1. Conformity, Utopia, and Dystopia
The Giver, Day 1

2. Agenda: Discussion – Conformity Activity
Vocabulary – Conformity, Utopia, Dystopia, Same, Different
Hand out The Giver
Start Reading!
Homework

3. Check In – Essay Outline
Essay Outline classwork/homework check!
Questions about your essays?

4. Discussion of Conformity Exercise
What happened at the beginning of class?
How did you feel when you were asked to do something different from your classmates?
Did you feel pressure to do the same thing as everyone else?
Why did you make the choice you did, to follow (or not follow) your instructions?

5. The Giver This novel was written in 1993 – 23 years ago.
It discusses many important issues, such as whether a perfect society is possible, how we determine our roles in society, equality, and the place of the individual in a larger society.
In this world, many people behave and dress the same way to keep people from feeling bad for being different in any way.
Turn and talk – how would you feel if we all looked alike? Or if we all dressed alike?

6. Important Vocabulary Conform: (verb)
To comply or go along with rules, standards, or laws
To behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards. To follow the rules of society
To be similar in form or type; to agree.

7. Important Vocabulary Utopia (noun)
An imaginary place or world where everything is perfect.
This term comes from the book Utopia, written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More

8. Important Vocabulary Dystopia (noun)
An imaginary place or state where everything is bad. Often a society run by an absolute ruler (a dictatorship) or a place where the environment is bad or ruined in some way.
The opposite of a utopia
Examples might include – The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, The Matrix, V for Vendetta, Mad Max

9. Important Vocabulary
Same
(adj)
Identical, not different

10. Important Vocabulary Different (adj.)
Not the same as each other. Unlike in nature, form, or quality
Distinct, separate

11. The Giver Time to get your books!
On the inside cover of your book, please write your FULL name. This is to help get the book back to you in case you lose it!

12. What is an Essential Question?
Important questions at the heart of a matter
Questions that reoccur throughout your life
These questions help students to make sense of BIG IDEAS and cause genuine thought about the central topic of a unit
There will not be a yes or no answer to these questions
The aim of these questions is to stimulate thought, spark more questions from the students

13. The Giver – Essential Questions
Is a perfect society possible?
Would you classify the society in The Giver as an Utopia or a Dystopia?
When is it alright to reject or fight against a tradition?
What is the difference between the rights of an individual and the welfare of an entire society?
Why do we conform?
What are the dangers of conformity in a naturally diverse society?
Why are memories important?
How does new knowledge change our beliefs, behavior and decisions we make? How does knowledge of our history?
How much government control is too much?
When and how should an individual take a stand in opposition to an individual or large group?

14. Reminder - Annotation Remember our work on annotation?
Some useful symbols:
Underline key words and phrases
Circle and translate words you don’t know
Write comments and questions in the margins
When you read for homework, I will expect you to annotate your reading
You may write in either pen or pencil
I will check your annotations for proof that you are doing your homework!

15. The Giver Dictionary
This handout has some important vocabulary for each chapter in this book.
This is a resource to help you as you are reading if you have questions about what specific words mean.

16. Reading Chapter 1 Together
As I read, write down any questions you have
You should write them in the margins of the book
This is good practice for ANNOTATION later.
Pay especially close attention to any descriptions – the author is building a world that we need to figure out
What do we know at the end of Chapter 1?

17. Homework!
Finish reading Chapter 1!
Don’t forget to ANNOTATE!

18. Happy Halloween! Take one piece of candy
Enjoy the following fun videos! 
The Nightmare Before Christmas
I Put a Spell on You