learning activities agreemen t - jennifer j....

The Giver Learning Activities Agreement

Learning Activities

Agreement This learning activities agreement is a contract between you and

me that lists and describes the types of fun activities you will

complete during our literature unit on the novel The Giver.

On the next page you will learn about the different options

available for you to choose. Read each one and decide which

projects interest you the most. Next, select one activity from each

column for a total of three assignments to complete during our

unit. Indicate your choices by placing an “X” in the dotted boxes of

the three assignments that you would like to work on, then sign

your initials on the line marked Student Initials for that activity.

My initials on the line marked Teacher Initials will verify my

approval of your choices. Your selections are due Tuesday,

November 27, 2012.

You may design up to two of the three assignments with a

maximum of one student-proposed activity per column. If you

suggest your own activity, use the space provided for your

description (continue on the back of the agreement if you need

more room, being sure to label it as A4, B4, or C4, as appropriate).

You must present one of your activities to the class; which one you

choose is entirely up to you (or your group). Each one is worth 15

points. Your presentation & audience etiquette are worth a total

of 16 points. There is also an extra credit opportunity. Your

activities must be completed by Wednesday, December 19, 2012.

Remember: YOU are responsible for the timely completion

of these assignments so pace yourself, use your class time

wisely, and don’t wait until the last minute!

Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ________________________ Hour: _________

(A) Research & Analysis (B) Creative Interpretation (C) Evaluating Perspective

_____________ ______________ Student Initials Teacher Initials

Think about how you would describe the “perfect” society and then visit the websites below to read about modern-day intentional communities. Choose one and make a list telling what this group believes makes its community ideal. Compare the “utopian” features you list with those of Jonas’s community and with your own vision. Share your observations and thoughts using your choice of expression.

http://www.twinoaks.org/ http://www.eastwind.org/ http://www.hummingbirdcommunity.org/


Alone or with a partner, write and illustrate an original fable based on one of the themes you identify in The Giver. You must

write out your moral at the end of the fable.

NOTE: A fable is (usually) a one paragraph

tale typically featuring talking animals that physically represent human characteristics (a fox as someone who is sly or a lion for someone who is brave). Fables are written to teach a moral or lesson. Visit the following website for examples of Aesop’s fables.

http://goo.gl/iTZHw


Complete one of the following activities:

1) As Jonas, write a letter to Asher, Fiona,

your parents, or The Giver describing your motivation for and feelings about your ultimate decision at the end of the book.

2) As Asher or Fiona, write a letter to Jonas

telling him your feelings and thoughts about your new assignment after the December Ceremony of the Twelves.


In The Giver, members of the community

have no input on their futures. Visit the websites below to read about real-world cultural traditions that dictate the futures of certain groups of people. Choose one and compare that practice with the Ceremony of the Twelves and with your own thoughts on how your life would be different if you were no longer in control of your future. Share your observations and thoughts using your choice of expression.

“Caste System” in India http://goo.gl/L6g8f “Baad” in Afghanistan http://goo.gl/FQ08W


Choose one character and picture him/her in your mind. Do you “see” him/her as a person, or do you think of objects, fictional heroes, shapes/colors/patterns/symbols, or places that connect to that character’s appearance, attitude, relationships, etc.? Decide how you can represent your chosen character visually and bring in one of the following:

1) An object (or picture of the object) 2) An image (internet, magazine, etc.) 3) A “picture” you draw (and color?)

Explain in writing how your object, image, or picture relates to your character.


Work collaboratively with up to two classmates and prepare an interview with the community elders, who want to speak out in defense of the community rules, ceremonies, and general lifestyle. Your interview can take the form of an audio or video recording, a written transcript, a newspaper or magazine article, a journal entry or letter written by an elder recalling and reflecting on the interview, or any other format you think is appropriate for the task. Regardless of the format, your interview questions & answers must be clearly defined.


Alone or with a partner, think of at least four questions relating to the rules, practices, and beliefs of both Jonas’s community and our own (you must include at least one question from each). Using Google forms, create a survey from your questions and poll students from two other classrooms (I will help you arrange this). Chart/graph their responses and compare them with your own answers. What conclusions do you draw? What about the results surprised you? Present your research in a written paper or labeled poster.


Read or listen to the poem by Robert Frost called “The Road Not Taken” and look at the accompanying photo (artist unknown). Think about what the speaker in the poem is trying to say. Identify what you think is the most important lesson. How is this message expressed in The Giver? Your answer can take the form of a written essay or poem accompanied by one image, a labeled drawing, or a collage of images and phrases and must include specific examples from The Giver.


Alone or with a partner, put yourself in the shoes of The Giver. As The Giver, express how your relationship with Jonas has affected your outlook on your own life and role in the community, if at all. Your target audience can be yourself, Jonas, the community, the Chief Elder, or a future generation. Share your insights using your choice of expression (monologue, letter, poem, dance, song, etc.).


Research & Analysis Student Choice ________________________________________

________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________


Creative Interpretation Student Choice

_______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________


Evaluating Perspective Student Choice _______________________________________ _______________________________________

_______________________________________ _______________________________________

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

4 4 4

Note: For all collaborative projects, you must include a breakdown of everyone’s contribution (you may use the back of this form).

TheRoadNotTaken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

“The Road not Taken” by Robert Frost – http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15717 (Visit this site for an audio version of the poem)

Photo: Unknown Artist - http://the-issues-of-life.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

You may use the graphic organizer below to complete activity B2, but it is not required.

/ Adapted by Jennifer Becker

The GiverLearningActivitiesAssessment

Not all of the following rubric categories will apply to each project, but these criteria should give

you a good idea of my overall expectations. I will assess your projects using only the categories

that relate to that activity. Each activity’s rubric score will be averaged and converted to points on

a 15-point scale. Each one is worth 7.5% of your final unit grade; the presentation and audience

ettiquette scores combine to count for 8%.

Rubric

4 – Outstanding 3 – Focused 2 – Developing 1 - Beginning

Making an Effort & Achieving Agreed Upon Goals All requirements of the

activity are met and

exceeded. The work reflects

this student's best effort.

All requirements of the

activity are met. The work

reflects this student's best

effort.

One requirement is not

completely met, and the work

reflects some effort. OR All

requirements are met, but

work shows little effort.

More than one activity

requirement was not

completely met. OR one

requirement is not completely

met and the work reflects

very little effort.

Quality of Work Makes excellent use of font,

color, graphics, effects, props,

or digital media, to enhance

the work. It is attractive, neat,

and reflects pride.

Makes good use of font, color,

graphics, effects, props, or

digital media to enhance the

work. It is attractive, neat,

and reflects pride.

Makes use of font, color,

graphics, effects, etc. but they

occasionally detract from the

work. Parts look they were

done in a hurry.

Project looks like student just

wanted to get it done &

reflects very little pride. Use

of fonts, digital media, etc. is

unnecessary or distracting.

Quality of Information Covers topic in-depth &

accurately describes several

important details or themes

allowing others to understand

much more about the topic.

Includes & accurately

describes one or two essential

details or themes allowing

others to learn something

about the topic.

Includes essential information

about the topic but there are

1-2 factual errors. Others

would not learn much about

the topic.

Content is minimal OR there

are several factual errors. No

real attempt has been made

to relate the details or themes

to an audience.

Making Personal Connections Makes insightful connections

between his/her opinions, life

experiences, etc. and the

topic. Tells how the project

has influenced his/her

feelings/views.

Makes general connections

between his/her opinions, life

experiences, etc. and the

topic. Tells how the project


feelings/views.

Connections are not fully

clear, even after explanation.

Some discussion of how

project has influenced his/her

feelings/views is present.

No real attempt to make

personal connections. Does

not describe how the project


thoughts or feelings.

Thinking Like a Character Student describes how a

character might have felt

using several examples from

the text to support his/her

interpretation.

Student describes how a

character might have felt

using at least one example

from the text to support

his/her interpretation.

Student describes how a

character might have felt, but

does NOT provide good

support for the

interpretation.

Student cannot reasonably

describe how a character

might have felt at a certain

point in the story.

Interpreting Events, Themes, & Characters Forms a reasonable

hypothesis about the

metaphoric or symbolic

meaning and is able to

support this with several

examples and details.

Forms a somewhat

reasonable hypothesis about

the symbolic or metaphoric

meaning and is able to

support this with one or two

examples or details.

Forms a hypothesis about the

symbolic or metaphoric

meaning, but has difficulty

finding supporting evidence

from the text.

Student can identify literal

meanings, but finds it difficult

to interpret events or themes

symbolically.

Rubric (Continued)

4 – Outstanding 3 – Focused 2 – Developing 1 – Beginning

Working as a Group (everyone earns the same score based on your comments)

The workload is divided and

shared equally by all team

members.

The workload is divided and

shared by all team members,

but varies from person to

person.

The workload is divided, but

one person in the group is

viewed as not doing his/her

fair share of the work.

The workload is not divided

OR several people in the

group are viewed as not doing

their fair share of the work.

Oral Presentation x 1 presentation – If you present more than once, you decide which one I use. Your score is doubled for this category.

Interesting & holds audience

attention. Shows enthusiasm.

Is completely prepared and

has obviously rehearsed.

Relatively interesting &

mostly holds audience

attention. Shows enthusiasm.

Is prepared and has had some

rehearsal.

Unable to hold audience

attention for much of the

time. Not very enthusiastic. Is

somewhat prepared. Clearly

needed more rehearsal.

Delivery not smooth and

audience attention lost.

Student does not seem at all

prepared to present. Shows

no enthusiasm about topic or

task.

Being a Good Audience Member x 2 presentation days – You are assessed separately for each presentation you watch.

Listens intently. Does not

make distracting noises or

movements.

Listens intently but has one

distracting noise or

movement.

Sometimes does not appear

to be listening but is not

distracting.

Sometimes does not appear

to be listening and has

distracting noises or

movements.

Converting Rubric Scores to Points

Example: Six categories apply to activity #1. You earn the following scores, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 3, which

total 19. I find the average by dividing 19 by 6 and arrive at 3.17. Rounding the score to the

nearest tenth, the final average is 3.2. This converts to 12 points (80%) for learning activity #1.

Conversion Table Score 3.9-4.0 3.6-3.8 3.3-3.5 3.0-3.2 2.7-2.9 2.4-2.6 2.0-2.3 1.7-1.9 1.4-1.6 1.1-1.3 1.0

Points 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5

HelpfulResources

Here are web addresses to different interactive tools you can use to organize your ideas:

Compare & Contrast Map

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/compcontrast/map/

Venn Diagram (2 Circles)

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/venn/

Story Map (Characters, Setting, Conflict/Resolution)

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/lit-elements/

ProjectPresentationTips&Suggestions

Try to remember these guidelines when it is your turn to present your project. Underline the ones

you think you may need to improve.

1) Speak in complete sentences. It is OK to add your own special flare, but every movement or way of

speaking should have purpose.

2) Use new vocabulary words you may have learned. Make sure you can pronounce them properly and that

you know what they mean.

3) Speak with a clear voice so that people way in the back of the room can still hear you.

4) Look around the room at your audience to draw them into your presentation.

5) Stand aside if you are pointing out pictures, charts, etc. If you give me your visual aids, I’ll project them

for you.

6) Do NOT simply read long passages directly out of your notes. Of course, if you are reading something

creative, such as a poem or short story, you can skip this tip. But for all of you research & analysis

presenters, pay attention to this one.

7) Do NOT chew gum or have any food in your mouth when presenting.

8) Know your material so that you sound like the informed person you are, and be ready to let others know

where you got your information—in case they want to look into the topic on their own. Rehearsing really

helps you with this (hey, you just got a two-for-one tip!).

9) Explain what your visual display shows, but don’t read everything that is on it. See tip #6.

10) When it is your turn to present, have your project ready in final form.

You will receive 4 points of extra credit if you present your project in a different format than what

you originally put together. For example, if you completed project A2 and present us with your

graphs and summary, you’ll earn up to the eight regular points. If you get us involved in a game of

family feud, on-the-other-hand, you’ll earn an extra 4 points. Here are some suggestions for

moving your project presentation from great to spectacular:

� Create PowerPoint Slides.

� Add to your project with meaningful colors, images (cite sources!), typed fonts, etc.—but do not go

overboard or you risk distracting the audience from your point. Mount it on poster board.

� Dress up in a costume.

� Present your project as a dramatic reading or a television commercial.

� Make and record a video or song to play in class (you’ll stand up and give us some background first).

� Present your interpretation of a theme or character as a dance.

� Create a game show and ask for class participation.

� Present your information as a newscast, a scripted interview or debate, or a comedy skit.

� Consider making a poster collage, a scrapbook for a character, or a marketing flyer/advertisement.

� HAVE FUN!

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