The Giver: Community, Control & Dystopian Society | Family Units

The Giver: Community, Control & Dystopian Society | Family Units — Designed Relationships Community Family Structure Case Study | Grades 6–10

What happens when a society decides who you marry, who your children are, and what your family should look like?
In this no-prep literature analysis lesson, students investigate how family units function within the controlled society of The Giver. Students move beyond simply identifying the community’s rules to examine who holds decision-making power, why those rules might exist, and what may be gained or lost when family relationships are designed rather than freely formed.
Students then work collaboratively to create a Community Family Structure Case Study, using evidence and analysis to explain what the community’s approach to family reveals about its larger values.

What’s Included
- Teacher directions for 1–2 class periods (45–60 minutes each)
- Lesson overview
- Mini research questions
- Suggested online resources
- 3 student activity pages
- Full-color student pages
- Printer-friendly black-and-white versions

Perfect For
- The Giver novel studies
- Dystopian literature units
- Literary analysis
- Theme and society analysis
- Critical-thinking activities
- Community and social-control units

Disclaimer About the Novel
This resource is an independently created educational product designed to support teaching and learning about The Giver by Lois Lowry.
It is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or sponsored by Lois Lowry, her publishers, or any related rights holders.
The Giver, its characters, setting, and other elements from the novel remain the intellectual property of Lois Lowry and/or her publishers. No part of the novel is reproduced or included in this resource.
This product does not contain the full text of the novel and is not intended to replace the novel itself. References to the novel, its characters, events, or themes are included solely for educational instruction, literary analysis, discussion, and classroom activities.