Thematic pairings of novels/short stories with movies can help students access difficult texts and can lead to deeper comprehension and lively classroom discussion. This article suggests pairings for some commonly assigned middle and high school texts for several important themes.

Links to 16 lessons that focus on skills within third grade reading standard RL.3.9.

Links to 31 lessons and activities that build student skills in standard SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance to development of main ideas or themes.

Students will synthesize information from multiple historical fiction books to find common themes and support them with evidence from the text. Working with a partner who has read a different book, they will share their theme from their book along with supporting details. Then the other students tries to match their book with the theme. Examples of student work are provided.

The 11th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 11th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Students move from learning the class rituals and routines and genre features of argument writing in Unit 11.1 to learning about narrative and informational genres in Unit 11.2: The American Short Story. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

In this short unit, students will spend three lessons exploring the importance of themes and main ideas in fiction and informational texts.  Now would be a good time to have them take an assessment of their reading and writing skills. They'll explore theme through O. Henry's classic short story  "The Gift of the Magi" and consider how this piece compares to the main idea in the article "The Proven Power of Giving, Not Getting."

In this unit, students will explore great works of American literature and consider how writers reflect the time period in which they write. They will write two literary analysis papers and also work in groups to research and develop anthologies of excellent American stories.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students read and analyze stories from several 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century American authors. After researching a time period, they select stories from that period to create an anthology. The readings enhance their understanding of the short story, increase their exposure to well-known American authors, and allow them to examine the influence of social, cultural, and political context.
Students examine elements of short stories and have an opportunity for close reading of several American short stories. During these close readings, they examine the ways that short story writers attempt to explore the greater truths of the American experience through their literature.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

If you were to write a short story about this decade, what issues might you focus on?
What defines a short story? Just length?
To what extent do these stories reflect the era or decade in which they were written?
To what extent are the themes they address universal?

CLASSROOM FILMS

History.com has short videos on the Vietnam War (“Vietnam” and “A Soldier's Story”).

In this lesson, students will begin the short story “The Swimmer.” As an introduction to the story, they will also read the myth “Echo and Narcissus,” considering Narcissus as a way to view the protagonist of “The Swimmer.”

This site provides a literary analysis of Aldous Huxley's book "Brave New World". Check it out.W.9-10.9a Analysis, W.11-12.9a

This site presents a study guide to Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest." Content includes a biography of the author, background information about the play, a synopsis, occuring themes, some sample questions, and more. Registration is required to access the information, but registration is free.

In this video from Let's Learn, NYCDOE Universal Literacy Reading Coach Anna Stretching-Cole reads "After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again" by Dan Santat. After reading, she opens up a discussion about overcoming our fears. [7:46]

Read "Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile" with Earnestine Sweeting. This story, written by Gloria Houston, tells the true story of the librarian Miss Dorothy. [14:33]

Read "Why Am I Me?" by Paige Britt with Sharon Bricker. After reading, students will draw themselves and what makes them special. Then they will draw someone else and write/draw what makes them special. Discuss how differences are good and what really matters is how kind and nice a person is. [9:42]

This study guide provides information on the plot, themes, author, and context of the novel, "Madame Bovary." Here, refresh your knowledge of the book's major characters and events and study important themes and ideas through "Sample Questions."

Use this Molly of Denali digital game to extend and expand students' use of informational text, as well as their knowledge of Alaska Native culture. In this game, Molly shows players how to make various beading designs using the procedural/how-to text of design cards.

Use this Molly of Denali digital game to extend and expand children's use of informational text, as well as their knowledge of Alaska Native culture. Molly and her friend Tooey use a fictional app to access information that will help them guide and take care of their sled dogs.

Students read Act 4 and 5 of Romeo and Juliet and analyze how the author continues to develop themes within the play.

This infographic outlines common types of election disinformation that are likely to circulate on social media during election cycles in the United States. It also includes tools and tips for locating credible information in your state or district.

In Lesson 1, students focus on the first stave of the novel as they identify the meanings of words and phrases that may be unfamiliar to them. This activity facilitates close examination of and immersion in the text and leads to an understanding of Scrooge before his ghostly experiences. In Lesson 2, students examine Scrooge’s experiences with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and discover how Dickens used both direct and indirect characterization to create a protagonist who is more than just a stereotype. In Lesson 3, students focus on stave 5 as they identify and articulate themes that permeate the story.

This site, from Ann Woodlief's Introduction to American Romanticism (or the American Renaissance) defines the Romantic movement in American literature and discusses its major themes.