In the novel The Giver, the community views adolescence/puberty (called "Stirrings") as a major problem. They force all citizens to take a pill that eliminates sexual desires. When a young person has their first sexual dream, they must report it. The community enforces these strict controls over sexuality and choices to maintain order and prevent people from making their own "wrong" decisions.

1. The Art of
ClEvR
USING CLAIM > EVIDENCE > REASONING
TO MAKE STRONGER ARGUMENTS

2. Next, write a thoughtful ClEvR
paragraph that shows how Jonas's
community feels about the Stirrings. In
other words, use evidence from the text
above to show how they view the
Stirrings through the Community's
actions regarding the Stirrings. Use the
back of this page if necessary.
The Writing Prompt

3. I think Jonas’s community doesn’t worry about the stirrings
because they expect to have them someday. Parents
know that stirrings come at the ago of Eleven so they get
ready for a talk. They control the stirrings because if they
didn’t they committee of Elders wouldn’t choose your
spouse. I assume that they control the stirrings so kids at
young ages won’t do anything stupid or crazy.
Student Sample 1
Copy a phrase from the
sentence that show analysis.

4. On pg. 37 chapter 5 it explains jonas’s dream about the wanting and the
stirrings. The way Jonas’s community handles it is very strange. In the text
they say that it must be reported in order for treatment to take place. They
must be talking about puberty because it starts with a dream and
everybody has to go through it. I feel that they don’t want to have the
population go through puberty because they might mess the order of the
community. I think this because why would they treat it with pills. This is
why I think they don’t want the population to go through puberty.
Student Sample 2
Copy a phrase(s) from the
sentence(s) that show analysis.

5. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Do I know exactly what
the prompt is asking me
to write about? If not,
reread the prompt.
Own it!

6. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Next, what do I know about the topic?
Search your mind. Think!! Stirrings…
hmmm. Our culture is filled with this stuff!
Use what I know to make an
ATTENTION GRABBING OPENER.

8. In our world, parents warn us about it. Schools discourage it.
What am I talking about? Sexual desires, or what in Jonas’s
community calls it: the Stirrings. In the novel The Giver by Lois
Lowry, the Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big
enough problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that
eliminates sexual desires. The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. The community
enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a rule, if you
leave people to make their own choices, they almost always
make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t even
allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?

9. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Next, to make a CLAIM, I have to
INFER a meaning, to go under the
surface and make a guess why the
Community forces its citizens to take a
pill to eliminate the Stirrings. Oh yeah,
don’t forget T.A.G.

10. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about it.
Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual desires, or
what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings. (T.A.G. & CLAIM)
In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the Community views the
Stirrings as a problem, a big enough problem that they force all
citizens to take the pill that eliminates sexual desires. (EVIDENCE)
The novel shows that as soon as a young person experiences their
first sexual dream, they must report it at the morning ritual of
dream telling. (REASONING) The community enforces the pill to
control the citizen’s choices. As a rule, if you leave people to make
their own choices, they almost always make the wrong choice. To
note, the community doesn’t even allow them to choose their own
spouses. Who does this?

11. In our world, parents warn us about it. Schools discourage it.
What am I talking about? Sexual desires, or what in Jonas’s
community calls it: the Stirrings. In the novel The Giver by Lois
Lowry, the Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big
enough problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that
eliminates sexual desires. The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. The community
enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a rule, if you
leave people to make their own choices, they almost always
make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t even
allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?

12. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Next, the EVIDENCE.
Easy. Pick a sentence
or a scene from the
novel that SUPPORTS
my CLAIM.

13. In our world, parents warn us about it. Schools discourage it.
What am I talking about? Sexual desires, or what in Jonas’s
community calls it: the Stirrings. In the novel The Giver by Lois
Lowry, the Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big
enough problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that
eliminates sexual desires. The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. The community
enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a rule, if you
leave people to make their own choices, they almost always
make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t even
allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?

14. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Lastly, the REASONING, how does it
support my CLAIM. Hmmm…What do I
know about parents and governments
controlling people’s choices? A lot! Parents
and government are always trying to make
the choices for the people and, especially
children.

15. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
They do this because parents and
government fear that people often cannot
make the right choices. Drug abuse, teen
pregnancies, choosing the wrong career, and
the list goes on!

16. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
I have to keep reminding myself to make sure
that my reasoning connect to my original
CLAIM! Reread my CLAIM just to be sure.

17. In our world, parents warn us about it. Schools discourage it.
What am I talking about? Sexual desires, or what in Jonas’s
community calls it: the Stirrings. In the novel The Giver by Lois
Lowry, the Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big
enough problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that
eliminates sexual desires. The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. The community
enforces the taking of the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As
a rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they
almost always make the wrong choice. To note, the community
doesn’t even allow them to choose their own spouses or . Who
does this?

18. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Not over just yet. You need to ELABORATE,
explain more. Use more evidence, more
inferences.

19. In our world, parents warn us about it. Schools discourage it.
What am I talking about? Sexual desires, or what in Jonas’s
community calls it: the Stirrings. In the novel The Giver by Lois
Lowry, the Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big
enough problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that
eliminates sexual desires. The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. The community
enforces the taking of the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As
a rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they
almost always make the wrong choice. To note, the community
doesn’t even allow them to choose their own spouses or careers.
Who does this?

20. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?
Finally, reread the
entire paragraph and
check for grammar
and spelling errors.

21. (ATTENTION GRABBER) In our world, parents warn us about
it. Schools discourage it. What am I talking about? Sexual
desires, or what in Jonas’s community calls it: the Stirrings.
(T.A.G. & CLAIM) In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the
Community views the Stirrings as a problem, a big enough
problem that they force all citizens to take the pill that eliminates
sexual desires. (EVIDENCE) The novel shows that as soon as a
young person experiences their first sexual dream, they must
report it at the morning ritual of dream telling. (REASONING) The
community enforces the pill to control the citizen’s choices. As a
rule, if you leave people to make their own choices, they almost
always make the wrong choice. To note, the community doesn’t
even allow them to choose their own spouses. Who does this?