The oldest thing we have ever done is tell stories.
RL.6.2 : Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.Â
CA Model School Library Standard 4.1 â Reading for personal growth
Students select appropriate titles/formats, reflect on fit (interest, maturity, access), and plan next steps.
I can explain at least one way reading for fun helps my brain, and I can recognize what makes a story dystopian.Â
I can analyze how stories contribute to societal growth, personal growth, and empathy.
1 Hour of Credit in:
English or LifeskillsÂ
đ Â Â đ§
Before books, before TikTok, before phones, humans were already doing this one thing: sitting around telling stories. It helped them survive, decide who to trust, and figure out right and wrong. Your brain is basically built to pay attention to stories.Â
 Stories are never JUST fact or fiction...Â
When you are listening to a story you are  hearing (your inner voice), making meaning from your own experiences, and getting a feelings (vibe). Stories trigger pictures, memories, and predictions.
That's why listening to stories, talking to each other and telling stories, and reading stories is/are good for us as humans.
We tell stories through media like
Singing
Rapping
Writing
Movies
Video GamesÂ
Taking in media helps us feel and learn different things about ourselves, others, history and much more. This provides us with knowledge, empathy, and lessons on how to make future decisions or get through hard times. Fiction helps your brain practice understanding other peopleâs feelings and motives, which makes you more empowered in life.Â
Let's Play 4 Rounds of "Your Phone Dies in 20 Seconds"
Let's Discuss...Â
What is one feeling you got from playing? What's the vibe. What was your inner-voice saying?Â
What are some things you predicted would happen? (If you talked about them as a group, you can skip this question)Â
Putting yourself in the shoes of the main character, what would you have done? What COULD you have done?Â
Now, here's the hard question that will lead us to the next part of the Book Talk:Â
Â
What LESSONS did we learn from this piece of fiction and what MESSAGE is it giving about our society that we might learn from?Â
đ¨ď¸ What is a Dystopia?Â
A dystopia is a kind of Sci-Fi/real-world âwhat if everything went wrong?â story. Most dystopias center around a big question: What happens when a society is brokenâand can anyone fight back?
A dystopian story is about systems, not just one bad guy: unfair governments, extreme laws, ruined environments, scary tech, or social rules that crush people. We usually see life through the eyes of a teen or young adult who starts to notice that something is very wrong.
There might be action and romance, but the heart of a dystopia is control vs. freedomâwho has power, who doesnât, and what it costs to resist.
In the library, we keep most Dystopian books in Sci-Fi & Fantasy or Teen Fiction, depending on the title. We often talk about dystopia as a sub-genre of Sci-Fi.
The reason Dystopia is so popular and interesting is because it asks a question: What if this really happened. And honestly, what if it COULD happen?Â
If we have time.. just for fun... lets come up with a Dystopian Plot... đ