An ALA Notable Children's Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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A
Newberry Medal Book
An ALA Notable Children's Book An ALA Best Book for Young Adults |
Book Summary
The Giver, a novel set in the distant future is about a boy named Jonas and his adventures in a utopian, yet constricted society. Jonas struggles to accept the way of life in his village after becoming the official receiver of the village's memory. Jonas's village knows nothing of pain, as well as love. Jonas's quest is for a life of less precision and emotions.
Lois Lowry: Lois Lowry was born in Hawaii on March 20, 1937. Her father, Robert Hammersberg, was an Army dentist and consequently moved his family according to his orders from the military. She attended Brown University for two years, then left school to marry and raise a family. After having four children, Lois returned to school to earn a degree from the University of South Maine. In the mid 1970's, Lois fulfilled her childhood dream when she began writing.
**These ideas are general and would have to be refined to suit the grade level and the particular students.
Language
Arts:
1.The
students could write a short essay on what they think the world will be
like in the future.
2.
Have students, in groups, discuss what happens to Jonas and Gabriel after
the novel ends.
3.
The students could make a "museum" of artifacts of what they think Jonas's
village looks like. This could include pictures of the characters,
bios of the characters and pictures of the items within the novel.
(For example, what Jona's bicycle looked like).
Science:
1.
Students could examine the nature of color. In groups, the class
could discuss the breakdown of the spectrum. Use prisms to
show how light is broken down.
2.
Discuss color blindness, its causes, and how males are more likely to be
color blind due to a recessive gene found on the X chromosome.
3.
Use optical illusions to show how the eye can be fooled.
Philosophy:
1.
What makes a utopian society? Examine communities that have attempted
to be utopias. What generalizations can be made about utopias?
2.
Have students’ debate about what happened at the end of the novel.
Have them support their ideas from the text.
Other Science Fiction Novels
Okay Students! Here's the plan: Divide into groups and think about certain events from the past and make predictions about what your group thinks the FUTURE will be like! You may use the sites we have given but you can also search and use new ones! Have Fun with your predictions and Good Luck!
Go
to:
http://www.pathfinder.com/TFK/archive/000121/000121_towns.html
and
read the article about the future,
then Go to:
http://www.cbc4kids.ca/general/time/millennium/predictions.html
and
read the article on the future. Write down anything of interest that you
found in these three articles.
Go to: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/world/9901/beyond-2000/beyond-2000-icons.html
and
read the Beyond 2000 article along with the "World's best guesses about
technological developments in your lifetime."
Revision By: Brian Kepler & Tracey Yates
