Academic Year 2024-25

Grade: MYP 3
Unit 1: Dystopian Fiction
Key concept: Connections
Related Concept: Genre, Purpose
Global Context: Fairness and Development
Students will explore: Authority, security and freedom
Statement of Inquiry: Writers through their distinct works often influence
our notions of security and freedom by building connections with real world
issues.
Topic: Excerpts fro m The Hunger Games

Excerpt 1:

Mockingjays are something of a slap in the face to the Capitol. During the
rebellion, the Capitol bred a series of genetically altered animals as
weapons, called muttations. Among them was a bird called a jabberjay that
could memorize and repeat conversations, and these were used to spy on
the rebels before they realized how the conversations were being
transmitted. Afterwards, the districts used the birds to feed the Capitol a
bunch of lies, and the birds were abandoned to die off in the wild. Instead of
dying off, however, they mated with mockingbirds, and the resulting species
could replicate both bird whistles and human melodies. These are known as
mockingjays.
Effie comes to collect Katniss for supper, and they walk into a dining room
where Peeta sits waiting. Effie seems relieved by Haymitch’s absence. The
meal arrives in courses, and Katniss stuffs herself because it’s the first time
she’s had so much good food before her. Effie comments that at least Peeta
and Katniss have decent table manners, unlike the pair of tributes that
came before them. Katniss takes offence at this comment, since she
knows—as Effie can’t—that those tributes probably never had enough to eat
in their lives. Katniss decides to eat with her hands after that, pointedly
wiping her fingers on the tablecloth.
After the meal, Peeta and Katniss go to another compartment to watch a
recap of the reapings across Panem. A few stand out to Katniss. There’s a
boy who volunteers in District 2, a fox-faced girl from District 5, and most
upsettingly, a twelve-year-old girl from District 11 who reminds Katniss
of Prim. No one volunteers for this girl, however. Then the recap of the
reaping in District 12 arrives, and Effie comments that their mentor could
learn a lot about televised behavior, a comment which strikes Peeta and
Katniss as funny.
They remind Effie that Haymitch was drunk, as he always is—his behavior
doesn’t just amount to rough manners. Effie snaps that their mentor is their
lifeline to the world during the Games and that they should be the last ones
laughing at his drunken behavior. As if on cue, Haymitch staggers into the
compartment and vomits all over the carpet before falling into the mess.
Effie flees the room.

Excerpt 2:

Katniss’s quarters are larger than her entire house back home. She
experiments with the automatic gadgets, programming the closet to pick an
outfit to her taste and conjuring food from an automatic menu
until Effie summons her to dinner.

When Katniss arrives, she sees that the stylists will be joining them for
dinner in order to strategize about the Games. Haymitch also seems to be
pulling himself together, appearing as clean-shaven and sober as Katniss
has ever seen him. Katniss also tries her first glass of wine, but decides to
switch to water halfway through because she doesn’t like the foggy feeling it
gives her.

A red-haired girl comes to set a cake on the table, and when Katniss turns
to ask her a question, she finds that she recognizes the girl. She blurts this
aloud, and the girl looks terrified, shaking her head as she hurries away
from the table. When Katniss turns back, the four adults—
Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, and his partner, Portia—are watching her carefully.
Effie says that the girl is an Avox, someone who has committed a crime. As
punishment, their tongues are cut off so that they can’t speak. Haymitch
says that she was probably a traitor of some sort.

Katniss finally recalls who the girl is, but senses that she should conceal
this knowledge. Peeta comes to her rescue, saying that the girl looks like
someone they know from school, which helps everyone to relax.

After dinner, the party moves into the sitting room to watch a replay of the
opening ceremonies. Haymitch comments that the handholding is the
perfect touch of rebellion, which gives Katniss pause. She realizes that the
other tributes stood stiffly next to each other, not touching, as if the Games
had already begun. Haymitch sends Peeta and Katniss off to get some rest
while the adults strategize.
When they’re alone, Peeta corners Katniss and asks her about the Avox.
Katniss hesitates, and Peeta, sensing her hesitation, suggests that they go
up to the roof, where they can see the whole city. He warns her that the
wind can be a bit loud though, and Katniss realizes that he means that they
can’t be recorded up there. Katniss follows Peeta up a flight of stairs to the
roof, where they admire the scenery for a minute, before Katniss tells the
story of the red-haired girl.

Katniss explains that she and Gale had been hunting in the woods one day,
hiding as they waited for game to pass by. Suddenly, all the birds stopped
singing at once, and a pair, a boy and a girl, appeared, running as if their
lives depended on it. Suddenly, a hovercraft appeared above them, and a net
dropped down on the girl, pulling her up, and a spear impaled the boy
before he was pulled up to the hovercraft as well. Peeta asks whether the girl
saw Katniss, and Katniss responds that she doesn’t know—even though she
does. The girl had locked eyes with Katniss and called out for help right
before the hovercraft appeared.

Excerpt 3:
Katniss examines the contents of her pack, finding a sleeping bag and some
crackers and dried beef. She also finds an empty water bottle, which
reminds her of how dire her water situation might become. For the moment,
she sets a couple snare traps before settling into a willow tree for the night.
Soon, the anthem that precedes the death recap begins to play, and Katniss
notes with relief that Peeta is still alive. She tells herself that if she loses, it
will be most beneficial to her family if Peeta wins.

Katniss dozes off only to be awakened a few hours later by the sound of
branches snapping below her. Another tribute has started to make a fire,
which infuriates Katniss because it is sure to reveal their destination. As
dawn arrives, Katniss thinks that perhaps the fire-starter has gone
unnoticed, but then she hears the footsteps of the Career Tributes, and the
pleading of a girl before she’s killed. The Career Tributes often band together
at the start of the Games, before the tension becomes too great and they
start to turn on each other.

The pack starts to walk away, but they pause beneath Katniss’s tree,
worried that the girl they left behind isn’t dead yet. One voice says that he’ll
go finish her off, and Katniss is shocked to recognize the voice as Peeta’s.

Reference:

The Hunger Games, (Book 1) by Suzzane Collins Published by Scholastic Press