Text Set Overview

Audience

11th Grade

Anchor Text

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Ari finds himself in a liminal state through much of the novel. The texts found in this set help to explore this theme of liminality and encourage learners to make meaning of their own liminal states.

Purpose

The purpose of this text set is to answer the Essential Questions:

• How does literature, as well as other text types, try to describe the ecotone, or transition area, between childhood and adolescence?
• How does Ari deal with ecotone, or liminality, in the novel? How do other texts explore this idea? What are the ways in which we are both individually as well as communally in a liminal state? How does exploring this idea help us shape our identities?

Common Core State Standards

Curricular Text Set