I Hunt Killers

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree – Or Does It?

Jazz wrestles with the idea that because his father is a serial killer, he must also be destined to become a murderer. Jazz worries that his father’s bloodlust, conniving, and cold-hearted nature is in his genes, so he will be just the same. Many real-life serial killers have children, and many of these children share similar fears about their parents’ criminal behavior being somehow embedded in their DNA.

• Have students read Ranker’s article “What the Children of Serial Killers Have Said Publicly About Their Parents.” As they read through the list, ask them to keep in mind the nature vs. nurture debate.
• Also ask the students to read this Psychology Today article “Serial Killers and Their Kids: It’s Complicated,” which dives deeper into the ways serial killers feel about their own children

Teaching Suggestion: As students read through the resources, draw attention to cases where children of serial killers echo Jazz’s experiences in I Hunt Killers.