"The Maze Runner" discussion

We had another interesting (and somewhat lively) discussion in class today.  It centered around poor Thomas, and what you can do when people don't believe you.  In reality, it sucks, and we've all been there.  For Thomas, his memory has truly been wiped, but some Gladers doubt that he is telling the truth.

So what can Thomas do?

Does he need to be concerned with the opinions of others?

What is he doing to hurt his case? (Should he continue to keep secrets?)

"The Maze Runner" and justice

We had an interesting discussion about justice in my class after yesterday's reading.  Two examples were used from the book:

*Ben, who was Banished for trying to kill Thomas (when he was still recovering from the Changing).
*Thomas, who was given a day in the Slammer and elected a Runner after breaking the Number One Rule (and saving Alby's life...and probably Minho's, too).

Who determines justice? Were both decisions just? When is it okay to bend rules, and when shouldn't you?

"The Maze Runner" Griever drawing

With their new-found ability to draw and describe (see previous figurative language post), I tasked my students with drawing a Griever.  Pages 38, 39, and 126 have detailed descriptions.  None of them quite looked how I pictured them, but it was interesting to see their drawings.

"The Maze Runner" and Figurative Language

Since "The Maze Runner" has so many fictional creatures and situations, it is a perfect tool to teach metaphors and similes.  The Glade itself, the Maze, the Changing, the Box, and Beetle Blades are all examples of items which do not exist in real life. James Dashner is forced to use metaphors and similes to help us picture these imaginary places and things.

I had my students first identify 10 similes/metaphors in the novel.  Then, they drew a picture of an imaginary creature that they invented to torment the Gladers.  They had to list at least 10 similes/metaphors to describe their new monster.

I'll admit, my students were FAR more excited by drawing their monsters than I anticipated.  For those who finished early, I had them swap description lists and attempt to draw their partner's picture from the description alone.

Another "Maze Runner" activity

*Spoiler alert*

Having read the whole book, I know that there is no traditional end to the Maze.  There's no doorway or gate that just leads out.  It also blows me away that the Runners ran the Maze for so many days without giving up or going crazy.  I passed out difficult/unsolvable mazes to my class and told them the first person to finish would get a prize.  When they began giving up and getting frustrated, I made them write that in a short response.  I asked them to write down how many minutes they worked before they began to get frustrated, and how many of those minutes passed before they gave up.

It will be interesting to have them look at these responses again as they get further into the book.

Here are some links to mazes that I used.

Blocks maze

Several maze level choices

Unsolvable maze

Mapmaking & "The Maze Runner"

I am a visual learner, as are many of my students.  As I was reading The Maze Runner for the first time, I found myself sketching out a map of the Glade to help me get a better picture of the geography. Naturally, this turned into an assignment for my students.

Page 22 has an initial description of which corners of the Glade the Gardens, Deadheads, Homestead, and Blood House are located. My students will continue to add to these maps as we read the book (they'll add the maze section numbers, the Griever Hole, etc.).

Another nice quality about the maze assignment is that it gives my more active students something to do while we read.  Sometimes I read out loud, sometimes students volunteer, sometimes I make everyone read, and other times they read to themselves; when someone else is reading, many students are drawing the actual maze while they listen.  It's not a required part of the assignment, but it's something that many of them can do while they listen.

Teaching vocabulary

My students struggle with vocabulary.  And they struggle with learning vocabulary.  Many of my students are English Language Learners, however most are no longer identified as ELLs because they have a pass-able grasp of the English language. I do, however, need them to pass the state writing and reading assessment to graduate, so I make them memorize vocabulary words.

My strategy: find a one-word synonym, in context, whenever possible.  When I have tried to teach kids multiple definitions or words that can't be substituted, it backfires.  That's when I end up with sentences like "We curious read the book," instead of "We curiously read the book." I know they'll need to learn more meanings eventually, but if I'm using words with a novel study, I have data to prove that this works.

Best hook ever

We just started a new quarter, and thus started a new novel.  I chose The Maze Runner because the movie is due out in the fall, and I like to ride the hype bandwagon.  Showing the movie trailer is hands-down the best way to generate interest in a book.  Ever. Especially if it's a good preview.

The best part about reading this book right now is that I know they can't go see the movie, but I'm using it to hook them.  It's the best of both worlds.

"The Maze Runner" preview

Divergent movie field trip

I took my class to see "Divergent," and it was great.  While some of the more popular movie theaters have deals for schools, our locally-run theater was AWESOME! We only had to pay $5 per ticket and were given special prices on concessions.

The best part of the trip was hearing the constant chatter the whole way home about the differences between the book and the movie.  Proof that they were paying attention!

Divergent

My students read Divergent this winter, and they loved it. I knew they would the moment Edward was stabbed in the eye.  Divergent has that perfect mix of action, adventure, and romance. There are also several ways to scaffold learning.  I used character charts, did activities with basic vocabulary, and had students read the manifestos and choose factions. Students traced Tris's character development throughout the novel without even realizing they were doing higher order thinking.

Here is a link to my FREE vocabulary packet. I stuck to basic vocabulary, and took into account that most of my students would not recognize the significance of the faction names (Amity, Dauntless, Erudite, etc.).

Here is a link to my Teaching packet.  Students benefited from the character chart, especially.  I think that the journal entries were somewhat successful, but overall they didn't turn out like I had hoped.

Popular Literature gets kids to read

I've been teaching in an alternative high school for six years (after five years mainstream), and this thing I have learned

popular literature creates readers.

I have nothing against Shakespeare,  Austen, Poe, or Dickens. But if you have a struggling or resistant reader, find them something interesting. Preferably something with a movie coming out soon.  Dystopia is currently a bonus.