High Interest Reading: A Dystopian Literature Book Club
My students need 5 copies of each of the following titles for their Dystopian themed book club: The Hunger Games, Among the Hidden, The Maze Runner, The Uglies & More!
"There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who haven't found the right book" - Frank Serafini.
Finding THE RIGHT BOOKS for 7th graders can be a daunting task. Fortunately, the high interest content of dystopian literature is just the perfect theme for book clubs!
Middle school - a place and time where kids are trying to figure out who they are and what they may become.
My 7th grade ELA students begin the school year as children, but blossom into young adults by the end of the school year. At this critical point in life, students should be immersing themselves in literature; however, their interest level for reading is unfortunately very low. It is my goal for the students to develop not only good reading skills and strategies, but also a love for literature. Luckily, I have found that certain "hot topic" texts do capture their attention and keep them reading for enjoyment. One topic my students have taken a specific interest in is "dystopia." Dystopian literature has really boomed over the past few years - and my students just can't get enough of these books!
My Project
As an ELA teacher, I am always trying to make reading more enjoyable for my students. It is my intention to create "book clubs," or literature circles, in my classroom to foster this goal. The books that I would like to use for this unit are: Among the Hidden, The Maze Runner, The Uglies, Divergent, The Hunger Games, City of Ember, The Giver, and Matched. While each of these books fits the dystopian theme, they also cater to different personalities and reading levels.
Students will be placed in their book clubs, which will meet weekly. They will be responsible for reading the assigned selection for that week and completing their task, or role- activity. When students meet, they will share their thoughts and tasks with their groups - promoting team work and cooperative learning.
In addition, each selected book is a part of a series, so when students find a story they love, they can read on! This is perfect for my gifted students and heavy readers!
My students will LOVE this!
A study by the Department of Education found that there was an overwhelming increase in students who claim to "never read." This statistic is incredibly disheartening and disconcerting.
Reading is fundamental and will lead my students to have more successful futures. This project promotes literacy in a fun and engaging manner. Students can learn to love reading again!
Thank you for your support! Grab a book and enjoy!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Rutkowski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
