Guidelines for Final Socratic Seminar on The Giver  Make sure that you open this presentation in Keynote so that you can view all of the text!  You are going to add your prep notes to your ALREADY EXISITNG Google Doc that is titled, “Giver Discussion.” BACKUP YOUR THOUGHTS IN PAGES/NOTES/ETC.  For our final discussion on this book, you will need to spend some time prepare critical ideas to share in Thusday’s fishbowl discussion.  Bullet points are fine, but make sure that they are adequate enough to guide and demonstrate your thinking  It will not be enough to simply talk; your ideas must add depth to the discussion!  Make sure that you come up with several ideas for each question so that way you will have something to share, even if somebody takes your first idea.  Remember: Thoughtful preparation now means effective participation (aka: success!) later.

Socratic Seminar Questions: 1 & 2 1.The community in The Giver has attempted to be a Utopia, but we know that they were not able to achieve this. Why do think that this did not happen, meaning why did this attempt fail? Do you think that it is ever possible for a Utopia to exist? Explain your thoughts on both of these ideas. 2.Prior to this unit, we spent some time exploring the concept of irony (think back to our reading and discussion over “The Lottery”). What examples of irony do you see in this novel? Support with specific examples.

Socratic Seminar Questions: 3 & 4 3.We spent some considerable time discussing persuasion and propaganda this trimester. And although you maybe did not see the specific devices at work in this novel, how/why do you think the Elders were able to convince the Community to even come into existence? When you think about everything they gave up, how is it that they were able to be persuaded into “sameness?” Also, what type of means do you think were used (this should be based on what you know of their world, not unrelated ideas like “they were blackmailed with their social media”). 4.In terms of your “Cause for Pause” and “reading between the lines,” you should have picked up on some very disturbing or alarming things about the Community. Which part of the community is the most shocking or alarming to you? What is it about it that makes it so shocking or alarming for you? Please be specific!