Gathering Blue and Messenger (Parts 2 and 3 of the the Giver Series)

This course will be a fun, interactive way to analyze 'Gathering Blue'  and 'Messenger' by Lois Lowry,  companion novels to "The Giver'. Please have read 'The Giver' prior to taking this class. 
In these amazing novels, we will hit on major topics such as justice, happiness, dystopian societies, morals, freedom and equality... and much more! These books lend themselves to great discussion, debate, and writing assignments, and that's just what we will do! Students will read parts of the book at a time, coming to class prepared to talk or write. There will be short assignments, such as creating their own worlds - perhaps in groups, pairs, or as a whole class depending on class size. Discussions will be led by me, but with plenty of room for interaction and lively chatter! Middle schoolers - this is a fun way to spend an hour of your school week! During the 6 weeks we have together, we will spend the first 2 weeks (depending on class size) reading 'Gathering Blue' outside of class time, and during class we will be discussing what we've read, and making sure we are looking for key points and understanding the story line. The last 2-3 weeks will be reading 'Messenger' (outside of class time) and will be heavily focused on discussion and mini-projects that will be mostly completed during class time. Students will have the opportunity to present their work to the class, or submit it to me with permission to share it with the class.