The Hunger Games

LO: To understand the context and themes of the novel

This is Suzanne Collins, author of ‘The Hunger Games’. She has written several other novels and has written for children’s television.

She was inspired to write the novel from lots of different stimuli. What do you think they were?

She was inspired to write the novel from lots of different stimuli. What do you think they were?

a A thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction.

Inspiration• She was inspired

to write The Hunger Games after she had been channel surfing between watching live coverage of the Iraq war and a reality TV show .

• She was also influenced

by mythology, especially the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

And •

Roman gladiator battles as entertainment for the masses contributed, as well.

Inspiration• Research

Theseus and the Minotaur on the Internet.

• Come up with a synopsis of the story

• Synopsis - a summary of the Greek Myth.

• Make sure you include all the relevant facts.

Theseus and the Minotaur

Theseus and the Minotaur

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king named Minos. King Minos lived on a lovely island called Crete. King Minos had a powerful navy, a beautiful daughter, and a really big palace. Still, now and then, King Minos grew bored. Whenever King Minos was bored, he took his navy and attacked Athens, a town on the other side of the sea. In desperation, the king of Athens offered King Minos a deal. If Minos would leave Athens alone, Athens would send seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls to Crete every nine years to be eaten by the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a horrible monster that lived in the centre of a huge maze on the island of Crete. King Minos loved that old monster. He did like to give his monster a treat now and then. He knew his people would prefer he fed his monster Athenian children rather than ... well, after thinking it over, King Minos took the deal. Nine years passed swiftly. It was just about time for Athens to send seven boys and seven girls to Crete to be eaten by the Minotaur. Everyone in Athens was crying.

You are Theseus, young and handsome son of the King of Athens

• What would you do?

• Let the first 14 children be sent to Crete to die?

• Refuse to let anyone go, and draw the wrath of King Minos on your people?

• Offer to go in place of one of the children so you can kill King Minos?

• Offer to go in place of one of the children so you can kill the evil minotaur?

What did Theseus do?

Prince Theseus of Athens was very young. He knew that a deal was a deal. But he was sure it was wrong to send small children to be eaten by a monster just to avoid a battle with King Minos. Prince Theseus told his father (the king) that he was going to Crete as the seventh son of Athens. He was going to kill the Minotaur and end the terror.

"The Minotaur is a terrible monster! What makes you think you can kill it?" cried his father.

"I'll find a way," Theseus replied gently. "The gods will help me."

Hinge Questions

• What were the stimuli for The Hunger Games?

• How did these shape the themes of the novel?

Chapter 1

• Let’s read chapter 1 together.

• Volunteers?

• How does The Hunger Games link to the story of Theseus and the Minotaur?

Chapter 1

• What do you think Katniss will do next?

Predictions

• Think back to the stimuli Suzanne Collins used to create The Hunger Games.

• Use these stimuli to make a prediction about what might happen to Katniss once she enters the Hunger Games?

Extension: Katniss

Think of three questions you would ask Suzanne Collins at this point in the novel.Write your three questions down.

Post-it Note Plenary

Write down at least one thing you have learned about The Hunger Games today

Stick your post-it on the white board as you leave the lesson.