...CONTEXT Growing up, Suzanne Collins was a military brat. Her father was a career airman in the United States Air Force, as a result, Collins and her siblings—two older sisters and an older brother—moved around frequently, spending time in numerous locations in the eastern United States as well as in Europe. The military, in fact, played a leading role in the family’s history. Collins’s grandfather had served in World War I, her uncle served in World War II, and the year Collins turned six, her father left to serve his own tour in the Vietnam War. War, consequently, was a part of life for Collins, something very real and not just an abstract idea. While her father was gone, she would sometimes see video footage of the war zone on the news, and she recognized that her father was there fighting. Though her father returned after a year, Collins’s connection to war didn’t end. In addition to being a soldier, Collins’s father was also a military historian and a doctor of political science. That knowledge and experiences serving in the Air Force and fighting in Vietnam had a profound effect on his relationships with his children, and he made sure they learned what they could about war. While other girls’ fathers were telling them fairytales, Collins’s father educated her about military history. When the family was moved to Brussels, Belgium, for instance, her father educated her about the region’s violent history and took her on tours of the country’s historic battlefields. Eventually...
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...Questions- Answers 1. Describe the narrator. What is her family situation? Katniss Everdeen is the narrator in this story. Katniss hunts illegally. Katniss is 16 years old, she has dark hair, and a dark complexion, she also has an anti-social personality. Katniss’ family is very poor and struggling to survive in the seam. 2. Describe District 12 and the Seam. The Seam is an area in District 12 where Katniss lives. Outlying district located in the Appalachian Mountains. The District is surrounded by an electric fence. They are lucky to get only a few hours of electricity daily. There are 13 Districts making up the future North America, until the 13th was demolished because of a rebellion. 3. What happened to “father”? Katniss’s father was killed in a coal mining explosion 5 years ago when Katniss was 11 years old. 4. Why don’t most people have weapons like Katniss’s bow? Katniss owns a bow because her father made it and gave it to her. She hides outside the electric fence in a hollow tree. Other people in the district do not have weapons because it is illegal. It is illegal it is an act of rebellion. 5. Who is Gale? Gale is 18 years old, he is Katniss’ best friend. Gale is tall, and has grey eyes. He calls katniss “catnip,” and hunts with Katniss for food. Gale’s father was killed in a mine explosion just like Katniss’ father. 6. What is the Hob? The Hob is located in district 12 and...
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...NOTE: This is a published paper and should be cited as follows: Simmons, A.M. (2012). Class on fire: Using the Hunger Games trilogy to encourage social action. The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 56(1), 22-34. Abstract This article explores ways to utilize students’ interest in fantasy literature to support critical literacy. Focusing on Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games series (2008, 2009, 2010), the author addresses how elements of the trilogy relate to violent acts in our world, helping student understand that violence and brutality toward children is not fiction, but very real, and that they can play a role in its abolishment, just like Katniss, through social action projects. Issues such as hunger, forced labor, child soldiers, and the sex trade that appear in both the fictional series and our world are discussed, encouraging students to assess their world and advocate for change. Examples of social action projects that utilize multiple literacies are suggested as a way to inspire students take action in the community and to stand up to injustice and brutality in hopes of creating a better world and a better human race. Using popular literature to pique student interest, this article explores how to incorporate the books in the Hunger Games series into the ELA classroom to support literacy and critical goals. Class on Fire: Using the Hunger Games Trilogy to Encourage Social Action Introduction The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, comprising...
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