Grade 07 ELA - EC: E07.A-K.1.1.2

Continuum of Activities

The list below represents a continuum of activities: resources categorized by Standard/Eligible Content that teachers may use to move students toward proficiency. Using LEA curriculum and available materials and resources, teachers can customize the activity statements/questions for classroom use.

This continuum of activities offers:

Instructional activities designed to be integrated into planned lessons
Questions/activities that grow in complexity
Opportunities for differentiation for each student’s level of performance

Grade Levels

7th Grade

Course, Subject

English Language Arts

Related Academic Standards / Eligible Content

E07.A-K.1.1.2 E07.A-K.1.1.2

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.

Activities

What are the key questions that enable you to identify the theme or central idea in a literary text?
How does an author develop a theme or central idea in a literary text?

Using the evidence presented in the literary text, infer a theme from the text.
Interpret how the author’s development of characterization supports a theme in a literary text.

Analyze how the author develops a theme throughout a literary text.
Construct a written response in which you discuss the theme or central idea in a literary text using two relevant, accurate pieces of textual evidence in support of your statement.

Answer Key/Rubric

Students correctly identify strategies they can ask themselves to determine if the theme is adequate when reading a literary text:
1. Can the main idea apply to every person who will ever walk the face of the earth?
2. Can you turn that theme or central idea into a hashtag (in Twitter language) or into an inspirational poster?
3. Can you support your main idea with at least two pieces of textual evidence?
Student is able to identify that an author of a literary text uses selection of details, development of characterization, plot development, and conflict presentation and resolution as some of the ways in which he/she develops a theme or central idea in a literary text.
Student demonstrates an understanding of theme and can clearly state one possible theme. A theme must:
1. Apply to every person who will walk the face of the earth
2. Can be turned into a hashtag (in Twitter language) or an inspirational poster – if it does not fit those criteria, it cannot be a theme.
3. A theme must be supported by textual evidence.
Student demonstrates an understanding of characterization. Characterization is how the author develops a character by illustrating the actions, beliefs, physical appearance, and relationships that are developed with other characters. Characterization helps build a main idea or theme by highlighting the character’s beliefs and conflicts with other characters. What the character says or does and how he/she interacts with others can give clues to the author’s intent and, thus, help us understand main idea or theme.
Student recognizes how an author develops a theme. Authors develop a theme by selection of details, development of characterization, events in plot, and presentation and resolution of conflict.
Student compose a short response of approximately 3-5 sentences in which they clearly identify a theme, as defined above, and provide two pieces of relevant, accurate textual evidence. Theme can be different based on student understanding and experiences but are always general enough to be applicable to humans no matter where they live, are meant to teach a lesson (and can be turned into a hashtag statement or an inspirational poster), and are proven with relevant, accurate textual evidence. Textual evidence must show a clear connection to demonstrating the theme and must be accurate as a result of clear comprehension of the literary text.