Subject: Language Arts Grade: Eight

Standard: #5 Writing: Writing Applications

Key Concept: Writing responses to literature helps students connect the elements of the actual text with an understanding of how they convey meaning.

Generalization: Students will write a continuation of the book The Giver, supplying a final chapter that continues where Lois Lowry's ended.

Background: Students have completed a reading of The Giver by Lois Lowry. They have discussed meaning in the book and possible reasons for ending the book as Lowery does. This lesson gives them a chance to extend their thinking creatively.

This lesson is tiered in process according to readiness.

Tier I: Below Grade Level Learners: Knowledge/Comprehension Activity

These students need more direction in understanding the possibilities in extending the text with a final chapter. After they read over Lowry's last chapter in preparation to writing their own extension, they need to discuss the following questions:

1. What happens to Jonas in the last chapter?

2. How does Jonas survive the climb?

3. What meaning does snow have in the chapter?

4. What does Jonas do to help Gabriel?

5. How does the reader understand the idea of giving and the idea of receiving in this last chapter?

6. What happens with hot and cold sensations in this last chapter?

7. What specific words (list them) help the reader understand the ending of the story?

These students should answer the above questions in their group (working groups of no more than 4 people; if there are more students in this readiness grouping, form more than one group), writing down the answers (one person may take notes for the group). Next, they should suggest possible ways the story could extend, continuing what has been stated already in Chapter 23. They may want to create more of a resolution to the ending which seems to end rather abstractly. After input from the group, they should create their own endings. Then, when they have completed their chapter, the group can serve as peer reviewers, responding to each other's final chapter.

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Tier II: Grade Level Learners: Analysis Activity

These students meet in workable groups of four to analyze the last chapter in terms of meaning and sense of resolution to the story itself. They need to suggest logical extensions to the story that are suggested by lines from Chapter 23. They should generate several of these from which individuals may select one to continue their individual chapter. An example of lines that could provide extension possibilities would be,

"Could he hold onto a last bit of warmth? Did he have the strength to Give? Could Gabriel still Receive?"(176). As they consider the way Lowry ends the story, they now need to continue the story using key lines as touchstones for extending ideas. After generating possibilities as a group, they need to write their Chapter 24 individually. Then they can reconvene their group, this time for the purpose of responding and revising what they have written.

Tier III: Above Grade Level Learners: Synthesis/Evaluation Activity

These students need to meet in workable groups of four to discuss the themes evident in the whole book and decide how effectively these themes are concluded in Chapter 23. What needs to be supplied that is not there? What could be expanded if they judge the ending to be satisfactory as is ? In evaluating the text, they now need to extend the story to a chapter 24 that responds to the perfecting of a theme. As in the other groups, these students need to generate ideas within their groups and then work individually on the task of writing Chapter 24. They should meet again to review each other's writing and suggest revisions for each other.

Assessment: Tasks such as the differentiated lesson suggested here truly showcase the worth of a differentiated plan that meets cognitive needs of students. In this case, all students have read the same book. However, each student needs a different type of direction in writing the extension chapter. The first group needs to explore what has already been written by answering questions that attend to specific concrete facts. The second group works at the analysis level, but needs to help other members of the group by suggesting different text to serve as points of departure for an extension. The third group works above grade level, but evaluating ideas as a group helps students focus as they write an extension chapter. All groups work together on idea forming and revision. Each student is responsible for a Chapter 24 which may be graded. In addition, all students should turn in their prewriting, group tasks.

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