High School Discussion Guide for Who We Are Now: Stories of What Americans Lost and Found During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Michelle Fishburne

​

Who We Are Now is a powerful oral history that captures the real voices of Americans from all walks of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a series of personal stories, Michelle Fishburne reveals the ways in which people across the country coped with the challenges, losses, and unexpected transformations that defined this era. This guide will help students think deeply about the book’s themes, relate them to their own experiences, and discuss the broader impact of the pandemic on society.

​​

Pre-Reading Questions

1. Reflecting on the Pandemic
   Think about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected your life and the lives of those around you. What is one major change or challenge you or your family faced during that time? What is something unexpected that you learned or gained from the experience?

2. Understanding Oral Histories
   Who We Are Now is an oral history, meaning it’s a collection of real people’s stories told in their own words. Why do you think hearing directly from people (instead of through a narrator or storyteller) might be especially impactful when reading about an event like COVID-19?

3. Personal vs. National Stories
   News about the pandemic was often about numbers, policies, and broad trends. What are the differences between hearing personal stories versus news reports? What do you expect to learn from these individual stories that you wouldn’t find in news coverage?

​​​

 

Discussion Questions by Chapter and Theme

​

1. Loss and Grief

• Questions: Several stories in Who We Are Now describe people dealing with profound losses—loss of loved ones, jobs, or a sense of stability. What are some ways people coped with their losses? What do these stories teach us about the different ways people process grief and hardship?

• Activity: Write a reflection on a time you experienced loss or a significant change. How did you cope, and how did that experience change you?

​

2. Adaptation and Resilience

• Questions: Many people in the book had to quickly adapt to new circumstances, such as working from home or learning how to homeschool children. What are some examples of resilience that stood out to you? How did these stories change your understanding of what it means to “be resilient”?

• Activity: As a class, create a “resilience wall” where each student adds one example of a way they adapted during the pandemic. Discuss how resilience can look different for everyone.

​

3. Redefining Community

• Questions: In the book, some people found ways to stay connected despite physical separation. How did people in the book find or create community? Are there any specific stories that highlight how they maintained relationships or reached out to others? What impact did these connections have on their mental health and well-being?

• Activity: Discuss what community meant to you during the pandemic. What were some ways you and your family or friends stayed connected?

​

4. Rediscovery and Reinvention

• Questions: COVID-19 caused some people to re-evaluate their priorities and even change their paths in life. What are some examples of people in the book who reinvented themselves? How did the pandemic give them an opportunity to focus on something new?

• Activity: Imagine you had to create a “COVID time capsule” containing items or symbols representing something you discovered or learned during the pandemic. Share what you would include and why.

​

5. Empathy and Understanding

• Questions: By reading about so many different lives, we gain insight into how the pandemic impacted people from all walks of life. How did reading these stories increase your empathy for others’ experiences? Was there a specific story that gave you a new perspective on someone else’s struggles?

• Activity: Pair up with a classmate and share a story from your life that others might not know about. Practice active listening and empathy as you each share, aiming to understand the other person’s perspective fully.

​

 

Big Picture Themes

1. Connecting Individual Stories to National Impact
   The book is full of personal stories, yet together, they tell a story about the nation. What are some of the common experiences that seem to connect people across different backgrounds, ages, and locations? How does the book demonstrate both the diversity of the American experience and the ways people are connected?

2. Reflection on What Was Lost and What Was Found
   The title of the book is Who We Are Now: Stories of What Americans Lost and Found. After reading, how would you define “who we are now” as a society, based on the stories shared? What do you think America lost, and what do you think America found?

3. Looking Toward the Future
   How do you think the experiences and lessons from COVID-19 will shape our society going forward? What are some ways that young people like you can help shape a post-pandemic future based on what you’ve learned?

​

 

Post-Reading Activities

1. Oral History Project
   Interview a family member, friend, or neighbor about their experiences during COVID-19. Use open-ended questions to encourage them to reflect on how the pandemic changed their daily life, relationships, and perspectives. Present your findings in a short write-up or class presentation, and discuss how these interviews compare to the stories in Who We Are Now.

2. Creative Expression
   Create a poem, piece of art, or journal entry inspired by one of the stories that moved you. Focus on capturing the emotions or themes of that story. Share your work with the class and discuss how creativity can be a way to process and express shared experiences.

3. Class Book of Reflections
   Collect students’ reflections on their own pandemic experiences and compile them into a class book called Who We Are Now: Stories of Our Pandemic Journey. This can be done digitally or as a physical book, allowing students to share their experiences and insights with each other.

​

 

Further Exploration

• Current Events: Research how different parts of the world experienced COVID-19. Compare global stories to those in Who We Are Now. How were the challenges and solutions similar or different?

• Read Aloud and Discuss: Select powerful passages from Who We Are Now and read them aloud as a class. Have a group discussion afterward to explore students’ reactions and thoughts on each story.

​

 

Additional Reflection

Michelle Fishburne traveled 12,000 miles to gather the stories in Who We Are Now. Reflect on why it might have been important for her to meet these people in person and how this personal connection might have affected the stories they shared. How do personal connections enhance storytelling, and what does that tell us about the importance of listening in our own lives?

​

By the end of this guide, students should have a better understanding of how shared challenges impact individuals in different ways, while also bringing people together. Through Fishburne’s stories, students can gain insight into how empathy, resilience, and community helped Americans navigate one of the most challenging times in recent history.