War and Violence as a Theme in Lord of the Flies

Teaching Strategy: Experiential Learning/Constructivist Approach Activity

OPTION 1

Directions: Read The Art of War excerpts. Using the ideas presented in The Art of War excerpts, develop a war game where there are two warring sides. Use the Game Organizer to help you. Provide a narrative about each side.A game is a play activity with rules that involves conflict. The learning goal of the game is to teach people a theme about war, violence, or humanity.

Brainstorm Game Ideas Here

GAME ORGANIZER

Game Parts / WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THIS PART? / ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS GAME EXAMPLE / YOUR GAME
LEARNING GOAL / What should students learn as a result of playing the game? / The learning goal is to notice people’s patterns of throwing certain shapes so that way you can anticipate their next shape and beat them with that knowledge / What theme will your game teach about war or violence or humanity?
Achievement of Learning Goal / How are you going to get them to learn the learning goal in the game? / They will learn people’s patterns by writing the patterns down
GOAL / What does a player or team need to do to win? (Examples: cross the finish line, collect the most marbles, be the last one standing) / the goal is to “throw” the winning shape: rock, paper, or scissors
CHALLENGE / What obstacles might you put in the player’s way to make reaching the goal fun and interesting? (How is she being kept from reaching a goal? Her leg is tied to a teammates, the marbles are hidden, getting hit with a ball ends game play?) / The challenge in this game is to anticipate which shape your competitor will throw-rock, paper, or scissors-so that you can throw the shape that beats it
CORE MECHANICS / What core actions or moves does the player do to power the play of the game? (jumping, wiggling, searching, solving clues, ducking, bobbing, weaving, dodging, balance, swing, climb, stretch, kneel, roll, lift, spin, push, crawl, pull, leap, bend, crunch, march, shake, rotate) / Players “throw” an object, meaning they make the shape of an object with their hand and extend their arm to “throw” it
COMPONENTS / What parts make up the materials of play? (A grassy field, marbles, dice, spinner, ball, rope, stick, key, chair, cloud, tile, barrel, coin, stone, music, base, ghost, referee, bat, horse) / Three shapes: rock, paper, and scissors; one hand from each player
RULES / What relationships define what a player can and cannot do in the game? (player’s legs are tied together, they must start on the same line, all marbles must be gathered within 3 minutes, balls can only be thrown outside the line towards the midsection.)
Rule language:
1. If…then…
2. You may… or you may not… / -Each person throws a shape with one hand.
-Rock (a fist) beats scissors (a V-shape made with index and second finger extended)
- scissors beats paper (flat hand)
-paper beats rock
-Whoever wins gets a point.
-If it is a tie, each person throws a shape again.
-Winner is the person who wins two out of three rounds.
SPACE / Where does the game take place? (Basketball court? A circle? Classroom? The park?) / The space is anywhere enough space exists for two people to stand facing each other and extend one arm.

Tell Me AboutWarring Side 1

This group…

Tell Me AboutWarring Side 2

This group…

PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, play the game you have just created to help you meet the learning goal of the game.

Discussion Questions After Playing the Game

-How did playing the game make you feel?

-What insights do you have about humanity after playing the game?

-What conclusions can you come to about war after playing the game?

OPTION 2

I Am Poem/Rap/Song About War, Conflict, and Humanity

Directions: Read the excerpts from The Art of War. Create 3 I Am poems/songs/raps about war, conflict, and humanity using the ideas presented in both Lord of the Flies and the excerpts from The Art of War. Make sure that each poem teaches a theme about war or violence. You can use the I Am structure or make up your own structure for your poems.

Example using the 13th Amendment

I am the Thirteenth Amendment

I wonder is slavery is going to be abolished

I see the Civil War going on and Abraham Lincoln behind the North’s army

I want slaves to be freed

I am the Thirteenth Amendment

I pretend that the 14th Amendment doesn’t need to be made

I feel that we need more amendments because I don’t have enough statements to protect people

I touch the sound waves of arguments going on around me

I worry about not getting passed

I cry from my worry

I am the Thirteenth Amendment

I understand the feelings of Thaddeus Stevens

I say positive words about myself

I dream that no slaves would be property

I try to keep myself from negative statements

I hope that slaves will be free

I am the Thirteenth Amendment

Discussion Questions AfterWriting the Poems

-How did reading the excerpts from The Art of War and the entire novel Lord of the Flies make you feel?

-What insights do you have about humanity after reading The Art of War excerpts and the entire novel Lord of the Flies?

-What conclusions can you come to about war after writing the poems/raps/songs?

OPTION 3

Directions: Read the excerpts from The Art of War. Create 3 riddles whose answer is war. Use the ideas presented in both Lord of the Flies and the excerpts from The Art of Warto make your riddles. Make sure that each riddle teaches a theme about war or violence.

Riddle 5 from the Exeter Book

I am a solitary one, wounded by iron, gashed by the sword, worn out from martial strife, exhausted by the blade. Often I see war, a terrible battle. I do not expect comfort, that aid in the strife should come, before I should perish among men, but the leavings of hammers strike me, the terribly sharp edges, the handiwork of smiths bite in the dwellings; I must await a nastier meeting. I can never find a physician in the dwelling place, of those who with herbs might heal wounds, but rather the wounds of edges become increased through death blows in the days and in the nights.

The answer to this riddle isshield

Discussion Questions AfterWriting the Riddles

-How did reading the excerpts from The Art of War and the entire novel Lord of the Fliesmake you feel?

-What insights do you have about humanity after reading The Art of War excerpts and the entire novel Lord of the Flies?

-What conclusions can you come to about war after writing the riddles?