Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Freedom of Choice and Individualism in The Giver Name: Nicole Scheurer
Content Area: English Grade Level: 7
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1b.
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Support claim(s) or counterarguments with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using
accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. CA

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

Students will explore and develop their own responses to the following essential questions as they relate to The Giver:

Background
What is a utopia?

Individuality vs. Conformity

Does perfect always mean happy?
Is a perfect society better than an imperfect one? How?

Importance of Choice
Do people really have the freedom of choice when they live in a perfect society?

Unit Summary:

In this unit, students will learn about utopian societies and the effects they have on the people who live in them. Students will first learn about what a utopian society is and
learn the characteristics that make them unique. They will then be introduced to the concept of perfection does not always equal happiness, both through nonfictional
articles and in The Giver. Finally, the students will create their own utopian society, using all they have learned to come up with the best perfect world. In the process, I want
students to ask themselves how much freedom they will be willing to let their community have, and then analyze why a perfect world might not mean it is a happy one.
Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level: Formative: Summative:

Quick Write Circle Map, Gallery Walk, Kahoot! Quizzes, Quizlets, Utopian Community Project, RDF Essay
Vocabulary Tests

Lesson 1
Student Learning Objective:
Students will be able to
define the term utopia and
describe at least 5
characteristics that make up a
utopian society.
Acceptable Evidence Lesson Activities:
(Assessments):
The teacher will load the Prezi titled, Intro to Utopia under the Weebly The Giver Unit.
Quick Write
Students will first be asked to write on a piece of paper what their own perfect world would look like. This
Circle Ma: is meant as an anticipation guide to introduce them to the topic of utopia. They will share with their
partner what they wrote. Then, the teacher will ask for volunteers to share what that persons partner
Kahoot! Quiz wrote as their perfect world. This is meant to encourage listening and speaking skills, as well as writing
skills.
Gallery Walk
Students will then watch the YouTube video, Utopia. While watching the video, they will complete a circle
map, listing at least 5 characteristics of a utopia. Then when the video is over, as a class we will create a
classroom What is a Utopia? Circle Map. Each student will pair with a partner and discuss what their
evidence, then share to the class what they wrote. The teacher will fill in the characteristics of the utopia on
the class Circle Map. Students will then be asked to write an answer for the following question: Why do you
believe a utopia is a good or bad idea?

The teacher will then reiterate the important bullet points needed to know about utopia.

Students will then play a Kahoot! Quiz, What is a Utopia? to check for their understanding of the topic.
They will be in elbow partners to complete the quiz.

Then for the Gallery Walk, students will be in groups of four. Each group will have 2 minutes to discuss each
picture and fill in the KWL chart. After 10 minutes, the students will complete the sentence frames on the
worksheet, and the summary.

The last part of the lesson includes watching and listening to the OneRupublic song, Ordinary Human.
After listening for a first time, students will be given these questions,
What is an ordinary human? Is there such a thing?
what do you think picture perfect nothing means?
Would you like to live in a utopian society? Yes or No, and state one reason why.
Students will then get to watch the video again but with lyrics of the song printed out for them and handed
to each student. They will have to write the answers of the questions on the lyric paper as an exit slip.
Lesson 2
Student Learning Objective:
Students will be able to
distinguish the difference
between individuality and
conformity. They will be able
to determine which they
believe is better, providing 3
examples from outside text to
support their claim.
Lesson 3
Student Learning Objective:
Students will be able to
answer whether or not
perfect means happy.
They will use evidence from
the book, collecting at least 3
quotes, that supports their
claim.
Unit Resources:
Books
The Giver digital book
Articles
Utopia vs. Dystopia informational article
Let Teenagers Try Adulthood article
Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:
Quizlet Students will be given 5 minutes to study their Quizlet flashcards for the weeks reading. They will be told that on
Friday they will have a Vocabulary Test on these words in Quizlet.
Vocabulary Test
Students will be put into groups of no more than 5. Each student will get a worksheet Nonfiction Reading for The
Giver: Are Utopias Possible?
Each student will read one of the articles and then complete the corresponding answers on the worksheet. Then,
they will have time with their group mates to fill in the other 4 articles and the rest of the worksheet questions.
Then, as a group, they will complete the rest of the worksheet questions.
Individually, they must answer 3 questions at the end of the worksheet that will help them decide whether or not
choice is better than conformity.
Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:
Utopian Community Project The students will be grouped into fours. They will be creating their own utopian societies via a worksheet
which will be organized by government, education, jobs, housing, family, and environment. The students
RDF Essay need to complete each section and then be approved by the teacher before moving on to the next section.
Once the worksheet is completed, students will create a poster board that uses images and the info from
their worksheet. They must have rules from each section, a community name and slogan, and pictures
representing their communities.
Students will then be able to walk around the room once all the posters are finished to determine which
society they would rather live in. The most popular society will get extra credit on the final essay.
They will then write a final essay explaining their choice of why or why not they would want to live in a
utopian society, using at least 3 quotes from The Giver as evidence.
The Seeds of Their Own Destruction

The Amish Lifestyle

4 Utopian Communities That Didnt Pan Out

Want to Escape the Modern World? 9 Utopias That Really Exist

Austins Utopian Homeless Village is Becoming a Reality

Benefits of Utopian Societies

Problems with Utopian Societies

Activities

Intro to Utopia Prezi with Guided Notes

Gallery Walk Activity with Pictures

Ordinary Human, OneRepublic Video

Utopia, the perfect world Video

Non-Fiction Reading: Are Utopias Possible?

Circle Map

Venn Diagram

Decision Making Chart

Quizlet

Kahoot!
Useful Websites:

Quizlet

Kahoot!

Who was Lois Lowry?

Lois Lowry, the Children's Author Who Actually Listens to Children

Biography

The Giver Information

Shmoop

SparkNotes

What is a Utopia?

Definition of utopia

The Meaning of Utopia

Why Not Utopia?

Utopia

What is a Utopia? Video