The Giver- Project Options
Memo Project (Up to 3 students)
The good news is…the speaker system in The Community has broken down. The bad news is…The Community
has hired you to write all of its communication to the people in the form of memos. (Memorandum) Write 4
memo’s from the committee to various community members. You must state the infraction that the person has
made, and include specific consequences that the person(s) would receive. Make the memo’s for a variety of
transgressions ranging from very serious to very picky. Miss Byrne will provide the specific format for the memo,
and you must be prepared to tell the class what a memo is!!
Speech Showdown (2 students who will battle it out to get the class to vote for their
presentation)
The Chief Elder has decided to step down as leader. Rather than selecting a new leader, the people have decided
that for ONCE they will VOTE for their leader. As they have gotten back the memories, many people are eager to
make a change. There are two candidates running for the position of chief elder. One wishes to return to the OLD
UTOPIAN ways. The other, wishes to lead the people into a NEW WAY of life. You must clearly state your
argument and persuasively convince the people (your classmates) that your way is BEST for the future of The
Community. You must provide a reasonable rationale and be persuasive! You will actually perform your speech for
the class, and compete to WIN the election.
Chronological Time Line (Up to 2 students)
So…is this story set in the future? Did a catastrophic event end life as we know it today? How much time has
elapsed between our time and The Community’s time? Create a time line showing how time has progressed since
the time we know today. The timeline must have at least TEN (10) entries, each with an explanation of the “event.”
(Explanations will be 3-5 sentences or a short paragraph.) You must use some events from the book, and others, you
will have to make up. Use your inference skills to make logical inferences about how the community was formed,
organized and started.
Project Utopia- Create your own Utopia (Up to 3 students)
Create a brochure that advertises your OWN Utopia. Provide details about the structure of the society like:
government, rules, family units, consequences, boundaries, contact with the outside world, etc. . Your goal is to
provide your classmates with as much detail as possible, so they can make an informed choice as to which “made
up” utopia they would like to visit. You will present your info to the class, and they will decide whose Utopia they
would like to visit.
Informational Brochure/ Real Life Communities (Up to 2 students)
You will be researching several real world communities that might seem very strange and different from the outside
world. However, these communities really do exist, and its members have a reason for wanting to separate
themselves from the outside world. Your job is to create a brochure to advertise the community and provide
information to the public. Pretend as though the group has hired you to do their Public Relations!
Reader’s Theater- Climax- Recreate the turning point in dramatic form!
(Up to 2 groups of 4 students)
Your job is to create a creative script in which you recreate Chapter 19. Roles must include The Giver, Jonas,
Father, and a Narrator. Each person involved in the performance must have their own COMPLETE version of the
script. You will be graded based on turning in a completed script (not just your own lines) as well as your
performance as a group!
Creative Writing- You call THAT an ending? (You must work alone on this one!)
So many readers over the years have been frustrated with the end of Lois Lowry’s book. This is your chance to add
an extra chapter (An Epilogue, or Chapter 24) that gives the book some closure. Explain what happens to Jonas and
Gabriel after they slide down the hill. Your writing is only limited by your creativity, BUT you must stay true to the
mood and tone of the book. (For example, Jonas cannot turn into a Zombie on a rampage…)
Reader’s Theater- You call THAT an ending? (Up to 2 groups of 4)
Read the above description. Your project is similar except that your group is working together to create a Reader’s
Theater script for the chapter. The scene must be titled, and should include Jonas, Gabriel, and……other roles based
on what happens in your version of events. Each person involved in the performance must have their own
COMPLETE version of the script. You will be graded based on turning in a completed script (not just your own
lines) as well as your performance as a group.
Planning Stage:
Name:_____________________________ Project:_____________________________
Working alone or with a group?
Group names:
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4.
Does the group have common time to work together outside of class? Study hall, after school,
etc.??
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4.
What supplies and resources do you need to do a GREAT job on the project?
What is each individual group member responsible for?
Ideas…..