Compare two or more themes and their development throughout a literary text.
Clarifications
Clarification 1: For the purposes of this benchmark, theme is not a one- or two-word topic, but a complete thought that communicates the author’s message.
Clarification 2: Students should continue to work with the concept of universal themes, although mastery isn’t expected until 9th grade. A universal theme is an idea that applies to anyone, anywhere, regardless of cultural differences. Examples include but are not limited to an individual’s or a community’s confrontation with nature; an individual’s struggle toward understanding, awareness, and/or spiritual enlightenment; the tension between the ideal and the real; the conflict between human beings and advancements in technology/science; the impact of the past on the present; the inevitability of fate; the struggle for equality; and the loss of innocence.
Subject Area: English Language Arts (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 7
Date Adopted or Revised: 08/20
Status: State Board Approved
Related Courses
| Course Number1111 |
Course Title222 |
| 1001040: | M/J Language Arts 2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 1001050: | M/J Language Arts 2 Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current)) |
| 1002010: | M/J Language Arts 2 Through ESOL (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 1009010: | M/J Creative Writing 2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 1009040: | M/J Writing 2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 7810012: | Access M/J Language Arts 2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 1002181: | M/J Developmental Language Arts Through ESOL (Reading) (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 1009025: | M/J Creative Writing (Specifically in versions: 2015 - 2021, 2021 and beyond (current)) |
| 1000012: | M/J Intensive Reading 2 (Specifically in versions: 2021 and beyond (current)) |
Related Access Points
| Access Point Number |
Access Point Title |
| ELA.7.R.1.AP.2 | Find the similarities between two themes and their development throughout a literary text. |
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
| Name |
Description |
| "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry -Comparing Themes | Students will read O. Henry's "A Retrieved Reformation" and an additional O. Henry selection to compare the themes of love and redemption. They will identify supporting details of the themes in each text and use them to support their analysis in a short written response. |
| Comparing Themes in "A Christmas Memory" | In this lesson, students will read the autobiographical story "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote and view a teacher-approved film version of the same story to compare the themes of “nostalgia fosters self-reflection,” and “the love between two friends cannot be easily forgotten.” Students will then write an extended paragraph comparing how the two themes interact within each of the modes. |
Original Student Tutorial
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorial
