"Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

"Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

"Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of the house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows - does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?" - Citation Provided at the Very Bottom!

Through this novel study, students will learn about dystopian societies, the messages that they send their people, how they control their people, and what makes their society imperfect. We will also spend time on literary devices like setting, character development, plot development, tone, mood, symbolism, and more. Students will engage in discussion while also completing work as a group and designing their own art projects and writing their own creative stories. This is a class for anyone who enjoys the dystopian genre or who would like to be introduced to this genre!

Weekly Reading Schedule:
     *** While we hope to get to each of these activities, please keep in mind that it will depend on the reading comprehension of students and what they enjoy engaging in more. Some activities take longer and some engage students in different ways. The list is a selection - the options - of what we might do during our classes together! ***
Day One:
      - Introduction to the Class and Novel
      - What is a Dystopian Novel?
      - Controversial Statements and Debate
Day Two: Chapters 1 - 7
      - Setting
      - Character Analysis: Luke
      - Point of View
      - The Neighbors and Society
      - Plot Diagramming
Day Three: Chapters 8 - 15
      - Creative Writing: Shadow Children
      - Comparing Characters to One Another
      - The Neighbors and Society
      - Plot Diagramming
      - Dystopian Elements in a Story
Day Four: Chapters 16 - 22
      - Dystopian Elements in a Story
      - Conflict and Types of Conflict
      - Micro-Housing (Real World)
      - Propaganda for Dystopian Societies
Day Five: Chapters 23 - 30
      - Propaganda for Dystopian Societies
      - Creative Project: Creating Your Own Poster
      - Dystopian Elements in a Story
      - Controversial Debate Statements
      - Figurative Language
      - Mood and Tone (Creative Activity)
 
Haddix, Margaret P. Among the Hidden. Vol. 1, New York, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1998, 7 vols.