Yesterday I read chapter 19 of the book to the class. This is a critical turning point of the story in which the real meaning of being 'released' is finally revealed. Today we wrote about Jonas' feelings regarding what he saw and read part of chapter 20.
Tomorrow they will write an essay from Jonas' point of view.
The directions for the essay are as follows:
12. Be Somebody Else for Awhile (End of Chapter 19 in The Giver)
The Assignment:
You've been yourself for a long time. Now, be somebody else. Write an essay as if you were one of the characters in the story you are reading. To write from the character's point of view, you must think like the character and limit yourself to what the character can know. Try to make your written "voice" sound like the character's, also.
Here is the essay task your character must respond to:
By the end of chapter 19 in The Giver, Jonas knows what being a Receiver really is and what Release means. This session with The Giver (Page 151) ends with Jonas having just seen a video of the release of the infant twin.
¥ explain the situation and the events that led up to it
¥ explain how you feel
¥ tell what you would like to do, imagine a couple or a few different decisions you could make
¥ tell what the consequences of those actions would be
¥ Decide what decision you would make, why and what might happen.
Remember to write as the character and to use specific accurate details from the story to write the essay.
Assessment: Use the ELA rubric for tasks based on texts, as a good response will show an understanding of the text as well as the task.
