2.25.2014

TeachersPayTeachers Sale Time!

Super Secondary Sale Celebrating 3 Million Members on TeachersPayTeachers!

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Are you ready for a site-wide TeachersPayTeachers sale? Stop by Thursday and Friday and use promo code TPT3 at checkout to get an extra 10% off resources already marked down 20%. That's basically 30% off regular price. (But math people tell me it's 28% technically...in my mind it's still 30% off!)

Check out all these great SECONDARY sellers who will have their stores marked 20% off:

English/Language Arts

Tracee Orman: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tracee-Orman
Danielle Knight: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Danielle-Knight
Addie Williamshttp://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Addie-Williams

Science

Social Studies


Math

Making it as a Middle School Teacher: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Making-It-Teacher

Foreign Language



TeachersPayTeachers 3 Million Strong Site-Wide SALE!

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2.16.2014

What Can We Learn About Social Behavior from The Hunger Games?

Social behaviors in The Hunger Games trilogy on www.hungergameslessons.com

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Effie Trinket—a character from Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games—is the epitome of poise.

Yet, when she tries to teach Katniss and Peeta manners during their sojourns to the Capitol, she doesn't always exhibit the best of them herself. Take, for example, her response to Katniss and Peeta eating with forks in chapter 3 (p. 44); it was quite rude: "'At least, you two have decent manners...The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a couple of savages. It completely upset my digestion.'"
Sociology Connection: What can we learn about social behavior from The Hunger Games?
While Effie personifies prim and proper, she maintains a Capitol arrogance that practically prevents her from exhibiting an ideal etiquette. In fact, Peeta's social graces are probably most socially acceptable. (But ask your students their own opinions. Perhaps they will say Prim, Madge, or even the baker.)

So what can we learn from Effie on correct social behavior? What can we learn from other characters?

One discussion I have with my students while reading Part I of The Hunger Games is the irony of Effie's attitude toward the citizens of District 12. In chapter 6, Effie refers to the district citizens as barbarians. Yet, it is the Capitol citizens who are watching children kill one another for entertainment. Which citizens are the real barbarians?

Using Interactive Notebooks
My Hunger Games (and Catching Fire and Mockingjay) teaching units offer numerous opportunities to use interactive notebooks while reading. For this lesson, have your students create a T-chart with one column labeled District citizens and one column labeled Capitol citizens. (Feel free to make a copy of the Google Docs chart in the link. You can have your students use it as an online collaborative worksheet or an individual reading notebook activity.) Have your students add events, quotes, and examples from throughout the book, then answer the follow-up questions for deeper analysis. Make sure to have your students compare both columns to our own society. What does Panem reveal about us?

Classroom Connections: Social Behavior in The Hunger Games

Do you have a topic you'd like to see me address in my "Classroom Connections" posts? If so, please comment below with suggestions. Thanks for reading!

2.02.2014

RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman


R.I.P. Philip Seymour Hoffman, 1967-2014

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My heart goes out to the family of Philip Seymour Hoffman, our beloved Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games trilogy movie depictions, who died today at the age of 46.

Hoffman was such a talented actor, giving life to every character he portrayed. One of the first roles that made me take notice of him was his depiction of Freddie Miles in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." While Matt Damon headlined, it was obvious that Hoffman was a serious actor.

He played the cranky manager of the Oakland A's (Art Howe) in one of my favorite movies of all time: "Moneyball." No one could have played that part as well as he. Of course, he had already made a name for himself before "Moneyball" when he played Truman Capote in "Capote." After winning the Oscar for best actor, it was hard not to take notice of his versatility. His role as Harper Lee's childhood friend was the link joining my favorite novel movies together: Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird and Suzanne Collins' best-sellers The Hunger Games trilogy.

Sources say he only had one remaining scene to complete for "Mockingjay Part II," which will most likely be rewritten and filled by another character. Even so, it should be noted that he is irreplaceable. I remember my reaction when his name was released to play Plutarch, thrilled that such a talented actor would play the war-mongering head gamemaker that ultimately saves, destroys, then saves Katniss again. Will he ever get to utter the line, "Don't be a stranger" to Katniss?

My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. I will miss him not only for the role he played in The Hunger Games trilogy, but for all of his films. The three-finger salute goes out to you, Philip...

"It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love." RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

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