The Giver Anticipation Guide (Grades 6–8)

Pre-Reading & Discussion Activity | PDF + Editable Google Doc

This anticipation guide for The Giver uses 12 statements to frame student thinking before and during reading.

Students record positions, then return to those responses as the novel unfolds, adjusting or defending their thinking with evidence.

The activity centers on how rules, choices, and constraints shape life within the community rather than on previewing the plot.

Because the novel presents a controlled society where memory and emotion are limited, the structure offers a clear starting point. Students consider how they would respond in situations where safety is maintained by restricting freedom. This connects to broader work on reading and interpreting complex texts.

What’s Included

• 12 Agree / Disagree / Unsure statements
• Teacher guide with instructional strategies for before, during, and after reading
• Character-based applications using figures from the novel
• Research support (Duffelmeyer, 1994; Ortlieb, 2013) with brief summaries
• Common Core ELA alignment (Grades 6–8)
• PDF + editable Google Doc

Sample Statements

“Kindness can be a form of control.”

“A good life and a free life are not always the same thing.”

“Belonging to a community requires giving something up.”

“Without memory of the past, a person cannot fully understand themselves.”

Classroom Uses

• Pre-reading work for The Giver
• Discussion-based lessons
• Socratic seminar
• Small-group discussion
• Writing and argument practice
• Whole-class debate

Grades & Use

Designed for grades 6–8 and adaptable for older students depending on instructional context. The guide can be used as an introductory activity or revisited during a The Giver unit as students reconsider earlier responses.