Sad panda :(

whitsy · February 2012

I'm doing a unit on the Hunger Games with my sixth grade students. I spoke with my principal before beginning, she says great idea, and so I began Tuesday. The unit is amazing, with tons of activities related to Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies, and even Math. I'm really excited to be doing it, and the kids have really gotten into the story. We're about midway through chapter 3.

A parent today told me that she thought the book was inappropriate for this age. I offered to give her student another assignment, but she declined, saying she didn't want to single her out. I gave her a couple of other options, all of which she also declined.

And so now, I'm so torn. I hate to stop the book, but I'm worried this parent may cause a stir. What do you think? Is the book inappropriate for 6th graders?

ootmother2 · February 2012

I haven't read it yet, whitsy but I did check it out at M's on the book jacket. Just from that I may say it could be a little mature but I'm running on second hand knowledge

tidetravel · February 2012

I haven't read it, but don't stop the book. You gave her options. She declined. The end.

mica178 · February 2012

Isn't HG a YA book? I don't see the problem.

Simply Fated · February 2012

It's hard to find a book every single parent will agree on. The parent is already singling her daughter out by pulling her from the lesson. Does the parent really expect you to stop the lesson for everyone?

musicalsunlight · February 2012

I don't think it is any darker than HP or other YA books I read at that age.

whitsy · February 2012

oot, it is mature. It has some more mature themes, and can be a little violent. But I really felt like the good outweighed the bad. And now I'm super second guessing myself. I just wanted to get some other opinions.

dumdumfroggie · February 2012

Well according to Amazon it's for 12 and up. I think it's pushing it a little bit for 6th grade, but I wouldn't stop now, especially since you've already started.

barrelbabe004 · February 2012

I would go to your principal. If he/she says that you're still good to go then I would continue on. I'm always a lot more comfortable when I know I have my administration's backing. ETA: fixed sentence.

professorscience · February 2012

Hm. I guess if I was in that parent's shoes, I would have a small problem with my kids reading the detailed descriptions of children murdering each other.

I don't think I would want to ban the book, though. I think I'd prefer to use it is a way to talk to my kids about social issues and the like.

I feel like you should proceed -- you have the backing of your administration, and you made plenty of effort to give alternative assignments. At this point the mother can either deal with it and use the opportunity, or I suppose she can have her daughter moved from your class.

Have you shared with the parent the learning objectives from the unit? We teach a section on HIV and have to send a letter home every year with the specific targets that will be covered and give the parents the option to have their kid removed from any targets they wish.

musicalsunlight · February 2012

I feel like the only material in older YA books that can be inappropriate is if there is explicit sexual descriptions. HG doesn't have that. I think the violence, while definitely there, isn't graphic enough for it to be that inappropriate.

whitsy · February 2012

mica, yes it is. It's a 5.3 reading level, which means it's intended for a student in the 5th grade, 3rd month.

Simply, I'm not sure exactly what she wanted. I guess just to bring up her concerns to me? I don't know. And that's why I'm really second guessing my choice now.

ootmother2 · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_sad-panda-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:3186ab8d-573f-47fd-91a9-b227e299e065Post:3ada2b9a-7857-4258-bea8-d52f4a1dd3f3">Re: Sad panda :(</a>:
[QUOTE]oot, it is mature. It has some more mature themes, and can be a little violent. But I really felt like the good outweighed the bad. And now I'm super second guessing myself. I just wanted to get some other opinions.
Posted by whitsy[/QUOTE]

Your the teacher. Your classroom, your rule

lyndausvi · February 2012

IDK.. I think 6th grade is on the cusp of being inappropriate. I was 11 in 6th grade, seems a little young IMO. But I would not let 1 parent stop you from continuing with the assignment.

whitsy · February 2012

dumdum, most of my students are 12. We did a "reaping" tesserae activity, and almost every student is already 12, with several already 13.

barrel, I think that's my plan in the morning. We had already discussed it, but I think I will bring it up again. They (not my class) read Hatchet last year, and it's kinda violent as well.

professor, I just don't remember the descriptions being that graphic, but if I need to skip over some parts, I will. I've read the first book twice, once last summer and once a couple weeks ago. The violence just isn't weighing in heavily in my mind.

musicalsunlight · February 2012

lol for some reason the ".3" thing really amuses me. Like, what happens in the 3rd month that makes a child "ready"?

Either way, I still don't see it as inappropriate. I might be biased from remembering where my maturity level was at that age though, which is probably higher than other 6th graders might've been.

professorscience · February 2012

I just have really vivid images of, like, Rue's death, and Cato's death. I'm not saying I wouldn't let my kid read it -- those books are amazing. But I can see where it might freak some kids/parents out.

ootmother2 · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_sad-panda-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:3186ab8d-573f-47fd-91a9-b227e299e065Post:b6853ba8-f8c3-4e30-bba8-614769c771ab">Re: Sad panda :(</a>:
[QUOTE]lol for some reason the ".3" thing really amuses me. Like, what happens in the 3rd month that makes a child "ready"? Either way, I still don't see it as inappropriate. I might be biased from remembering where my maturity level was at that age though, which is probably higher than other 6th graders might've been.
Posted by musicalsunlight[/QUOTE]

yeah, music was reading porn in 4th grade!

whitsy · February 2012

Ha ha musu I know! I don't know how they figure out those numbers.

professor, I can definitely understand her concern once she brought up the violence. I honestly just hadn't thought about it, since the violence to me isn't what the book is about. I should have thought better.

housewifehobbiest · February 2012

As far as I can remember, there's nothing of foul language, sex, or drug use in the book, so I'm assuming her issue is violence? In comparing it to book my class read in 6th grade, like The Giver, Hatchet, and A Wrinkle in Time it seems pretty on par. It's also teaching a positive lesson in violence being wrong and a last resort etc.

I'm of the mind that almost anything that gets kids interested in reading, and willing to pick up a book in their free time, is worth it. I've always been a huge book nerd though

musicalsunlight · February 2012

It kind of bugs me that kids will be allowed to watch violence on TV and play violent video games but then when violence is written down, it is suddenly worse. I mean, it is entirely possible that the kid is sheltered from all these things by this particular parent, but still. Annoying.

mica178 · February 2012

I read Hamlet in 4th grade (at school). There are a lot more mature themes in Shakespeare than in the HG series.

musicalsunlight · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_sad-panda-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3186ab8d-573f-47fd-91a9-b227e299e065Post:9660fa80-8d31-4fde-8f85-49eedb208d80">Re: Sad panda :(</a>:
[QUOTE]I read Hamlet in 4th grade (at school). There are a lot more mature themes in Shakespeare than in the HG series.
Posted by mica178[/QUOTE]

whoa, like a kid version or something? I don't think I could've read the pure Shakespeare prose at that age.

whitsy · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_sad-panda-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3186ab8d-573f-47fd-91a9-b227e299e065Post:7c7d5d83-e419-4c0e-b196-2920af2d3ed1">Re: Sad panda :(</a>:
[QUOTE]As far as I can remember, there's nothing of foul language, sex, or drug use in the book, so I'm assuming her issue is violence? In comparing it to book my class read in 6th grade, like The Giver, Hatchet, and A Wrinkle in Time it seems pretty on par. It's also teaching a positive lesson in violence being wrong and a last resort etc. <strong>I'm of the mind that almost anything that gets kids interested in reading, and willing to pick up a book in their free time, is worth it.</strong> I've always been a huge book nerd though :)
Posted by NYCFoodieBride[/QUOTE]

See, this is what I was thinking. My mind goes straight to, "The kids will love this! I have a great unit for it! Yay!"

tidetravel · February 2012

I think what it comes down to is that if she's going to complain, she needs to offer a solution. You offered several solutions and she declined, yet she didn't have any other suggestions. Sounds to me as if she just wanted you to know she "wasn't happy." Hrumph.

whitsy · February 2012

Nail on the head, musu.

mica178 · February 2012

Nope, we read the real thing. And did a condensed version (just the important scenes) that we performed for the school. I went to a fancy elementary school.

musicalsunlight · February 2012

It almost seems like the influx of violence in visual form has made violence in books more scary or something. I mean I know books have been banned/controversial for decades, but yeah. And books often have intellectual conversation starters too, whereas most video games and tv shows with lots of violence don't.

musicalsunlight · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_sad-panda-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3186ab8d-573f-47fd-91a9-b227e299e065Post:163ed9c4-dcb2-4429-b686-b5e8d032b393">Re: Sad panda :(</a>:
[QUOTE]Nope, we read the real thing. And did a condensed version (just the important scenes) that we performed for the school. I went to a fancy elementary school.
Posted by mica178[/QUOTE]

wow that is impressive! I remember reading a more simple text of Midsummer Night's Dream in 4th grade. We read it as a class cast as different roles. I was Hermia and this kid who had a huge crush on me played Lysander. That was uncomfortable. :( I feel like that play has a lot more suggestive adult themes than HG does.

number55 · February 2012

Our grade 6s are doing it as a read aloud Whit...but we are up here in socialist Canada so I am not sure that counts for much. We are supposed to use it in our new sci fi unit with my grade 8s - I think we probably will even though most of them have read it.

Right now I am torn because it would be cool to take them to see Hunger Games but I really want to do a mini-unit on The Lorax and take them to see that too.

.

Sorry to get off topic - I say talk to your admin - that's your CYA.

whitsy · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_sad-panda-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3186ab8d-573f-47fd-91a9-b227e299e065Post:2c7d649a-e246-4a14-a679-c89265a1784e">Re: Sad panda :(</a>:
[QUOTE]It almost seems like the influx of violence in visual form has made violence in books more scary or something. I mean I know books have been banned/controversial for decades, but yeah. And books often have intellectual conversation starters too, whereas most video games and tv shows with lots of violence don't.
Posted by musicalsunlight[/QUOTE]

Yes, we've already had some great discussions about utopian vs dystopian society. I'm really proud of the way they've already picked up some of the themes and symbolism in the book, and it's only chapter 3!

Sad panda :(

Re: Sad panda :(

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