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Arizona ELA Standard: 7.RL.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.

Main Idea and Details
Main Idea and Details
Young students can use this big idea organizer to identify the main idea and support it with details.
Gr 1-8
Identifying A Story’s Theme
Identifying A Story’s Theme
Teach your young students to identify the moral or the theme of a story.
Gr 1-8
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Conflict? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
What if you had really weak chess pieces, but you could always move twice?
Gr 1-8
Charge of the Light Brigade – Chess Variant
Charge of the Light Brigade – Chess Variant
What if one side played with THREE QUEENS and the other had SEVEN KNIGHTS!? What if?
Gr 2-8
Tournament of Ancient Inventions
Tournament of Ancient Inventions
Which of these inventions of the ancient world is most influential? Least useful today? Most taken-for-granted?
Gr 1-8
Analyze Characters Using Philosophy
Analyze Characters Using Philosophy
What is the Brick Pig’s philosophy? How would he apply it to the characters in Harry Potter?
Gr 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8
Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)
Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)
A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Not Like The Others: Charlotte’s Web
Not Like The Others: Charlotte’s Web
Four Charlotte’s Web characters. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Gr 1-5
Writing Sample: Moby Dick
Writing Sample: Moby Dick
A passage from Moby Dick to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Paradox: The Barber’s Paradox
Paradox: The Barber’s Paradox
The barber shaves everybody who doesn’t themselves. So… does the barber shave himself?
Gr 1-8
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Add complexity by considering how multiple factors 🔄 Converge within one topic.
Gr 2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Content Imperatives: Origin
Content Imperatives: Origin
Take students back to the beginning by using the Content Imperative ⏺️ Origin.
Gr 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Depth and Complexity: ⚖️ Ethics
Depth and Complexity: ⚖️ Ethics
Want to add drama to any topic? Use the Ethics prompt!
Gr 2-8
Depth and Complexity: 🏛️ Big Idea
Depth and Complexity: 🏛️ Big Idea
Let’s get students thinking big and focusing on more abstract ideas.
Gr 1-8
Depth and Complexity: 🌻 Details
Depth and Complexity: 🌻 Details
Get kids focusing on the small, but essential, details of a topic.
Gr 1-8
Analyze Character Change with Depth and Complexity
Analyze Character Change with Depth and Complexity
Your students will use Depth and Complexity to note how a character’s main trait changes across a story.
Gr 1-8
Characters’ Talents and Multiple Intelligences
Characters’ Talents and Multiple Intelligences
How do characters from novels line up with Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences?
Gr 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8
Romeo and Juliet Summary
Romeo and Juliet Summary
Romeo and Juliet in just about five minutes.
Gr 1-8
“Much Ado About Nothing” Summary
“Much Ado About Nothing” Summary
Shakespeare’s Much Ado summarized in just five minutes!
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Twelfth Night Summary
Twelfth Night Summary
An animated summary of Shakespeare’s utterly ridiculous “Twelfth Night.”
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Hamlet Summary
Hamlet Summary
It’s Hamlet in just about five minutes!
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Nothing could possibly go wrong with a love potion on the loose!
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Writing Summaries in Haiku
Writing Summaries in Haiku
Let’s write a summary. A very short summary. With VERY strict rules.
Gr 1-8
Add Layers To Direct Instruction
Add Layers To Direct Instruction
Take direction instruction beyond a monotonous practice of the same skill over and over.
Gr 1-8
Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes
Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes
A typical student narrative includes plot and characters but lacks a larger idea to hold it all together. This is where a lesson on themes comes in…
Gr 1-8