If I Were Brave: Conditional sentences through Chapter 22 of Moxie, by Jennifer Mathieu #AlQaReading

“... it occurs to me that this is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But a feminist. It’s not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that’s always finding ways to tell them they’re not.” ― Jennifer Mathieu, Moxie

WARM UP. Discussion:

1. If you were Vivian, how would you feel after the fight with Seth? If I were Vivian, I would feel...
2. If the flyer had never been distributed, what would the school atmosphere have been like? If the flyer had never been distributed, the school atmosphere would have been...

2. YOUR TASK

Close Reading: Read chapter 22 and then read selected paragraphs aloud from Chapter 22. Highlight conditionals found in the text:

1. “If we all walk out, Wilson can’t expel us.”
2. “If Lucy hadn’t filled out the form, maybe she wouldn’t have been caught.”
3. “I wish I knew who started Moxie.” (introducing subjunctive and 2nd conditional)

As you may have noticed,  the structure is as follows:

• Zero Conditional: If + present, present (general truths)
• First Conditional: If + present, will + base verb (real future possibility)
• Second Conditional: If + past simple, would + base verb (unreal, hypothetical)
• Third Conditional: If + past perfect, would have + past participle (past regrets)

3. YOUR TASK: You must sort quotes from this chapter into a chart: 0, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd conditionals.

4. YOUR TASK: Transformation Practice: Convert five real events in the story into hypothetical ones; for example:

Original event: “Lucy got suspended.”

New, hypothetical event: “If Lucy hadn’t been honest, she might not have been suspended.”

5. YOUR TASK: Pair Work: Choose a key moment (Vivian’s confession, Seth’s doubt, Lucy’s suspension) from the chapter and then write five conditional sentences reflecting that moment (1st, 2nd, 3rd types).

FOLLOW UP FOR FAST FINISHERS: CREATIVE REWRITING: “What If” Narrative Rewriting. In small groups, students rewrite a short scene from Chapter 22 as if:

1. Seth had supported Vivian
2. Lucy hadn’t been suspended
3. Vivian hadn’t started Moxie

Presentation: Now, it is time to read aloud your rewritings.

Peer feedback: Does the grammar work? Is the emotional tone convincing?

DEBATE & REFLECTION

DEBATE: The students must be organised into two different teams, supporting different viewepoints: A and B.

• Team A: If students protest, change will happen.
• Team B: If students protest, they’ll only get punished.

Structured Debate: Use conditionals to support arguments.

REFLECTION: Exit Ticket Reflection (Individual written response):

Prompt: If I were Vivian, I would…

SESSION 5 (OPTIONAL) – PROJECT PRESENTATION

Final Task: Create a Moxie Manifesto Poster (using conditionals)

E.g., “If we don’t speak up, they’ll never change.”

“If I were braver, I’d join the walkout.”

“If they had listened, none of this would have happened.”

Students present these in a gallery walk or digital portfolio.

Area	Criteria
Grammar	Accurate use of conditional forms
Content	Thoughtful, creative engagement with the text
Collaboration	Effective group interaction and discussion
Speaking/Writing	Clarity, coherence, and relevance of arguments and reflections