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English · Grade 8

Theme, Structure and Literary Connections

Learners read an original retelling of the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus and an original modern story about a teen drone pilot who ignores his sister's warning. They analyze how each text develops its theme through characters, setting and plot, compare how the two texts' structures shape meaning and style, examine how the modern story borrows and renews the myth's patterns and character types, and write a comparative analysis.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 105 minutes
  • Theme, structure and connections check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, put in order, sort into groups and write a short answer
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What learners will discover

  • Determine a theme and analyze its development, including its relationship to characters, setting and plot, and summarize a text objectively.
  • Compare the structures of two texts and analyze how each structure contributes to meaning and style.
  • Analyze how a modern story draws on a myth's themes, pattern of events and character types, and how it makes the material new.
  • Write a comparative analysis of two texts' themes and structures.

Lessons

  1. The myth: pattern and theme 5 steps2 practiceabout 25 min
  2. The modern story: theme through character, setting and plot 6 steps3 practiceabout 26 min
  3. Comparing structures 5 steps3 practiceabout 26 min
  4. Old pattern, new story 5 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  5. Theme, structure and connections check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

More 8th grade reading

Guide for grown-ups