My 8th grader is doing a Literature Analysis course, which I in general usually appreciate. BUT, sometimes it's decidedly over the head of junior high students. For example, this week's lesson discusses the concept 'theme,' and the student is expected to write an essay on the theme of a certain book.
So far, so good. Here's the problem. The sample essay, which presumably was included to be helpful, has the following as its thesis statement regarding the theme of Huckleberry Finn: "It is a biting satire of the American penchant towards sentimental Romanticism." It ends with, "The journey of Huck, then, is the quintessential American journey."
These may well be true, but it sure doesn't help a 7th or 8th grader understand how to write an essay on the theme of Call of the Wild! It's just too far over their heads to give the students direction for their own essays.
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