Discovering Story Themes

Grade 7 | Duration: 35 Minutes | Class Size: 92 Students

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Lesson 2 of 3: Finding Theme in War of the Wall

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Learning Objectives (Aligned to Common Core)

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3: Analyze how particular elements (e.g., character motivation, plot events) contribute to the theme.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1: Engage effectively in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band.

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"I Can..." Statements

• I can identify recurring ideas and character motivations in a story.
• I can work with a partner to analyze specific passages to find the theme.
• I can share and discuss theme ideas with my classmates.
• I can use reading strategies that support my learning style.

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Materials Needed

• Copies of War of the Wall (dyslexia-friendly font versions available)
• Theme Analysis Graphic Organizers (one per pair)
• Poster boards or chart paper for group sharing
• Colored markers/pens
• Timer or visual clock
• Classroom set of reading strategies reminder cards (e.g., mark important lines, annotate for feelings/motivation)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up & Review (5 minutes)

• Objective: Activate prior knowledge and reconnect with Lesson 1 concepts.
• Activity:
  • Teacher leads a brief recap on how themes are bigger ideas in stories and reminds students of strategies discussed in the previous lesson.
  • Display “I can…” statements for students to see.
  • Quick think-pair-share: "What do you remember about theme from the last lesson? Name one possible theme from War of the Wall."

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2. Paired Textual Analysis (15 minutes)

• Objective: Practice identifying and analyzing theme through close reading.
• Grouping: Students are assigned pairs; total 46 pairs within 92 students.
• Instructions:
  • Each pair receives a different passage from War of the Wall focusing on key moments revealing character motivations or recurring ideas (e.g., mural symbolism, dialogue, conflicts).
  • Pairs use the Theme Analysis Graphic Organizer with guided prompts:
    • What is happening in this passage?
    • What ideas or feelings keep appearing?
    • What motivates the characters here?
    • What message or theme might the author want us to find?
  • Encourage dyslexic or struggling readers to use the optional dyslexia-friendly texts and audio support, and pair them with a peer who reads fluently.
  • Teacher circulates, guiding pairs and offering sentence starters or hints if stuck.

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3. Collaborative Class Sharing (10 minutes)

• Objective: Foster collaborative learning and reinforce theme discovery skills.
• Activity:
  • Each pair shares their theme findings with a small group of 4-5 students (creating 18 groups total).
  • Groups discuss similarities and differences among their theme ideas.
  • A spokesperson from each group shares one theme idea and supporting evidence to the whole class.
  • Teacher facilitates by reinforcing correct use of academic language and theme-related vocabulary.

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4. Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Objective: Solidify understanding and reflect on learning progress.
• Prompt: Students individually write a quick exit ticket response:
  • “What is one new thing I learned about finding a theme?”
  • “What strategy helped me the most today?”
• Teacher collects exit tickets for quick formative assessment.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Diverse Learners:

  • Use dyslexia-friendly copies and optional audio recordings of passages.
  • Provide graphic organizers with clear, step-by-step prompts.
  • Pair stronger readers with learners who benefit from peer support.
  • Offer sentence starters and vocabulary banks.
  • Visual clocks and timers for pacing.

• For Advanced Learners:

  • Challenge pairs to find multiple themes in their passage.
  • Encourage advanced pairs to connect themes to real-world issues or other texts studied.
  • Ask them to create a short written paragraph explaining how theme develops beyond one passage.

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Extension Activity (Optional Homework or Enrichment)

• Students select a favorite or meaningful passage from War of the Wall and create a mini-poster or digital slide that visually represents the theme using quotes, drawings, or symbols.
• Prepare a 1-minute presentation explaining their theme choice to share in the next lesson.

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Notes for Teachers

• Ensure engagement by moving around during paired work to assist and encourage.
• Create a respectful, safe environment for sharing ideas.
• Continuously reinforce vocabulary related to theme discovery (e.g., central idea, motif, message, character motivation).
• Prepare materials ahead to avoid downtime.
• Use grouping charts or apps to organize pairs and groups efficiently given the large class size.

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This lesson plan balances direct instruction, collaborative practice, and reflective assessment while being mindful of varying student needs and aligned with specific Common Core standards for 7th grade English Language Arts.