LITERATURE CIRCLES / PLANNER · GRADE 7 BLANK

Plan a circle: “The Giver”

Lois Lowry (1993) · novel · grades 6–8 · ~2–3 weeks. Rights: Copyrighted.

Kit section 5 (group agreement & calendar), scaffolded for this text. Students fill the group, calendar, and roles.

Preview note: Copyrighted — use a previewed edition. Contains “release” (euthanasia) and mature ideas. Verify all plot details against the book.

Copyright: Independent educational companion to The Giver by Lois Lowry. Students need lawful access to the novel; this planner does not reproduce or replace it and is not affiliated with the author or publisher. Verify all plot details against the book.

Text, group, and target

Text / author / edition	“The Giver” — Lois Lowry (1993). ______________________ (edition)
Group / period / dates
Grade / TEKS target (p. 3)	Grade 7 · §110.23 — 7(A): theme through characters/events; 6(C,D): support inferences, summary; 1(D): student-led discussion.
Learning intention	We are learning to explain how Jonas’s growing awareness reveals a theme about memory, choice, and individuality.
Success criteria	I bring one open question, cite two details with chapter (paraphrased), respond to a peer, and name how my thinking changed.

Reading map & calendar

Chunk	Read through	Meeting date · leader
1	Ch. 1–7: the community, the Ceremony, and Jonas chosen as Receiver.
2	Ch. 8–15: training with the Giver — memories of color, pain, and love.
3	Ch. 16–23: learning what “release” means, and the escape with Gabriel.

Members & first-meeting jobs (p. 7 roles)

Member	First job	Rotates to (next meeting)

Text-specific discussion questions (open — more than one answer)

Predict: Jonas is chosen for a unique, “honored” role — what might the community be hiding behind Sameness?
Question: Why might the community trade memory and color for “Sameness”?
Clarify: What does “release” turn out to mean, and how does it change Jonas?
Summarize: Trace what Jonas gains and loses as he receives memories, without opinion.
Interpret the theme: How does Jonas’s awakening reveal a theme about memory and choice? Use two details (paraphrase).

Optional Jigsaw lenses (p. 4): Character (Jonas and the Giver) · Setting (the engineered community) · Theme (memory/individuality vs. Sameness) · Plot (the decision to leave) · Symbol (color and the sled).

LITERATURE CIRCLES / STUDENT PREP BLANK

Reading notes: “The Giver”

Name: _______________ · Home group: _______________ · Section: “The Giver,” ____________ · Expert lens: ____________

Everyone prepares. Read the whole assigned section. Write or draw three important ideas, two supporting details with locations, and one summary in your own words. Keep interpretation separate from summary. Paraphrase only — no quotations; verify details against the book.

Questions

What needs clarification?
What could the group explore?

3 · Important ideas

Character choices, conflicts, themes, or central ideas.

Vocabulary

Word + location + meaning or clue.
Mark anything still uncertain.

2 · Supporting details

Short quote or accurate paraphrase + page/paragraph + what it shows.

1 · Summary in my own words

Bring to the circle

My interpretation: These details suggest __________________________________________
Synthesis (connect two lenses): ____________________________________________________
After discussion: My thinking changed / became clearer because ______________________

TEKS evidence: 6(C,D) supported inference; 7(A) theme through characters/events; 1(D) response to a peer.