Theme in The Road by Gracie Wentz

#4 The Hollow Men Analysis

gw07212 — 2024-05-29 18:25:16 UTC

I pair this poem with The Road as it hits on similar post-apocalyptic themes. This allows my 11th graders to not only analyze a connected text, in this case a poem, but also to see how different texts can touch on similar topics and lend themselves to similar themes.

#2 Theme Notes

gw07212 — 2024-05-29 18:29:47 UTC

I use these Google Slides to discuss and introduce themes in The Road. At this point in the semester, students know what theme is so I include their brainstormed themes in the presentation.

#1 Theme vs. Topic

gw07212 — 2024-05-29 18:36:56 UTC

This is a great video that explains the difference between topic and theme. In high school, students still mix up topics and themes and want to give one-word answers for themes. I like to show videos like this to reinforce the idea that theme is a universal message.

#3 The Road- Coke Scene

gw07212 — 2024-05-29 18:46:44 UTC

I play this video after we read the Coke can scene between the father and son. After I play this scene, students complete a think, pair, share and discuss how this scene pairs well with one of the themes we have discussed as a class. Usually, students land on a theme that covers either the nostalgia or familial bond topic.

#5 Commonlit Article "Why Teens Find The End Of The World So Appealing"

gw07212 — 2024-06-01 16:05:50 UTC

This is an article off of Commonlit that introduces post-apocalyptic literature and asks students questions about central idea and theme as they read. Using this article, students are introduced to the genre of The Road and practice analyzing and annotating for theme. This article can be used for a variety of learners as it is easy to scaffold and access.

#6 Digital Art Analysis

gw07212 — 2024-06-01 16:15:07 UTC

This website explores the digital art of Michal Karcz. In this digital portfolio, Karcz explores post-apocalyptic landscapes that seem surreal. As the Commonlit article suggests, students are fascinated with post-apocalyptic scenarios and this art explores many of them. The digital art all takes place in New York City. I would have students analyze a few of these pieces before we read, while we read, and once we finish The Road. In their analysis, students would detail how the landscape is similar to the setting of the novel and connect their analysis to an important theme.

#7 The Road Playlist

gw07212 — 2024-06-01 16:25:04 UTC

My students are very passionate about many different things, but one thing they are all passionate about is music. Because of this, I like to use playlists and music to teach theme. After we read The Road, students look through this playlist and make notes about how three of the songs are connected to The Road. Once they finish this, they begin to curate their own playlist that relates to The Road, its characters, and its themes. Their playlist must be at least seven songs and they must justify why each song deserves to be on the playlist and how it connects to the themes we discussed as we read.

#8 Theme & Motif Analysis

gw07212 — 2024-06-01 16:28:21 UTC

As we read The Road, we talk about several vocabulary words one of them being motif. Motif is directly connected to theme, so after we read about ninety pages of the novel, I have students complete this motif analysis. They reflect on the good guys versus bad guys motif and once they have found textual evidence for this motif, they decide what theme the motif develops and explain how at the bottom of the worksheet.

#9 Theme Collab

gw07212 — 2024-06-01 16:36:08 UTC

Once we finish The Road and some discussion, students can begin to create their own themes out of important topics. Once they do, they will add their theme to this Padlet and then comment under two of their peers' themes. Their comments must connect their peer's theme to a specific detail in the text using MLA citations. This is a very easy way to check for understanding of theme and textual evidence before we move on to analysis.

#10 Themes in The Road: Where Fiction and Science Meet

gw07212 — 2024-06-01 16:54:34 UTC

In this article posted on Oprah's blog, she gathers various opinions from McCarthy's colleagues at the Santa Fe Institute on the themes of The Road. This is a very interesting read and introduces students to higher academic vocabulary and analysis of a novel. As students read, they would come across ideas that they already discussed as a class. This could be a great tool to use to review annotations and spark intriguing classroom discussions on which themes students agree with or disagree with the most.