Character/Theme, Benchmark, U6, W3, D4

Close Reading: Analyze Character to Determine Theme

Today we will think about the ways Julie uses what she has in order to survive.

Analyzing Story Details

We’ve used the strategy of analyzing story details to help us understand more about the challenges Julie faces.

What other strategy can we use to understand more about her?

Character Challenges

Analyzing the way Julie responds to the challenges she faces can help us understand Julie’s character and the story’s theme.

Reread paragraphs 1–13...

• The narrator explains that Eskimos had thrived “by using the plants, animals, and temperature” in the Arctic.

• Identify how Julie is able to use (or plans to use) plants, animals, and temperature to help her survive the challenges she faces in this story

• Explain how this relates to the story’s theme.

Think about it:

The prompt asks me to think specifically about how Julie uses three things to face her challenges: plants, animals, and temperature. As I read, I will keep those three things in mind.

Think about it:

In paragraph 1, I read that Julie spun around when “the grass crackled behind her.” She uses the noise of the plants as a warning system. I will underline that sentence.

Think about it:

Paragraphs 4 and 5 are about Jello, an animal. But this event is about what happens to Julie to make her challenge even more serious. It is not about how she uses animals to overcome the challenge. I will keep reading.

Think about it:

At the beginning of paragraph 10, I read “the warm yellow of the land gave her hope.” That relates to the temperature. It is daylight, and the land is “warm yellow.” Julie gets a feeling of hope from that. I will underline that sentence. This detail, along with the others, helps me see the theme of the story. People, like Julie can adapt and survive in any kind of environment.

Open Ended

How does Julie use (or plans to use) plants, animals, and temperature to help her survive the challenges she faces in this story?

Open Ended

How does thinking specifically about what Julie uses to survive help you understand more about Julie?

Open Ended

What do you learn from Julie about the bigger theme of survival?