The Giver Novel Questions, Quizzes, and Activities

THEGIVER

Chapter Questions

By Lois Lowry

Lower-level thinking skill

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Taxonomy (n): a system used to classify things

Bloom: the last name of Benjamin Bloom, its creator

Higher-level thinking skill

1. What is the main character’s first

name?

2. What is his father’s job?

3. What ritual takes place at dinnertime?

4. What event is the main character apprehensive about?

5. What happens at this event?

Chapters 1 and 2 Pop Quiz

1. What is the main character’s first name?

Jonas

2. What is his father’s job?Nurturer –OR- taking care of newborns

3. What ritual takes place at dinnertime? Telling of feelings

4. What event is the main character apprehensive about?The Ceremony of Twelve

5. What happens at this event?Twelve year-olds get their assignment—their job for life.

Chapters 1 and 2 Pop Quiz Acceptable

Answers

What was your first impression of this

society? What stuck out to you?

Would you want to live here? Why or why not?

Page 2 – the pilot who flew over is “released.” What do you think this means?

Page 7 – What does “release” mean for the elderly and newborns?

Chapter 1

Page 8: “Most of the people on the night crew had not even been given spouses because they lacked, somehow, the essential capacity to connect to others, which was required for the creation of a family unit.”

What does this tell us about the society?

Chapter 1 Quote

What happens at the Ceremony of Ones?

What is the name of the baby that Jonas’ father is taking care of? What is worrisome about this baby?

How are rules changed in this society?

What is the community’s most important job?

What is life like after the Ceremony of Twelve?

Chapter 2

Page 16“There are very rarely disappointments, Jonas. I don’t think you need to worry about that,” his father reassured him. “And if there are, you know there’s an appeal process.” But they all laughed at that—an appeal went to a committee for study.

What’s so funny here? What does this say about life in this

society?

Chapter 2 Quote

Page 18But her father had already gone to the shelf and taken down the stuffed elephant which was kept there. Many of the comfort objects, like Lily’s were soft, stuffed, imaginary creatures. Jonas’s had been called a bear.

What does this quote reveal?

Chapter 2 Quote

THEGIVER

Chapters 3-5

By Lois Lowry

Describe one practice* from the society in The Giver that is similar to a practice in our own society. Explain that similarity in one paragraph (five sentences).

*Practice (n): a rule, tradition, habit, or custom

When finished, please turn over your paper.

Chapters 3, 4, and 5 Pop Quiz

What do Jonas and baby Gabriel have in

common? What do you think this will mean?

Would you want the job of a birthmother? Why is Jonas’s mother disappointed in Lily for wanting to be one?

What did Jonas take from the rec center, and why?

Predictions on what this means…?

Chapter 3 Discussion

What did Jonas do at the House of Old?

How did he feel about this job? How would YOU feel about this job?

What was the celebration for at the House of Old? What was it like?

Did this celebration change how you feel about “release?”

How is the treatment of elderly people similar or different from the way we treat them?

Chapter 4 Discussion

What is the morning ritual for Jonas’s

family?

What was Jonas’s dream, and what do you think it meant?

What was his mother’s explanation for this dream?

What is the treatment for the stirrings?

How did Jonas feel about the stirrings?

Chapter 5 Discussion

Schooling in GermanySimilarities to Society in The Giver

Read the article, “The

ABCs of the German School System.”

Highlight any similarities you notice to schooling and career choice in The Giver.

In your group, arrange the types of schools into a flowchart. Call me over when finished.

German Schooling

ExampleFlowchart

Examples:

American schools (some, not all):Placing students in different English classes for low, medium, and high-level and honors students.

Germany: Sending students to different schools based upon their ability and career potential.

The Giver: Assigning children different careers based upon the observations of elders.

TrackingThe separating of students according to

ability

Do you think it works in American schools? Why or why not?

Would you want a system similar to The Giver to happen in our society?

What is fair about the system?

What is unfair about the system?

TrackingThe separating of students according to

ability

THEGIVER

Chapters 6-9

By Lois Lowry

What do fours, fives, and sixes wear, and

what does this teach them?

What do sevens wear, and what does this teach them?

What does getting a bicycle represent?

Chapter 6 Discussion

Why was a replacement child given for 4-

year-old Caleb?

Lily, as an eight, got pockets on her jacket. What did this represent?

If you wanted to leave the community, where would you go?

Chapter 6 Discussion

“If you don’t fit in, you can apply for Elsewhere and be released. My mother says that once, about ten years ago, someone applied and was gone the next day.” -Asher

What do we know about the decision-making processes in this society?

Why do you think this situation was different?

Chapter 6 Quote

“If you don’t fit in, you can apply for Elsewhere and be released. My mother says that once, about ten years ago, someone applied and was gone the next day.” -Asher

What do we know about the decision-making processes in this society?

Why do you think this situation was different?

Chapter 6 Quote

What is Jonas’ birth number? When do

parents in the community use this number?

How is language viewed in this community?

Do you think language correctness is taken too seriously? (Consider Asher’s story.)

What effect does it have on you as the reader when girls and boys are called males and females?

Why does Jonas worry in this chapter?

Chapter 7 Discussion

What is Jonas’s Assignment?

What is the difference between the words assigned and selected?

What do you think the Receiver of Memory does? Why would it involve pain?

What happens onstage that makes Jonas realize he might have been the right choice?

Chapter 8 Discussion

“We failed in our last selection,” the Chief Elder said solemnly. “It was ten years ago, when Jonas was just a toddler. I will not dwell on the experience because it causes us all terrible discomfort.”

Jonas didn’t know what she was referring to, but he could sense the discomfort of the audience. They shifted uneasily in their seats.

“We have not been hasty this time,” she continued. “We could not afford another failure.”

Chapter 8, p. 61

What does it mean if a name is

designated Not-to-Be-Spoken? Who did this apply to?

Turn to page 68… What do you make of these rules?

Jonas is worried about pain. What do we know about physical pain in this community? How often does it occur? How is it handled? What do you think this says about them?

Chapter 9 Discussion

We will designate one student as the Receiver. This is a high honor. He or she will:

Our Class Receiver

Receive information that the rest of the class will not get to know.(This information will not give him or her any academic benefit.)

Not be allowed to tell anyone the information received.

The Receiver must have:

Our Class Receiver

Intelligence: good grades; higher-level thinking

Integrity: rarely breaks rules; honest; accepts punishment and learns from it

Courage: little fear of new tasks or the chance of failure

Wisdom, or the ability to acquire it with experience.

Vote for one person in class to be the Receiver. It cannot be yourself. Your index card should look like this:

Our Class Receiver

Your Name

The Receiver should be:

CLASSMATE’S NAMECircle his/her name

What types of books can be found in

regular households? What do people think of reading?

What is mentioned about The Giver’s eyes?

“This job has aged me.” What does this mean?

What types of memories will the Giver transfer to Jonas?

What is the first memory transmitted to Jonas?

Chapter 10 Discussion

Literature

Circles

1. Summarizer

2. Discussion Leader

3. Real-Life Connector

4. Quote-Finder

5. Vocab Wizard(only for groups of five)

Literature Circle Roles

The summarizer writes a detailed

paragraph or two about the previous night’s reading.

Meetings are started with this person reading their summary to refresh everyone’s memory.

Specific details are a must! Avoid vague terms like they, he, stuff, things, etc. and use more precise words.

Summarizer

This person asks the group questions and

keeps the conversation on track.

They speak after the summarizer.

Their questions are not ‘yes’ or ‘no’ ones. They are deeper and may ask for the group’s opinion, explanation, analysis, or insight.

Discussion Leader

Meaningful chapter quotes are this

person’s focus.

Quotes are chosen if they: Reveal a character’s traits Reveal a character’s thoughts Foreshadow Explain more about the setting/society Are puzzling, funny, powerful, or

interesting

Quote-Finder

The real-life connector finds similarities

between the book’s events and those in our world.

They provide group members with more information about those connections.

This role requires some research.

Real-Life Connector

This group member finds five challenging

words from the chapter and teaches them to the group.

They will: Read the sentence aloud and have other

members guess at its meaning. Reveal the word’s meaning. Give a hint or trick to remembering the

word.

Vocab Master(for groups of five only)

1. Summarizer explains main events.2. Discussion Leader asks questions.3. Quote-Finder discusses selections from

text.4. Real-Life Connector shares connections.5. Groups of five: Vocab Master shares new

words.

End-of-Discussion Procedures6. Decide new roles for next time (must be

different)7. Begin reading the next assigned chapter.

Literature Circle Procedures

1. Stay on topic (Discussion Leader is partly

responsible for this.)2. Be polite; do not interrupt others when they

speak.3. Don’t make fun of anyone.4. If you read ahead, keep it a secret!

If you do not do your job or lose your role sheet, you must come back for lunch to

finish/redo it.

Literature Circle Guidelines

The “change” Jonas has noticed is explained.

“You’re beginning to see the color red.”

Chapter 12

Then, explain in one paragraph:What is symbolism? What one idea do you think red will symbolize in this book? Support your prediction with an example from the text. (3 points)

Quiz: 8 points (doubled

score)

Red

What could the color red symbolize? List your ideas by creating a diagram like the one below. Give at least three ideas, but feel free to list more.(1 point)

“Hearing Myself for the First Time”

“There was a time… when flesh was many different colors. That was before we went to Sameness.”

“We’ve never completely mastered Sameness. I suppose the genetic

scientists are still hard at work trying to work the kinks out.”

“Our people made that choice, the choice to go to sameness…We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences… We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.”

Chapter 12 Quotes

How do you think society was convinced to give up colors and differences?

Imagine you live in this society, and you’ve been assigned to advertise Sameness BEFORE it is put into place.

In your lit circle groups, you will create a persuasive poster that might have been seen hanging around the community.

“Our people made that choice.”

Step One: In your groups, make a table based off of what you know from the book.

Step Two: Create your poster.Consider using slogans, strong images, and logical reasoning from your chart and the book.

“Our people made that choice.”

Pros of Sameness Cons of Sameness

Propaganda: WWII

1. How was the second sled experience

different from the first?2. Why does the Receiver have to hold painful

memories?3. Why did elders decide not to let

birthmothers have four babies instead of three?

4. What happens when a birthmother has twins?

5. What power did Jonas realize he had?

Chapter 14 Discussion

Was there someone there, waiting, who would receive the tiny released twin? Would it grow up Elsewhere, not knowing, ever, that in this community lived a being who looked exactly the same? For a moment, he felt a tiny, fluttering hope that he knew was quite foolish. He hoped that it would be Larissa, waiting. Larissa, the old woman he had bathed.

Chapter 14 Quote

What do you think Elsewhere is?

1. What memory makes Jonas never want to

return to the Annex?2. What happier memories does The Giver

transmit to Jonas?3. What parts of these memories does Jonas

wish his own community had?4. What does Jonas decide to stop doing?5. How is the relationship between Jonas and

others changing?

Chapters 15 and 16

What do you think is Gabriel’s purpose in the story?Can he symbolize anything?

Gabriel

Real-Life Connection:

China has a population of over 1.3 billion.As a result, a one-child policy was put into place in 1979.The policy has since eased up.

Real-Life Connection:

South Korean pastor Lee Jong-rak has set up a public box in which

mothers can abandon their newborns. See the documentary traile

r.

THEGIVER

Chapter 20

By Lois Lowry

Use complete sentences in answering the following on your own paper. (You don’t need to write out the question.)

1.What are Jonas and the Giver planning to do?

2.The Giver tells Jonas, “When my work here is finished, I want to be with my daughter.” What does he mean by this?

Chapter 20 Pop Quiz

Biblical Allusions

Allusion (n): a reference to another text or historical event

Authors choose the names of their characters very carefully. Why might Lois Lowry have given her protagonist a name so similar to Jonah, a Biblical prophet?

Jonah

Prophet (n): a person who serves as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God

What is the story of the Garden of Eden?

What does the apple symbolize?

The Apple

A Christ-like figure makes

sacrifices for the good of others.

Who is a

figure in the book?Christ-like