Presentations should be between thirty and forty minutes, and should involve all group members.

As I described them in class, these presentations are a kind of “book report” with pizzazz! They are a way for you, as a group, to pull together your thinking about the book and share it.

Some ideas are:

Acting out a scene from the book.

Interviewing each other about the book.

Interviewing a character from the book (group members act as characters)

Poster

Reviews (have groups member “duel” over the book, come at it from different perspectives)

Create a scene that didn’t happen from the book but comes out of your thinking about it.

Pass out key passages to the class, read them, and discuss.

Create a time-line of the book.

Create a panel of “experts” on the book (share information about the text not found in it)

Find others who have read the book and bring in their perspectives (videotaped, audio, written, etc.)

Create a new character for the book.

Collages representing various parts of the book or characters

Any type of artwork representing the book

An original skit based on the book

An advertising campaign from the book

Diary of a character

Letter recommending the book to an acquisitions librarian (if our library doesn’t already have this book, then actually send the letter!)

Interview with the author (real in print, audio, or video, or recreate one using group members)

Letters to or from a character (or between characters)

The story rewritten for young kids as a picture book

Party plans for all the characters in the book

News broadcast reporting key events from the book (or about the book)

Family tree of a key character

Gravestone and eulogy for a character

Puppet show

Board game (or other type of game) based on the book (remember it has to be accessible for people who haven’t read the text, unless the group members are going to play it in front of the audience)

(Some of the above ideas borrowed from Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Students Centered Classroom by Harvey Daniels)

Marlow

Theory Paper #1; draft 1

Due: Wednesday, February 20th in class or by 11 a.m. Friday, February 22nd in my mailbox – Marcelle Hall

Choose one of the following approaches for a paper on The Giver.

WRITING A FORMALIST REPONSE

–Be on the lookout for structure, irony, themes, diction, tension, unity, motifs, figures of speech, symbols, repetition, allusion.

–Ideas for introduction: summarize the way certain elements of the work come together to make meaning; begin by making direct reference to the text itself (working from a passage/quote and explain its relation to text as a whole); give one possible reading, then offer your reading and defend it throughout the essay.

–Focus on the most significant element in the work, and explain how meaning is created in the text.

–Draw examples and quote from the text. Remember, formalists do not like the original text to be altered.

–Conclusion: state or reiterate connection between form and content, form and meaning.

WRITING A READER-RESPONSE ESSAY

–Use the bulleted lists on the bottom of pg. 129 – 130 to guide you in a little pre-writing/brainstorming.

–Introduction: Provoke a response from your reader by beginning with a powerful or memorable scene from the text.

–Explain both how the text controls you, the reader, through its use of elements — patterns, images, connotations, symbols, allusions, metaphors, foreshadowing, etc. — and how you add personal material to your reading of the text. Describe how the two interact to create the meaning of the text. Include these observations backed up by significant and relevant citations from the text.

–Conclusion: major effects of text on reader and how it achieved those effects.

**All papers must have a unifying thesis statement. Remember: a thesis is a claim, an argument, a stance you are taking. It is not something that is already settled, but something you explore and develop throughout the course of your paper.

**Don’t try to do too much. In other words, say more about less. Keep a tight focus in these essays.

At the beginning of the novel when Jonas’s father mentioned he was a Nurturer I felt that his assignment was to care for others, to hold a child with such love and respect that no one, or thing could understand. As I read the book I realized that Jonas father could not feel love, so therefore Jonas father felt no love for his family unit, newborns, and even Gabe. I often asked myself, how can someone not have any feeling of love, or in Jonas father’s case, any feeling of guilt or sadness? As I was reading, I felt alarmed that no one really questioned where people went when they were released.

A part that was confusing to me was when The Giver said “if you get away, if you get beyond, if you get to Elsewhere, it will mean that the community has to bear the burden themselves, of the memories you had been holding for them” (Lowry 155). Why is it that if Jonas leaves the community the memories will leave Jonas and be released into the community? I wonder how the community will respond to all of Jonas’ memories, the pain, suffering, weather, colors and happiness. I’m also wondering if the community will retain these memories or if they only hold them temporarily.

Finally, throughout the book I was reminded of the film Pleasantville, the tale of the agonizingly perfect black-and-white world “corrupted” by the confused and horrified outsider. The symbol of the absence or presence of color creates a powerful visual statement about the price of living painlessly and the fragility of our world. “We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences,” the Giver explains to Jonas. “We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others” (95). In our rush to improve our lives, it would seem to be a point that we need consciously to remember.

I do not understand the ending of the book and it is almost like an upset of the way it ended. Gabe and Jonas escaped but where did they escape to and what happened afterwards?

What appears on the outside, is a calm, orderly society yet practiced on the inside of this community is euthanasia on the very young, those people that don’t conform, as well as the elderly. It is not gender specific.
By using this word release, rather than death, it continues to maintain and restore order in this society. Can you imagine The Giver stating that they would be putting a baby to death at its very early infancy for not conforming.

One particular instance that stuck out in my mind was the way in which children were conceived and given away. If nakedness was nonexistent and touching of another human was considered rude, then how were new children conceived? And if this so-called Sameness society is in fact equal and painless then why should a newchild be released if it has a birth defect or if it is a twin? Isn’t that going against what the people of Sameness believe in?

Reading on I noticed when the Giver and Jonas were thinking of the plan, the Giver said he must go see his daughter, Rosemary, and was not able to go with Jonas to Elsewhere. At this point, I was totally confused. Was he talking about his real daughter or did he consider Rosemary his daughter?

Write me a letter responding to the chosen text. The idea driving the letter should be the type of response you have after walking out of a movie viewing experience that you’ve just shared with someone else (or a group of people), and you begin a discussion of the movie by saying (something to the effect of), “Remember that part where such-and-such happened? Well, I found that interesting, disturbing, significant, intriguing, ambiguous, revealing (insert word choice of your own) because…”; therefore, you’ll want to

• Use direct quotes and/or specific details from the text in order to illustrate and support your response, but you can avoid lengthy summarizing because we’ve both read the text.
• Ask difficult and important questions. A letter often invites a response, so you’re opening up dialogue here. But also, attempt to use your writing (and the thinking it allows and entails) to help you come to your own answers.
• Identify moments that the text challenged your way of thinking either about writing in general; that particular genre; the world; your own life, values, belief system, etc.. Tell me about the points you dis/agree with.
• Leave me with a reflection on your own thinking/reading process. Describe your reading experience to me.
• Explain your connections with and to the text.
• Reference any previous conversations (in-class) that we’ve had about the text that are relevant to your current line of thinking.

Any of the in-class responses that you’ve written might be helpful in writing this letter (reminding yourself of specific details and your thoughts/reflections about them).

I suggest that you start by referencing a direct quote or specific passage and work from that point in order to keep a singular focus for your response. (Write more about less; don’t try to cover EVERYTHING).

Begin the letter addressed to me: “Dear Jennifer.” This is to be a casual letter, not a formal/business letter.

Don’t forget to be specific about which text you’re writing about (use author’s last name and page numbers when quoting or paraphrasing).

(√+) A Reading Response letter that demonstrates close and careful reading, has a clear focus, an incisive line of inquiry, works closely with important quotes, and offers readers a thoughtful and engaging reflection on the assigned material. A response that connects to and significantly extends course reading and discussion. The writing is clear, crafted, and has been carefully edited. (A)

(√) A Reading Response letter that demonstrates close and careful reading, has a clear focus, raises important questions and ideas, and offers readers a thoughtful reflection on the assigned material. A response that connects to and extends course reading and discussion. The writing is clear and has been carefully edited. (B)

(√-) A Reading Response letter that fails to demonstrate close reading, lacks focus, or relies too heavily on summary. The writing is unclear, presentation of work is careless, or overall response is superficial or cursory. (C)

(Assignment ideas borrowed and adapted from Prof. Megan Fulwiler)