Bookflix ブッククラブ: ギバー

This book club is open to learners of all abilities! 

What if you could live in a world free of pain? A perfect, peaceful world where all danger has been eradicated? This is the world in which Jonas, our 12 year old protagonist, has grown up. But as Jonas soon finds out, a perfect world does not exist. Jonas will discover, as will our readers, that joy is nothing without strife, pleasure nothing without pain, and safety nothing without freedom.

Students will read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. This Newberry medal winning young adult dystopian novel is full of adventure, peril, and thought-provoking life lessons. During each lesson, we will review two chapters together, have a critical discussion, and complete an activity. Students are responsible for reading the chapters on their own before each class. Listening to an audio book is perfectly acceptable. Please let me know how I can accommodate any special needs your learner has. 

The following class overview contains massive spoilers for the book. The student should stop reading here! This is for parents only!

Lesson 1: 
Read Chapters 1-2
Have a "telling of feelings" discussion
Talk about what jobs they would like/dislike to be assigned in a Ceremony of Twelve.

Lesson 2:
Read Chapters 3-4
Discuss the foreshadowing of Gabriel's light eyes.
Discuss the apple that Jonas takes. What difference in the apple do you think he noticed?
Discuss different volunteer opportunities in communities.
Discuss the releasing ceremony, death, and celebrating life.

Lesson 3:
Read Chapters 5-6
Participate in a "Telling of Dreams."
Discuss the suppression of Jonas' "stirrings."
Discuss age milestones.
Discuss the "release" of "imperfect" babies. What is the price of perfection? Who gets to decide what perfect means?
Discuss the Ceremony of Loss and Replacement
Where do you suspect "Elsewhere" to be?
Would you trust The Elders with your Assignment as Jonas does?

Lesson 4:
Read Chapters 7-8
We will hold our own Ceremony of Twelve. Students will discuss their feelings about their given Assignments.
How does Jonas feel when he is skipped at the Ceremony of Twelve?
How does he feel about being named The Receiver.
Discuss Jonas' eyes and his ability to 'see beyond.' Can we choose to see beyond?
What does it feel like to be treated differently in a society that idolizes sameness?
Why are societal rules different for The Receiver?

Lesson 5: Chapters 9-10
Discuss the Transfer of Memories
We will have our own Memory Transfer session.
Students will choose a memory and label it as joyful, painful, etc. They will Give these memories to each other and discuss what wisdom could be gained as a Receiver of those memories.

Lesson 6: Chapters 11-12
Jonas now holds the memories of both sunshine and sunburn. Is one experience worth the other? Is losing one experience worth losing the other?
We will discuss other such memory dichotomies. Would we choose to keep both the joy and the pain or to lose both?
Why did the society get rid of colors?

Lesson 7: Chapters 13-14
Discuss the elimination of choice. Does it make a society safer? At what cost?
Why can't Jonas' friends experience what he does?
Why must the Giver and Receiver remember pain and suffering? How do these negative experiences change their thinking?

Lesson 8: Chapters 15-16
Is shared pain easier to hold? Why?
How has Jonas' idea of and capacity for love changed? How does his family's inability to grasp love effect him?
Why does Jonas stop taking his stirrings pill? What do you predict the outcome of this choice may be?

Lesson 9: Chapters 17-18
Why is Jonas feeling guilty? Should he be?
What is the cost of feeling more deeply than those around you? What are the benefits?
Discuss the upcoming release of the twin.

Lesson 10: Chapters 19-20
Discuss release.
What has lead this society to release new children?
Why do Jonas and The Giver decide that change must happen? Why do they feel that memories should be shared with others?

Lesson 11: Chapters 21-22
Why does Jonas decide to risk ruining the plan to leave early?
Is he right to do so?
How does Jonas' care of Gabriel highlight the nature of human love and selflessness?

Lesson 12: Chapter 23 and the movie!
Discuss the conclusion of Jonas and Gabriel's escape. 
Discuss the open possibilities that the book's ending leaves.
Discuss the overall themes of the book.
What have you learned about human nature and the nature of joy and suffering?
How has this book changed your thoughts and feelings? 
How have you grown personally from this shared reading experience?
Book/Movie comparison time! 

Note: I have received written permission from Houghton Mifflan Harcort to read this book aloud in my classroom.