Your Name Cassandra Rockness and Aaliyah Whitfield

Central
Focus of Your Pre-Reading Strategies for introducing Language Art Middle School Students to ​The Hunger Games​ by Suzanne Collins.
Lesson
In our pre-reading strategy lesson, we will introduce students to the main themes within ​The Hunger Games​. We will be specifically
focusing on the themes of: power and self-sacrifice. Through reading and discussing the summary (on the back cover of The Hunger
Games), students will learn that Panem serves as an example of an oppressive, futuristic government that seeks to control its citizens.
Through ordering young civilians of each district to fight in annual, deathly battles, Panem asserts its power over its people. Students
will learn about the qualities of oppressive governments, as well as a young contender’s willingness to sacrifice herself on account of
her family and nation.
As students are introduced to Katniss Everdene and the passage from pg. 22 *(where Katniss volunteers to fight), they will begin to
contemplate the theme of self-sacrifice. What motivates a young hero, like Katniss Everdene to volunteer to fight in the games? Is it
out of pity for her sister? The desire to win the Games? Or does she do it out of love? Students will discuss these questions at their
tables!

Essential/
Compelling Why might a character or a person risk his/ her life to help another person?
Question How does a nation, capitol, or figure of authority assert power over people.
Goals Objectives

Students will be able to...

1. Identify two major themes of ​The Hunger Games th​ rough studying the plot summary and a passage from the text (the themes are
self-sacrifice and power).
2. Define characteristics of the capitol Panem (as a cruel, oppressive, powerful government).
3. List the character traits of Katniss based off of reading an excerpt from the text.
4. Explain and provide examples of a “self-sacrificial” act in the text. Explain and identify traits that makes a nation powerful.
5. Engage in discussions with their peers and find supporting details from the text to construct well-developed responses to questions.
6. Illustrate a “Billboard” poster, capturing one of the two themes discussed during the class activity.

Standards​ (NCSCOS or C3 Framework or Common Core General Literacy)

CCR Anchor Standard RL.2 – Determine central ideas (RI) or themes (RL) of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting
details and ideas.

Assessment:
How are you a) We will assess what students are learning through their responses to the Padlet activities and their participation in class discussion.
assessing b) After discussing the two different themes as a class, students will depict what they have learned through creating the Billboard posters. They will
student
learning in then have the opportunity to share these illustrations with the class as a final assessment.
this lesson?

Materials & What texts, materials, websites, and equipment do you need to implement your plans? Include materials that students and teachers may need (and are
Technology available at your school). What technology are you using in your lesson? Include hyperlinks.

● A copy of ​The Hunger Games​ book for teacher instruction.

● Copies of the back cover summary of ​The Hunger Games​, with an excerpt from page 22.
 ● Colored Pencils
● Blank sheets of paper
● Students must have access to the internet (either through their phones or laptops)
● Google Slides Presentation/ Projector
● Access to Padlet presentation: ​https://padlet.com/cgrockne/4vrgsvwwa6qk

INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN
How are you inviting students to learn? How are you moving them through the lesson and engage them in the activities? How are you bringing the lesson to a
close? Provide basic “step-by-step” directions and prompts for implementing these areas of the lesson. A substitute teacher should be able to pick up your lesson plan
and say and do everything you would have if you were there. Please be explicit and specific. Remember – YOU CAN (and likely SHOULD) ADD ROWS.
Time Lesson Component Teacher AND Learner Roles/Procedures (what are you doing? what are students doing?)
both should be present.
Prior to the start of Establishing a productive working environment in 1. Teachers will write the Padlet link on a white board:
the lesson. the classroom. https://padlet.com/cgrockne/4vrgsvwwa6qk

2. Teachers will access the GoogleDocs presentation via Google Drive. The teacher will
“start” the presentation (in Presentation mode) and turn on the overhead projector, so
that students can see the slides

3. Teachers will click on the following link for access to the presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VWv-W5hva0f6IzhnjWJBGxZ5Yo_GtneMO
K3jNpg7ldk/edit?usp=sharing

4. Teachers will distribute 3 handouts to each of the tables in the classroom (students will
be asked to share their handouts with one another).

First 3 minutes of Introducing students to the concept of “themes” 1. First minute:

class (as themes are introduced in the standards). The teachers will introduce the students to the class objectives/ standards and explain
Students begin to form ideas for the themes in ​The what they will be completing in class:
Hunger Games​ through thinking about the a. Students will be engaging in a “pre-reading activity” and learn what themes
“essential questions” and reading passages from are/ how to identify them through reading passages from ​The Hunger
the text. Games.
b. Students will be given time to read the handouts on their desks with
passages from ​The Hunger Games
c. Students will engage in discussions with people at their table about the
handouts. They will complete a Padlet Activity with their peers, identifying
2 major themes from the book. Instructions will be given before the
activity.
d. Students will then design a “Billboard,” depicting 1 of the 2 themes
discussed in class.
2. The teachers will provide students with a quick definition of theme- useful before
students begin reading the text!
3. Teachers will instruct students to quietly and independently read the handouts at their
desks.
4. Teachers will tell students to think about the essential questions (refer to boxes above)
as they read.

**2 minutes will be given for students to read the handouts

3 minutes of Class Students are introduced to themes in the text and
locate specific details to support thematic
concepts. Students collaborate to develop
well-informed answers to essential questions in an
online activity.
1. Once students have completed reading both of the passages from the handouts, the
teacher will pull up the Padlet questions on the Powerpoint presentation.
2. Students will discuss the thematic questions from the Padlet in their table groups. One
student from each table group will write the group’s answers on the Padlet page.
Students will support their answers to questions with answers from the text.
 3. After 2 minutes, the teachers will review the responses of each group on the padlet
presentation.

2 Minutes Students are provided with examples of specific

themes from ​The Hunger Games​. Students
understand how specific details on the back cover
of the book and within the text support these
themes.
1. The teachers will explain how “power” and “self-sacrifice” are two important themes
in the Hunger Games. The teacher will discuss that through students’ padlet responses,
they have provided examples from the text to support these themes.
a. Panem demonstrates “power” through “forcing” the districts to compete in
the annual Hunger Games. Panem also maintains its power through its cruel
regime.
b. Katniss serves as an example of a “self-sacrificial” character. She is willing
to sacrifice her life and fight in the Hunger Games, to protect her younger
sister Prim. She may be characterized as strong, heroic, selfless, and
courageous. This theme of self-sacrificial love (giving oneself up for the
sake of another) will be seen throughout the book. This concept defeats the
notion that victors only fight to spare their lives or earn favor from the
Capitol.

2 Minutes During the last ​2 ​minutes of the class,

students will demonstrate their overall
understanding of the themes of “power” and
“self-sacrifice.” Students will depict what
they have learned through visual images.
Images must be relevant to the material
discussed in class.
1. The teachers will instruct students to individually craft “Billboards”
advertising the upcoming Hunger Games. Students will design their
Billboards to depict Panem’s oppressive regime or Katniss’s willingness to
fight and sacrifice her life for the sake of Prim’s.
2. The teacher will provide students with an example on the GoogleSlides
Presentation.
3. Students will use colored pencils/ sheets of papers to construct their
billboards.
4. Students will volunteer to share their work with the class, if time permits.

Differentiation
C​ome up with one way you would differentiate your lesson to meet a specific learning need, disability, or difference.
As preservice educators, we understand that there may be students in the class who have difficulty with reading small fonts or responding to lengthy questions
in a short amount of time.Other students may have difficulty with reading and writing. We would provide these students with handouts that contain words in
larger font and shorter excerpts to read. Students working in groups may choose to focus on answering only 1 of the questions provided on the Padlet activity,
rather than all of them.

*Make sure that you include the handouts/links/etc to any materials one needs to teach this (hyperlinks are fine!)
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VWv-W5hva0f6IzhnjWJBGxZ5Yo_GtneMOK3jNpg7ldk/edit?ts=5c645c96#slide
=id.g4f9bf51638_1_0

https://padlet.com/cgrockne/4vrgsvwwa6qk

**Refer to the Next Page for a Copy of our Handout