Overview | Are today’s young adult novels darker in theme than in years past? What’s behind the current wave of dystopia in young adult literature? In this lesson, students reflect on some of the reasons dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories appeal to young readers by engaging in one of six different activities.
Materials | Statement posters (as described below), library access (optional), research materials (optional)
Warm-Up | Before class, place four statement posters (“Strongly Agree,” “Agree Somewhat,” “Disagree Somewhat,” and “Strongly Disagree”) in the corners of the classroom. As students will be moving around to stand beneath the statements with which they most relate, make sure there is easy access to each corner.
Before this activity you may wish to review the terms dystopian, utopian andpost-apocalyptic with students.
Then, read each of the following statements, excerpted from the Room for Debate discussion “The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction” aloud, and ask students to move to the corners of the room that best express their views on that subject. As students take their places, write the statement on the board. Then, ask at least one student in each group to share his or her opinion.
