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Track and analyze universal themes in literary texts from different times and places.
Standard #: ELA.11.R.1.2
Standard Information
Standard Clarifications
Clarification 1: 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: 11
Strand: Reading
Standard: Reading Prose and Poetry
Date Adopted or Revised: 08/20
Status: State Board Approved
Related Courses
Related Access Points
  • ELA.11.R.1.AP.2 # Compare how universal themes and their development are used throughout multiple literary texts from different times and places.
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
  • Universal Theme: The Cycle of Life # Through an analysis of E. E. Cummings' poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town,” an using the myth of Daedalus and Icarus, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder's painting "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus," as supplemental resources, students will analyze the theme of the importance of the cycle of life and nature as it pertains to human existence. The three texts come from dramatically different genres, time periods, and settings capturing the essence of a universal theme.
  • Exploring Voice in Poetry # Students will explore poetic expression, both written and spoken, and evaluate its significance as a medium for social commentary. Students will also examine literary devices including metaphor, simile, symbolism, and point of view.
  • Analyzing Night by Elie Wiesel Using Academic Discussion # This lesson uses a whole class guided discussion to deepen students' understanding of the text Night by Elie Wiesel. Students will use textual evidence during the discussion and in writing a short response.
  • A Close Reading of Creation Myths - Part 2 of 3 # In Part 2 of this three-lesson mini-unit students will complete close readings of two different creation myths. After looking closely at the texts, they will cite specific textual evidence to compare and contrast these myths and their similarities to other creation stories, to infer what the authors hinted at in terms of creation, and to realize the impact of specific word choices on the general tone of a piece of literature.
  • Gatsby Universal Themes Analysis – F. Scott Fitzgerald - Part 1 # This is Part one of a three-part series that focuses on passages from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Through reading, text marking, and participating in collaborative discussions, students will analyze the universal themes: “Success can be corrupted by greed,” and “Irresponsibility can lead to destruction.”
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