Your Learning Task:  
You will identify one of the major themes in the novel THE SCORPIO RACES and write a 5-paragraph essay explaining how author Maggie Stiefvater develops this theme in three distinct ways, using specific text evidence to support your ideas.

*An introduction to THEME

What is theme?
​
"In contemporary literary studies, a theme is the central topic a text treats.

Typical examples of themes of this type are conflict between the individual and society; coming of age; humans in conflict with technology; nostalgia; and the dangers of unchecked ambition. A theme may be exemplified by the actions, utterances, or thoughts of a character in a novel.  NOTE: A story may have several themes."

​SOURCE: Wikipedia
What are some common themes in literature that are also present in THE SCORPIO RACES?
  • Persist in the face of difficulties
  • Family matters
  • Choose your own path, regardless of what society tells you
  • When you find love, treasure it
  • Protect those you love
  • Conflicts between people and nature are inevitable, but they don't have to end in tragedy
  • Sometimes we must make sacrifices for the things we love
  • Suffering is part of life, but it doesn't have to define you
  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
  • Our destiny is not determined by our surroundings or the environment in which we were raised
  • Being rich is not the same thing as being wealthy
  • Nothing good comes of greed/being vengeful
  • Hate blind us to what really matters
  • Love conquers many things​

*Getting Ready to Write

View the slide show below to get an idea of the expectations for this writing project. The slide show also offers sentence starters and organizational tips for your writing.

*Prewriting Stage - Using a Graphic Organizer 

  • First, write your thesis statement, as it will guide the direction your essay takes.
************************************************************************************************************
To write your thesis you must decide two things:  1) the THEME and 2) how the author DEVELOPS THE THEME.  Both of these ideas need to be included in your three-part thesis.

Authors may develop theme using any of the following elements of fiction:
  • Events- what happens to the characters along the way
  • Characters - character qualities, character actions, and how characters respond to situations
  • Character development - the ways characters change, and the lessons they learn
  • Conflict - what causes the conflicts the characters face and how these conflicts are resolved
  • Relationships - those relationships, for better or worse, that influence the main characters
  • Dialogue and internal character thoughts - what characters say or think
  • Setting - social norms and values during the time frame of the story; the physical barriers or challenges a setting provides
  • Symbolism - objects or characters that represent important ideas or truths
  • Structure - the contrast between the beginning and the end of a novel; multiple perspectives/narrators
Visit the website Shmoop for more: www.shmoop.com/the-scorpio-races/
************************************************************************************************************
Use the following sentence starters to format your 3-part thesis.  Notice how each identifies the theme and the three ways the author develops that theme.
  • Maggie Stiefvater explores the theme of...in the novel...through her…, …, and 
  • In her novel...Maggie Stiefvater develops the theme of...through her…, ..., and 
  • The author...develops the theme of...by exploring the…, ..., and...in the novel...
  • Through…, ..., and… the theme of...is developed by...in her novel…
  • Of the many themes in the novel The Scorpio Races, one is…, which Maggie Stiefvater develops through her…, …, and …
  • The Scorpio Races has as a theme..., which author Maggie Stiefvater develops through her…, …, and ...
************************************************************************************************************
Next, make a copy of the GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Google Doc linked here:
 
​docs.google.com/document/d/1jVEYohiAxhi5JSXtQzqbokELSsM2KvMaOhFS8ZEN_3Y/edit?usp=sharing

Now, fill in each "claim" column with one part of your three-part thesis.
Finally, identify evidence from the text that supports each part of your three-part thesis.
​Make sure you include page numbers for each piece of text evidence!
Eventually, each column will become a separate paragraph in the body of your essay.

*Drafting Your Essay​

​Now it's time to type your ideas from the graphic organizer into this outline.  Then when you're finished, you can eliminate the skeleton of the outline, and you have what's left, your essay!

Use this link to make a copy of the Google Doc outline you'll need!
docs.google.com/document/d/1kXINS5T0lj36hlxgp-CCEM4jmbqYoj9lZkR0TH0O-4g/edit?usp=sharing

*Evaluating Your Work

Click on the following link to view and make a copy of the scoring guide we will use to evaluate your work.
docs.google.com/document/d/1NJ4E8qoVPpyfzjxP2VqwZmREVfXOujlfT381voW6s9s/edit?usp=sharing

Click on the link on the right to see Mrs. Bestor's 5-paragraph essay being written in real time!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17YUgvNiE9ntLH-VkeSnS_aXaWB9Q50_3JSiu5CshtZU/edit?usp=sharing