L1+Ferrari,+Kimberly

**COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION**
 * UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON**

**LESSON PLAN FORMAT**


 * __Teacher’s Name__****:** Ms. Ferrari **__Lesson and Facet__:** 1 Self-Knowledge
 * __Grade Level__****:** 10 **__Topic__:** Themes


 * __Objectives__**
 * Student will understand that** universal themes are present and have a purpose in __ The Hunger Games __.
 * Student will know t** he definitions of theme and characterization, as well as the following characters: Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Primrose, Gale, President Snow, Cato, Rue.
 * Student will be able to** recognize themes present in __ The Hunger Games __.

Maine Learning Results: English Language Arts - A. Reading A2 Literary Texts Grades 9- Diploma The Hunger Games //** Students read text, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and present analyses **// **// of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry using excerpts from the text to defend their assertions. //**
 * __Maine Learning Results Alignment__**
 * Rationale:** This lesson will show students how to identify and understand themes, which is a skill necessary in order to analyze texts.

Pre-Assessment: Students will make a list of themes and essential ideas from novels they have already read, as well as identify various literary elements when given samples. Graphic Organizer: As students fill out their graphic organizers I will circulate the room to check and see how they are doing with the graphic organizers. If any students appear to be struggling, I will make adjustments. Blogs: Students will write reflections in their blogs throughout the lesson, answering prompts that ask how they are making progress with their Voicethreads. I will read their blog entries each night and use it to make sure that every students is at the stage they need to be at. I will comment on their blogs to give them feedback about their projects while they are working on them.
 * __Assessment__**
 * Formative (Assessment for Learning)**

Voicethread: Using Voicethread, you and a partner will create a multimedia presentation that identifies the themes present in the novel. You will use the novel as one resource and find other resources to help show how the theme is present. You should also include some form of commentary explaining how the multiple resources relate to one another. Just like every other assignment, there will be a checklist to help you include everything and a rubric for you to self-assess your assignment. The Voicethread will be scored using a rubric.
 * Summative (Assessment of Learning)**


 * __Integration__**
 * Technology:** Students will use Voicethread to create multimedia presentations that will demonstrate their knowledge of the themes present in the novel. Students will be required to find examples of the theme in the novel as well as other examples not from the novel and use Voicethread to compile everything into a logical presentation.


 * Other Content Areas:** Students will illustrate the themes on their graphic organizers, and incorporate other art media into their Voicethread.

Students will be paired up through the lottery at the beginning of the class. The first two people drawn from the lottery will be paired up, the third and fourth people, etc. This will show how the lottery system works in the novel.
 * __Groupings__**


 * __Differentiated Instruction__**
 * Strategies:**
 * Logical:** Students with strengths in this intelligence like to organize data, so the graphic organizer that they are provided with will help them to do so.
 * Verbal:** Writing the lists of themes and discussing it in groups and as a class will allow students to use their verbal-linguistic intelligence.
 * Visual:** There will be a section on the graphic organizer allowing students to illustrate the themes.
 * Musical:** Music will be used to time the length of each section of the Think-Pair-Share.
 * Intrapersonal:** At the end of the lesson, students will reflect in their blogs.
 * Interpersonal:** The discussion segment of the Think-Pair-Share will allow students with interpersonal intelligence strengths to use them.
 * Kinesthetic:** Movement can be incorporated into the Think-Pair-Share activity as students report out to the class what their findings are. Students can move to one side of the room if they came up with the same theme as the student/pair presenting.
 * Naturalist:** Part of the discussion will include themes related to nature

I will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.
 * Modifications/Accommodations**

**Absences** Students that are absent will meet with me upon their return to school and we will create a plan of completion for all missing work. Students will download the graphic organizer from the class wiki and work through it themselves, checking in with me as they work on each section. After they have finished the graphic organizer, they will have a conversation with me and then begin working on their Voicethread. If two students are absent they will be allowed to work together on the Voicethread, but they must complete the graphic organizers individually.

**Extensions** Students will use Voicethread to create multimedia presentations that will demonstrate their knowledge of the themes present in the novel. Students will be required to find examples of the theme in the novel as well as other examples not from the novel and use Voicethread to compile everything into a logical presentation. Every student will have the opportunity to use Voicethread and I will modify and accommodate as necessary.

· laptops · rubrics · checklist · Ticktacktoe graphic organizer · step by step "how-to" for Voicethread · projector · copies of //The Hunger Games// · writing utensils · lottery names Ticktacktoe graphic organizer ([]) Think-Pair-Share ([]) Blogs ([|http://www.blogger.com/]) ([|Video Tutorial] from Blogger) Voicethread ([]) ([|Video Tutorials] from Voicethread) //The Hunger Games// Notes ([]) Definitions of theme and characterization ([])
 * __Materials, Resources and Technology__**
 * __Source for Lesson Plan and Research__**


 * __Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale__**
 * //Standard 3 - Demonstrates a knowledge of the diverse ways in which students learn and develop by providing learning opportunities that support their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and cultural development.//**
 * Rationale:** This lesson will appeal to the different learning styles (beach ball, clipboard, microscope, and puppy), through the variety of activities. Beach balls will thrive from the amount of options they are provided with, as well as the personal freedom they are allowed. Clipboards will enjoy the organized structure of the class that will be present on the board, the visual directions for both Blogger and Voicethread, and the clear expectations presented through the rubric. Microscopes will like the deep exploration of the themes that the Think-Pair-Share and the Voicethread allow them, as well as the discussions in class and the ownership of selecting what themes they will create their Voicethread over. Puppies will feel comfortable in the environment created because they will have an encouraging atmosphere, supportive grouping, a safe climate, respectful colleagues, empathic listeners, and sensitive peers.

//**Students read text, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and present analyses**// **//of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry using excerpts from the text to defend their assertions.//** **Rationale:** This lesson will show students how to identify and understand themes, which is a skill necessary in order to analyze texts.
 * //Standard 4 - Plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, curriculum goals, and learning and development theory.//**
 * Rationale:** Students will know the definitions of theme, which they will need for the Think-Pair-Share activity and for the Voicethread that they will be creating to showcase one or more of the themes present in __ The Hunger Games __ . Students will be able to recognize themes present in __ The Hunger Games. __ After exploring the common themes found in literature, students will have a better idea of what themes are present in __ The Hunger Games __ . They will then have to select one or more themes from the novel and provide explanations and evidence of them through their Voicethread project. A definition of and examples of themes can be found in the content notes, as well as themes from the novel itself.
 * // Maine Learning Results: //**** English Language Arts //- A. Reading// **
 * // A2 Literary Texts Grades 9- Diploma //**__ The Hunger Games __

**Logical/Mathematical:** Students with strengths in this intelligence like to organize data, so the graphic organizer that they are provided with will help them to do so. **Visual/Spatial:** There will be a section on the graphic organizer allowing students to illustrate the themes. **Bodily/Kinesthetic:** Movement can be incorporated into the Think-Pair-Share activity as students report out to the class what their findings are. Students can move to one side of the room if they came up with the same theme as the student/pair presenting. **Musical/Rhythmic:** Music will be used to time the length of each section of the Think-Pair-Share. **Intrapersonal:** At the end of the lesson, students will reflect in their blogs. **Interpersonal:** The discussion segment of the Think-Pair-Share will allow students with interpersonal intelligence strengths to use them. **Naturalist:** Part of the discussion will include themes related to nature.
 * //Standard 5 - Understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies and appropriate technology to meet students’ needs.//**
 * Rationale:**
 * Verbal-Linguistic: ** Writing the lists of themes and discussing it in groups and as a class will allow students to use their verbal-linguistic intelligence.

Students will use Voicethread to create multimedia presentations that will demonstrate their knowledge of the themes present in the novel. Students will be required to find examples of the theme in the novel as well as other examples not from the novel and use Voicethread to compile everything into a logical presentation. Every student will have the opportunity to use Voicethread and I will modify and accommodate as necessary.

** Formative (Assessment for Learning) ** Pre-Assessment: Students will make a list of themes and essential ideas from novels they have already read, as well as identify various literary elements when given samples. Graphic Organizer: As students fill out their graphic organizers I will circulate the room to check and see how they are doing with the graphic organizers. If any students appear to be struggling, I will make adjustments. Blogs: Students will write reflections in their blogs throughout the lesson, answering prompts that ask how they are making progress with their Voicethreads. I will read their blog entries each night and use it to make sure that every students is at the stage they need to be at. I will comment on their blogs to give them feedback about their projects while they are working on them.
 * //Standard 8 - Understands and uses a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support the development of the learner.//**
 * //Rationale://**

**Summative (Assessment of Learning)** Voicethread: Using Voicethread, you and a partner will create a multimedia presentation that identifies the themes present in the novel. You will use the novel as one resource and find other resources to help show how the theme is present. You should also include some form of commentary explaining how the multiple resources relate to one another. Just like every other assignment, there will be a checklist to help you include everything and a rubric for you to self-assess your assignment. The Voicethread will be scored using a rubric.

The classroom will be set up with desks in groups of twos. Agenda: 3 day lesson Day 1 (80 minutes) Day 2 (80 minutes) Day 3 (80 minutes) Students will understand that universal themes are present and have a purpose in __The Hunger Games__. The themes present in __The Hunger Games__ translate to today's society, such as human suffering, personal identity, and sacrifice. **//Students read text, within a grade appropriate span of text complexity, and present analyses of fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry using excerpts from the text to defend their assertions.//** As students enter the classroom, they will put their names into the lottery that will be set up at the front of the room. They will then be directed to stand in the back of the classroom. Students will then have their names drawn from a lottery, similar to the reaping in the beginning of __The Hunger Games__. As their names are drawn, they will be directed to sit at the desk according to when their name was drawn. Following the lottery will be a discussion about where other lotteries are found and how lotteries relate to the novel.
 * __Teaching and Learning Sequence__****:**
 * Begin class. As students enter the classroom, they will be directed to stand at the back of the room and wait to be seated. I will then explain what a lottery is and how it works, demonstrating it to them by drawing their names in pairs. As their names are drawn they will be directed to their corresponding desks. We will then continuing discussing lotteries and how they apply to the novel.**(10 minutes)**
 * After the discussion on lotteries, I will give the students the pre-assessment to help determine where each student is at prior to the unit. **(10 minutes)**
 * Think-Pair Share. While I pass out the graphic organizer to the students, I will give an overview of themes. Then students will work on the graphic organizers individually, creating lists of themes and explaining each one. After they have filled out their graphic organizers, they will discuss them with their partner for a few minutes, comparing common themes and discussing why they are so common and/or important. Once the pairs have had a chance to share their findings, everyone will be asked to stand while partners report their findings. As each pair shares, classmates who came up with the same theme will move to one side of the room while those that did not have the theme will move to the other side. A pair from the side without that theme will then be chosen to share and anyone else who had the same theme will then move to that side of the room. **(20 minutes)**
 * Students will be given the opportunity to ask any clarifying questions at this point. If no questions are asked, I will give a quick review of what the students just discovered about themes through the Think-Pair-Share activity and then introduce them to Voicethread. **(15 minutes)**
 * I will give students the remainder of class to experiment with Voicethread. **(25 minutes)**
 * I will walk students through the process of creating a blog and give them time to write their first post about the last class. **(15 minutes)**
 * After students have finished their first blog entry, we will spend 10 minutes reviewing what we talked about during the last class and I will answer any questions students have. **(10 minutes)**
 * I will then introduce the Voicethread assignment, explaining how they will work with their partner to create a Voicethread presentation emphasizing one or more themes from __The Hunger Games__. **(10 minutes)**
 * Students will have the remainder of class to work on their Voicethreads. If they are not finished they will need to work on it outside of class so that they are ready for presentations during the next class.**(45 minutes)**
 * I will give students ten minutes at the beginning of class to meet with their partners and discuss how they want to handle their presentations. **(10 minutes)**
 * The order of the presentations will be determined using a lottery system similar to the one used on the first day of the lesson, however the number of themes each group covered will determine the number of times their name is entered into the lottery (i.e. groups who covered three themes will have their names entered into the lottery three times, while groups who covered one theme will have their names entered into the lottery once.) The rest of class will be used for presenting Voicethreads.**(70 minutes)**
 * Where, Why, What, Hook, Tailors: Bodily/Kinesthetic, Verbal, Interpersonal**

Students will know the definition of themes (see content notes). Students will take a pre-assessment to show what they already know about themes and literary elements. They will be asked to generate a list of themes from literature that they have read and identify literary elements from samples. This will show whether they have any understanding of themes and literary elements, and if they do what stage they are at. Students will use a [|TickTackToe] graphic organizer that will allow students to collect lists of themes and brief explanations of each theme. While the themes they come up with do not need to be directly related to the novel, the goal is that they will begin to recognize that there are many common themes among literature. Individually, they will fill out the graphic organizers. As they work on their graphic organizers, I will circulate the room and check on their progress. I will be able to tell how they are doing based on how much of the graphic organizer they are able to fill out.
 * Equip, Explore Rethink, Revise Tailors: Verbal, Logical, Visual, Intrapersonal**

Students will participate in a Think-Pair-Share activity to explore the themes. After students have filled out their graphic organizers, they will discuss them with their partners, looking specifically for any common themes and any links behind the common themes. After they have had time to discuss with their partners, the entire class will stand up and one pair will be asked to share one of the themes that they had in common with the class. Anyone who also came up with that theme will move to one side of the room while those who did not have that theme will move to the other side. Then a pair from the other side will be asked to share one of the themes that they had in common, and anyone else with that theme will then move to their side of the room. After the Think-Pair-Share activity, students will be introduced to Voicethread and will have time to become familiarized with it before starting their Voicethread projects. While students are working on their Voicethreads, they will have a checklist that they will be able to refer back to and that I will use while walking around and conferring with each group. The pairs will present their Voicethreads to the rest of the class, who will then comment and interact with their Voicethreads during the presentations. Students will be able to recognize themes present in __ The Hunger Games __. At the end of each day, students will write blog entries reflecting on what they did during the day and what they learned. I will comment on each student's blog entry each night and use their reflections to guide what will be discussed in class the following day. After students have finished their Voicethread they will peer-evaluate them and be given an opportunity to revise their content.
 * Explore, Experience, Rethink, Revise, Refine, Tailors: Bodily/Kinesthetic, Verbal, Logical, Visual, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Musical, Naturalist**

Students will self-assess their Voicethread before presenting it to the class by using the same rubric that I will be using to evaluate their work. They will pass the rubric in prior to presenting. I will use the rubric to provide effective feedback to the groups and will pass them back within two class periods. This lesson is more of a review of the common themes present in literature and gets students thinking about the themes that might be present in __ The Hunger Games __ as they read it. The following lesson will take a closer look at the themes in the novel, so introducing the unit with this lesson, the students have a better idea of what kinds of themes to look for and what evidence they need to provide.
 * Evaluate, Tailors: Intrapersonal, Logical, Verbal**

Students will understand the definition of theme, which can be found at []. According to the site, theme is “The idea or point of a story formulated as a generalization. In American literature, several themes are evident which reflect and define our society. The dominant ones might be innocence/experience, life/death, appearance/reality, free will/fate, madness/sanity, love/hate, society/individual, known/unknown. Themes may have a single, instead of a dual nature as well. The theme of a story may be a mid-life crisis, or imagination, or the duality of humankind (contradictions).” Theme is the implied idea or message in a poem, story, or novel that examines a universal idea through the text. There can be several themes present in one piece of literature and the themes can range from adolescence to power.
 * __Content Notes__**

A general list of themes for the Think-Pair-Share can be found at []. A sampling of themes listed on this site are: adolescence, ambition, coming of age, companionship, death, destruction, empowerment, faith, fate, greed, identity, injustice, isolation, loss of innocence, love and sacrifice, manipulation, optimism, power, vanity, vulnerability, wisdom, and youth. These themes are all acceptable answers for the students to use during their Think-Pair-Share and the themes they can come up with are not limited to this list. This list is only some of the most common themes present in literature, but a theme does not have to be common to be included.

A list of and explanation of themes in __The Hunger Games__ can be found at []. This site explains each theme from the novel and then provides a list of quotes demonstrating that theme. This list of themes is not complete because personal interpretations affect the themes of a novel, but most of the themes will be common. Students will need an idea of the themes in the novel for their Voicethreads, but they should be able to generate a list of themes without using any resources other than the novel itself.
 * The first theme listed on the site is Power, and it gives an overview of how power is seen in the novel, from the Capitol having power over the citizens to the citizens attempting to resist the power of the Capitol. There is also a list of quotes from the novel where the theme of power is evident such as, “Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen.” (1.76).
 * The second theme on the site is Versions of Reality. It explains how reality television in the novel is watching The Hunger Games, which has teenagers fighting to the death. One of the quotes that exhibits the this theme is, “’There’s almost always some wood,” Gale says. “Since that year half of them died of cold. Not much entertainment in that.’ It’s true. We spent one Hunger Games watching the players freeze to death at night. You could hardly see them because they were just huddled in balls and had no wood for fires or torches or anything. It was considered very anti-climactic in the Capitol, all those quiet bloodless deaths. Since then, there’s usually been wood to make fires,” (3.34-35).
 * The third theme is identity. It explains how Katniss goes through identity changes throughout the novel as she is forced into life-altering situations that she reacts to. A quote from the novel that indicates this is, “Then something unexpected happens. At least, I don’t expect it because I don’t think of District 12 as a place that cares about me. But a shift has occurred since I stepped up to take Prim’s place, and now it seems I have become someone precious. At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. I means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love,” (2.17).
 * Another theme listed on the site is the theme of society and class which asks questions about how the Capitol is similar or different to District 12, where Katniss lives. The differences between the two explains why the country is run the way it is and why the people of District 12 live in fear. Katniss experiences life on both sides, which helps her to understand a lot of things about her country. One of the quotes showing this theme is, “You can see why someone like Madge, who has never been at risk of needing a tessera, can set him off. The chance of her name being drawn is very slim compare to those of us who live in the Seam. Not impossible, but slim. And even though the rules were set up by the Capitol, not the districts, certainly not Madge's family, it's hard not to resent those who don't have to sign up for the tesserae,” (1.51).
 * An additional theme listed on the site is the theme of sacrifice. Sacrifice is evident in the novel as the competitors give their lives for their districts and chance death to help them out. Competitors also choose to make sacrifice by assisting one another, such as Rue helping Katniss and eventually losing her life for it. A quote that shows this is, “Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. "Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen," (1.76).

Katniss
 * Katniss Everdeen is a teenage girl who lives in District 12, an impoverished coal-mining region in the country of Panem. She's a volunteer tribute in Panem's annual Hunger Games, having taken the place of her younger sister in an act of heroic self-sacrifice.
 * Ever since the death of her father in a tragic coal-mining accident, Katniss has taken on the role of her family's head of household.
 * Katniss is the stalwart rock of her family. Hunting, foraging, and providing for her mother and sister Prim are at the very core of her identity. While Katniss's role as a provider originated within the context of her family, Katniss is a strong provider in the arena as well. Her protective instincts extend to her ally from District 11, the young girl named Rue. The two shared food, clothing, and companionship.
 * Whether she's in the woods of District 12 or the Gamemaker's arena, Katniss is concerned with one thing: how to stay alive. This, of course, makes her a fierce competitor. She can hunt, fish, trap, and fight.
 * Warm, fuzzy emotions are a luxury that she just can't afford. Because she is only focused on the day-to-day work of living, Katniss isn't terribly sentimental – a characteristic that sets her apart from many other girl heroines and from Peeta.
 * As the girl tribute from District 12, Katniss is thrust into the spotlight when she hits the Capitol. Cameras are on her every move at every minute; unfortunately, though, she's not funny or charming or even particularly telegenic.

Peeta
 * When Peeta Mellark is selected as the tribute for District 12, all we really know about him is that he's a baker's son, a little bit emotional (3.47) – and that Katniss really wishes he hadn't been the one chosen as her co-tribute (2.23).
 * Over the course of the novel, though, we learn that he played a large part in helping Katniss's family survive after her father's death. For this, Katniss feels deeply indebted to him. Peeta is also totally and completely in love with Katniss Everdeen.
 * Peeta's character serves, at times, as a contrast to Katniss's.
 * Whereas she is a provider and a survivor, Peeta is just the opposite: he's not much of an outdoorsman, is in touch with his soft side, and comes from a world very different from Katniss's. (His family, while they end up eating stale bread, never goes hungry: they are of the more privileged merchant class.)
 * As such, Peeta's character helps develop many of the novel's major themes: love, hope, class, and identity.

Haymitch
 * Haymitch is a former District 12 tribute and winner of the Hunger Games who is now a middle-aged drunk.
 * His job is to come out of his alcoholic stupor long enough to coach Katniss and Peeta to victory in the Hunger Games. He tends to use condescending names like "sweetheart," which does nothing to endear him to the sometimes-haughty Katniss.
 * Despite his shortcomings, Haymitch serves as a very human and intermittently likable mentor figure for Katniss and Peeta. He coaches the pair from a position of experience: he understands the rules of the Hunger Games and the celebrity culture surrounding it. Haymitch knows the importance of creating a persona, and encourages Katniss to go along with the romance plot introduced by Peeta.
 * Like Katniss, Haymitch is smart – when he's sober. The two are certainly survivors, a point proved by Haymitch's former triumph in the Hunger Games of long ago.
 * Because of this connection, they are able to communicate during the Games through the sponsor gifts that Haymitch sends, such as in the pot of broth in Chapter 19: //Haymitch couldn't be sending me a clearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth. I can almost hear his snarl. "You're supposed to be in love, sweetheart. The boy's dying. Give me something I can work with!”// (19.92)
 * As a now troubled victor, Haymitch is also a reminder that perhaps no one ever really //wins// the Hunger Games. After all, Haymitch's lonely life consists of the very depressing task of coaching tributes – and usually watching them die.

Primrose
 * Prim is Katniss's twelve-year-old sister, of whom she is fiercely protective. As Katniss says, "I protect Prim in every way I can, but I'm powerless against the reaping" (1.63).
 * Prim was originally chosen as District 12's tribute during the annual reapings, but Katniss made the ultimate sacrifice for her family and volunteered to take her sister's place.
 * Prim serves as a contrast to her big sister. She is a more conventionally feminine character, for starters. Unlike the tough, no-nonsense Katniss, Prim is quite sweet, cooks, and loves animals (including Buttercup, the family cat). As Katniss says, "People deal with me, but they are genuinely fond of Prim" (3.23).
 * Prim is also a nurturing, skilled healer. For example, she owns a sweet little goat named Lady, a formerly wounded animal Katniss rescued from being butchered many years ago. When Katniss brought the hurt goat home, Prim was able to bring it back from the edge of death.

Gale
 * Gale is Katniss's hunting partner and closest friend from District 12.
 * The two characters have a good deal in common, from their backgrounds, to their family situations, to their shared harsh opinions on Panem's government.
 * There's also some romantic tension simmering beneath the surface, but for now it has yet to come to a full boil. References to Gale's character remind the reader that Katniss is actually capable of authentic emotion: friendship, love, and all of that good stuff – and not only emotion, but actual genuine happiness.
 * Gale mentions the subject of running away together, but Katniss sees this as something that, given their duties to each of their families, is impossible. "The idea is so preposterous," she says (1.26).
 * So she doesn't stop to wonder whether it is a lack of feelings, or simply circumstances, that keeps them apart. Gale is mostly absent in the novel and appears mainly in Katniss's many flashbacks or her interior monologue. He sometimes serves as a reminder of home or the unwanted voice of conscience: //I wonder what Gale made of the incident for a moment then I push the whole thing out of my mind because for some reason Gale and Peeta do not coexist well enough in my thoughts.// (15.4)

Cato
 * Cato, from District 2, is the strongest and most threatening male tribute in the Hunger Games. He is Katniss's main competition.
 * Cato is a Career Tribute from one of the wealthiest districts in Panem, who has trained his whole life for the glory of the Games.
 * For him, the Hunger Games are not so much a death sentence as a shot at eternal fame. As such, Cato is a character who is associated with power, strength, wealth, and brutality.
 * Cato suffers a particularly slow and agonizing death at the hands of the Gamemakers' pack of mutant dogs. The Gamemakers refuse to step in and end his suffering and instead further dehumanize him by playing up the entertainment value of his death. His death signals that even the wealthiest tributes are no match against the Gamemakers' cruelty. His loss in the Games makes us ask what kind of strength it really takes to win the Hunger Games.

Rue
 * Rue is the tiny, twelve-year-old tribute from District 11, the agricultural district. She can fly from tree to tree and is a wonder with mockingjay bird calls.
 * Despite her size, she scores a surprisingly high "7" during her training sessions. Her name, also, means "regret" or "sorrow" ( [|source] ), which is a bit of foreshadowing as to what her fate will be in the Hunger Games.
 * Rue reminds Katniss very much of her sister, Prim. Katniss acts as the primary protector of Rue once the two become allies. In this sense, she continues the role that she formerly played with her sister, Prim. Katniss and Rue share food, supplies, and stories about their lives.
 * Rue becomes human to Katniss and not simply a competitor. Their brief friendship during the Games allows us to see Katniss as a nurturing character, even in the midst of all the fierce competition.
 * After Rue's death, Katniss honors Rue's body by covering her with flowers. This act defies the Capitol and challenges the idea that Rue's death was just entertainment for a viewing audience at home. Rue was human and she made a great sacrifice in giving her life during the Games. Ultimately, Rue's death inspires Katniss to fight all the more against the Capitol – and win the Games any way she can.

Preassessment Ticktacktoe graphic organizer Voicethread handout Checklist Rubric
 * __Handouts__**