the giver assignment ceremony

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The Giver: 8 Creative Class Activities

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a teacher’s dream novel. The complex dystopian plotline, dynamic characters, and thought-provoking themes provide so many opportunities for teachers to foster text-to-self and text-to-world connections. Critical thinking activities that allow students to empathize with the characters are a must-have in any novel unit. Below are 8 of my favorite activities for The Giver   that do just that.  

1. The Ceremony of 12 Simulation

This first activity is always a class favorite. It allows students to empathize with Jonas and his friends as they are assigned careers by the Chief Elder during the Ceremony of 12 .

How This Activity Works:

Welcome students to the classroom with a colorful poster for The Ceremony of Twelve. Once they are all settled, immediately transform into The Chief Elder. Address the class explaining that although they have spent the last 11 years learning to fit in and standardize their behavior, that this ceremony will celebrate their differences. Then, one-by-one present each student with their new job and a designated card that states all of the roles and responsibilities. After each student gets their assignment, have the rest of the class say in unison, “Thank you for your childhood.”

Give your students a choice of assignment. They can either fill out an application for a job switch or write a journal discussing their feelings on their new role in the community!

2. Seeing Beyond Activity

In The Giver , Jonas has the capacity to ‘see beyond.’ This means that Jonas, unlike the other members of the community, can use his senses from memory that allow him the ability to see color. This fun, seeing beyond class activity allows students to step into Jonas’ shoes to understand his ability to see beyond.

Students enter the classroom to a colorful poster welcoming them to Seeing Beyond. Ask them to circulate the room to different areas that have hidden image optical illusions. Some will be able to see the hidden pictures, while others will not.

After the activity, students work with partners to discuss how they felt when they were or were not able to see the hidden image. They will also discuss how it felt to successfully or unsuccessfully help someone else see the image and how this relates to the novel.

3. Memory Transmission Activity

Through his role as The Receiver, Jonas receives transmitted memories of the past from The Giver. This FREE memory transmission activity allows students to empathize with both Jonas and The Giver as they will both receive and transmit memories. This one has always been a real hit with my students!

Put a colorful poster on the door welcoming your class to The Giver’s Annex. Then, transform into The Giver and give each group of students descriptions of new memories that Jonas will receive.

Some of the memories involve painful memories, like homelessness, while others involve more positive memories like Neil Armstrong’s arrival on the moon! Students discuss prompting questions that will have them understand the value of keeping the world’s memories safe. After all the memories have been transmitted, they will shift into the role of The Giver. In this role, they will transmit one important historical memory to Jonas of their choosing.

4. The House of Old Activity

The elderly in The Giver are seemingly treated with the utmost respect and care in The House of Old , but the reader soon learns that things are not as positive as they appear. The elders of the community are killed (a.k.a released from society). This activity allows students to examine how the elderly are treated in different cultures/countries in the world and how this compares to how they are treated in Jonas’ community.

Students will enter the classroom to a colorful poster welcoming them to The House Of Old. They participate in small group discussions with information cards that provide details about how the elderly are treated in different cultures. When they are done, they fill in the blank card with how the elderly are treated in the novel and share with the rest of the class!

5. Dream Sharing Activity

In Jonas’ community, everyone must share any dreams they have with their family members. On the surface, dream sharing seems like a good way to keep open communication about inner feelings. In reality, however, it is another way that the government can keep control of the thoughts of their citizens and squash any independent thinking. This activity allows students to interpret their own dreams and consider what deeper meaning their dreams may have.

After reading chapter 6, a poster welcoming them to Dream Sharing greets students at the door. Break the class up into groups of 4 and tell each group to imagine they are family members. Each group receives dream prompt cards with common topics for dreams that have symbolic meanings. Each student shares a dream they remember which connects with one of the topics. If they can’t connect with any topic, they can share any dream they remember.

After everyone has shared their dreams, give each group the Dream Interpretation Cards that explain the symbolic significance of each dream topic. Students discuss and reflect on how it felt to reveal a dream and consider whether or not this would be a good practice in their everyday life.

6. A World Without Pain Activity

In Jonas’ community, members are sheltered from feeling any physical or emotional pain. While this theoretically seems like a peaceful way to live, Jonas soon learns that feeling no pain desensitizes people and doesn’t allow them to appreciate positive emotions. From pain, people are also able to learn from mistakes and avoid making those same mistakes again in the future. This activity brings this idea to the forefront by showing students a real-life example of someone who feels no pain.

Students work in groups to read information about people who feel no physical pain. You could have them research Gabby Gingras or Ashlyn Blocker, for example. As a group, students discuss whether or not they would like to live a life without physical pain and what challenges they might face if they chose yes. Then, they work with their group to brainstorm a list of advantages and disadvantages to living a life free of emotional pain.

7. The Telling of Feelings Activity

Jonas and his family participate in a nightly ritual called The Telling of Feelings  where each person describes an emotion that they experienced during the day and discusses it with the others. Help students understand what this ritual would be like by forming classroom families and simulating the practice.

After reading chapter 2, put students into groups. It is preferable that groups consist of two boys and two girls, but it isn’t necessary. Tell them that the group is their new family and they are to assign roles (parents and siblings).

Each student gets a “Feelings Card” that they fill out in preparation for the ritual. Students must choose a precise word that describes a feeling they had that day. Each member of the group shares their feelings while the other members listen carefully.

After the ritual, have students discuss whether or not they could see themselves doing this with their family, if it would make a family closer, and why they think this is a required ritual in Jonas’ community.

8. Family Forming Activity

In The Giver , couples can only have 2 children as mandated by the government. While this may seem completely removed from the modern-day, this activity will teach students about China’s one-child policy and allow them to consider how it relates to the novel.

This activity works best with a bit of pre-reading discussion. Students discuss how they would react if the government limited the number of children they could have. Ask them if they think this could or would ever happen.

After some discussion, have them read an article or watch a video on China’s one-child policy. I have students record their thoughts as they read using a graphic organizer. The one I use has them consider their thoughts, what they learned, and something that surprised them. Ask students to make a connection between this policy and the events of the novel.

Grab a ready-to-use unit plan with over everything you need to teach  T he Giver (340 pages/slides of eye-catching powerpoints, printable assignments, questions, vocabulary, and interactive class activities) by  clicking here .

I hope you found this helpful! If you are interested in more tips and resources for developing students’ reading skills in ELA, click here.

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by Lois Lowry

The giver summary and analysis of chapters 7-8.

Jonas 's group sits at the front of the Auditorium in original birth order. Jonas's number is Nineteen, although his parents have rarely used his number other than to scold him. Technically two Elevens have the number Nineteen, Jonas and a girl named Harriet, who before today was a Ten, but after the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas's age will no longer matter. Asher sits in front of Jonas while Jonas sits between Fiona , who is Eighteen, and Pierre, who is Twenty and a bit of a tattletale.

The Chief Elder , who is elected by the community every ten years, gives a speech and tells the group that although they have been taught to fit in with the group rather than differentiate themselves, the Ceremony of Twelve is a time to honor their differences, which will determine their future. Jonas listens to all of the Chief Elder's anonymous descriptions of various Elevens as he tries to identify each person, but he hears nothing that he can recognize as himself. Number One is Madeline, who receives an Assignment as a Fish Hatchery Attendant, and Jonas is happy for her, although he is relieved that someone else received that Assignment. Number Two, Inger, is to become a Birthmother, which despite Mother 's disparagement of the job is nonetheless an important post, and number Three receives the Assignment of Instructor of Sixes.

Upon Asher's turn, the Chief Elder jokes about Asher's past difficulties with language acquisition and his tendency to mix up words, which recalls an incident when he was three when he asked for a smack rather than a snack and was given a smack with the discipline wand so that he would learn to use language more precisely. Asher had for a while stopped talking altogether because he could not stop himself from confusing the two words, but as the Chief Elder notes, Asher finally corrected his problems, and he has always lived with good humor. He is given the Assignment of Assistant Director of Recreation, and the Chief Elder thanks him for his childhood.

Relieved that Asher has received a good Assignment, Jonas waits as the other Elevens in front of him receive their Assignment badges and think about whatever training lies ahead of them. When Fiona is called, she serenely receives the Assignment of Caretaker of the Old, and Jonas prepares himself to go next. However, the Chief Elder then calls number Twenty, Pierre, and the crowd hushes as they realize that something strange has occurred. Jonas is stunned and hopes wildly that someone has made a mistake, but even his group leader looks worried. Ashamed, he sinks into his seat and wonders what he has done wrong.

By the time of the last Assignment, the audience's applause is expressing confusion and unease, and Jonas is humiliated and terrified. After the applause dissipates, the Chief Elder apologizes graciously to the community and to Jonas in particular for causing them anxiety, and she calls him to the stage. He walks clumsily to the stage, and she tells him that he has not been assigned because he has been selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, which astonishes and awes the audience, although he does not understand.

The Chief Elder explains that the community only has one Receiver, who will train Jonas personally. Jonas sees that she watches one of the men on the Committee of Elders, who has pale eyes and who seems separate from the other Elders. The Chief Elder also explains that ten years ago, the previous selection of a Receiver failed, so they have selected Jonas with great care because they cannot afford a second failure. Unlike the people who receive Assignments, who sometimes require observation and adjustment as they grow older and receive their training, the Receiver-in-training will not be observed or modified by the community. Instead, he must stand apart and be prepared only by the current Receiver, a fact which worries Jonas.

The Chief Elder goes on to say that the Committee chose him unanimously after years of observation and that they have had no doubts about his selection. Jonas has shown intelligence, integrity, and courage, the latter of which is, as The Receiver continually reminded them, extremely important. She warns Jonas that he will face pain beyond what the rest of the community has experienced or can imagine. The Chief Elder adds that Jonas has the ability to acquire wisdom during his training and finally states that he has the Capacity to See Beyond, which neither she nor the rest of the community has.

Jonas doubts his ability to "see beyond" for a moment until he sees a brief change as he looks at the crowd that reminds him of the peculiar incident when he saw something strange with the apple. He confirms that he sees something that may be beyond, and she thanks him for his childhood before leaving the stage. Jonas remains on the stage as the crowd crescendos in a chanting of his name, giving him new life, which heartens him even while he feels fear at his prospects in becoming a Receiver.

Chapters 7 and 8 deal with the extremely important Ceremony of Twelve, in which the former Elevens officially enter the adult world and receive their Assignments, which will determine their vocations for their working lives until they enter the House of the Old. The Assignment process and Ceremony of Twelve is unique because, as the Chief Elder notes, it is one of the few times of the year in which individual differences are celebrated instead of communal values. Even this society thus acknowledges the need for a division of labor. Each child is thanked for his particular childhood, and Assignments are made that honor the differences of those such as Asher, who usually tends to get in trouble for failing to conform to community standards. Although the community values what is the same over what is different, the Ceremony of Twelve acknowledges that all people are not identical.

Despite the acknowledgement of differences that is represented by the Ceremony of Twelve, the Elevens are officially called to the stage by their number of birth in that year, which removes some of the personal identity of the participants. As Jonas notes, there are currently two Eleven-Nineteens, Jonas and Harriet, so for a brief time even his number is not unique to him. The Chief Elder speaks of the personal qualities of each individual, but the structure of the Ceremony and this use of names serve as reminders that each person is primarily just one number among many in the community.

Asher fortunately receives a good and apt Assignment, that of Assistant Director of Recreation, but the Chief Elder's account of the three-year-old Asher nonetheless reminds us that the community often harshly enforces standardization of things such as language. The young Asher had confused the words "snack" and "smack," leading to a smack from the discipline wand to teach him a lesson. However, the intended lesson only served to discourage Asher, who could not fix his words and who for a while stopped talking entirely. Asher eventually learned his lesson, but the incident shows the severity of the society's system for punishing those who do not conform exactly to the standard.

The manner in which Jonas's Assignment is given seems at first to fulfill Jonas's initial sense of worried anticipation in Chapter 1, as his number is skipped without comment at the Ceremony. The change immediately worries everyone in the audience, as the citizens of the community are too used to everything running smoothly to handle the situation easily. Using this method to single Jonas out is somewhat cruel, as it shames the confused Jonas for no reason and causes him mental anguish, if only for a brief time. This sense of pain and loneliness prior to becoming the new Receiver of Memory foreshadows Jonas's future of pain and loneliness after he begins his training.

The remainder of Chapter 8 reminds Jonas and the community of those characteristics that set Jonas apart as an individual, while somewhat ominously predicting that he will need courage to be The Receiver, which is an honored and apparently special position in the community. While the Chief Elder is integrated into the society despite his particular role as a leader, The Receiver is set apart like some kind of spiritual sage with special powers, rights, and responsibilities yet to be revealed. In particular, Jonas's Capacity to See Beyond again appears after the Chief Elder cites it, and he realizes that the incident with the apple was not a strange coincidence. The crowd honors him with a chanting of his name, but Jonas again feels a sensation akin to fear, and this time he does not question the preciseness of his language in thinking the word.

The Giver Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Giver is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How does the author begin showing that Jonas may not quite fit in or not agree with everything in his community? How might these details contribute to the conflict in the story going forward?

Jonas interperets events like the jet at the beginning as the stringent rules differently than others. Jonas asks questions and doesn't take things at face value. He also begins to see colour which others do not see. Jonas eventually questions the...

What do you think of the morning dream telling ritual?

This question calls for your opinion. There is no right or wrong answer. In my opinion, dream telling is rather ridiculous. We all know that dreams are inexplicable for the most part.... and most dreams disappear when we wake up.

Should Jonas have asked them to stop playing the game of bad guys and good guys? CHAPTER 17

No, I don't think Jonas should ask them to stop playing. These kids cannot handle the emotional trauma  of forgetting their lunch let alone understanding emotions behind war and death. They simply would not comprehend what Jonas is talking...

Study Guide for The Giver

The Giver study guide contains a biography of Lois Lowry, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of The Giver.

• About The Giver
• The Giver Summary
• The Giver Video
• Character List

Essays for The Giver

The Giver essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Giver by Lois Lowry.

• The Cost of Security
• A Lonely Mind With a Heavy Burden: Hope in The Giver
• Is the Society of The Giver a Utopia?
• Reproductive Regulation and the Construction of Relationships for Populace Control in The Giver and “Pop Squad”

Lesson Plan for The Giver

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Giver
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Giver Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Giver

• Introduction

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Ceremony of Twelves

The Ceremony of Twelve is one of the Community 's annual Ceremonies and is when the Twelves get their Assignments . Additionally, this is considered the most important and last age Ceremony, as there are no more age ceremonies following this age Ceremony and age becomes unimportant, as noted by several members of the Community. Since this is the final ceremony, it represents a rite of passage into adulthood.

• 1.1 The Giver

History [ ]

The giver [ ].

The Ceremony takes place in the month of December and follows the Ceremony of Elevens . The Elevens are then called up to receive their Assignments in a predesignated order. However, as evidenced by Jonas receiving the Assignment of Receiver of Memory , there are some exceptions to the order. After the Ceremony, the Twelves begin the training for their Assignment and their adult life.

In the film, there is a Ceremony of Release shown, unlike the in the books, where it is never shown.

Also, instead of being a Twelve, eighteen-year-old come and get their Assignments.

Gallery [ ]

5 Engaging Activities to Teach The Giver

After jumping into the world of middle school ELA, I have to say that The Giver is my new Gatsby . In other words, it’s my new favorite whole-class novel. It’s even better than Gatsby (sorry, old sport), and it’s such a gem of a book that it just might keep me teaching middle school forever! The Giver is engaging, thought-provoking, and accessible! My favorite part of teaching it is watching how inquisitive, curious, and invested my students become as they read. The book definitely sparks a lot of curiosity on its own, but I deliberately teach this book to hook and engage students from the start! I love to play up the “mystery” of it all, encourage students to ask lots of questions, take note of all the interesting things they observe, and start guessing about what’s really going on in the community. 

If you’re ready to similarly engage your students, then here are 5 of my favorite activities for teaching The Giver !

1. PRE-READING LEARNING STATIONS

Learning stations are my favorite strategy for hooking my students before reading. They’re so versatile, engaging, and effective that I use them at the beginning of almost every single unit/novel! A good set of pre-reading learning stations will preview essential background information AND spark students’ curiosity before they have a chance to turn to page 1. 

For The Giver, here’s what that looks like:

• Students learn about the genre (dystopian/science-fiction).
• Students debate essential questions through an engaging anticipation guide.
• Students explore the differences between utopias and dystopias.
• Students preview and react to a few of the community’s strict rules.
• Students play a creative word challenge game designed to get them thinking about the power of language in the book!

As you can see, these activities hook and prepare students for further reading! These print/digital pre-reading learning stations are available separately HERE or bundled with other resources for The Giver HERE. For more information about creating your own learning stations, check out the following blog posts:

• 10 Reasons to Implement Learning Stations
• How to Create Engaging Learning Stations
• How to Facilitate Successful Learning Stations
• 10 Ideas for Virtual Learning Stations

2. MOCK CEREMONY OF 12

Chapter 8 of The Giver is practically begging to be acted out in front of an audience of middle schoolers, so take advantage of this and host your own mock Ceremony of 12. It’s a tiny bit of extra effort and work, but I promise you it’s worth the memorable experience. Not to mention, a mock ceremony is a great way to review the chapter, spark connections, and facilitate rich discussions! Here’s what I did to host our Ceremony of 12:

• I created Assignment cards for different jobs in the community. During the ceremony, I assigned these randomly!
• I wrote up a script so I didn’t have to totally wing it as the Chief Elder.
• I designed ceremony programs for my students, so they could follow along during the ceremony. These programs also prompted them to answer a few essential questions and reflect on the chapter/ceremony.

On the day of the ceremony, I donned a black gown (from my college graduation) and a wig (at my students’ request). I also sported a gavel just for fun, and of course, I acted as ridiculous as possible. The whole experience was so much fun for me and my students! 10/10, definitely recommend!

You can find all of these mock ceremony materials, as well as thorough teacher instructions, in this growing unit bundle for The Giver.

3. QUESTION TRAIL

A question trail is my go-to activity to mix things up and break the normal routines of any novel unit! If you’re unfamiliar with it, a question trail is a unique, kinesthetic activity that gets students up and moving on a “trail” of questions around the classroom. 

This activity consists of different multiple choice “stations” or “spots” around the room. At each station, students answer a multiple-choice question. Each answer (a, b, c, or d) will send the students to a different station. If students answer each question correctly, they will travel to each station and complete a full circuit. If students answer a question incorrectly, they will eventually find themselves at a station they’ve already completed, which tells them that they need to backtrack. This gives you clear, immediate feedback so you can see who is getting it (“on the trail”) vs. who is not (“off the trail”).

This means a question trail is a great way to review a chapter with both comprehension and analysis questions. I like to do a question trail after Chapters 16-17 of The Giver, just to make sure students are understanding the book and the standards we are practicing before the climax in Chapter 19. Of course, you can create your own question trail for any chapter/s in the book. If you’re interested in my student-ready question trail for Chapters 16-17 of The Giver, you can check it out HERE. To learn more about how to create question trails, head to this blog post.

4. ACTING OUT CHAPTER 19

When you spend so much time cultivating students’ curiosity and playing up the mystery of “release,” it only makes sense to do this dramatic chapter justice! My students read most of the book for reading homework, but I purposefully do not assign Chapter 19 as reading homework! I selfishly want to witness their reactions to learning what “release” really means. To make the most of this scene, I like to transform the chapter into a script and have students act it out in front of the class. 

Don’t feel pressured to buy props or get too fancy.  In fact, using baby dolls as props might be taking it too far! Because it was 2021, my class ended up using two identical bottles of sanitizer spray for the newchildren twins. Yep, it got that weird, but it was hilarious. If your students are anything like mine, this will make for a memorable reading experience and give you a great chance to reflect, discuss, and process the chapter after the acting!

5. THE GIVER FILM ANALYSIS

I absolutely love facilitating film analysis during/after reading novels, and The Giver is no exception! Film analysis is an engaging, accessible way to scaffold the challenging skill of literary analysis. With the right structure, guidance, and questions, watching a movie can prompt critical thinking and spark rich discussions. I know many fellow ELA teachers don’t like the film adaptation of The Giver because it changes so much from the book, but I think it offers the perfect opportunity for discussion & analysis. 

In addition to asking students to compare/contrast the text and the film, try asking them why they think the film directors made certain changes and how these changes affect the audience. These kinds of questions spark more thoughtful insight and engaging discussions. For print/digital worksheets with these types of questions, check out these The Giver Film Analysis resources. For more information on successfully facilitating film analysis for any novel, head to this blog post!

I hope these ideas help you jumpstart your unit planning for The Giver ! For more engaging activities and resources for teaching this book, check out this growing unit bundle full of learning stations, quickwrites, vocabulary resources, and more! If you have any questions about these activities or how I teach The Giver, leave them below and I’ll do my best to answer. 🙂

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The Giver Ceremony of Twelve Activity - Novel Simulation of the Ceremony of 12

What educators are saying

Description.

The Giver Ceremony of Twelve Activity is an interactive classroom activity that your students will never forget! In The Giver by Lois Lowry, children are assigned their careers during The Ceremony of 12. Bring this into your classroom and allow your students to empathize with Jonas and the rest of the community by taking on the role of Chief Elder and assigning roles to each of your students! The resource includes absolutely everything you need to successfully facilitate a mock Ceremony of Twelve in your classroom!

How The Giver Ceremony of Twelve Activity Works:

Students will be greeted in the classroom by a colorful poster welcoming them to The Ceremony of 12. The teacher is then transformed into The Chief Elder who addresses the class with an included speech.

During the ceremony, each student will come to the front of the class to receive their specifically chosen assignment card that states their roles and responsibilities in the community. They might be assigned the role of nurturer, recreation director, birthmother, caretaker of the old, or any of the other included 32 roles!

After students have received their assignment and the Ceremony of Twelve has come to a close, they will have the choice of two assignments : writing a journal entry or filling out an application for a career change.

Included in The Giver Ceremony of Twelve Activity:

➡️ Teacher Instructions: These detailed instructions will guide you through every element of how to successfully run a simulation of The Ceremony of 12 in your classroom!

➡️ Classroom Poster: Welcome students with this eye-catching poster that will introduce them and hook them into the activity

➡️ Chief Elder's Speech: A copy of The Chief Elder's speech from the novel that the teacher can read to introduce the Ceremony of 12 to the class.

➡️ Selecting Students Graphic Organizer: Easily organize which students will receive which role with this graphic organizer that lists each of the possible careers students might receive.

➡️ Ceremony Presentation: Type student names into the presentation, so the Ceremony of Twelve runs seamlessly, assigning each student their role and signalling them to come to the front to receive their career card.

➡️ 32 Career Cards: Each card includes a career role, many directly referenced in The Giver , and a detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities associated with the role.

➡️ Journal Response Assignment: This assignment is for students who are pleased with their career assignment. They will share their thoughts and feelings about their new role. They will consider if they like their career, what they would change if they could, and what concerns they have.

➡️ Application for Job Change Assignment: This assignment is for students who are not pleased with their career assignment and would like to request a change in job.

What Teachers Are Saying About The Giver Ceremony of Twelve Activity:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another great product to use with The Giver . Students really enjoyed this activity . As a matter of fact, I saw some students this summer and they brought up this very activity with smiles on their faces! Thank you

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When the students saw the poster on my door for the ceremony, they were all instantly intrigued . It led to great discussions about the jobs within the community and spoke highly of each personality within the room. It was a great way to discuss the themes in the novel but also served as a great community builder for my class as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love this activity! This was a perfect way to really get the students involved and thinking about the Ceremony of Twelve and different life assignments.

>>>This resource is included in my unit plan for the novel!

➡️ The Giver Unit Plan

Take your unit for The Giver to the next level with an escape room!

→ The Giver Escape Room Activity

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