Hunger Games Fever

I've heard a lot of conversations about The Hunger Games in the LRC lately.  As long as students are talking about it, why not use this media craze as a springboard for other discussions and further reading?  I've rounded up some resources that I found interesting.

This article on Discovery news explores why Panem might have hovercraft and force fields but no internet, the theme of technological imbalance in science fiction novels, and how the technology in a society reflects its political and social policies.  

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This infographic from GoodReads explores the different waves of dystopian fiction from Brave New World to The Hunger Games and how the dominant themes in dystopian fiction reflect the anxieties of the times in which they were written.

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Awesome Stories provides real-life context for this science fiction story using many primary sources illuminating such areas as the Appalachia region that District 12 is based on, coal mining, totalitarian governments, and tributes in ancient Greece.  Complete with 'issues and questions to ponder' for each section, links to pictures and videos, and recommended sources for further reading.

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Scholastic's official discussion guide for all three books in the trilogy provides many great questions that delve deeper into the text as well as historical and literary connections and recommended further reading fiction and nonfiction lists.

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Common Sense Media's list of books like The Hunger Games provide some great recommendations that can be filtered by age range.

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Visit HungerGamesLessons.com for a roundup of different ways that teachers are using The Hunger Games in their classrooms.

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@ your library has a round up of impressive fan-made book trailers for The Hunger Games to inspire students to create their own content.

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Lastly for those who want a more hands-on activity, watch Feast of Fiction's video on how to make bread like Peeta:

Let me know if you liked the links and please share any further resources you have in the comments.