The Hunger Games(Book 1 of 3 in the H.G. Trilogy)

Book Review

• Set in a Dystopian Futuristic society• Wealthy “Capitol” in control of 13 (now 12) districts that

are divided up by industry• 75 Years ago there was an uprising against the Capitol

which was not successful• In punishment for this rebellion the Capitol created the

“Hunger Games”– 1 boy and 1 girl from the ages of 12-18 are randomly chosen

to be “Tributes”– They fight to the death on live T.V. while the nation is forced

to watch

Movie

• Coming out March 23rd

• Based on first book in the series– Will be 3 other films

Teaser Trailer

Official Trailer

Panem

Main Characters

Themes/Subjects

• Violence/War• Survival• Environmental Issues• Humanity/Inhumanity• Government Control• Reality T.V./Desensitization to violence• Hope• Love• Hunger/Starvation• Friendship• Trust/Mistrust• Depression• Addiction

Activities

• Qualities of a perfect society/fair society/unfair society– This unfair society is a Dystopia– Other novels set in a Dystopia

• Adolph Huxley’s Brave New World• H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine• George Orwell’s 1984

• Cover Art– I showed all the different coversOf the novel and we discussed

Activities

• Waddaya Need to be Happy & Succeed (link)– Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Activities

• Get students into “Districts”.• These will be your groups for the whole unit• Daily Trivia instead of quizzes done in groups• Trivia “leaders” at the end get 1st choice of a

final projects

Whole Class Activities

• Character/District/Industry Chart– Students add pictures, flags, who died and when

(By putting a skull over their tributes)• Map• Timeline of the Games

Activities

• Strange Reality Shows– Give examples– Students research their own as a group and

present to the class

Activities

• Booklet from “Tracee Orman” resource– Character pg 1 Character pg 2– Setting– “Muttations”– Theme– Symbolism– Facebook Page

Activities

• What is Evil• Have students write in their journals/on a

piece of paper, which #’s they would place in the evil/not-evil categories

• Put categories on the board• Read out one at a time and ask student

opinion

Activities

• Earthlings: A report– Get into 4 groups of 6– Provide library books for students to research answers

and find examples– Give time to answer the last three questions as a group

in class– They must present their “findings”

Page 1Page 2

Activities

• News Report– Give them a handout and go over some exemplars

of news stories from local newspapers– Emphasize who, what, when, where, why aspect– Emphasize objectivity—integrate “quotes” from

characters to show THEIR opinions on the event• Choose one event that has happened so far• Pretend you are a reporter from “The Capitol,

District 12 or another District”

Activities

• Refer to discussion in novel about how it is easier to kill someone if you just pretend they’re animals

• How “war” desensitizes us• Handout– The Man He Killed by “Thomas Hardy”– Gregory by “Panos Ioannides”

Activities

• Debate– When issue engages students (for example from a

response journal the wrote passionately about) then consider having a debate

– My students were very split about whether Canada should have the Death Penalty, so they debated it

Activities

• Watch “Battle Royale” (because H.G. Movie was not out yet)– Japanese version of the Hunger Games– Class of grade 9 students chosen to participate on

the “Program”. They fight to the death on live T.V.– Some similar themes/subjects.

• Trust/desensitization/violence

– Answer questions about movie and its relation to the Hunger Games

Final Projects

• I provided them with a list of 18+ different final project options.

• They did them in “Districts” and presented their projects to the class

Books to read before/after

• 1984– This book presents such a bleak outlook of the future

with no hope of ever escaping from this Dystopia that has been created

– The Hunger Games has a more optimistic feel • “Catching Fire” & “Mockingjay”– Books 2 and 3 in the Hunger Games series– Excellent– Gave away 3 copies of “Catching Fire” as “prizes” for

Trivia winners each week