Exploring Hugo Themes

Grade: 7th

Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 25 students
Unit: Exploring Hugo Cabret's World
Lesson: 1 of 3
Lesson Title: Introduction to Themes

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Common Core State Standards Alignment

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; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Learning Objectives (I Can Statements)

• I can identify and discuss at least two central themes in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
• I can provide examples from the text that support these themes.
• I can participate in a group discussion to share my ideas and listen to others’ perspectives.

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Success Criteria

• Students accurately articulate at least two themes from the book (e.g., identity, belonging, storytelling).
• Students provide clear text-based examples or quotes to support each theme.
• Students contribute meaningfully to the group discussion by either sharing or building on classmates’ ideas.

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Materials Needed

• Copies of selected excerpts from The Invention of Hugo Cabret (printed and/or digital)
• Graphic organizers (theme identification charts)
• Audiobook excerpts or text-to-speech software/apps
• Whiteboard or chart paper & markers
• Sticky notes or index cards
• Writing supplies (notebooks, pens)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up / Hook (5 minutes)

• Activity: Ask students to think about a story that made them feel connected or helped them understand someone better. Have 2–3 volunteers briefly share their story with the class.
• Purpose: Activates prior knowledge about storytelling and its importance—key to understanding the book’s themes.

2. Introduction to Themes (10 minutes)

• Direct Instruction: Briefly introduce the concepts of identity, belonging, and storytelling as central themes in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
• Use simple, student-friendly definitions:
  • Identity: Who we are and how we see ourselves
  • Belonging: Feeling accepted and part of a group or place
  • Storytelling: How we share experiences, ideas, or history through stories
• Dyslexia-Friendly Option: Play an audiobook excerpt narrated by a professional reader that illustrates one of these themes (e.g., when Hugo feels isolated or finds friendship).

3. Guided Group Discussion with Textual Evidence (20 minutes)

• Group formation: Divide students into 5 groups of 5. Each group receives a graphic organizer.
• Task: Each group reads (or listens to) a short excerpt from the book that relates to one or more themes. Using the graphic organizer, they:
  • Identify the theme(s) in the excerpt
  • Write down examples or quotes that support the theme
  • Discuss how this theme relates to their own experiences or the world today
• Teacher walks around to facilitate and scaffold discussions, especially assisting students using graphic organizers or dyslexia-friendly technology.

4. Share and Reflect (8 minutes)

• Each group presents one theme, the example from the text, and their connection to personal or current experiences.
• Teacher summarizes main points on the board for reinforcement.

5. Closure and Exit Ticket (2 minutes)

• Exit Ticket prompt: Write one theme you learned today and one way it relates to your own life.
• Collect exit tickets to assess individual student understanding.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Graphic organizers: Help students who struggle with open-ended tasks to visually organize theme identification.
• Audiobooks/text-to-speech: Support students with dyslexia or reading difficulties by providing auditory access to the text.
• Sentence starters: Provide sentence frames to help students articulate themes (e.g., “One theme in this excerpt is ___ because…”).
• Small group size: Allows personalized support during discussion.

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Extension Activity for Advanced Learners

• Write a 5–7 sentence paragraph connecting one theme from The Invention of Hugo Cabret to a modern-day issue (e.g., how identity or belonging is challenged on social media, or the role of storytelling in social justice).
• Present their paragraph and explain their reasoning to the class or submit for teacher feedback.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observation during group discussions and class sharing.
• Summative: Exit ticket responses evaluated for accurate theme identification and personal connection.
• Extension: Paragraph writing assessed for clarity, relevance, and depth of thematic connection.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Monitor which themes students gravitate toward or struggle to understand for adjustment in subsequent lessons.
• Gauge effectiveness of dyslexia supports and adjust text/audio selections accordingly.
• Plan to build on this introductory theme knowledge in lessons 2 and 3 by exploring character development and plot.

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By blending collaborative discussion, multimodal text access, and personal connection to the material, this lesson aims to immerse 7th graders into Hugo Cabret’s thematic world while scaffolding diverse learners for success within Common Core standards.