Take two days to examine the symbolism inherent in color, and how this relates to Lois Lowry's The Giver. Small groups first discuss the meaning of colors and then come together as a class to explore the impact of color. The activities end in two reflection assignments. The next day, pupils zoom in on symbolism in The Giver in particular, using the worksheets provided to define, identify, and analyze symbols.

Concepts

symbolism, symbols, the giver, lois lowry, textual evidence, colors, literary analysis

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

english language arts

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• For younger or less-experienced writers, you may wish to provide some sentence frames
• Have pupils bring in their own color and black and white photos to analyze; they can send you links or files if printing is not available
• Use this at the end of your study of The Giver to reflect on the novel as a whole

Classroom Considerations

• Note that, while this is a PDF, it is a copy of a hard copy and some of the pages appear crooked
• There are some color-related interactive resource on the websites listed, but they are not quite the same as what is described in the plan; you could easily simulate the effect with a slide show of color and black-and-white images

Pros

• Comes with all the graphic organizers you need
• Allows for learners to slowly build in their understanding of how colors and symbols are related
• Requires textual evidence and critical thinking
• Provides plenty of detail in the lesson procedures

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.5.1 SL.5.1.a RL.6.1 RL.7.1 RL.8.1 SL.6.1.a SL.7.1.a SL.8.1.a