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I have a new 8th grader in a 1:1 type of behavior program. I have him the entire day, and since we only have 30 days of school left I kind of have some leeway with what I do with him.
Since he seems into sci-fi/fantasy, I though I would give Ender's Game a try. There is a ton of material out there online, I was just curious if any other teachers have anything specific that worked well with their students.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I taught it this year to my 8th grade class. I compiled a list of traits that an effective leader should possess, and had the students read the novel and keep track of incidents in which Ender displayed those character traits.
Then, they had to imagine themselves as an officer in the IF in charge of placement and they had to write a report recommending Ender for command school based on how he demonstrated the traits of an effective leader.
I had some really good papers.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I remember writing a report on it back and school. The teacher returned it to me and said "It's science fiction. Nothing worth teaching happens in science fiction. Try using a real book.".
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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If you go to the research area (button up top) -- there is a section where teachers have posted things they have done with their class with Ender's Game and other books. You may want to give that a try. Good luck!
Posts: 780 | Registered: Jul 1999
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Well, I have the entire Ender series, as well as Enchantment, on my syllabus as options for my ENG 112 students to write their final paper. I usually get at least one Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow paper a semester, but this semester, I'm getting an Ender in Exile paper, and a paper arguing that Valentine is the real hero of Ender's Game. I'm quite tickled, actually, since one of my students said they were crying as they read the book, and I shared that I did the same. Posts: 428 | Registered: Nov 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Kwea: I remember writing a report on it back and school. The teacher returned it to me and said "It's science fiction. Nothing worth teaching happens in science fiction. Try using a real book.".
How old are you?
And was this person similarly ill-informed on other topics?
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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And did she write off Shakespeare because he wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream and "nothing worth teaching happens in fantasy"?
Posts: 2437 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Well, of course that's the old game of literary critics right? If it is literature, it can't be sci-fi, because sci-fi is pulp.
So we live in a world where 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, Time Machine and even Neuromancer are classed outside of science fiction because they have redeeming literary qualities.
And it's just not "lit" snobbery, it's also about positioning for other pulp genres. Michael Crichton sits next to Tom Clancy or John Grisham in the bookstore.
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I'm quite tickled, actually, since one of my students said they were crying as they read the book, and I shared that I did the same. 
