Unit Rationale: Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

            There are many transitions that people go though throughout their life. One of the hardest transitions in life is from Middle School to High school. In the transition from Middle school to High school, students are faced with numerous decisions, challenges and experiences that will impact their lives. It is important as a teacher to make this transition as smooth as possible. It is important as a teacher to provide young adolescents with a channel in which to witness these experiences through others of their own age. These channels (Divergent) can be used in the classroom expand student’s ability to comprehend certain situations. Students need to be able to fully express their own problems, and understand others in similar circumstances. Students need to be able to speak and understand not just others, but their own transitional circumstances.  By using the text Divergent as an anchor text in my classroom to spark discussions can be exactly what is necessary to get students to think critically about their own experiences. In hopes of sharing these experiences with the class or even just analyzing these thoughts on their own.

            The transitions young teens go through when transferring from Middle to High school are complicated and numerous. Teens making the transition from Middle school to High school have to make many decisions, such as where they will fall on the social and academic scale. Other pertinent and unavoidable decisions these teens must make are: what clubs to join, whether or not to play sports, what friend groups to hangout with, etc. These are all decisions that will determine one’s identity and how they are viewed by others. These are all decisions that the main characters in Divergent are going through.

            In this unit I will be assigning Divergent by Veronica Roth as the unit anchor text. Divergent is a science fiction novel, where the main character Beatrice and her supporting characters are all descending upon their own life changing transition. At the age of 16, Beatrice and the other characters must transition into society by making decisions that will determine the rest of their life. Beatrice and the other main characters must choose a faction in the society they live, this is where they will work and live for lives. Each faction serves a different role in society and follows certain rules. Abnegation, Beatrice’s faction, are the selfless and serve as the government and are all around obedient to rules. Amity are the peaceful and serve in agriculture, the (hippies) of the factions. Candor are honest and tend to work in positions that represent honesty such as court. Dauntless are brave and serve as the guards of the city limits. They are physically in shape and daring, fearless by all definitions. Erudite are intelligent and work in education and research, they are the scientist and professors. In Divergent, Beatrice and other main characters are going through an important transition that will pave the path for adulthood. Beatrice and the other supporting characters are facing decisions and challenges that my classroom students are facing, or will face at some point in their journey for identity. Beatrice and her supporting characters must leave their family behind, stripping themselves of the identity they were given and finding their own. This all begins with the choice of which faction to join; much like the choice students face when choosing which sports group or club to join. Beatrice chooses Dauntless, steering away from Abnegation, the fraction in which she was born and raised. Beatrice has to deal with losing the life she knows, and creating a new identity. As Beatrice goes through her hardest transition in life, she gets a new view of the world she grew up in. Not everyone fits into just one faction, and she has to fight for what she believes in.

            Divergent as an anchor text will be used to open students to critical thinking about society. In Mountainburg, where I am teaching my unit, there are many students who are related or have known each other their whole lives. Divergent will force these students to view their lives outside of their family circles. It will make students analyze their own lives based on their own decisions, and their actions in society. It sheds light on the effects of stereotyping, which is often used even if students are not aware they stereotype. Divergent also presents students a channel to critically think of their identity within society and connect to their role in society. This text is very relevant to a 10th grade English classroom at the beginning of the semester, because it directly correlates with the student’s transition into High school. Also, Divergent uses several literary elements to comment on social issues. Literary elements are necessary to fully understand texts more critically. Being presented with literary elements within a text that my students connect with, will hopefully encourage their desire to learn and understand on a critical level these literary elements. This will be useful when reading and understanding more difficult text.

            My students will read Divergent and will be presented with many critical thinking questions. Also, another positive to Divergent, is if students have difficulty fully understanding the text, there is a movie to use for visual learners and scaffolding application. This text is perfect for transitioning 10th graders, and approaches relevant topics that students can easily relate to. Making Divergent a necessary text for my Mountainburg 10th grade students facing these same challenges in society.