The Giver Ch. 6-7

          Chapter 6 begins as Jonas' family is getting ready for the Ceremonies in December.  Lily is excited because she will be an Eight, so she will begin to do volunteer hours.  All the Eights start volunteer hours.  She is also excited because she will only have to wear her hair ribbons for one more year.  When children turn Nine, they each get a bicycle, and girls don't need to wear hair ribbons anymore.

         Jonas watches all of the ceremonies for children ages One through Eight.  The most exciting ceremony is the Ceremony of One, when the babies get their names and their families.  The rest of the ceremonies are boring for Jonas, and he is very tired at the end of the day.

        The next morning, Jonas is very excited because today is the Ceremony of Twelve!  First, he watches the Ceremony of Nine, when all of the excited nine year old children get their bicycles.  The Ceremonies of Ten and Eleven come next.  They are not very interesting for Jonas, but soon it's time for the Ceremony of Twelve!

        Before the ceremony, Jonas and Asher eat lunch together.  Asher is worried about his Assignment.  He talks about a story of one boy who was not happy with his Assignment.  The story says that the boy swam across the river and ran away from the community.  Jonas tells Asher that the story isn't real, but Asher is still worried.  He says there was one time that a girl applied for release because she wasn't happy in the community, and no one ever saw her again.  Jonas isn't worried, because he thinks everyone is happy.  The Committee of Elders  plans everything very carefully.  For example, when people want a husband or wife, they apply for one.  The Committee of Elders carefully decides who should marry who.  Then, they watch the Match for three years.  If the Match is successful, then they can apply for children.

          In Chapter Seven, the Ceremony of Twelve finally begins.  The elders begin to give the children their Assignments, starting with child number one, and moving up.  Jonas is number nineteen.  He watches Asher get the Assignment of Assistant Director of Recreation.  Jonas is very happy for Asher, because that's a great job for him.  But, he feels more apprehensive as they get close to number nineteen.  When number eighteen is finished and Jonas' turn comes, he feels more calm.  But then, the elders SKIP him!  They don't call his number!  Instead, they call number twenty!  Jonas feel confused, dazed, and humiliated...


Vocabulary:  Signal words that show time and order
the next morning, first, next, soon, before the ceremony, finally

Grammar Point:  "When" clauses

When children turn Nine, they each get a bicycle.

"When" clauses can come before or after the main part of the sentence.  These clauses begin with the word "when," and then they have a subject and a verb.  They describe the time that the main part of the sentence happens.

Examples:
The most exciting ceremony is the Ceremony of One, when the babies get their names and their families.
First, he watches the Ceremony of Nine, when all of the excited nine year old children get their bicycles.

Comprehension Questions:
1.  What will Lily begin to do when she turns Eight?
2.  What do children get when they turn Nine?
3.  How does Asher feel before the Ceremony of Twelve?
4.  What Assignment does Asher receive?
5.  What happens to Jonas during the Ceremony of Twelve?

* THINK- Jonas says that he doesn't worry about people not being happy, because all of the decisions are very carefully made.  The Committee of Elders decides who will marry who, and when a couple is ready to apply for children.  What do you think about this?  Would you be happy in this community?