One of my favorite novels to teach with my eighth grade students was The Giver by Lois Lowry. The novel is rich with themes and ideas that lend themselves to some really good classroom discussions. Because the main character is close in age to junior high students, it provided excellent opportunities for students to make text to self connections and dive deeper into the book and really try to understand what it would be like to live in the society that is portrayed in the novel.
The book is set in a “utopian” society. The people are pleasant and kind. They follow their laws and rules very obediently. The people don’t have memories, don’t see color, and they don’t feel pain, joy, love, sadness, etc. Weather is constant. There aren’t birthdays, and everyone born each year moves up a year (age) all together. They are assigned jobs as they become a 12, and begin training for their new assignment right away. Jonas, the main character, is given the assignment as The Receiver. His job is to receive and hold the memories of the past. It is a heavy responsibility. Through this assignment, Jonas learns just how imperfect his society really is.
Students today are pretty familiar with dystopian novels, as they have recently risen in popularity. So while the genre itself isn’t new to most kids, some of the ideas that are in the novel are, or are at least presented in a new way. This provides a plethora of discussion and thinking points for students to study as they read the novel. Below is a list of some ideas you can use as you teach this novel.
- As an anticipatory assignment, have students brainstorm what makes a “perfect” society. What kinds of rules are there? How are jobs chosen/assigned? Is there school? How is healthcare handled? What kind of government is there, and how are leaders chosen?
- After they have brainstormed, have students design their own perfect society.
- Discuss the importance of names and individuality— the people in the novel are assigned a family unit and are assigned a name and a number.
- Talk about color. This is a great chance to do some cross-curricular activities. Learn how the eyes see and process color. Imagine a world where color didn’t exist. Talk about how color can influence the way we perceive things and remember things.
- Talk about memory. Have students write about their favorite or important memory in each category: family, friends, school, a time they were sad, and a time they were happy.
- Discuss pain. Talk about what life would be like if we didn’t know pain of any kind. Find some quotes that talk about pain and have students write about what each quote means to them.
- Talk about how the elderly are cared for in our society vs. in the novel.
- If you feel your students are mature enough to handle it, appropriately teach them about euthanasia.
- Talk about different kinds of government and the pros and cons of each kind.
- Invite students to illustrate or write about a memory of their favorite celebration (holiday or birthday).
- Have students write or think about what it would be like to experience a particular type of weather for the first time.
- At the end of the novel, ask students to write an additional chapter where Jonas returns to his society and tries to teach friends and family about what he has learned.
- Have students reflect on how Jonas’ society is skewed, and to note any similarities and differences they might see between where Jonas lives and where we live.
The Giver is full of so many opportunities to teach, discuss, and ponder the rights and wrongs of society. The topics, for the most part, are things that junior high students deal with or at least have dealt with in their lives. They can relate to Jonas as he navigates learning new things and goes through changes in his life. This novel opens up so many possibilities in a classroom and is a book that is worth reading!
