Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is propaganda and why is it used? Can you think of any historical instances in which propaganda was used to sway public opinion? Why might an entity like a government body or corporation use propaganda?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider their interpretation of propaganda, probe their own knowledge for examples, and consider the implications of propaganda’s usage. If students have not learned about propaganda, consider first opening the National Geographic resource below or a similar resource to give them a definition and several examples. To follow up, you might use the National Archives gallery or a similar resource and view posters or materials while asking students to interpret the purpose of each. This question connects to the central theme The Impact of Propaganda.

• This National Geographic resource defines propaganda and provides examples of its uses.
• This National Archives online exhibit features a gallery of United States propaganda posters and explains the context of each one.

2. What does “dystopian” mean? How do dystopian stories like The Hunger Games, The Giver, and Divergent interpret the future? What makes a setting dystopian? Why might an author write a story set in a dystopian society?