This lesson plan provides objectives and activities for a unit on the novel "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. Students will examine plot elements, compare characters, make predictions while reading, and write an additional chapter. Activities include a plot diagram, character comparisons, prediction exercises, and an extension where students are assigned roles in a simulated society. The plan supports all learners and allows for differentiation through options like artwork, music, or acting related to the novel.

1. Lesson Plan
The Giver Lesson Plan
Students will examine elements of plot, compare and
contrast characters, make predictions while reading, and
write another final chapter to the book.
By Jennifer Chandler
 Grades: 6–8
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The Giver
By Lois Lowry
About this book
Grade Level Equivalent: 6
Lexile Measure: 760L
Guided Reading Level: Y
Age: Age 11, Age 13
Genre: Science Fiction
Subject: Family Life, Civics and Government, Courage, Bravery, Heroism, Kindness and
Compassion, Leadership and Responsibility
Overview

2. Not only is The Giver a superlative example of character development, this novel provokes
opinions from students on philosophical issues surrounding the structure of human society. My
students loved writing an additional chapter to the book. The chapters were short enough to
allow for sharing time, and it was amazing to me to see their creativity.
Objective
 Students will examine elements of plot, specifically conflict, climax, and resolution.
 Students will compare and contrast main characters.
 Students will make predictions while reading.
 Students will complete all the steps of the writing process to write another final chapter
of the story.
Materials
 The Giver by Lois Lowry
Set Up and Prepare
Have students brainstorm distinctive memories from growing up. Make sure memories are in
complete sentences but in list form. (You will want to schedule some time for students to share
as there will be stories to tell!)
Ask students to go back and reread the list. Next to each memory, each student should categorize
the description based on the remembered emotion. For example, a child's first trip to Disney
World would be labeled as "exciting." A child's memory of a grandparent dying might be labeled
as "traumatic" or "very sad."
Lead the class in a discussion of whether or not they would choose to forget some of their
memories — maybe in order to forgo the painful remembrance of an event. *This is an
anticipatory set. Have students record conclusions, then take up the papers for review at the end
of the unit.
Directions
Students should fill in a plot diagram while reading to identify the main elements of conflict,
climax, and resolution. These are key elements to consider when writing an additional chapter in
the book.
Supporting All Learners

3. Every student I've ever taught has loved this novel! While the vocabulary is rich, the novel is
easily understood by any middle school reader. The content is rich enough for ninth grade if
some extensions are put into place, but the book would also be a great literature circle choice for
some lower level high school readers.
Lesson Extensions
There are two wonderful activities that have been supremely successful with my students.
1. Have students write an additional chapter to the story. Depending on the grade level of
the students, requirements for this will vary. Students should consider reasonable
predictions based on the elements in the original story, but a real chapter with description
and dialogue (as needed) should be encouraged.
2. As students come into the classroom one day during the unit, hand each of them an
envelope. Tell them not to open the envelope. At an opportune moment, after building
this up, explain that you are having a ceremony to announce what each student will be
doing with the rest of their lives. Just like in the novel, the students have no say as to their
future roles in society. (It works well to set some students up on purpose to have jobs
that are contradictory to their current situation.)
To make this really interesting, depending on your population of students, these could be
jobs within the classrooms that require certain students to pass out papers addressing
everyone else as m'am or sir while other students don't even have to take notes for the rest
of the period. The fun happens during the last ten minutes or so when the students discuss
how this feels to them. The homework that night could even be a reflective journal entry
that will explore the activity while in turn expose the core theme of the novel.
Assignments
Have students discuss the last chapter in small groups. What does it mean? Where did he go?
This would be a great opportunity for differentiation. Artists in your classroom may want to draw
or paint the last scene. Music lovers might want to compile a soundtrack for the novel using
various genres of music. Kinesthetic learners may prefer to block and act out an important scene
from the novel. There are many ways to celebrate the reading of a great book!
Related Resources

4. Lois Lowry's official website
Scholastic Book Files: A Reading Guide to The Giver
Literature Guide: The Giver
Lois Lowry's Biography
Related Resources
Scholastic Bookfiels:The Giver by Lois Lowry
"The Giver" by Lois Lowry is a favorite middle grade novel. This companion gives background
on the author, including an interview, questions to guide reading, clues to themes, plot,
characters, and setting of the book, a glossary, writing and other activities, and more. If you
loved "The Giver", you need this reading companion.
Read more >
The Giver Author's Notes
December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each 12-year-old receives a life
assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas'selection leads him to an unnamed man — called
the Giver — and a new world of secrets.
Read more >
 Subjects:
Literary Devices, Plot, Character, Setting, Story Elements, Creative Writing, Narrative
Writing
 Skills:
Development of Reading Comprehension, Literary Elements, Main Idea and Details,
Plot, Character and Setting, Theme, Narrative Writing
 Duration:
2 Weeks