A Night Divided Novel Study Theme and Symbolism Extension…

About this resource

What's inside this resource

A Night Divided Novel Study Theme and Symbolism Extension Activities is a comprehensive resource designed to enhance students' exploration of the novel 'A Night Divided'. This resource emphasizes advanced reading concepts such as theme, symbolism, perspective, and figurative language. It offers versatile tools in both printable PDF and Google Slides & Forms (digital) versions.

The provided exercises provoke extended class discussions and peer exchanges. The complex questions require responses supported by textual evidence, speculative short answers, creation of imagery among others. It's explicitly aimed at challenging learners' critical thinking skills.

Figuatrative Language Identification Worksheets

The package includes worksheets related to recognizing figurative language used in 'A Night Divided'. These exercises can be done either as a whole group activity or small teams working on various chapters enabling learners to decode the type of figurative language used together with its meaning and rationale for usage.

Theme Study Activity

The 'Theme Study' section engages students into stimulating debates about the themes present in the novel; it prompts them forming smaller discussion circles each dissecting a different theme - providing opportunities for differentiated learning.

Symbolsim Analysis Worksheets

This also extends to Symbolism Analysis worksheets that theoretically challenge students as they investigate differing symbols used across this narrative.

Perspective Establishing Exercises

Learners are offered certain quotations from 'A Night Divided'.
Learners are then required provide reasoned responses drawing anecdotes based on their personal perception or events directly drawn from the book.
Learners finally fuse their thought-processes with their creative capabilities responding through designing hoodies that symbolize themes/ideas derived backed up by supportive text excerpts drawn from "Night Divided".

In totality, A Night Divided Novel Study Theme and Symbolism Extension Activities offer numerous ways for learners to connect with and delve deeper into the thematic sphere of this engaging novel. This resource is tailored for middle school aged students (Grades 4-8) aligning perfectly with Language Arts curricula focusing on comprehension, strategies, literature reading.

What's included

Figurative Language Notes Handouts covering simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and idiom
Five Figuring Out Figurative Language practice sets by chapter range (Ch. 1-9, 10-19, 20-28, 29-37, 38-47), 4 pages/12 questions each, with answer keys
Theme Study activity covering six themes: family, heroism, courage, freedom of speech, fear, and division
Symbolism Analysis activity covering three symbol pairs: tunnel/garden, Berlin Wall/family car and key, bananas/freedom of speech
Quote Analysis section: 5 Quote Connections reflection prompts, 6 quote-based creative activities, and 60 printable quote cards
Two bonus creative projects: The Perfect Playlist (four-song soundtrack design) and Gerta on the 'Gram (in-character Instagram post)
Linked Google Slides digital version alongside the PDF (answer keys are PDF-only)

Resource types: Worksheets & Printables, Novel Studies, Activities, Worksheets

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Identify similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and idioms in passages from the novel and explain the author's purpose for using them.
Determine a theme — such as family, heroism, courage, freedom of speech, fear, or division — using details from across the novel.
Analyze how a specific object (the tunnel, the garden, the Berlin Wall, the family car and key, bananas) functions as a symbol in the story.
Use quotations from the novel as evidence to support personal responses, comparisons, and creative projects.

Teaching tips

Split the class into groups and assign each group a different theme or symbol pair — the file's own directions recommend this because some themes and symbols are more difficult than others.
Print the figurative-language notes handouts 2 or 4 to a page and have students glue them into a reading journal for ongoing reference during the unit.
Laminate the 60 quote cards on cardstock for repeated use across multiple quote activities and future class sections.
The five figurative-language practice sets are grouped by chapter range, so assign each set as students finish the corresponding chapters rather than all at once.

Skills covered

Figurative language analysis — students identify similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and idioms in novel passages and explain the author's purpose for each.
Theme development — students trace one of six themes using evidence gathered across the whole novel.
Symbolism interpretation — students explain how objects like the tunnel, the garden, and the Berlin Wall function as symbols in the story.
Textual evidence use — quote-connection and quote-comparison activities require students to support their thinking with specific quotations from the novel.
Creative synthesis — bonus projects (a soundtrack design, an in-character social-media post) require translating novel themes into an original creative format.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How are the theme and symbolism activities designed for group work?

The file suggests splitting the class into groups, with each group taking on a different theme or symbol pair, since it notes that some are more challenging than others and should be previewed for differentiation.