Ender's Game

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. “Go forth for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world.” ―Gautama Buddha

What is the likely intended meaning of the quote? How might this sentiment be viewed culturally, religiously, politically, or societally? In what ways might this idea help society? In what ways might it be twisted for nefarious purposes?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt relates to the theme Self-Sacrifice for the Greater Good. It may help to provide context within this theme in introducing and discussing the idea; for example, students could determine a definition for “self-sacrifice” with examples and decide on a common understanding for the phrase “the greater good.” If students are working in small groups, half might examine the “pros” side of the quote and half the “cons,” which may later be discussed as a whole class.

• “Altruism” is an article and 2-minute video from the University of Texas detailing the term “altruism” with examples of social and health effects. This site also includes other resources detailing morality and human behavior that you may share with the class or have students explore individually or in pairs as they read in Ender’s Game.
• “Effective Altruism: Where Charity and Rationality Meet” is a New York Times article detailing how to act with intentionality in regard to charitable giving. It touches on some of the misgivings of altruism and self-sacrifice that may be helpful in demonstrating the pros and cons of this philosophy. (Subscription may be required to view.)

2. You may have heard the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” What is the meaning of this saying? Provide a real-life, historical, or hypothetical example of this idea in action. What is the benefit of deeply understanding the nuances of an opponent? Consider situations that require an opposing individual or team, such as war, sports, or competing companies.

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt helps to introduce the theme Understanding the Enemy. It may help to clarify the term “enemy” for a common understanding. The word “enemy” may serve in various contexts, so brainstorming alternative situations in which the term “enemy” might be switched out with “competitor” or “opponent” can lead students to a different understanding of and response to the prompt.

• “Knowing Thy Enemy” is a TIME magazine article that offers contemporary examples in analyzing a quote about knowing one’s enemy by Sun Tzu. Students might complete an extension activity or line of inquiry in which they reflect on how they may have at one point been considered another person’s “enemy” or “opponent.” (Content Warning: This article briefly describes the death of civilians in war and terrorism).

Short Activity

In groups of 3-4, sort the given quotes from Ender’s Game into one of the theme categories: Self-Sacrifice for the Greater Good; Understanding the Enemy; or Trickery, Manipulation, and Choice.

Once you have checked your answers, choose one quote for each theme, and answer the following questions:

• How does this quote relate to the theme?
• According to your analysis, what do you believe this quote means?
• What may you predict about the story based on this quote?

Be ready to explain your reasoning to the class once you’ve finished sorting.

Quotes:

1. “Word got around. From now on no one could take five or ten or fifteen seconds in the corridor to size things up. The game had changed.” (Chapter 8)

2. “Welcome to the human race. Nobody controls his own life, Ender. The best you can do is choose to fill the roles given to you by good people, by people who love you.” (Chapter 15)

3. "I’m a murderer, even when I play. Peter would be proud of me.” (Chapter 6)

4. “…[T]he adults are the enemies, not the other armies. They do not tell us the truth.” (Chapter 7)

5. “And always Ender carried with him a dry white cocoon, looking for a place where the hive-queen could awaken and thrive in peace. He looked a long time.” (Chapter 15)

6. “His isolation can’t be broken. He can never come to believe that anybody will ever help him out, ever. If he once thinks there’s an easy way out, he’s wrecked.” (Chapter 4)

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to provide students with a brief premise of the story before asking students to sort quotes by theme. Suggested themes for the numbered quotes:

1. Trickery, Manipulation, and Choice

2. Trickery, Manipulation, and Choice

3. Understanding the Enemy

4. Understanding the Enemy

5. Self-Sacrifice for the Greater Good

6. Self-Sacrifice for the Greater Good

• This short article is a biography of Orson Scott Card that may help to provide some context to students about the novel and the author.
• “Suggested Ways to Introduce Quotations” is a short article from Columbia College that offers methods for constructing of quote analysis introductions in student writing.

Differentiation Suggestion: For classes with both strong and improving readers, it may help to create heterogenous groups of varying reading levels to support each student and provide a variety of perspectives within each pairing. Additionally, for a kinesthetic approach, consider printing out the quotes and cutting them into individual paper pieces for students to physically sort rather than label.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Think about a game or competition in which you have taken part, whether it is a video game, a sport, or a board game. Describe a time when you had to strategize and make difficult decisions to achieve success. How did you feel about your choices? Did they align with your values? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt relates directly to the theme Trickery, Manipulation, and Choice. During the novel, Ender is forcibly entered into “society’s game,” where he is implanted with a chip in his head during the first years of his life. Later, he must play “war games” to develop his ability to strategize for future battles. It may help to provide this context to students before completing this prompt. Consider expanding this prompt to more abstract thinking: How are people today playing “life’s” or “society’s” games?

• This “rat race” definition offers examples of this idiom’s usage. Ender is pushed into a “race” (the game) that is highly competitive and not of his own choosing. Utilizing this idiom, students may compare this phrase with Ender’s plight or their own personal lives, such as school, relationships, or family.
• “Games Can Make You a Better Strategist” is an article from the Harvard Business Review describing the benefits of strategy games and how it can develop executive skills. This article may be referenced throughout the novel’s reading to identify the various benefits or effects of Ender’s games. (Free account may be needed to view.)

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners and different learners, consider providing sentence stems to help students begin writing their thoughts and ideas about the prompt. Consider these examples:

• A game I’ve played/I play is ___________.
• One strategy I use/used when playing this game is/was ______________.
• A way this game helps/helped develop my critical and strategic thinking is/was _______.
• One way I achieve/achieved success in this game is/was __________.