Enjoy these five teaching ideas to use with your novel study of The Giver including a free downloadable activity and samples from The Giver Book Unit.
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a futuristic world where prejudice, war, hunger, crime, as well as the freedom to select a spouse has been eliminated. Jonas is chosen by the Elders to receive memories from the past. These memories come from the time before free will was removed from society. Will Jonas be able to handle the memories of pain and war? Will these memories change Jonas? Read Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver to see how Jonas’s world is turned upside down by the past.
The Giver Teaching Ideas
The Giver Book Unit Samples
You will find the following in this novel study sample:
- Lesson Plans at a Glance
- Vocabulary Practice for Chapters 1-2
- Multiple Choice Comprehension Quiz for Chapters 1-2
- Constructed Response Question and Organizer for Chapters 1-2
Teaching Idea #1 ~ Symbols Booklets for The Giver
Teach this important skill in a fun way.
Help your students understand the symbolism in the novel with these card fold organizers. In this printable, you will receive six cards that print on three pieces of paper. The handout also includes a detailed answer key to aid in checking answers or classroom discussions.
In brief:
The Color Red – strong emotions such as danger and excitement
Gabriel – is too young to understand the rigid rules of the community. His innocence is a symbol of hope. He stands for a brighter future, a way to change society.
The Sled – symbolizes both pleasure and pain. In the end, Jonas finds a real sled which he rides into his new life. This time the sled symbolizes freedom from the past and entry into a new world.
Light-Colored Eyes – people associate eyes with a way of seeing inside a person.
The River – symbolizes many things. It can be a border between the community and Elsewhere. It is a peaceful place to meditate. The river can also be dangerous and destructive. All in all the river is a boundary or a dividing line between society and freedom and life and death.
The Giver – symbolizes choice and freedom to the community by releasing memories to everyone.
Teaching Idea #2 ~ Utopian Society
When reading The Giver for the first time, the Utopian community is a real shock for students. They often wonder if a society such as Jonas’s could really exist. Students buzz with many thought-provoking questions. Having students plan their own unique Utopian community is a natural result. Check out these links:
Build Your Own Utopia: ‘The Giver’ PBL Unit Project Utopia: Based on Lois Lowry’s The Giver
Teaching Idea #3 ~ On the Web
Teaching Idea #4 ~ Audio Version
Many audio versions of this book can be found on YouTube. In this version, Lindsey Helm reads Woods Runner, one chapter at a time.
See the product that inspired this post.
The Giver Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
