The Giver
Sights, Sites, and Reviews
http://www.tallmania.com/Giver.html
This website is full of additional resources for the novel, including a reading schedule, web links, and links to information about author Lois Lowry.
http://www.nycsd.k12.pa.us/tchr/webquests/giver/default.html
This is a link to a web quest students could use before, during, and after reading The Giver to aid in their understanding of and involvement in the novel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYGGs2lxtjY
This is a video interview Lois Lowry did about The Giver in which she offers her insight and opinions of the novel.
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading17/giver.htm
This website includes online quizzes about the novel, activities, vocabulary, and additional resources to learn more about The Giver.
My View, My World
Surprising to many, this semester was actually the first time I had ever read The Giver. I had obviously heard of it and knew it was a popular novel for young adults used frequently in literature classes, but I had never personally read the novel. In knowing how widely The Giver is used in schools, I was almost hesitant to begin because I assumed it would not be very interesting and would fit into the typical “boring” stereotype of common novels used in education. I figured it would just be another novel like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and decided the plot would bore me, just as similar stories had in high school. Acting on these assumptions, I read The Giver last. I put it off until I could put it off no longer.
When I finally did read the novel, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was interesting for me to see the story unfold and to see Jonas develop his attitude about the community. At the beginning of the novel, Jonas viewed his life as perfect and thought it absurd that anyone would ever want to leave the community. He knew nothing other than his life there and the lives of those around his. Jonas had spent twelve years in an environment that was completely structured and in which he had no decisions to make.
This lifestyle almost seemed appealing to me at first. As a college student who is unaware of what my future holds, the thought of having a life planned for me seemed slightly appealing. I enjoyed having my opinion shifted alongside Jonas as he learned the aspects of life he was missing by living in the community. I, too, began to yearn for “Elsewhere” and the freedom that could be had there.
Lowry built The Giver in a way that made the plot accessible to all readers. The story was slowly developed, bringing more and more insight to the reader. This approach allows the reader to connect with the characters and the storyline. Young adults reading this novel would be able to place themselves in Jonas’ shoes and truly understand the pain and desperation he felt as he planned his escape from the life he once viewed as perfect.
This novel is strongly tied into the growing and learning process of young adults. As Jonas grew and matured, he learned to think for himself and develop his own opinions, rather than believing only what his parents believed and what the authority figures in his life told him to believe. Young adult readers can identify with this process. Even though the readers discover their own opinions in different ways than Jonas did in the novel, they feel the same confusion about their thoughts and urgency for answers as Jonas felt as he received more and more memories.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Giver. I was surprised by the extent to which it challenged me and the typical attitudes I have toward pain and suffering. I was reminded that by removing every aspect of life that causes us pain and indifference, we will also lose many aspects that bring us joy and happiness within our diversity. I believe that young adult readers would also gain these insights after reading this novel and would gain a greater appreciation for their own lives.
TWS
In This UNIT
|
| Knowledge Blocks pursued (what specific elements are you trying to teach here
| Methods you would apply?
| How will you “test” for understanding?
| What is the specific goal of this unit?
| OBJECTIVE
|
Align with Learning Goals and Instruction
| Increasing vocabulary.
Creative writing.
|
Creative writing assignment where students would write about their ideas of how to create a “perfect” community. They would then evaulate the possible repurcussions of this community.
| Matching test with new vocabulary introduced in the novel. Grade the creative writing assignments and return with feedback, allowing students to make corrections.
| Students will gain an understanding of new vocabulary and increase creative writing skills.
|
CA - 2 CA - 4 | |
Clarity of Criteria and Standards for Performance? A rubric, pre-instruction, or post testing?
| One-on-one evaluations of creative writing assignments.
| Review examples of creative writing and explain the creative writing process to students. Review basic freedoms to make decisions present in our society..
| Appreciation of diversity and freedom to make decisions about one's own life.
| Students will gain a greater appreciation for the simple freedoms in their lives, such as the freedom to choose a career.
|
CA - 2 CA - 6 | |
What technical resources would you apply: (be specific) Web, graphic or writing programs, databases, research?
| Students would participate in a “web chat” created specifically for the class where they would discuss the novel amongst themselves.
| The class would spend time in the computer lab to hold their “web chats.”
| Students would listen to portions of the novel on audio tapes in class. | By participating in the web chats, students are able to hold group discussions about the novel in a different context, making it more interesting for students. Listening to the novel on audio tapes could help students who learn best audibly to better understand the novel.
|
CA - 2 CA - 6
| |
