Share Your Love for Catching Fire & Be Featured in New Scholastic Book Trailer

Scholastic is inviting The Hunger Games trilogy fans to submit their own videos to YouTube to be considered for their new book trailers. You can watch the Scholastic video below for more details:

Classroom Connection

Teachers: Integrate technology into your curriculum and assign this as a project for students. I've clipped the essentials in screenshots below and you can share this post with your students. The deadline is MAY 15th for all submissions. Students must be 13 years of age, have parental consent, and be a legal resident in one of the 50 states or D.C. Oh, and they can't use professional talent in it. ;)

Students: Follow these steps for a successful video.
1. Watch the Scholastic video above and read over the official terms at: bit.ly/catchingfirevideo

2. Pre-write what you want to include in your video. The prompts are (all images from the OfficialTHGBooks - Scholastic Books):

The Hunger Games: We all have our reasons. Mine is...

I love The Hunger Games because...

The best thing about Catching Fire is...

Everyone should read Catching Fire because...

3. Make sure to include your First Name and Home State in the video.

4. Video cannot exceed 15 minutes OR 2GB and must be in one of the following formats: .mov, .mpeg4, .avi, .wmv, .mpegps, .flv, 3GPP, or WebM. 

5. Submit your video in the comments section at www.youtube.com/OfficialTHGBooks OR e-mail it to thehungergamesbooktrilogy@gmail.com

See the official terms at bit.ly/catchingfirevideo

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Share Your Favorite Poems for Poem in Your Pocket Day

Last year I wrote a "Things That Make Me Go Hmmm..." post called "Which poems would Katniss and Peeta Carry for Poem in Your Pocket Day?" You can use the same prompt with any novel for any character, though. Or, just enjoy the day with your students by sharing your favorite poems. :) Either way, it's a great way to spread literacy and appreciate poetry.

Which poem (or poems) are you carrying in your pocket for Poem in Your Pocket Day? Which poems would you associate with characters from ANY novel? Share in the comments below!

I have so many favorites, it's hard to pick just one. Two years ago I wrote about a Gwendolyn Brooks poem that has always stuck with me. Here are a few more of my favorites:

I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing by Walt Whitman
anyone lived in a pretty how town by e.e. cummings
The Tyger by William Blake
Auguries of Innocence by William Blake

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Teaser Trailer (with Classroom Connections)

This is the official "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" teaser trailer from Lionsgate® (Lions Gate Entertainment); the movie will be released November 22, 2013.

CLASSROOM CONNECTION
Teachers: If you wish to use this in a lesson, prompt your students to analyze the scenes (mainly from Part I...they don't want to give away everything, of course). Are they surprised about the scenes from outside of Katniss's point-of-view? Why or why not?

You can also use this FREE handout with discussion questions for comparing a novel to the movie trailer. It is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Catching Fire Teaser Trailer Tonight on MTV!

I was going to hold off and write up a post after the trailer airs, but decided I wanted to get the word out to you all to make sure you watch it tonight first. I will write my response to it later this week. I also can't wait to share it with my seniors, who just finished Catching Fire Friday and many will begin reading Mockingjay this week.

So, just a quick reminder to tune in tonight (April 14th) to the MTV Movie Awards program to see the premiere of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" movie trailer, purported to be 2 minutes and 30 seconds in length and introduced by Gale--Liam Hemsworth, that is.

Catching Fire Movie Trailer and Chapter 5 Symbolism: Effie's "Wings"?

The first time I watched the "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" teaser released yesterday by MTV, it was obvious the setting was District 11 on the Victory Tour. The Victory Tour is one of my favorite parts of the novel because we get to see the other districts and have clues to their locations. But it's NOT long enough in the book! I really wanted more. But I guess that's what will make the movie even more exciting...filling in all those gaps.

Get More:
2013 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News, Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks

Collins spends more time unfolding the story in District 11 than in any other district. I love the details of the fence surrounding the district, the justice building, and how they flee to an unused room in the dome. Before they flee, they drop their things off in their room and the description is perfect, from the ceiling, the scent of the blossoms in a vase (eh-hm...yes, some foreshadowing there), and the carvings in the molding. Which reminds me of the the teaser...

Call me crazy, but doesn't it look like Effie is wearing wings?

I mean, they do kind of look like angels' wings, right?

Go back and read page 64 in Catching Fire. What are those carvings in the molding again? Yes, "small, fat children with wings." Which would be cherubs, yes? I cannot stop my mind from going into overdrive when I see these things, so I apologize if I am being one of those annoying English teachers that looks too deeply into every little thing (hey, this is what I live for; I can't help it!).

Perhaps this part stands out to me because several years ago I created a lesson for my students specifically dealing with those cherubs and Katniss' lack of knowing what they were or what they symbolized in terms of religion, and why it was important enough to be included in those details.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS
The activity in my Catching Fire Discussion Questions pack has students analyze the reference to the cherub, what it may symbolize, and why Collins' may have included it in the novel.

Studying Raphael's Sistine Madonna painting, which has the iconic cherubs at the bottom, is an excellent way to connect art and literature. Making comparisons like this is also one of the Common Core State Standards for literature (RL.7).

Questions to ponder & discuss...
What do you think? Do Effie's sleeve look like wings? Could it be symbolic of the "angels" Katniss sees in District 11?

Could this be a way to include that symbolism in the movie without having to include that part from the book? Do you think they will cut out the part where they flee to the dome of the justice building?

What else did you notice in the teaser? Does District 11 look like you imagined? Why or why not?

Feel free to post your responses, comments, or additional observations below! I'd love to read them.

You can find numerous resources for teaching all the books in The Hunger Games trilogy in my teacher store.

Catching Fire Novel Teaching Unit
Catching Fire Discussion Questions

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer to Air April 14th During MTV Movie Awards

Yes, you read that correctly. We will finally get to see a trailer for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" in little over a week! And that's not all; if you click on the video below, you can see a very short teaser (like 12 seconds) clip of trailer.

Get More:
2013 MTV Movie Awards, Latest Movie News, Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks

What do you think? I know it's not much, but it is exciting to see a brief look at the first stop on the Victory Tour. My next post is going to deal with the symbolism of Effie's outfit...so check back here to read more about THAT! :)

Happy Easter, Friends!

For those who celebrate it, Happy Easter! 

I don't know the original source of the Peeps-inspired parody, but The Hunger Games Community Facebook Page posted it this morning. 

{If you know who created it, please comment below so I can credit that person. Thanks!}

Catching Fire: Interview Foreshadowing

In chapter 17, pages 248-249, Cinna has just helped Katniss into her wedding gown for the final tribute interviews with Caesar Flickerman. After instructing her to do a twirl like she had the previous year, Cinna asks Katniss what her plans are for the interview. She replies, "...this year I'm just winging it."

Oh, how I love Suzanne Collins' style!

Once again, these are the gems we get to enjoy on re-reads. I gave my students who had already read Catching Fire a choice between re-reading and reading a different novel. Only one chose to read a different novel. For anyone who argues that students aren't getting anything out of re-reading a book, I have to say that perhaps they get even more out of it. So many of them flew through the trilogy and cannot even remember big events that took place. These re-reads offer the opportunity to see the book from the perspective of knowing how it ends, causing them to read a little bit closer and enjoying lines like Katniss' above. Have your students who have already read the book seek out these hints of foreshadowing. They'll be amazed at how many they find and will appreciate the author's craft.

Image credits:
Cinna's Capitol Portrait by Lions Gate Movies®, courtesy of www.CapitolCouture.pn
Mockingjay Dress by Grednforgesgirl on www.DeviantArt.com
Catching Fire quote written by Suzanne Collins
Compiled by Tracee Orman, Hunger Games Lessons

March Madness, Panem-Style!

Every year I get the March Madness fever. I don't watch basketball at all throughout the year (except for my son's team, of course), but when those NCAA brackets are released, I'm a sucker for trying to pick the winners.

Student example by Deanna B.

My students tend to catch the fever, too, so this year I decided to create some literature-inspired brackets so we could take that same enthusiasm for basketball and apply it to class.

Since my seniors are reading Catching Fire right now I gave them blank ones so they could seed the characters. But...I couldn't let them have all the fun. As they argued who would win in a competition between Prim and Rue (gasp!), I started filling one out for all the characters in the trilogy (actually, I couldn't fit them all). I've uploaded the image and placed it below, but you can download the PDF free in my teacher store for a better-quality printable. I uploaded some blank brackets that can be used for any novel, story, or history lesson, too.

So...who would YOU choose to win in my Hunger Games version of March Madness?

CLASSROOM CONNECTION
Download the free activities to use in your classroom here:
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay Tournament Madness Brackets
Literature & History Tournament Madness Brackets

Note: This is not associated with the NCAA March Madness tournament or any of its affiliates or sponsors. It is for educational purposes only.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Haymitch Style: Exploring Heritage in The Hunger Games

St. Patrick's Day seems to be a fitting holiday for Haymitch: stumbling drunks are just part of the festivities.

But, it does make me wonder (perhaps I should write, "it's one of the Things That Make Me Go Hmmmm...") about different heritages and ethnic backgrounds of the characters in The Hunger Games trilogy.

I first read about the topic on a guest post by Elizabeth Baird Hardy (EBH: Don't Go Down Into That Hole...) on the Hogwarts Professor website April 14, 2010. We then had a nice exchange in the comments section about the roots of the characters from District 12, especially Katniss and the other Seam characters (I posted as "Tracee"). 

Obviously in the movie Haymitch is portrayed with blonde hair; but in the book, he is "Seam" like Katniss and Gale with gray eyes, olive skin, and dark hair. The term "Melungeon" is brought up by commenter "Laurelkat" in the article, which sparks everyone's interest. This was the first time I had heard that term used to describe the Seam characters, but it certainly isn't the last time it's explored.

Classroom Connections

Have your students use inductive reasoning (context clues of character descriptions: physical traits, personalities, habits, dialects, location in Panem, etc.) to infer the District 12 citizens' background/ethnicity. 

As an added challenge, have students try to infer the other district citizens' roots. Depending on which book your students are reading, some districts may have no context clues to draw from. For readers of The Hunger Games, have them attempt District 11. Readers of Catching Fire can attempt Districts 3, 4, 7, and 11. And readers of all three can try to attempt them all. 

Celebrating Shakespeare: The Ides of March Are Come...But Not Gone

March 15th is upon us, which means it is officially the ides of March, or middle of the month. Of course, this statement has much deeper meaning than just professing the date. It is the day Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times--and warned almost as many times--in William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.

Instead of rewriting another post to commemorate this date, please read the one I wrote two years ago:

Beware the Ides of March: Lessons Men Can Learn from Julius Caesar

Also, you can find many connections between The Hunger Games trilogy (in particular Mockingjay) and Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was not the only character who lost his life in a brutal manner on the ides of March. Cinna the poet is also brutally attacked for having the same name as a conspirator. Even after finding out he is not a conspirator, the angry mob murders him "for his bad verses." Re-read page 334 of Mockingjay--in particular about the "unfortunate incident." Coincidence? I think not.

There are so many allusions like this in the trilogy, which makes it all the more interesting when you re-read the series. So today, on the ides of March, let's celebrate the richness of literature and share our favorite quotes from Shakespeare and/or The Hunger Games trilogy. Please add yours in the comments below.

Caesar's response to Calpurnia when she is urging him to stay home.

From Mark Antony's funeral speech.

You can find materials for both Julius Caesar and Mockingjay (with connections to Caesar) in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Font in images by Kimberly Geswein.

Snow Day? Every day is Snow Day in Panem

We have a snow day today, so I couldn't resist making this meme with President Snow. 

While I'm at it, here are some of my favorite images lately (these were not created by me):

from: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2y1m0dfp11r90ok0o1_400.jpg

from: http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/250x250/20476040.jpg

from: https://twitter.com/Yo_Catnip/status/294560193625329664/photo/1

from: https://i.canvasugc.com/ugc/original/e27918e2f4ca715df938b2a68731bebd59a78144.png

from: http://memegenerator.net/instance/23536756

You can find many of these and more on my English Teacher Geek, Classroom Humor, The Hunger Games, and Grammar Errors Pinterest boards. I also have Catching Fire and Mockingjay boards! :)

And don't forget to check out CapitolCouture.pn and The Hunger Games Movie Facebook for the latest "Catching Fire" images. You can find Caesar Flickerman's on Fandango.