This week we will begin studying how different societies work through our reading of the novel The Giver. This novel presents one perspective on society through a dystopian lens (think about books like those in the Divergent and Maze Runner series). We will be reading this book primarily in class, but it will be posted on Edmodo and you will be able to follow along by reading the book on your own personal mobile device (tablet or a smartphone with pdf reading capability). Also, we will begin our study of vocabulary through unfamiliar words listed in the book. In order to expand your vocabulary and understanding of the book, you will begin keeping an interactive reading journal. This is where you will write down ideas you have, and words you don't know or with which you are unfamiliar. On Wednesday, we will administer an ELA pretest; this is simply so that we can see where your are now with your ELA skills. At the end of the semester, we will administer the same test so that we can see how far you have come during our time together. This test will be multiple choice with short constructed and extended writing responses (modeled after the GA Milestones exam). We look forward to an awesome week with you filled with new experiences and learning.