Understanding the Relationship of Symbol to Theme
Understanding the Relationship of Symbol to Theme
Objectives
This lesson helps students evaluate symbolism in literature and understand how symbols are related to theme. Students will: [IS.6 - Language Function]
- examine the significance of symbols in literature and the world.
- analyze how symbols are related to themes. [IS.7 - Level 1]
Essential Questions
- How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?
Vocabulary
[IS.1 - Preparation ]
[IS.2 - ELP Standards]
- Symbolism: A device in literature where an object represents an idea. [IS.3 - All Students]
- Theme: A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work. [IS.4 - All Students] [IS.5 - ELL Students]
Duration
50 minutes–1 hour, 40 minutes/1–2 class periods [IS.8 - Struggling Learners]
Prerequisite Skills
Prerequisite Skills haven't been entered into the lesson plan.
Materials
- “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker from In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women. Mariner Books, 2003. [IS.9 - ELL Students] The quilt in “Everyday Use” is a symbol integral to understanding the story’s theme. As a symbol, the quilt offers many associations with which students are likely to relate. Other examples with clear and accessible symbols include “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, the poems “Kudzu” by James Dickey and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, and the novels Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
- “The Lottery” from The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. [IS.10 - All Students]
- The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. Candlewick, 2008. [IS.11 - All Students]
- The Masque of Red Death: An Edgar Allen Poe Mystery by Harold Schechter. Ballantine Books, 2004. [IS.12 - All Students]
- The Scarlet Ibis by Susan Hahn. Northwestern University Press, 2007.
- The Yellow Wallpaperby Charlotte Perkins Gilman. CreateSpace, 2009. [IS.13 - All Students] [IS.14 - ELL Students]
- student copies of the Symbol Chart (L-L-7-2_Symbol Chart.doc)
- computer projection of the Sample Completed Symbol Chart (L-L-7-2_Sample Completed Symbol Chart.doc)
- student copies of the Quilt as Symbol chart (L-L-7-2_Quilt as Symbol Chart.doc)
- computer projection of the Quilt as Symbol chart, teacher/class copy (L-L-7-2_Sample Completed Quilt as Symbol Chart.doc)
- suggested references for quilt images and quilt history:
o American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780 to 2007 by Robert Shaw. Sterling, 2009.
o The Quilt: A History and Celebration of an American Art Form by Elise Schebler Roberts et al. Voyageur Press, 2010.
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.
Related materials and resources haven't been entered into the lesson plan.Formative Assessment
Suggested Instructional Supports
Instructional Procedures
Related Instructional Videos
Note: Video playback may not work on all devices.
Instructional videos haven't been assigned to the lesson plan.
DRAFT 11/09/2009