Access Point Number | Access Point Title |
ELA.9.R.1.AP.2 | Explain how universal themes and their development are used throughout a literary text. |
Name | Description |
What Does Epic Poetry Tell Us About The United States Government? | After discussing the universal theme of “the struggle for equality,” in an epic, students will compare the theme to American government and The Declaration of Independence. This lesson is to be used before, during, or after reading and studying at least one Epic such as “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” “The Odyssey,” “Antigone,” “Beowulf,” “The Iliad,” and/or “The Aeneid,” and is one part of a complete text unit. In this lesson, students will complete a chart with examples and textual support from an epic to outline examples of the theme of “the struggle for equality” as well as examples and textual support from The Declaration of Independence. |
Unpacking Literature: Evaluating Texts for Program Oral Interpretation | In this lesson plan designed for the debate classroom, students will read and critically analyze various American foundational texts, identify a common theme, and create a thesis statement that encompasses the identified theme. Students will work individually and collaboratively to find commonalities among the various pieces of literature. |
Analyzing Themes and Story Elements in the Classic Love Story, "Pyramus and Thisbe" | "Pyramus and Thisbe" is a tragic love story in which two lovers are separated by forces seemingly beyond their control. This lesson guides students through an analysis of the story elements and how they function together to create a theme. A plot diagram helps students to analyze this classic story after the teacher models analysis using the familiar children’s story, Cinderella. Students will write a response analyzing how the plot elements and symbols develop the story's themes. |
Greek Mythology: The Odyssey, Odysseus and What Makes an Epic Hero Part 3 | In this lesson, students will explore books 13-23 of The Odyssey through text coding and analysis of both character development and theme. For the summative assessment, students will write a short response analyzing characterization and universal themes of Courage and Perseverance in the text and drawing conclusions, supported by textual evidence, about the nature of the Epic Hero. |
Universal Theme in Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" | Upon reading “The Masque of the Red Death,” students will analyze the universal theme of humans trying to escape death and will create a one-page visual summary of their analysis in this lesson. |
Greek Mythology: Exploring Perseus and the Qualities of an Epic Hero | In this lesson (part one of a three-part unit), students will analyze the characteristics of a Greek hero and explain how these characteristics are developed in the myth of "Perseus." Students will closely read the text, and ask, and answer text-dependent questions as they read the story. These skills will then culminate in later lessons (parts two and three) with a product in the form of an essay or written speech about "Perseus." |
Universal Themes in "Harrison Bergeron" | Students will read the short story, "Harrison Bergeron," and analyze the universal themes as they relate to dystopian literature in this lesson. |
Name | Description |
Risky Betting: Analyzing a Universal Theme (Part Three) | Dive deeper into the famous short story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov and explore the impact of a fifteen-year bet made between a lawyer and a banker. In Part Three, you’ll learn about universal themes and explain how a specific universal theme is developed throughout “The Bet.” Make sure to complete the first two parts in the series before beginning Part three. Click HERE to view Part One. Click HERE to view Part Two. |
Name | Description |
Resources to Support the Study of Harrison Bergeron | Are your students having trouble understanding Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron"? Use this resource from EDSITEment! to select videos that describe Vonnegut's America, dig into the character of Harrison Bergeron, and examine the satire in the story. Discussion questions are included for extended analysis. |
Name | Description |
Risky Betting: Analyzing a Universal Theme (Part Three): | Dive deeper into the famous short story “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov and explore the impact of a fifteen-year bet made between a lawyer and a banker. In Part Three, you’ll learn about universal themes and explain how a specific universal theme is developed throughout “The Bet.” Make sure to complete the first two parts in the series before beginning Part three. Click HERE to view Part One. Click HERE to view Part Two. |