LENS4_SErdman

LENS 4 //The Hunger Games// //The Hunger Games// by Suzanne Collins covers a wide variety of topics and controversies that appear in today’s society. In //The Hunger Games// some of the topics that arise are the government controlling everything and everyone, the games themselves and the need to survive, how far would someone go just to survive, and knowing who you are as a person and “conforming” to fit the way people want you to appear. After reading this book, I personally enjoyed it just for entertainment purposes but I also could see where this book could be used in an upper level middle school class room or a high school class room. As a teacher-to-be this book can be used to teach multiple lessons and used to make different connections to other events throughout history and society.

//The Hunger Games// can be used to address the issue of how the government of Panem “controls” everyone, which is very similar to a dictator ship. This is shown by forcing people to participate in the Hunger Games is an example. Another example would be when Katniss and Peeta decide to die together so they will not have to kill each other. The government does not like this action done by the two players from District 12 because they see it as them acting out against the leaders of Panem. As a social studies teacher, so much could be done with this topic alone. It could be connected to other forms of dictatorships throughout the world like Nazi Germany and how there were several uprisings in result of the dictatorship or more commonly known as communism.

Along with the government’s control over everyone comes the role that the different districts play towards the country of Panem. Each district is responsible to manufacture a certain good and is known for their goods that they make. However along with the districts being known for their goods is not the only thing. Each district is known by their poverty level as well. The closer to the capital is where the upper classes live and the further east is where the lowest classes live. This topic can be used to teach students about socioeconomic statuses. One could teach their students the difference between a natural resource or a manufactured good and how all the goods contribute to the country as a whole and in today’s society maybe other countries.

Finally, another discussion topic that could be used in the class room is how Katniss along with the other Tributes are transformed into characters that they might not necessarily want to be. Katniss not only has to be dressed up because that is what is seen as proper but she has to play along with this “love story” with Peeta which she does not know if it is true or not. Along with conforming to this story they sell during the Hunger Games, Katniss has to watch what she says and does while she is in the capital so she does not upset the government officials. This whole conforming topic ties into the government being like a dictatorship or communist country. Forcing everyone to do what they, the government, want or suffer the consequence; which again can be related back to Korea or Nazi Germany. During the actual games Katniss and Peeta also face the dilemma of whether they actually want to deliberately kill someone just because the government wants them too. In the end they stay true to their own beliefs and never intentionally kill someone unless it was absolutely necessary.

Overall, I feel that this book would be an excellent choice to use in the classroom. It is not only entertaining but it can be used to address so many different topics that the students may be or have learned about in another class. Having this book as a resource for examples of certain topics helps the students to see or imagine what exactly it is that the teacher is talking about and to have a more concrete example. Future teachers should take into consideration the power that books like //The Hunger Games// can have on a student when they are teaching regardless of what subject you may be teaching, it can still be influential.

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