FUTURISTIC FICTION

 I'm a big fan of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, as are the students that I teach.  Our collective interest in the future has been multiplied with the release of the "Hunger Games" movie.  Of course I can't keep those books on my shelf but a lot of others are going out the door of my library as well.  I really do want to get to the heart of how tween and teen readers experience these novels.  Here is my collection of lesson plans and literature circle activities that attempt to help readers express what they appreciate about futuristic fiction reads. All are available at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

• FUTURISTIC FICTION: Independent Reading and Book Club Support

There are currently 31 pages to this unit that will belp get kids talking about books while having them be accountable for independent reading. It also does not force them to all read the same exact book. By using these universal questions as discussion starters, you can have a productive mixed book discussion group with several titles in it.

There are also resources for several futuristic fiction titles. For each title, there is a 10 to 20 question multiple choice comprehension quiz so that a teacher can ensure that students have read and understood the details of their book. There are also 8 to 11 discussion questions that are specific to one title. And then there is a core collection of universal questions to use.

Additionally, there is some background information on the genre of science fiction and the sub genres of post-apocalyptic fiction and dystopian fiction as well as some discussion of the themes that are often contained in these books.   The images above are from this lesson plan.

• MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner : Deluxe Novel Study -- This is my favorite post apocalyptic novel mainly because you really can't tell what's going on in it! The deluxe part of the novel study includes comprehension questions and discussion questions for the two sequels in the Maze Runner trilogy. 

• MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner : Discussion Questions and Activity Guide --This is a twenty-one page discussion and activity guide to "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner. There are 18 questions that are great for group discussion and there is a focus on character connections as well as how setting impacts the actions of characters. It has been recently updated to align with NWEA RIT SCORES 210-220 and 221-230. 

•  MATCHED by Allie Condie : Reading Comprehension Questions and Discussion Questions -- Matched by Allie Condie is a fabulous young adult book with a strong female heroine living in a future version of the United States where the government exerts control over every part of a person's life, including who they will marry. This way of life has never bothered Cassia, until the moment that she discovers that there is something abnormal about the way she is matched. This book is the first in a trilogy! Use this resource to support young adult independent reading. There are 11 meaty discussion questions that could be used in a book club discussion and a 15 question comprehension quiz to ensure that students have read the book.

•  ELEVENTH PLAGUE by Jeff Hirsch : Reading Comprehension Questions and Discussion Questions -- The "Eleventh Plague" by Jeff Hirsch is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the not-so-distant future after the collapse of the United States government. Stephen and his family are salvagers who find still usable objects to sell until a tragedy leaves Stephen completely alone.