1

Table of Contents
Grade Description of Page Page
#s
/5
Class Notes: Critical Readers Ask Questions All the Time &
Class Notes: Introduction to The Giver
2
Graded separately
Create your own Utopia Project 3-4
/20
Vocabulary Cards 5

Literature Circle Assignment Information 6
/5
Literature Circle: Notes #1 7
/5
Literature Circle: Notes #2 8
/5
Literature Circle: Notes #3 9
/15
During Reading: Characters and their Assignments 10
/5
During Reading: Settings 11
/10
During Reading: Rules of Jonas Society 12
/10
During Reading: Ceremonies 13
/10
During Reading: Rituals 14
/10
Setting: Venn Diagram 15
/10
Class Discussion: Themes of The Giver 16
/15
Biblical Allusions & The Giver 17
Graded separately
PROMPTEssay #1: Labels 18
Graded separately
PROMPTEssay #2: Censorship 19
Graded separately
PROMPTEssay #3: Sin 20
Graded separately
PROMPTEssay #4: Euthanasia 21
/15
Creative Writing 22
Graded separately
Literature Circle Rubric 23
TOTAL SCORE:
/140

Corrected by: ____________________________ (print name here)

This packet was graded with honesty and integrity.
Signed: _____________________________________ (sign here)

2

Critical Readers Ask Questions All The Time
Good readers ask questions _____________________, ____________________, and
_____________________ theyve read the text.
Good readers attempt to answer their questions
__________________________________________.
There are two types of questions
1. _____________________________ questions
a. one that doesnt have a simple answer
(ex. ______________________________________)

2. ______________________________ questions
a. Can be answered simply
There are three places to find the answers to questions.
1. In _____________________
2. In _____________________ (inference and conclusion)
3. In _____________________

Introduction to the Giver: Notes








Creating Your Own Utopia
/ 5
3

Imagine that you are in a position to create a society from scratch. You and your partner(s)
must attempt to form a culture that is free from the troubles of current society. Such a society
is called a Utopia. You must first identify what you believe to be wrong with the world today;
then you must attempt to correct those problems.
The PRESENTATION Includes:
Formal statement (preamble) of what the utopia stands for
Motto
Flag
Summary of utopia (note the most important aspects of your community)

Your proposal for the Utopian Society will be submitted electronically via the online form to Mrs.
Burkholder by 11:59 PM on Day 2 in preparation for your presentation on Day 3.

1) List of Complaints: Make a list of reasons for forming your society. In other words, what
do you not like about current society? What are your specific complaints (specific laws,
rules, etc.)?

2) Name & Animal: give a name to your society. Your name should reflect the ideals and
values of your utopia. What animal would symbolize your utopian society? Explain your
choice. You can make up an animal as long as you have a sound explanation for what is
symbolizes.

3) Utopian Motto: Create a slogan/motto to which inhabitants of your utopia would adhere
(ex: In God We Trust).

4) Rules/Rationales: Develop a list of at least ten (10) rules that all community members
would follow. Give an explanation and reason for each rule.

5) Law & Order What sort of system (or systems) will be needed to deal with those who
break rules or those who harm others? How will you address conflict resolution? How will
you enforce the rules of your society?

6) Provisions for Lifes Necessities: Explain how you will provide the basic necessities for
living in your utopia (food, water, shelter, etc.).



7) Governing Body: How will the government of this utopia be structured? Will you have a
democracy, anarchy, a monarchy, or a dictatorship? How will decisions be made in your
utopia?
4


8) Age Rules: list what actions different ages can do (driving, working, voting <if the society
votes>, marrying, etc).


9) Members/Citizens If you dont have a global utopia, who will your citizens be? How
many? What will they do? What rights will they have? How will they gain admittance to
your utopia?


10) Children & Education What are childrens roles in your society? How do they fit in?
What will your system of education be like?


11) Economics, Work & Leisure What systems will be in place for the production and
distribution of goods and services (food, clothes, etc)? What about social classes? What
form of currency will you use? How is wealth distributed? Will your economy be
independent or reliant on the rest of the world? Who will do the work? What does a day in
the life of one of your inhabitants look like? What will your military be like (who serves it
in?)

12) Religion What role will religion play in your utopia? What freedoms or restrictions will
you place on religious practices?
Vocabulary

Group Presentation Rubric

Group
Society flag shows effort and aligns with culture of society/flag has color. Symbolism explained.
/5
Group
Formal statement (preamble) captures the essence of what the utopia stands for.
/5
Group
Motto and other questions are typed or handwritten neatly. Thorough answers and explanations.
/15
Group
Summary of essential characteristics of Utopia.
/5
Ind.
Diligent work shown in class. Presentationprepared, presentation skills, did not waste time.
/10
Group
Ideas and presentation appropriate, respectful, and well-planned. /10


Name: Total:

/50
1

Chapters 1-5
1) intrigued: 1, very interested; fascinated
2) palpable: 3, able to be felt
3) distraught: 4, mentally upset
4) apprehensive: 4, fearful about the future
5) defiant: 5, resisting or challenging
6) chastise: 20, punish
Chapters 6-10
7) reprieve: 42, release from consequences
8) integral: 70, essential
9) intricate: 74 complicated




Chapters 11-15
10) obsolete: 84, outdated
11) contorted: 118, twisted
12) ominous: 113, foreshadowing an evil or
disastrous future
13) admonition: 89, warning
Chapters 16-20
14) solace: 161, comfort
15) emphatically: 157, with emphasis
16) dejected: 139, sad and depressed
Chapters 21-23
17) taut: 168, tense; tight
18) impeded: 177, slowed in progress by an
obstacle
19) recollection: 178, memory
20) vigilant: 170, watchful; alert to danger




Vocab cards due: _______________



Literature Circles

Role Name of Circle Member Date of Literature Circle
/ 20
// Reminder: //
Front: word and unit (Unit 3: The
Giver)
Back: definition on one half and an
image on the other half.

6

Presentation
Questioner
Illustrator
Enricher
Connector
Passage Expert

Questioner: Your job is to write down thoughtful questions that you had about your groups selection.
What were you wondering about while you were reading? Did you have questions about what was
being described? What a word meant? Why the author used a certain style? How do things fit together?
What the whole thing meant? Also, consider broad questions that will elicit deep conversation and
analysis with your group (like essay prompts). Have your responses ready as well as follow up
questions to continue discussion.
Illustrator: Your job is to create some type of visual representation related to the reading. It can be a
colored sketch, painting, a short film created by you or a graphic design. You can also use visual texts
taken from another source. Your visual can be a picture of something that is discussed specifically in the
text, or something that the reading reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling that
you got from the reading. Also, discern questions that will elicit a meaningful conversation about your
illustration (as it relates to theme, characterization, symbolism, or authors purpose).

Vocabulary Enricher: Your job is to be on the lookout for especially important words. These words
may be new to you, but more likely they will be words that are used in interesting, unusual, important,
or unfamiliar ways. One important thing to consider is the connotation and denotation of the word.
Develop open ended questions related to the meaning of the words. Mark some of these key words while
you are reading, and then later record their definitions. Note Lois Lowrys word choice: why did she
choose to use the words that she used?
Connector: Your role is to find connections between the chapter(s) or pages your group is reading and
a biblical worldview. This means connecting the reading to ones own Christian life, to happenings at
SFC or public schools, to stories in the news, to similar events at other times and places, to other people
or problems that you are reminded of. You might also see connections between this material and
concepts discussed in Gods Word. Discuss these connections in detail with your group. Ask guiding
questions.
Passage Expert: Your job is to locate a few sections of the section you are reading that the group
should look back on. The idea is to help people notice the most interesting, funny, puzzling, and
important sections of the text. You decide which passages or paragraphs are worth reviewing and then
record your plans for how they should be shared with the group. You can read passages aloud yourself,
ask someone else to read them, or have people read them silently and then discuss. In addition, you
must prepare guiding questions about the passages for your group.
35-40 minutes each; 40 pointssee rubric on page 23
Literature Circle Notes
Each time you are listening in on a literature circle,
Group Letter: ___________
Date: __________________
7

you will turn to this page and take copious notes. This is not for your own lit circle!!!!

Speaker Name
& Role:
Concepts/Passages discussed today:




















Speaker Name
& Role:
Concepts/passages discussed today:
/ 5
Group Letter: ___________
Date: __________________
8






















_______________________________________

Speaker Name
Concepts/passages discussed today:
/ 5
Group Letter: ___________
Date: __________________
9

& Role:























/ 5
10

During Reading: Characters & their Assignments
As you read, describe each character from the novel. You should add to this list throughout the
entire book.

Jonas (1):



Mother (5):



Father (5):



Lily (2):



Gabriel (Gabe) (12):



The Giver:



Asher (3):



Fiona (28):


Larissa (29):


Chief Elder (51):


Fritz (45):


Caleb (44):

Rosemary (140):
/ 15
11

During Reading: Settings
Page
Number
Setting Description
2 The Childcare Center The after-school center for children
12 The Nurturing Center The place where newchildren are cared for until
the Ceremony of One each December
17 The Hall of Open Records The place that lists all vital statistics, including
such information as childrens volunteer hours
22 The House of the Old






26 The Rehabilitation Center The place where injured people are helped
27 The small factories Manufacturing centers in town
27 Office buildings Typical office buildings in the center of town
27 Play areas Places where children can play outside
27 Central Plaza The center of the town
27 The auditorium



27 Food distribution The center that delivers food to the towns
inhabitants 3x a day
28 The bathing room The place in the House of the Old where they are
bathed by volunteers
32 The Releasing Room





43 Elsewhere



68 The Annex entrance to the
House of the Old
The place where Jonas goes to meet with The
Giver
73 The Annex room where the
Giver lives
A well-furnished room with many books
135 The Storehouse


/ 5
12

During Reading: Rules of Jonas Society
Page # Description of the Rule
1 The rule against a Pilot flying over the community
3
Your Description:


5 The rule against going to the front of the line
8
Your Description:




9 The rule about the third transgression: a person has to be released
9
Your Description:





12 The rule about not seeing the names on the naming list before they are made public
13 Your Description: The rule that is nearly always broken




23 The rule about having your hair ribbons tied
23 Your Description: The rule about not removing objects from the recreation area and.



27 The rule against bragging; it is considered a minor rule, like being rude
30 The rule against looking at anothers nakedness (except for newchildren or the Old)...
34 The rule against riding someone elses bicycle
48
Your Description:



51 The rule against opening your tunic when the wind was blowing
61
Your Description:


66 The rules that each Twelve must learn for his or her Assignment
99
Your Description:


158 The rule against leaving a dwelling at night unless on official business
/ 10
13

During Reading: Youth Ceremonies
Lowrys book describes annual December ceremonies when children receive new privileges and
responsibilities as they grow up. The chart below lists the ceremonies with page numbers where the
ceremony first appears.
The Ceremony
& Page
What Happens
One
(11-12)
Newchildren are taken to the stage by their Nurturers to receive their
names and their families. This ceremony is also called the Naming and
Placement.
Two No details are given for the Twos
Three
(35)
They begin dream-telling each morning
Four
(40)
They wear jackets that fasten down the back

Five
(40)
They wear jackets that fasten down the back
Six
(40)
They wear jackets that fasten down the back
Seven
(40)
They begin wearing front-buttoned jackets
Eight
(18; 22; 45)
1. Page 18:



2. Page 22:



3. Page 45:


Nine
(13; 40)
1. Page 13: They get their bicycles with their name tags on it
2. Page 40: The girls remove their hair ribbons
Ten
(46)




Eleven
(47)
The girls get new undergarments; the boys start wearing longer trousers
and shirts with a pocket for a calculator.
Twelve
(17-18)






/ 10
14

During Reading: Rituals
Page
#
Ritual Description and Rationale
5 The evening of
telling feelings
(the sharing-of-
feelings)
Parents and children would share their feelings in the evening.

Jonas feelings were too complicated. He wanted to share them, but he wasnt
eager to begin the process of sifting through his own complicated emotions,
even with the help that he knew his parents could give (Lowry 5).

Lilys feelings were always straightforward, fairly simple, usually easy to
resolve (Lowry 7).

7 Release of the
elderly
A time of celebration for a life well and fully lived (Lowry 7).





7 Release of a
newchild
which always brought a sense of what-could-we-have-done. This was
especially troubling for the Nuturers, like Father, who felt they had failed
somehow. But it happened very rarely (Lowry 7-8).





32 The Ceremony of
Release
What happens when they make the actual release? Where exactly did Roberto
go?
She lifted her bare wet shoulders in a small shrug. I dont know. I dont think
anybody does, except the committee. He just bowed to all of us and then
walked, like they all do, through the special door in the Releasing Room. But
you should have seen his look. Pure happiness, Id call it (Lowry 32).





34 The telling of
dreams





44 The ceremony of
loss





44 The Murmur-of-
Replacement
ceremony

48 The Matching of
Spouses




/ 10
15

Setting: Venn Diagram






















Comparing
and
contrasting
helps you
identify
specific
elements in
the story
and decide
whether or
not you feel
they are
important.
Compare
and
contrast
Jonas
society with
your own.

Society in The Giver
Similarities of both
Your society
/ 10
16

Themes & The Giver

The Giver is a book about










































/ 10
17

Biblical Allusion & The Giver

Directions: Read the following verses and make connections to the novel. Be thorough, not
minimal!

JonahJonah 1-4:1-11





















GabrielDaniel 18:15-27; Daniel 9:20-27; Luke 1:19-38
What does the choice of this name for the newchild suggest about Gabriels importance in the novel?
















/ 15
Whats an allusion?
a literary device in which the
writer or speaker refers either
directly or indirectly to a person,
event, or thing in history or to a
work of art or literature.
18

Essay 1: Labels
You will type a 1-2 page essay this week (at least 300 words).
It is not a formal essay, so you will be able to use personal pronouns (but you
still cant use dead words or the words you/your!).
The essay will be in MLA Format and it will be worth 30 points.
This essay is due ___________.
You may have to research the topic a little bit!

The community in The Giver places labels on many things and all people. What types of labels
have been placed on you? Your family? What labels have been placed on other people who are
different than you?
How do labels help? How do labels hurt?











Essay 2: Censorship
19

Guidelines:
You will type a 1-2 page essay (at least 300 words).
It is not a formal essay, so you will be able to use personal pronouns (but no
dead words or the words you/your!).
The essay will be in MLA Format and it will be worth 30 points.
This essay is due __________________________
You may have to research the topic a little bit!

Option 1: Censorship & the Government
Describe the term censorship and discuss why our government should or should not censor
what the people see and hear.
You can answer what types of censorship there are, what is censored in our world today,
and/or your thoughts and feelings about the topic.
Option 2: Censorship as Christians
Describe the term censorship and discuss why Christian organizations might censor people
from certain things.
Also discuss the following: As believers, is it our duty to censor ourselves from the music,
movies, and trends of the world? What does this look like? How does censorship affect our
relationship with the Lord?
Option 3: Censorship & The Giver
Ironically, The Giver is one of the most frequently censored books in America. What aspects of
the community do you think receives the most criticism and condemnation? Do any aspects of
the society escape criticism?
Remember that you will have to research this topic a little bit, so give yourself some time to complete this
assignment.



Essay 3: Sin separates us from our Maker

Guidelines:
You will type a 1-2 page essay this week (at least 300 words).
20

It is not a formal essay, so you will be able to use personal pronouns (but no
dead words or the words you/your!).
The essay will be in MLA Format and it will be worth 30 points.
This essay is due _________________________

The Giver tries to explain something to Jonas by comparing it to a sled ride in which the
runners get stuck in the snow. Because Jonas has no experience of sled, snow, runners, or hill,
he cannot understand until The Giver gives him the memory of going downhill on a sled.
The Giver also gives Jonas memories to help him understand emotions such as hunger, pain,
and love.

Unlike Jonas, we were born into a sinful world where we deal with fear, guilt, jealousy,
betrayal, sorrow, pride, and selfishness.

Fear 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 27:1-3
Guilt 1 John 1:8-10; Romans 8:33-35
Jealousy/ Envy James 3:14-16; Proverbs 23:17
Betrayal Ephesians 4:25
Sorrow John 16:33; 1 Peter 1:6-7
Pride James 4:6; Philippians 2:3
Selfishness Romans 2:8; Philippians 2:3-4


Choose one of the above struggles that you identify with the most and use the following points
to guide you as your write:

(1) Explain your struggle(how and why it is a struggle for you)
(3) Discuss how it impacts your life personallybe specific
(3) How does it affect your walk with God?
(4) What does the Bible have to say about it? (see above for help)
Do not just quote the Bible verse but rather reflect on it in your
writing.

Note: Mrs. B will be the only one reading these. Your responses will remain private.




Essay 4: Euthanasia
Guidelines:
You will type a 1-2 page essay this week (at least 300 words).
21

It is not a formal essay, so you will be able to use personal pronouns (but you
still cant use dead words or the words you/your!).
The essay will be in MLA Format and it will be worth 30 points.
This essay is due ___________.
You may have to research the topic a little bit!

One of the more controversial topics that Lowry touches upon in The Giver is euthanasia, or
the practice of ending someones life to ease their suffering. Jonass community practices
euthanasia on very old citizens as well as upon unhealthy newchildren.
a. Discuss the attitude toward euthanasia as expressed in The Giver.
b. Does the novel condemn, promote, or conditionally accept the practice?
c. You also need to write about why we, as Christians, should or should not support it.

*Research instances when euthanasia has been used in our world and include such evidence in
your essay.







Creative Writing Activity: Chapter 24
Readers of The Giver do not agree about the ending of the novel. You get to create Chapter 24
of The Giver so that others will know what happens to Jonas, Gabriel, and the community. In
this activity, you use details from the story that you already know to think of an ending.
22

In two paragraphs of 6-8 thorough sentences each, describe your ending in narrative form.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Lit Circle Evaluation
On the day your group does the literature circle, Mrs. B will use this rubric to grade you individually.
Students Name Date Role Title
/ 15
23



PREPARATION Total: _______/10
Unprepared (0-5 pts) Minimal (6-8 pts) Exceptional (9-10 pts)
o Did not complete the assigned
reading and/or notes; unable to
participate.
o Does not have book or notes;
diminishes ability to participate.
o Not intellectually prepared to
enter into serious discussion.
o Did most of the reading and
notes; able to participate.
o Has book and/or notes, but the
notes are not complete, making
it hard to participate.
o Moderately prepared
intellectually; ready and able to
think about the book and
related ideas.
o Completed assigned reading and
notes; ready to participate in the
discussion.
o Has book and notes; evidence
(Post-Its, annotations, etc) of real
preparation for participating in
the group discussion.
o Intellectually engaged, ready.
Notes:

CONTRIBUTION Total: _______/20
Absent (0-7 pts) Minimal (8-13 pts) Substantial (14-20 pts)
o Does not contribute to the group
discussion
o Actually absent
o Contributes only when called
upon.
o Contributes obvious but
appropriate ideas and
observations.
o Frequently contributes to the
discussion.
o Contributes original and/or
insightful comments about the
text.
Notes:
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Total: _______/10
Not Satisfied (0-5 pts) Minimal (6-8 pts) Exemplary (9-10 pts)
o Does not satisfy the requirements
of their assigned Lit. Circle role.
o Does not contribute to the lit.
circle the assigned ideas or
materials.
o Offers minimal information
reports what they found but
does not discuss or engage
group with the ideas.
o Satisfies responsibilities and
fulfills minimum requirements
of their assigned role.
o Satisfies all requirements of
assigned role.
o Takes role seriously, presenting
and facilitating a good discussion
about their assigned material.
Notes:
Total Score: _______/40