The Graveyard Book Theme, Symbolism, & Quote Extension Activities

This product includes engaging extension activities that require students to delve deeper into Neil Gaiman's novel, The Graveyard Book. The included activities were designed to promote higher-level thinking skills in addition to providing more in-depth class and peer discussions and writing experiences. Printable PDF and Google Slides (digital) versions are included!

The purpose of these activities is to foster and reinforce higher-level thinking skills, emphasizing abstract reading concepts like theme, symbolism, perspective, character analysis, and more.

⭐️This Resource Includes:⭐️

Printable PDFs and a digital option are included!

Both printable PDFs and digital versions of all the activities are included.

• Digital Student Activities: This resource includes a Google Slides version with all the activities listed below. Information on how to access the digital version and how to share it with your students is included.

• Overcoming Obstacles: Students will fill in the T-Chart with physical, emotional, or mental obstacles the character faced and describe their response to those challenges.

• Character Summary (Bod): Students summarize a character focusing on challenges, response to challenges, flaws, positive characteristics, and completing a timeline of 5 events that showcase the character's behavior.

• Character Summary (Silas): Students summarize a character focusing on challenges, response to challenges, flaws, positive characteristics, and completing a timeline of 5 events that showcase the character's behavior.

• The Perfect Playlist: Students will design a soundtrack for the story, which includes creating a playlist of FOUR songs that represent four BIG IDEAS consistently seen throughout the book and designing an album cover that symbolizes the theme of the story.

• Graveyard on the 'Gram: Students create an Instagram post of one of the events in the story.

• Theme Analysis: Students will analyze various themes found within the novel and answer related questions. Includes the following themes: It takes a village to raise a child; Discovering who we are and where we come from is important, but the people who guide and care for us are what truly shape our identity; Death may offer comfort, but the adventures and experiences of being alive are what make life meaningful; Judging someone's character based on appearances can be misleading.

• Story Element Quote Connections: Students select quotes that connect to story elements in the novel and explain the connection between each quote, providing evidence from the book to support their explanation.

• Quote Pair Up: Students choose quote cards to compare and contrast.

• Quote Inspired Hoodie Design: Students will create a unique hoodie design inspired by a significant quote from the novel that reflects themes, characters, or emotions.

• Personality Quote Pairs: Students select four characters from the novel, pick quote cards that they believe each character would say based on their personality in the novel, and describe why each character fits the chosen quote.

• Important Quotes: Students choose 3 important quotes from the story and explain why each quote is significant to the plot.

• 8-Quote Connections: Students will read the provided quotes and give thoughtful responses to the questions using the story, personal experiences, background knowledge, as well as opinions to guide their responses.

• Quote Cards (60 Miscellaneous Quotes & Proverbs): Students will use the quotations on the cards to complete various quote analysis activities. They can also be used as writing prompts or discussion starters. Both digital and printable versions are included.

• Quote Cards (37 Quotes from the Book): Students will use the quotations on the cards to complete various quote analysis activities. They can also be used as writing prompts or discussion starters. Both digital and printable versions are included.

• Symbolism: Students identify and analyze symbols & symbolism found in the story. Includes the following symbols found in the story: Sleer’s brooch, graveyard, Jack’s knife, Liza’s headstone, the lady on the grey, and the Macabray dance (Includes ANSWER KEY).