Novel Study
Student (aka tribute): _________________________
Teacher (aka gamemaker): Ms. Steer
THE HUNGER GAMES
“May the odds be ever in your favor.”
As we read our class novel, we will immerse ourselves in the world of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger
Games. You will no longer be a student over the 4 weeks of novel study, but a tribute, and you
will work (or compete against) your partner tribute(s) from the same district.
You will be assigned tasks throughout the unit, all of which will cover speaking (listening) in
English, reading and comprehending the novel (through quizzes and a unit test), writing response
journals and an essay, and representing your understanding through a creative project of your
choice. Your individual marks for some task will translate into a tribute score and the average
tribute score as your district score. One district wins in the end.
Look for the mockingbird and see how you can earn tribute points.
Here is an overview of your tasks. I, your gamemaker, will set the rules and keep score.
Let the games begin!
Speaking & Listening Task
Assigned Day: __________________
Your district will come up with discussion questions based on a topic or theme for
specific chapters in the novel (this means you’d have to read ahead for your
assigned day!). I will assign the chapters you will cover ahead of time. You will
lead the class by introducing the topic/theme you’re focusing on (5 minutes
maximum), asking questions your classmates can respond to (NOT a yes/no
question) and making sure the discussion continues for about 15 minutes. To
prepare for this, make sure you have ideas about your topic/theme so you can
comment on your classmates’ responses and have back-up questions ready, just
in case the class runs out of things to say.
See rubric for district-led discussions.
Tribute Points
Below expectations
Meeting expectations
Exceeding expectations
1 to 2
3
4
1
Reading & Writing Task
I.
Response Journals
Important Dates:
1. Personal response on ______________________
2. Analytical response on ____________________
3. Creative response on _____________________
Complete 3 response journals while you are reading the novel over the fourweek unit. In the end, you will write three kinds of responses: personal, analytical
and creative. You will have time to write your response journal in class, but you
should come to class with ideas or notes. These journals, unlike a diary entry,
require more care in terms of grammar and spelling. However, ideas and feelings
are just as important.
Each response should be about 0.5 - 1 page in length. The personal entry will be
marked for completion. The analytical and creative entries will be marked on
the 4-point scale.
Tribute Points
Type of entry
+1-4
+5-8
+9-12
Personal
Question #1
Analytical
Question #1
Question #2
Question #3
Creative
Question #1
Question #2
Question #3
Note: You will get dinged -1 for incomplete (you haven’t fully addressed the
writing task) or for late submissions.
Response Options
(Pick one from each category)
Personal
1. Comment at any point in
Analytical
1. Create a sketch of a
Creative
1. “Crawl into the skin” of
the novel about how it is
affecting you and what it
reminds you of in your own
life. Describe any similar
experiences or discuss any
insights that might arise as
you are reading.
round character. Describe
and define your character
in terms of “While X is _____,
s/he is also _____.” Explain
with evidence from the text
(include page #s).
one of the characters and
discuss how “you” are
feeling, what you are
thinking and how you are
responding to what is
happening around you in a
specific scene. Include
paragraph #s and page #s
for the scene.
2. Identify and copy a
significant passage in the
novel (one that talks about
a main character, conflict
and/or theme). Explain in
your own words why it’s
2. Create a dialogue
between some of the
characters or continue a
2
important (what it shows
about the character,
conflict, and/or theme).
Include page #s.
3. Comment on the
relationship of the ideas in
the story to events and
circumstances in the world
today. Include your source
for the event or
circumstances (non-fiction
book, website, newspaper
article etc.).
II.
dialogue that is started in
the novel but which could
be continued further.
Include the page # of your
starting point.
3. At some point in the
story, write an alternative
event or have a character
choose a different “path.”
Include the page #s of the
scene you are rewriting.
You must write in a specific
point of view (you may
write in omniscient POV for
example), and use
descriptive language and
dialogue.
Quizzes
Important Dates:
1. Quiz #1 on ____________________
2. Quiz #2 on ____________________
3. Quiz #3 on ____________________
For the unit, you will write 3 quizzes on novel study literary terms and
comprehension (each quiz is out of 10-15 marks); so make sure you
take notes and read the assigned readings per week. Check the
reading schedule on the calendar.
Your tribute points will match your quiz score.
III.
Essay
You will learn to write an essay in this unit. You will engage in a brainstorm,
outline, rough draft, teacher conference, and then finally, writing a complete
essay. You will be marked on the 4-point scale on the “Writing Rubric.”
Essay
Tribute Points
Approaching
Meeting
Expectations
Expectations
1-2
3
(x3)
(x3)
Exceeding
Expectations
4
(x3)
3
Creative Task (Final Project)
Deadline: ___________________________
This is the final showdown. You will have the ‘freedom’ to demonstrate your
understanding of the novel by exploring one or two of the themes discussed in class
(possible themes: hero/villain, good/evil, the hero’s journey, struggle between freedom
and oppression, and the dystopian society).
I will provide a detailed description + rubric, and how you can possibly earn
tribute points later in the unit.
Project options to get you thinking:
a. Create a “comic strip” of the novel. This should be approximately 20
frames or enough to cover the important points of the story and
character(s) in relation to the theme you’re focusing on. The comic strip
should include relevant dialogue as well as action.
b. Write songs or poems inspired by the novel and the theme(s) you are
addressing. Songs must be accompanied by music and poems must be
presented visually.
c. Prepare an “Oprah Winfrey” style talk show, designing a number of
questions to “guests” (characters from the novel etc.) about their
motivations, thoughts and feelings. See if you can manipulate the
questions to address the theme(s). You must hand in a video of the talk
show with a typed script of the interview (with the help of friends, family or
classmates as participants in the show).
d. Create a theatre script of a scene from the novel. Include dialogue,
stage/acting directions, descriptions of set and costumes, and casting
choices. Provide a one-page explanation how elements in your script
address a theme(s) discussed in class.
e. Create a study guide for the novel - summarizing major developments in
plot, and discussing the main character(s) and theme (include those
discussed in class).
f. Write a musical score for the novel exploring the theme(s) discussed in
class. Record the score as an audio or video clip, or play it live in class as I
can’t read music.
g. Create a newspaper or magazine, as if this were a newspaper or
magazine from within the novel itself. Include opinion pieces addressing
the theme(s) discussed in class.
h. Create a role-playing board game focusing on the theme(s) you are
addressing.
i. Create an option of your own (this must be discussed with me before you
start).
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