The Giver

I would love to teach The Giver by Lois Lowry in my classroom. It contains symbolism, interesting characters, and most importantly, a wonderful theme. I read this book in the seventh grade, and it has since remained on my top five favorite books list. It has been a while since I have read the book, so my knowledge is a little dusty. The theme is family and love; the main character, Jonas, witnesses society's deterioration away from love and into a more concise lifestyle. I could have students respond to The Giver by having them put themselves in Jonas shoes, asking them if they would have done things differently than he did. I believe journals are a great way for students to reflect and take time to examine what they have been reading; although some teachers over use journals, I think that having a journal entry each class, or at least once a week, is a great way to get students to open up and to get to know students individually, which creates for a stronger learning environment.