Title -

The Most Dangerous Game


By – Amy Sladowski

Primary Subject – Language Arts

Grade Level – 6-8

Objective:

1.  Students will be able to make inferences based on quotes pulled from the short story.

2.  Students will be able to recreate the plot based on a guided outline activity.

Warm-Up:

1.  Paste pictures of animals on index cards and place the same number of cards as there are students strategically around the room.

2.  All cards must be visible to the students.

3.  Each student must “hunt” for a card.

4.  Ask the students the following questions:


a.  Where’s the challenge?

b.  Was this activity fun?

c.  Would this activity be fun to play two or three times everyday?

d.  How could you change this activity to be more fun?

5.  JOURNAL ENTRY — Students answer the following questions in their journals:


a.  Write about a time when you felt bored.

b.  Why were you bored?

c.  What could you have done to feel less bored?

d.  Was there something you wanted to do, but couldn’t?

Procedure:

1.  Read the story,

The Most Dangerous Game

by Richard Connell.

2.  At strategic points in the story, stop and ask the students to make inferences based on the plot.

3.  Hand out pieces of blank paper to the students for intermittent drawing activities.

a.  Draw the Malay man-catcher

b.  Sketch the Burmese tiger pit

4.  Stop reading to create art galleries when sketches are complete. Art galleries are created when students take their drawing and place them around the room.

5.  Pass out envelopes with list of events and have students form four different groups to complete the “Plot Outline” Ditto (see below).

The Most Dangerous Game

Plot Review

On a sheet of paper, recreate the chart below. Using the statements in your envelope, fill in the chart IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THINGS HAPPENED. For the “Basic Situation” category, the order doesn’t matter.

The Plot — Basic Situation

1.

2.

3. The sea is the Caribbean Sea.

4.

5.

Complications

1. Rainsford loses his balance and falls into the sea.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. Rainsford builds a Malay man-catcher.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Climax

1. Rainsford confronts Zaroff in his bedroom.

Resolution

1. Rainsford has never slept in a more comfortable bed.

List of events:

Zaroff tells Rainsford he hunts the most dangerous prey: man.

Rainsford leaps off of a cliff into the sea.

The sea is the Caribbean Sea.

Rainsford loses his balance and falls into the sea.

Zaroff uses the dogs to hunt Rainsford.

Zaroff stands below Rainsford (who’s up a tree), smiles, and moves on.

Rainsford kills Ivan.

Zaroff thinks that Rainsford’s dead.

Rainsford has never slept in a more comfortable bed

Zaroff asks Rainsford to join him in hunting his prey.

Rainsford is on a yacht bound for the Amazon.

Zaroff tells Rainsford that he is bored with hunting most animals.

Rainsford refuses to join Zaroff in hunting.

Rainsford talks with Whitney about “ship-trap” island.

Rainsford builds a Malay man-catcher.

Zaroff loses one of his best dogs.

Rainsford builds a Burmese Tiger Pit.

Zaroff shows Rainsford how he traps ships with lights that indicate a channel.

We find out Rainsford is a big game hunter.

Whitney muses on his thought of the “game.”

Rainsford confronts Zaroff in his bedroom.

The Most Dangerous Game

Plot Review

On a sheet of paper, recreate the chart below. Using the statements in your envelope, fill in the chart IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THINGS HAPPENED. For the “Basic Situation” category, the order doesn’t matter.

The Plot – Basic Situation

1. Rainsford is on a yacht bound for the Amazon. (page 2)

2. Rainsford talks with Whitney about “ship-trap” island. (page 1)

3. The sea is the Caribbean Sea. (page 1)

4. We find out Rainsford is a big game hunter. (page 2)

5. Whitney muses on his thought of the “game.” (page 2)

Complications

1. Rainsford loses his balance and falls into the sea. (page 5)

2. Zaroff tells Rainsford that he is bored with hunting most animals. (page 14 and 16)

3. Zaroff tells Rainsford he hunts the most dangerous prey: man. (page 20)

4. Zaroff shows Rainsford how he traps ships with lights that indicate a channel. (page 21)

5. Zaroff asks Rainsford to join him in hunting his prey.

6. Rainsford refuses to join Zaroff in hunting.

7. Zaroff stands below Rainsford (who’s up a tree), smiles, and moves on. (page 31)

8. Rainsford builds a Malay man-catcher. (page 33)

9. Rainsford builds a Burmese Tiger Pit. (page 34)

10. Zaroff loses one of his best dogs. (page 35)

11. Zaroff uses the dogs to hunt Rainsford. (page 36)

12. Rainsford kills Ivan. (page 37)

13. Rainsford leaps off of a cliff into the sea. (page 37)

14. Zaroff thinks that Rainsford’s dead. (page 38)

Climax

1. Rainsford confronts Zaroff in his bedroom. (page 38-39)

Resolution

1. Rainsford has never slept in a more comfortable bed. (page 39)

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Amy Sladowski

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