"Ender's Game" is an extremely well-written, thought-provoking piece of science fiction literature. In it, a young boy named Ender Wiggen is sent to the Battle School, a training academy where children are trained to battle a formidable alien race. Ender exceeds expectations and is ultimately tasked with saving Earth from the Third Invasion of the aliens. Both "Ender's Game" and its sequel won  Hugo and Nebula Awards. The novel is action-packed and exciting, while also giving deep character insights and offering moral lessons. Please see the below "parental guidance" section to make sure this book is suitable for your learner.

This is a discussion-based class. Each week, students will be given homework activities to complete pertaining to two chapters of the book. In the following class time, students are encouraged to share their homework projects and ideas with the class. Most activities are from the Prestwick House teacher's guide. 

Discussion Schedule:

Week One: Pre-reading
* Students are not expected to have read any of the book yet. We will complete pre-reading activities as a class.
* Outlining: Create a fictional futuristic society.
* Plot and Theme: Predict text plot and themes.
* Background Information: Learn relevant biographical information about Orson Scott Card.
*Students will create their own journal from the perspective of Ender Wiggin.

Week Two: Chapters 1-2
* For this and all following weeks, discussions will be based on the journal entries the students have completed before class.
* Characterization and recognizing character traits: Learners will complete a character trait chart.
* Reading for detail: Learners will answer text-based questions.
* Theme: Learners will relate textual themes to their lives.
* Exploring family relationships: Learners will evaluate challenges, advantages, and disadvantages of family types.

Week Three: Chapters 3-4
* Research: Learners will be given research options of historical events relevant to the novel.
* Journal Writing: Learners will focus on identifying and describing relationships between book characters.
* Visual Project: Learners will use descriptions from the text to create a sketch/painting/art depiction of Ender's launch.

Week Four: Chapters 5-6
* Figurative Language: Learners will recognize figurative language and identify how it creates meaning in the text.
* Conceptual Thinking: Learners will create a drawing/visual map of a computer game that Ender plays using text evidence. Then they will compare Ender's game to a game they are familiar with in real life.

Week Five: Chapters 7-8
*Research: Learners will research four key historical figures mentioned in the text. Then they will analyze the author's allusions to these figures.
* Character Descriptions: Learners will  identify the country of origin and character traits of key characters.
* Journal Entry: Learners will write about their experiences with people from other countries using guiding questions.

Week Six: Chapters 9-10
* Research: Learners will research three key historical events referenced in the text.
* Research: Learners will research two key historical figures referenced in the text.
* Text-to-Life Connection: Learners will relate the role of adults in their lives to the role of adults in Ender's life.
 
Week Seven: Chapters 11-12
* Letter Writing: Learners will write a letter to Ender with advice on his current situation.
* Characterization: Learners will compare recent book events to earlier book events, analyzing how the character reacts similarly to or differently than before.
Letter Writing: Learners will write a letter from Ender to his superior officer.

Week Eight: Chapters 13-14
* Style: Learners will analyze aspects of the author's style such as tone, imagery, and rhetorical devices.
* Reading for Detail: Learners will compare the advantages and disadvantages that the aliens and humans have in their fight.

* Projection: Learners will project futures for key characters in the story after the book has ended.

Week Nine: Chapter 15
* Allusion: Learners will analyze the names the author chose for key characters.
* Theme: Learners will revisit the futuristic society they created in our first class and discuss what they've learned and make changes.
* Newspaper: Learners will write a newspaper article about Ender.
* Research: Learners will each research 1-2 of the book's sequels and present a summery to the class.

Week Ten: Movie!
* Movie: Learners will watch the movie on their own and we will discuss the movie and book comparisons in class. The movie is available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon Prime and is available on a variety of other streaming services.