First let me say I'm really glad they changed their novel. I don't think I would have had time to read Catch-22, and since I'd already read The Giver I just had to refresh my memory on it.
I thought the group did a good job with all the activities and leading discussion. I honestly got more out of the book this time just skimming through than I did when I read it in middle school. It's something to take note of - you don't want to teach this novel if the students aren't going to understand the central themes, you don't want it to be above them.
I really liked their activities . The step up activity is a great way to get to know thing about people that you normally wouldn't ask, and to find out you have something in common that you would have never thought about. I also like the create your own ending. I like activities like this because it allows you to end the story how you want. The characters and their story become yours and you decide their fate. I also liked the choose an important scene and act it out - I think this could be done in a much more extended version where the students dress up, use a script and act out a detailed scene.
I think the did a great job wrapping up the group teaches.
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I am interested in your comment about whether or not to teach this text is middle school. I agree that the older you are reading this text, the more you will get out of it. Isn't this true of any text, though? I think the themes of this text are not above the middle school student, just more difficult to understand.
Now, a teacher who just has students read and report on this text will be doing her students (and the text) a disservice. However, I think that you and your colleagues would do a great job teaching this text at any level.
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