My unit will center around the novel The Giver. Students will explore the idea of a "Utopian Society" and discuss reasons why this type of society cannot exist. While exploring this unit, students will consider what makes them unique.

Essential Question:
What makes you who you are?

Unit Questions:

How does reading about Jonas' life cause you to see your life differently?

If you were Jonah, what would you have done differently?
Can a Utopian society exist?

Content Questions:

What euphemisms or connotations are used throughout the story?

What conclusions and inferences can you make about Jonas' utopian society?

Which characters are dynamic? Which are static?

How projects provide for deeping thinking

Projects are student centered instead of teacher centered. Students get to take control of their learning. Projects allow students to draw from their strengths and abilities and share those strenths with others. Through projects, students are required to engage in higher level thinking skills as they pull together what they have learned into a final presentation. Students that are not proficient at paper and pencil tasks can find success participating in projects.

Students access many resources while working on projects and are not limited to the textbook or teacher lecture.

Thinking Skills: What should I target

Students need to be aware of their thinking and be able to communicate their thoughts to others. Students should be able to take risks when sharing their opinions and be able to listen to the opinions of others. Students need to look for humor - irony, sarcasm, puns, etc.- in their thinking. Students should strive for accuracy when communicating their ideas to others. Students should be able to evaluate and modify their own thinking.