Unit Title: Teaching Theme in Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children

Grade level: 8th

Length of unit: 10 Days
Stage 1 Desired Results
Meaning
Enduring Understandings/Generalizations:
A story can have more than one theme.
A storys theme may be different to each reader.
Good readers use quotes from the text to identify the theme.
Authors use theme to influence a readers experience.
Understanding theme enriches a readers experience.

Essential Questions:

What is theme?

How does an author present theme in text?

Can one piece of text have multiple themes?

Can theme differ between readers?

What is the difference between theme and main idea?

Theme delivers a message to the reader.

Knowledge & Skills Acquisition
Learning Goals: (e.g., Iowa/Common Core standards.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
*Note: although this unit does not specifically determine theme development, students learn how to identify theme. I am treating this as
their first experience with analyzing themes, so this standard would be a work-in-progress

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding
of the topic or text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.C
Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the
impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
*Note: although this unit does not specifically identify figurative and connotative meaning, when using close reading students are expected to engage
with the text and determine words they do not know to further identify theme. This is also a work-in-progress standard
Learning Objectives:
Students will know
Students will be able to

Literary concepts that will help identify the theme in the

story:
o Theme
o Main idea
o Direct Quotations
o Paraphrasing
How to identify theme in a text
How to include and cite direct quotations in writing
How to annotate and find supporting evidence in a text

Resources/Materials:
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children
Fable stories (ie; The Tortoise and the Hare)
Bubble Maps
Quote logs

Identify theme in a story

Analyze why theme is important to the text
Reference direct quotes from the text to support the theme
Compare and contrast theme and main idea
Compose an analytical essay of the theme present in this text
Support their idea of theme by quoting and paraphrasing the text

Computers
Articles/pictures for the background information day
Sample papers, quote logs, and bubble maps from previous classes to use as examples
Chart paper
White board
Stage 2 Evidence (Assessment)
Types of assessment: Selected-Response (tests, quizzes); Personal Communication (interview, oral exam,
discussion); Written Response (short constructed response questions, entrance/exit slips, essays); Performance
Assessment (role-play, Simulation, labs, dramatization)
Diagnostic Assessment:

I will be doing a pretest at the beginning of the unit that will gauge students understanding of theme. This will help me determine
how much students already know and how much further in-depth I will need to go

Pre-Test: This test will assess students knowledge on what theme is and how to detect it. This will not be graded. Students will be
given multiple excerpts that address theme, and then they will be asked to write what they believe the theme of that scenario is.
Example:
Tim hated his old baseball glove. He wanted to play with a new glove, but he didnt have any money, so he decided to steal it. But when Tim
got caught stealing the glove, his parents said he couldnt play baseball all summer.
Possible student answers to this paragraph will include If you want something, you have to work for it, and Actions have
consequences. These are more statements that will be accepted because they can then be turned into an overlying theme.
Answers that show a student was struggling with this would be Tim shouldnt steal because it is content level and not an overall
lesson

If students already understand the concept of theme, I will give them the graphic organizer that will be the last step of students
preparation in the essay (this will be further explained in the calendar). The activity asks students to choose evidence from the text
to support different themes after discussing possible themes as a class. I will meet with these students that are ahead of the game
and give them the chart before we begin reading and explain what I would like them to do. Even if these students do pass the
pretest with flying colors, I still think the overall lessons in the unit will be beneficial. Meeting with these students and allowing them
to see their expectations will help them focus more during their reading, whereas I think the rest of the class, if they are not as
comfortable with the concept of theme, will be overwhelmed, which is why I plan to wait.

Formative Assessment (Assessment for Learning):

Students will be asked to complete a quote log for the entire novel. This will be modeled to them and they will be shown examples,
as well as given opportunities to compile their peers work with their own (students can be magpies too, right?). They will be
expected to add on from students work to their own in a different color (this will be provided to them during group work), and
I will check each quote log at the beginning of each class to ensure that students have done their own part. This will help with
scaffolding for students, as well as give students another way to think. It teaches students to be responsible because they will need
to be prepared, and will give them a deeper understanding of how to identify important quotes in the text. Later in the unit, these
quotes and ideas will lead to discussions on theme and students will be asked to apply the quotes to their own theme. If they dont
find their specific quotes to be useful, they will be able to work in groups. This may also help students to reference areas in the text
since they wrote about that quote in order to gather information that is more applicable.
o Quote logs will be checked for completion, and observation on student involvement in discussion will also be counted.
o I will not collect the quote logs for content or for how well it was done because that will be shown in the essay that they
write

Students will have different opportunities for group work where they are asked to present something brief to the class
o Background information, Fable study

Bell Ringer after the book will be used to gauge students reading completion. This will be checked to ensure students are
reading, and will let me know whether or not students are ready to move on or will need an extra day added in to finish reading. I
know this book is long and I wanted to make sure we got through it without losing student interest, so we may need to pause at
the end and allow for a catch up day.

Students have multiple opportunities to work in groups and feed off each others ideas. With the quote log, I can help students by
giving specific quotes and have them reflect on it as they are reading, instead of them needing to find the quote themselves.

Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning):

Students will be asked to write an analytical essay on theme in which they support the theme that they chose, what it was and what
it teaches, with specific evidence from the text. This will have students thinking about what theme they find most valuable and how
the author supported that theme in the text. Students will have to draw from their own experience as they read as well as their
peers experiences (from the collaboration on the quote logs). Students will be assessed in their understanding of theme, their use
of quotations and paraphrasing, and their supporting evidence/whether or not the evidence they chose was relevant.

The bubble map will be collected at the same time as the essay to give students who may struggle with writing the opportunity to
still do well in their understanding of theme. Students will get points for having the required amount of themes and supporting
evidence and whether or not their evidence is relevant to the theme.

*Diverse learners:
Struggling students will be given a theme to work off of instead of choosing their own in order to narrow their thinking. They will
also be required to do less with the bubble map only using the one theme and multiple quotes. They will get approval on their
quote choices before they begin writing.
Gifted students will be given the option to compare two themes with multiple text examples. This will go beyond the original
analytical essay and ask them to compare to themes and why they may be important, why the author chose those, and how they
may be related. This strays from the original assessment so students would be asked to meet with me to go over possibilities and
guidelines.

Theme using Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar

Children: Pacing Calendar

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Administer pretest
The pretest will assess
students familiarity and
ability to determine
theme in short excerpts.
(Specific example is
included in the
assessment portion)

Background Information
Refugees, WWII, and
Orphanages in this time
period
o In small groups,
students will
research the
following categories
and give a short
summary
presentations
Students will use
computers, and I will
provide newspaper articles
and primary sources

Explain how to cite

quotes, what makes a
quote useful, and
how to create a
dialectical journal.

Pretest discussion
(go over answers)

Intro to theme
discuss what theme
is as a group briefly.

Assign final essay.
Students will be
Students will be
writing an analytical
given a dialectical
essay on theme. They
journal to complete will be expected to
as they read. There
choose a theme from
will be no limit to
the story and support
how many quotes
it with evidence from
are needed, but they the text.
will be told that this (Further detail in
will be used to write step 1)
the essay at the end
of the unit and
HW: Read Ch. 3 and
encouraged to find
4
as many quotes as
they see fit. Logs will
be checked at the
end of each chapter
to ensure students
are reading. Quotes

Use fables to go over

theme. Example: Turtle
and the Hare; small
groups will be given a
fable and will come up
with a theme for that
fable.

Students will present
their fable and theme
(using the graphic
organizer mentioned
below) on the board and
then explain why they
made that conclusion

Students will present
findings through the
theme search graphic
organizer on page 61
from Honigsfield and
Dove

HW: Read Ch. 5

Differences between
Main Idea and Theme

Define theme: moral,
message, or lesson
that a story identifies
Define main idea:
mostly what the story
is about

Create an anchor
chart with the whole
class
o One side will show
Theme and the
definition, other side
will show Main Idea
and definition
o Whole class will
come up with
possible themes,
then main ideas that
may coincide
o Example:
Jealousy as
theme, main
idea would
be Amanda
always
wanted the
same things
as Mary

Midpoint check: Students

will talk in small groups
and compare dialectical
journals.

Based on the quotes they
have compiled, groups
will create one theme.
Each student will record
their groups theme and
write three quotes that
go along with that theme.
We will come back to this
later.

Begin reading Ch. 7 in
class

HW: Finish Ch. 7, Ch. 8
and 9

Discussion on
important vocabulary
o Provide
students with
definitions of
words that they
may not be
familiar with
Give disclaimer on
language and
controversial topics
(warning of death)

Read the prologue

can also be
paraphrased.

I will model how to
find quotes that are
useful, how to cite
them, and how to
paraphrase. This will
be modeled as we
begin to read Ch. 1
in class.

HW: Finish Ch. 1
and 2

o Anchor chart
will be hung
in the class
for future
reference

Theme and Main Idea
Word Sort
o In groups of 2 or 3
students will be
given an envelope
with themes and
main ideas.
Students will have
to sort them
according to which
one they fall under
o Examples:
Never give up
on something
that is
important to
you would be
theme, The
boys never
expected to get
caught stealing
the chips but
the security
camera saw
them would be
main idea
o Themes and
main idea do

not have to
coincide; not
all themes
will have a
matching
main idea

HW: Finish Ch. 6
6

Reading in class:
Chapter 10 out loud
(modeling fluency
and also pointing
out helpful quotes to
make sure that
students are
understanding the
dialectical journal,
especially after the
group work the day
before). Students
will be adding to the
dialectical journals
as we read.

HW: Finish 10 and
11

Students will be
given a bell ringer to
explain what the
book is about. This
will help students
subconsciously
consider theme, as
well as prove that
they have read (or at
least taken the time
to look up
summaries).

DETAILED LESSON
PLAN ATTACHED

10

Jigsaw Discussion:

Students will start in
their groups form the
day before and have ten
minutes to finish adding
any additional themes
or quotes to their list.
Each group should have
at least 5 quotes and 5
themes (this should not
be hard since students
will be building from
their own dialectical
journal). Students will
write in a different color
pen to determine their
work from the work that
they are adding. One
student from each group
will rotate and they will
continue to compile new
ideas, new quotes, and
new themes. This will go

Students will be given

a graphic organizer
(Bubble Map pg
176)

In the center, students
will write THEME and
then make bubbles on
possible themes from
the theme wall (ie;
Importance of family,
accepting differences,
Identity, Friendship),
and then off the
bubbles they will take
their own quotes and
the quotes from the
jigsaw discussion.
Bubble map should
have at least four
themes with three
pieces of evidence
each. Again, this
should not be difficult

I will model how to

format the paper through
previous essays. I will
also explain how to
include paraphrasing and
quotations and how to
cite in the paper through
examples.

Work day and conference
with each student to go
over the theme they
chose and what evidence
they have.

because of all the

options and the
quotes that they have
traded with each
other.

This will be used to
write their papers.

Further questions will
be answered on the
papers.

Rest of the time will
be used to outline the
papers and choose the
theme they want to
write about.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

on until all groups have

seen each others lists
and report back to add
to their original group

We will make a Theme
Wall (like a word wall)
as a whole class at the
end of this period and
return to it the next day.