaucracy
4. Succession & collective intelligence
  1. Map leadership transitions in wolf packs vs. corporate boards
  2. Design "collective IQ" assessment tools for animal/human groups
  3. Create graphic novels showing knowledge transfer in mustang herds
  4. Host panel discussion with ecologists/executive coaches
Section 2
Sensory Storytelling & Animal Advocacy Tasks
1. Should animals have legal rights to habitat protection?
  1. Research current wildlife protection laws in your state/province
  2. Stage mock legislative hearing arguing for/against habitat rights bill
  3. Compare animal habitat needs to human property rights frameworks
  4. Design infographics showing legal protections across species
2. How does Ember's nonverbal communication expose limits of human language?
  1. Analyze 3 key scenes where Ember communicates without words
  2. Create silent play using only body language to convey plot points
  3. Compare equine communication methods to human nonverbal cues
  4. Develop glossary of Ember's "language" with scientific explanations
3. Anthropomorphism vs. authentic animal perspective
  1. Write parallel scenes: human vs. authentic animal Point of View
  2. Debate: "Can humans ever truly represent animal experiences?"
  3. Create comparison chart: Anthropomorphic vs. zoological descriptions
  4. Analyze media examples using scientific behavior checklists
Section 3
Assessment & Sustainability Tasks
1. Form a "Herd Council" for Ongoing Leadership
  1. Recruit 8-12 student leaders through application/interview process
  2. Establish rotating roles: Facilitator, Documentarian, Outreach Coordinator
  3. Host biweekly meetings using consensus-building techniques from Ember's herd
  4. Provide leadership training using British Council SAP framework
2. Secure Funding & Partnerships
  1. Research grants: Laura Bush Foundation, Snapdragon Books, LSTA
  2. Develop grant proposals with student input on budget needs
  3. Partner with local environmental orgs using OISE Library model
  4. Create sponsorship tiers for businesses (Bronze-Gold levels)
3. Document & Share Outcomes
  1. Produce annual impact report with student-created infographics
  2. Host community showcase event with project demonstrations
  3. Archive materials in library's digital repository
  4. Create "Legacy Toolkit" for future groups with templates/guides
Section 4

Copyright ©2025 Ava C. Ryder

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Librarian & Teacher Resources for Ember's Gallop:

Middle School: Part A: Discussion Guides

Middle School: Part B: Book Club Questions

Middle School: Part C: Activity Examples

High School: Part A: Discussion Guides

High School: Part B: Book Club Questions

High School: Part C: Activity and Action Plans

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