Emotion
Authority/Government
Differences/Diversity
Feelings
1. Aliki. Feelings. Morrow, William & Co., 1986. Through sketches, poems and anecdotes, the author offers a wide variety of emotions that children experience. The author is aware that children often have difficulty expressing their emotions and presents a thorough list of emotions to which children will be able to identify. This book is recommended for children from 4 to 7 years of age.
2. Curtis, Jamie Lee. Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods that Make My Day. Harper Collins, 1998. The author uses rhyming verses and pictures to describe various emotions. The book encourages children to express their emotions and comes with a wheel that students can use to aid them in expressing their feelings. This book is recommended for children from 3 to 8 years of age.
3. Dr. Seuss. My Many Colored Days. Knopf Alfred A., 1996. This story is told in rhyming verse that associates feelings and emotions with colors. It shows a wide array of human moods and emotions. This book is recommended for children from 4 to 8 years of age.
4. Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Bantam Books, 1993. Anne Frank is a Jewish teenager during World War II. She is forced to hide with her family in the Annex. In her diary, she writes about her experiences and emotions during this tumultuous time. These emotions are also characteristic of teenagers today. This book is recommended for children 12 years of age and up.
5. Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. Harper Trophy, 1987. Jess and Leslie are in the fifth grade and become best friends. They are teased because Jess is a boy and Leslie is a girl. They create a secret place in the woods and name it Terabithia. The reader experiences the feelings of joy and sadness and the meaning of true friendship. This book is recommend for students from 9 to 12 years of age.
6. Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. Harper Collins, 1998. Max is sent to his room by his mother without dinner. He travels to where the Wild Things are. Throughout the story, Max feels a variety of emotions such as anger, aggressiveness, hunger, tiredness, peace, and happiness. This book is recommended for children from 5 to 8 years of age.
7. Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper Collins, 1986. It is the story of the interactions between a boy and a tree. Emotions, relationships, and unconditional love are a few of the main ideas that are presented in the story. This book is recommended for children from 4 to 8 years of age.
8. Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. Harper Collins, 2000. This book is about a 14-year-old boy named Shawn who has cerebral palsy. The book is told from his perspective. The reader learns about Shawn's family and experiences. The book shows that Shawn has the same thoughts and feelings of teenagers who do not have a disability. This book is recommended for students in grades 5 through 9.
9. Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Simon & Schuster, 1972. Alexander experiences many things that cause him to have a terrible day and experience frustration. However, he is comforted in the end when he realizes that everyone has bad days. This book is recommended for children from 5 to 8 years of age.
10. Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome. Signet Classic, 2000. This story takes place in a New England town. Ethan Frome is a poor and lonely farmer who is married to Zeena. She is seven years older than Ethan and is a hypochondriac. Mattie, Zeena's cousin, comes to live with the couple in order to help Zeena, due to her sickness. Ethan and Mattie fall in love but they must suppress their feelings because of Zeena. A sharp twist at the end causes all of the relationships in the story to be restructured. This book is recommended for students in grades 9 and 10.
Related Lessons
Grades K and 1
The teacher will begin by reading Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods
that Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis. Then the class will collectively
discuss different emotions and the importance of expressing emotions. After the discussion, the class should be separated into groups of
approximately 4 students. Each group will be assigned an emotion. The
group will present the emotion to the class and the class will have to
determine which emotion is being portrayed. This lesson encourages
group discussions, role-playing, and attentive listening.
Grades 2 to 4
The theme of emotions could be tied to a poetry lesson. The lesson will
begin with the teacher reading Dr. Seuss's My Many Colored Days. Then
the teacher will explain to the students that there are many forms of
poetry and that this poem is an example of rhyming poetry. Other
examples of poems include haikus and sonnets. Then the students select
which type of poem they would like to write. The only criterion is that
the theme of the poem must be related to emotions.
Grades 5 and 6
While reading Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, students will write
in a daily journal for 3 weeks. At the end of each week, students will
discuss the various emotions that they documented within small groups. They will discuss what caused the different emotions and how or why
their emotions changed.
After discussing the emotions that the Giver gave to Jonas, students
will discuss in small groups the 3 most important emotions that they
feel Jonas should receive. They will present their ideas to the class
with an explanation of why they have selected these emotions. They will
present appropriate memories that the Giver could give to Jonas in order
for these emotions to be transmitted.
Grades 9 to 12
Students will work in groups and use multimedia (i.e. video, web page,
power point, audio, etc.) to give a presentation that critiques
different ways in which the media conveys emotions. Students must
depict 5 different emotions. The forms of media that they can explore
are movies, music, magazines, and TV (advertisements or programs).
1. Christopher, John. The Guardians. New York, NY: MacMillan Publishing, 1970. Left alone at his father's death, Rob Randall escapes through the strong wire fence that divides Conurb, the conformist city society into which he was born, from the idyllic almost feudal 'County', only to find that this happy, harmonious life is preserved by horrible and inhuman means. His path of action becomes clear when he discovers the terrible truth about the County's rulers --the Guardians. This book best suited for children in grades 6-8.
2. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Collins, 1932. This is the story of a futuristic utopian society. In this society it is controlled who is going to "be born", how someone is going to be, to which social class he or she is going to belong, what is going to like to that person, which one will be his or her profession, how much intelligence he or she will have. Probes into the fact that the fact that scientific development will lead to a perfect world, in which there isn't freedom. Furthermore, the habitants in Brave New World lost the right to be unhappy. Suitable for Grades 9-12
3. L'Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, 1962. This book is about a girl named Meg and her brother Charles Wallace. They battle the forces of time and evil to rescue their father. A Wrinkle in Time contains a powerful message about the power of love and the need to fight the darkness of ignorance and conformity. On another level, it is also the story of a misfit who discovers her own abilities. Suitable for Grades 5-8
4. Myers, Walter, Dean. Jeremiah’s Song. Los Angeles: Visions Publishing. 1987. This short story prompts the narrator to decide whether memories from life are bridges to the past or just a waste of time.
5. O'Brien, Robert C. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. New York, Aladdin Paperbacks, 1974. This story deals with an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, which come up with a brilliant solution to the main characters dilemma. In turn Mrs. Frisby renders them a great service. Best for Grades 3-6
6. Orwell, George. 1984. Signet Classic: New York. 1949. This book delivers a horrible vision of a totalitarian society. Once considered futuristic, it now conjures fear because of how closely it fits the reality of contemporary times. West's precise pronunciation and strong, intense voice provide the narration and all individual parts. West simultaneously weaves the spell of Big Brother. Best for Grades 8-12
7. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1946. Animal Farm is an allegory about Russia under the rule of Stalin. One night Old Major, a prized Middle White boar, dreams about a perfect society free from the rule of man. The abused and overworked animals of the farm catch the spirit of the dream and Manor Farm becomes an Animal Farm. Animal Farm uses a revolution of animals on a farm to say things about human revolutions. This book is best suited for high-level thinkers who have studied European History. Grades 10-12
8. Paulsen, Gary. Time Benders 3. New York: MacMillan Publishing 1999. A child enters a futuristic world of time travel. He enters into Egypt where he a pharaoh presents him with decisions about future. Suitable for children in Grades 2-5
9. Slonczewski, Joan. A Door Into Ocean. San Francisco, St Martins Press, 1986. This story is about a world of very biologically and psychically advanced women coming into conflict with a warlike, technologically advanced group of worlds (male and female) where a highly centralized government controls the set-up of each world. Suitable for Grades 7-10
10. Speare, Elizabeth, George. Calico Captive. New York: Dell Books for young Readers. 1973. This is the account of Miriam Willard, who, in 1754, was kidnapped by a tribe of Indians, forced to walk to Montreal where she was sold to the French for ransom, and eventually returned home. Contains aspects of war and government related issues of control. Based on an actual narrative diary.
1. Government / Book of Rules. Grades K-6
Begin a discussion about whether it is important to follow rules and the reasoning for rules in our society. Then ask students to create, independently or as a class, a list of rules they follow at home, at school, or in their community. Ask them to divide the rules into two groups: those that they believe are important and essential and those that are not important or are unnecessary. Suggest that they display their two lists of rules in a collage on a bulletin board or other wall area to use in later comparisons with the rules of Jonas's community.
2. History / Research. Grades 7,8 Research another utopian-like community, such as the Shakers. Write a comparison between that community and the one presented in The Giver, in which you consider the rules of conduct within the community as well as its relationship with the outside world.
3. Create a Utopia. Grades 7-12 The community that Jonas and his family live in is based on a concept called utopian communities. Have students create a "perfect" community, giving it a name, a system of government, a physical description, and an account of how its people spend their days. Discuss how that community would change and grow. Keep the following questions in mind. What roles would history and memories of painful events play in the growth of the community? What would have to be added to our own society in order to make it perfect? What would be lost in this quest for perfection?
4. Use of Language. Grades 6-8 Examine the ways that Jonas's community uses euphemisms to distance itself from the reality of what is called "Release." Have the class divide into groups and brainstorm the questions, how does our own society use euphemism to distance the realties of death, bodily functions, aging, and political activities? What benefits and disadvantages are there to such a use of language?
5. Finding a Career. Grades 7-9
The students will search the Internet or newspapers (whatever resource is available) for jobs that look attractive to them. Possibly provide them with an interest inventory and formulate a list of possible careers. Create a discussion or a team brainstorm as to how jobs are assigned in the book The Giver and how people get jobs in the U.S. today. Compare and Contrast results.
1. Anderson, Sara. Some of My Best Friends Are Polka Dot Pigs. W. J. Fantasy,
Incorporated, 1997. A celebration of diversity and friendship, where
children can learn that many different types of people, or silly animals in
this case, can be friends. Recommended for Prek-6.
2. Brown, Tricia. Someone Special, Just Like You.Holt, Henry Books for Young
Readers, 1995. Talks about what is really important in life--a desire to
love, learn and play, and to be accepted for themselves as other children
are. Ages 5-8
3. Denison, Katherine. I Wish I Could Fly Like a Bird!Wildwood Creative
Enterprises, 1996. The main character of this story is Chic L. Dee, a young
bird with learning disabilities who flip-flops when he tries to fly. He is
afraid of being teased by other birds for being different when they find out
he has a disability. When Chic begins to make friends with Ben, a human, he
soon discovers that everyone has strengths as well as weaknesses, and that
differences don't have to make a difference. Ages 5-9
4. Derolf, Shane. The Crayon Box That Talked. Random House, Incorporated,
1997.
In this story a young girl draws many pictures that show each crayon
color's uniqueness and their power in combination. This can be related to
how people are unique and that power is made through the combination of
their strengths. Ages 5-8
5. Fox, Mem. The Straight Line Wonder. Mondo Publishing, 1997.
Fox tells the tale of three "straight lines" who are best friends. One
suddenly begins to twist and twirl. Humiliated by his desire to be
different, his look-alike, act-alike friends desert him. But a film director
soon discovers the twirling line. After the twirler becomes a star, of
course, his friends flock to him, wanting to reap the benefits of his
stardom. Ages 5-11.
6. Gainer, Cindy. I'm Like You, You're Like Me: A Child's Book About
Understanding and Celebrating Each Other. Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.,
1998.
As a gentle introduction to diversity for the young reader, this book puts
diversity on their level. It discusses many aspects of diversity in basic
terms, including features of different races, body size, talking, listening,
feelings and cooperation. Boys and girls discover that even though people
are different, they can enjoy being together and learning about each other.
Ages PreK - 6
7. Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Mass Market Paperback / Bantam Doubleday
Dell Books for Young Readers, 1990. The evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held
Denmark is one of the great-untold stories of World War II. On September 29,
1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to
the death camps. Lois Lowry fictionalizes a true-story account through the
eyes of 10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen, whose family harbors her best
friend, on the eve of the round-up and helps smuggles Ellen's family out of
the country. Ages 9-12
8. Maguire, Arlene. Special People, Special Ways.Future Horizons,
Incorporated, 2000. Special People, Special Ways" presents a positive image
of persons with disabilities. It shares the message that even though each of
us may have something different about us, we share many commonalities. Ages
5-10
9. Maxwell, Corey. The Mixed-Up Pup. PetCare, Incorporated, 1997.
Butch a newcomer from the Land of People dislikes all cats and any dogs that
don't look like him. However, soon he learns that what matters is what is on
the inside, not the outside. Ages 5-8.
10. Mitchell, Lori. Different Just Like Me. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.,
1999. A young girl starts noticing how people are different from her, but
she also sees how, in some way, they're just like her. Objects and
backgrounds in the illustrations remain in black and white while the people
are in color, complementing the text's focus on individuality. Ages 5-8
Related Lessons for Differences/Diversity
Activity #1
· Start with having students brainstorm some imperfections in our world as a
large group. Write students' ideas on the board.
· After discussing some of these imperfections, ask students to think about
one thing that they could remove from the world and what affect it would
have.
· Students should write a journal entry (1-2 paragraphs) to answer this
question.
o Have students share their ideas with the class, students with similar
answers can discuss in smaller groups.
- This activity can be done with all age groups, for younger children, the
activity can be modified so that instead of journals the children could draw
pictures or discuss whole-group.
Activity #2
· Compare The Giver society to Nazi Holocaust or some other extinction
efforts of some group of people. Compare and contrast each situation, using
a think-pair-share method.
Activity #3
Students will be asked to research five countries of their choosing and
compare and contrast the way jobs are chosen, how social class is
determined, what type of benefits are provided by the government and per
capita income. Then have students answer questions all revolving around the
rights of individuals, such as
Are individual rights the same everywhere in the world for everyone?
1. Can everyone earn the same amount of money?
2. Can everyone get a job?
3. Can everyone stay healthy?
4. Can everyone get an education?
In groups students can then write a short paragraph on their findings and
present it to the class.
Activity #4
Students will receive several black and white pictures to see what life
would look like if they were in Jonas' world. Then they will be given a
black and white picture that has been "jigsawed" and will have to put it
back together. This will show how hard it is to distinguish things in a
colorless world. This would be used with younger children to introduce them
to what was included in the "sameness" in Jonas' world.
Activity #5
The Giver pictures a community in which every person and his or her
experience is precisely the same. The climate is controlled, and competition
has been eliminated in favor of a community in which everyone works only for
the common good. What advantages might "Sameness" yield for contemporary
communities? In what ways do our differences make us distinctly human? Is
the loss of diversity worthwhile? Have students answer these questions by
debating in two teams, one team being on the side of sameness and one team
being on the side of diversity. After the debate is over have students
write a paper on what side they think won and why? This activity can be
modified for younger children by discussing this in a whole classroom
community.
1. Penn, Audrey et al. The Kissing Hand. Child Welfare League of America, Inc., 1995. A mother raccoon teaches her son a way to overcome his fear about going to kindergarten for the first time. This book is recommended for children
from 5 to 11 years of age.
2. Emberley, Ed E. et al. Glad Monster, Sad Monster: A Book About Feelings. Little, Brown & Company, 1997. Monsters of different colors explain what makes them feel glad, sad, loving, worried, silly, and angry. Fold-out masks encourage readers to talk about their feelings. Recommended for children ages 3 through 5.
3. Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper Collin’s Children’s Books, 1999. The story tells of the relationship between a young boy and a tree. Giving the boy what he wants is what makes the tree happy, a function it serves throughout the boy's life. This book is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
4. Freymann, Saxton et al. How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods. Scholastic, Inc., 1999. This book of carvings made from vegetables introduce the world of emotions by presenting leading questions such as "Are you feeling angry?" This book is recommended for ages 3 through 7.
5. Simon, Norma. I Was So Mad! Albert Whitman, 1991. Simple descriptions of situations which provoke anger in young children, e.g., sibling rivalry, parental annoyance, school difficulties, etc. The message--that these feelings are normal--is deftly handled, and each vignette is accompanied with humorous pen-and-ink drawings."--School Library Journal. Recommended for ages 5 through 8.
6. Brumbeau, Jeff. The Quiltmaker’s Gift. Scholastic, Inc., 1999. When a generous quilt maker finally agrees to make a quilt for a greedy king but only under certain conditions, she causes him to undergo a change of heart. This book is recommended for children ages 5 through 10.
7. Danziger, Paula. Amber Brown is Feeling Blue. Scholastic, Inc., 1999. Nine-year-old Amber Brown faces further complications because of her parents' divorce when her father plans to move back from Paris and she must decide which parent she will be with on Thanksgiving. This book is recommended for children ages 8 to 11.
8. Itoh, Mamoru. I Want to Tell You About My Feelings. Morrow, William & Co., 1996. This book is an easy book about communicating feelings with each other. It is recommended for children ages 8 to 11.
9. McElfresh, Lynn E. Can You Feel the Thunder? Simon & Schuster Trade, 1999. Thirteen-year-old Mic Parsons struggles with mixed feelings about his deaf and blind sister while at the same time he makes his way through the turmoils of junior high. This book is recommended for children ages 12 and up.
10. Jim Borgman. Mood Swings: Show’em How You’re Feeling! Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2001. For people who would rather show than tell, there's Mood Swings: Show'em How You're Feeling. Readers flip through the range of feelings and facial expressions, drawn by Jim Borgman, to find the one that fits their mood. This book is for children ages 9 to 12.
Related Lessons for Feelings
1. Grades K-1: Students will create a type of pictorial journal of their feelings for a week. Each day, they will draw a picture to tell about how they are feeling that day, and then the teacher will have the children talk to the rest of the class about their pictures each day.
2. Grades 2-4: Students will create a timeline of many different life events and tell how they felt at each of those times. They will then discuss their timelines with another classmate, and each group will then present themselves as their partner and tell about their partner’s life.
3. Grades 5-6: Students will read the book, Mood Swings: Show’em How You’re Feeling. After reading this, they will create a journal for one week, writing about how they feel each day. They will write a paragraph at the beginning of the day and then one at the end of the day to see if their mood changed at all during the day.
4. Grades 7-8: After reading The Giver, students will get into groups and discuss the different feelings Jonas experienced throughout the course of the book. The students will then rewrite part of the story as if they were Jonas, and how they felt during their own travels.
5. Grades 9-12: Students will choose 2 or 3 books on feelings and write an analysis of these books, by either comparing or contrasting them. They will also incorporate their own thoughts and feelings about what author’s arguments.
Authority/GovernmentActivities for AuthorityDifferences/DiversityFeelings and Connected Readings
