Successful Teaching of The Hunger Games!


I've been wanting to share the stories I receive from teachers all over the country (and world!) about how they have had great success teaching The Hunger Games to their students (or reading it with their students). Please send me your links, pictures, stories, etc. Or comment below with a link, if you'd like.  Let's share our success stories! Here's a collection of articles teachers have shared with me:

*  * IN THE NEWS *  *
Classrooms using The Hunger Games with Success


Do you have a news story to add? Drop me a line so I can add it here.  

Have your students participate in English teacher Jen Scott Curwood's newest research project on how teens are using The Hunger Games to improve literacy. It's a worthy project that would reinforce what we already believe: The Hunger Games is one of the best books to fully engage our students! 
Read more about her project on literacy and fan culture.

Read her post on using creative projects in class.


*  * Class Reaping, Training, and Mock Games *  *

Want to host a Hunger Games event at your school? You can start with a class reaping, but see how Bristol Eastern High School (CT) librarian 
Ms. Kenney created this awesome school-wide event: http://www.bristol.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=6859

Do you have a class reaping or mock Games to add? Drop me an email so I can add it here.


*  * Hunger Games Creative Projects *  *

Read about Ms. L's awesome experience with her students here: 
 Ms. L's Hunger Games Project & Pictures

Mor from A Teacher's Treasure shared her wonderful 8th grade students' Hunger Games projects here: http://www.ateacherstreasure.com/2012/03/dr-seuss-hunger-games-and-new-blog.html
And these great Hunger Games "secret door" foldables

As I shared in an earlier post, Mrs. Cobb had great success with her students, as seen with the Facebook lesson and re-creating the arena:



 And teacher Lenzi Hart also had success using the project ideas, shown here:


Jamie Waites from Sonora High School shared pictures of her students' work on the Opening Ceremony costumes. Each student was assigned a district and had to sketch the design. Her honors students took it a step further and actually created the designs! What a great project:

Ms. Waites was generous enough to share her templates she used with you. You can download them {HERE} and {HERE}. Thanks, Jamie!
To download, you'll need to go to the "File" drop-down menu and save a copy or download original.
SHOW THEM EXAMPLES FIRST: Ms. Christine Kent shared the Hunger Games page from InStyle.com, "InStyle magazine has had real-world designers put pencil to paper and design their own version of Katniss’ outfit...There are designers like BCBG Generations involved and 12 different designs – some very simplistic and some really over the top.  They would make really great examples for this kind of project." 
I agree! Thanks so much for sharing, Christine!
Click {HERE} to see the 12 different designs.

*  * Using The Hunger Games in Other Content Areas *  *

From Mr. Neil Krasnoff's School Technology Paradise: 
Using Hunger Games to Get Students Ready for Biology Test
This is a great lesson for students to search for context clues and make comparisons. He listed a step-by-step guide for teachers and even has a presentation he will share. Thank you, Mr. Krasnoff!  

*  *  *  *
Do you have class projects you'd like to add? Drop me an email so I can add it here.


*  * Examples From My Classroom *  *
You can read more about how I began teaching The Hunger Games {HERE}. Below, I'd like to share some of my students' projects with you. I also have several separate posts for our {CLASS REAPING GAMES} and a SLIDESHOW of CLASS GAMES:









Some of my student example projects {MORE HERE}...and SLIDESHOW of STUDENT PROJECTS:






I am still working on my student to release his "rap" version of Rue's Lullaby (or "The Meadow Song"). He's a little shy and doesn't think it's worthy (but it is!). He created it using Garage Band on his MacBook Pro.

Here's an example of the Capitol Mutts project one of my students completed (this is just one of his pages):
As we read Catching Fire, my students had a lot of fun creating iTunes Playlists for the characters. We picked and chose the best songs for one final class compilation. I think it turned out pretty well:


A favorite activity of my students during Mockingjay was the silver parachute recreation. This activity could be done while reading any of the books; we completed it after reading chapter 3 (in the beginning we see that she has the pearl and spile wrapped in the silver parachute as momentos of Peeta and the Games). Each student had string, tin foil, and a napkin. I also gave them a synthetic pearl to place inside (to represent Peeta's gift to Katniss).

They had about 10 minutes to construct a homemade parachute before we threw them off the mezzanine balcony in the gym. As an added element, the student whose parachute held up and actually "floated" received some candy and a Mockingjay pencil. The students had fun and it gave them an opportunity to do something hands-on (and leave the classroom, even if it was only for a few minutes). I wish I had brought my camera...next time!

Which activities are your students' favorites? 
Comment below or send me your story/pics to post.



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