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Analyze two or more themes and their development throughout a literary text.
Standard #: ELA.8.R.1.2
Standard Information
Standard 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.
General Information
Subject Area: English Language Arts (B.E.S.T.)
Grade: 8
Strand: Reading
Standard: Reading Prose and Poetry
Date Adopted or Revised: 08/20
Status: State Board Approved
Related Courses
Related Access Points
  • ELA.8.R.1.AP.2 # Compare and contrast two themes and their development throughout a literary text.
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
  • To Kill a Mockingbird: Exploring Themes # This is lesson #4 in the text unit series for Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, which will ask students to identify prevalent themes of chapters 22-31, centered around racial inequity, prejudice, injustice, and empathy. Students will work in small discussion groups to analyze and interpret instances that exemplify their assigned theme within the chapter(s). Once completed, a whole class discussion will allow students to share their findings and interpretations, as well as the connections between the themes, the social issues, and core civic virtues addressed in the novel. This lesson is part of a larger unit integrating ELA and Civics standards in order to support the understanding through the reading and study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. This unit’s activities will allow students to connect to the text and explore the blend of historical and literary context as they relate to real-world civic issues, address the application of the Bill of Rights, as well as recognizing the responsibilities of citizens at the local and state level. In this unit, students will develop critical thinking and communication skills by engaging in class discussions, written reflections, and collaborative activities. This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.
  • Symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight # This lesson plan explores symmetry in the structure and themes of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," delving into the antagonist's representation of the "duality of nature." In examining knightly virtues, students will measure Gawain's strength as the poem's hero. The lesson explains background information that every medieval thinker listening to a performance of the poem would know, in an effort to put the student into the mind-set of the medieval audience, providing a deeper appreciation and understanding of the work.
Original Student Tutorial
  • Analyzing Universal Themes in "The Gift of the Magi" # Analyze how O. Henry uses details to address the topics of value, sacrifice, and love in his famous short story, "The Gift of the Magi." In this interactive tutorial, you'll also determine two universal themes of the story.
Text Resource
  • CARMEn # Consider the potential for human/AI collaboration to solve engineering problems in this S.T.E.M. digital graphic novel.
Original Student Tutorials for Language Arts - Grades 6-12
  • Analyzing Universal Themes in "The Gift of the Magi" # Analyze how O. Henry uses details to address the topics of value, sacrifice, and love in his famous short story, "The Gift of the Magi." In this interactive tutorial, you'll also determine two universal themes of the story.
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