Breaking Barriers

Theme Expo

Your task is to act as a cultural critic. You will choose a novel from our list and analyze how it explores the concept of "Breaking Barriers" through the interaction of two or more complex themes. You will then demonstrate how these themes offer insight into our world in 2026.

Choose Your Medium

   Select the format that best allows your group to communicate your insights:

• Google Vids (Video Essay): A narrated analysis combining clips, images, and text.

• Speech/Presentation: A live or recorded pitch that uses visual aids to argue the novel's contemporary relevance.

Core Requirements

   Regardless of format, your Expo project must include:

• A Defensible Theme Statement: Move beyond one-word topics (e.g., instead of "War," use "War forces individuals to sacrifice their moral innocence for survival").

• Thematic Interaction: Show how Theme A and Theme B build upon or collide with each other.

• Textual Evidence: Use specific quotes or scenes (your Notice & Note signposts) and interpret them—don't just summarize.

• 2026 Insight: Explain why this story matters today. How does it help us understand current social, political, or economic barriers?

Use this checklist to ensure your product is on target for a "4" on the rubric.

Phase 1: Analysis & Evidence

• We have identified at least two "seed themes" (topics) in our novel.

• We have combined these topics into one complex, defensible theme statement.

• We have selected at least 3–5 specific quotes or "Notice & Note" signposts that track this theme's development.

• We have used our Hexagon Manipulatives to find the exact moment where our two themes interact.

Phase 2: Connecting to 2026

• We have identified a specific real-world barrier (social, economic, or political) that mirrors the book.

• We have written an explanation of how the book's message provides "insight or guidance" for that issue.

• Self-Check: Are we using our own interpretation? (Reminder: No external research is needed for this unit!)

Phase 3: Production & Polish

• We have chosen our medium (Video, Storyboard, or Speech).

• Our project flows logically from the theme statement to evidence to real-world connection.

• We have reviewed the rubric to ensure we are hitting the "Interaction" and "Complexity" requirements.

• Final review for conventions: Is our text/speech clear and professional?

CCSS.RL.2.11-12 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.