The Maze Runner Activity - Assign Students a Glade Job Activity and Assignments
In The Maze Runner by James Dashner, every Glader is assigned a specific job that helps the community survive within the dangerous and mysterious environment of the Glade. This The Maze Runner activity gives students the opportunity to experience life in the Glade while exploring the different responsibilities that keep the community functioning. Students step into the role of new Greenies and are assigned a Glade Job like Runner, Builder, Bagger, Med-Jack, and more, with each role playing an important part in keeping the group organized, protected, and supplied. As they are welcomed to life in the Glade and receive one of the roles, students consider how their own strengths align with their assignment and reflect on the importance of teamwork and responsibility within the community. Students then decide whether they want to keep their assigned job or attempt to earn a different one through two creative follow-up assignments.
This is included in a unit plan:
>>> The Maze Runner Unit Plan
Included in The Maze Runner Activity - Assign Students a Glade Job Activity:
➡️ Teacher Instructions: Detailed, step-by-step teacher instructions walk you through every part of this The Maze Runner activity, including how to assign student roles, running the introduction experience, and facilitating the follow-up assignments and discussions.
➡️ Classroom Poster: An eye-catching “Assigning Your Glade Job” classroom poster helps transform your classroom environment and immediately builds curiosity and excitement as students enter the room and prepare to experience life in the Glade.
➡️ Welcome Speech: A pre-written welcome speech script allows you to take on the role of the Keeper responsible for assigning Glade jobs to new Greenies. This part of The Maze Runner activity introduces students to the expectations, dangers, and responsibilities of life in the Glade while helping create an immersive classroom experience connected to the novel.
➡️ Selecting Students Graphic Organizer: This teacher planning organizer makes it easy to assign each student a Glade role ahead of time based on classroom needs, personalities, or student strengths. The organizer helps keep The Maze Runner activity organized and ensures every student receives a role before the assignment begins.
➡️ The Glade Jobs Introduction Presentation: Use the slideshow to immerse students in life inside the Glade as newly arrived Greenies. The presentation begins with students waking up in the mysterious Box and being introduced to the rules, expectations, and dangers of the Glade before exploring each of the available jobs in detail. Students learn about roles such as Runner, Builder, Med-Jack, Slopper, Mapmaker, and more while considering the skills, risks, and responsibilities connected to each position.
➡️ The Glade Job Cards: Each of the 9 Glade job cards includes a role title along with detailed information about responsibilities, required skills, tools, danger level, and importance within the Glade community. Roles such as Runner, Builder, Med-Jack, Bagger, Cook, and Slopper are directly connected to the novel and help students better understand how each person contributes to survival.
➡️ Greenie Journal Response Assignment: In this creative writing assignment, students reflect on their assigned Glade job by writing a journal entry from the perspective of a newly arrived Greenie. Students describe their thoughts, reactions, concerns, and feelings about their role while considering questions such as what they like about the job, what worries them, and whether they feel suited for the responsibilities they have been given.
➡️ Application for Job Change Assignment: Students who are unhappy with their assigned role can instead complete a formal Glade job application requesting reassignment to a different position. In this persuasive writing activity, students explain why their current role is not a good fit, identify the Glade job they would prefer, and support their reasoning using their own strengths, skills, and understanding of the responsibilities within the Glade.
How The Maze Runner Activity - Assign Students a Glade Job Activity Works:
- Review the Glade job cards ahead of time and assign each student a role using the planning organizer.
- Begin the lesson by setting the scene with the classroom poster and welcome speech before introducing students to life in the Glade through the slideshow presentation. As students learn about each role and responsibility, they discover their assigned Glade jobs and begin considering how their role contributes to the survival of the community.
- After receiving their assignments, students discuss their roles in small groups, compare responsibilities, and reflect on how different jobs work together to keep the Glade functioning safely and efficiently.
- Students then choose between two creative follow-up assignments. They can either complete a journal response written from the perspective of a Glader reacting to their assigned role or complete a formal application requesting reassignment to a different position in the Glade.
This activity works especially well after Chapter 16, once students are familiar with the structure of the Glade and understand the importance of the different jobs and responsibilities within the community.
If you like this, you'll love this resource:
>>> A Year of English Bell Ringers
© Presto Plans
➡️ Want 10 free ELA resources sent to your inbox? Click here!
