There are many themes, symbols and motifs present throughout the novel Milkweed. Students can explore themes, symbols, and motifs in a novel by identifying a few and creating images and captions depicting examples from the text. Students can explore this by identifying a theme, symbol, or motif themselves or, in an “envelope activity” being given one or more to track throughout their reading. Then, students will create a storyboard illustrating the examples of that theme from the text. Teachers may assign themes and symbols for students to look for or allow students to select their own.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes, symbols or motifs found in Milkweed. Illustrate each symbol and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
Invite students to share the themes, symbols, or motifs they found by forming small groups or a whole-class circle. Encourage participation and respectful listening so everyone feels included and valued.
Select one symbol or motif from the novel and read a short passage aloud. Demonstrate how that symbol appears and explain its meaning to help students see connections between text and symbolism.
Ask students to help build a visual anchor chart on the board or chart paper. List key motifs and add student examples, including images or quotes. Display the chart for ongoing reference.
Pair students to review each other's storyboards. Prompt them to share positive feedback and suggest at least one improvement for clarity or detail. This fosters collaboration and reflection.
Milkweed explores powerful themes such as the Holocaust, friendship, identity, courage, family, prejudice and dehumanization, kindness, hope, survival, and the triumph of the human spirit. These themes help students understand both historical events and personal growth within the novel.
Teachers can assign specific symbols or motifs for students to track or allow them to choose their own. Activities like the envelope activity or creating storyboards encourage students to find and illustrate recurring elements from the novel.
A storyboard lesson involves students identifying a theme, symbol, or motif from Milkweed, illustrating scenes that represent it, and writing brief descriptions for each example. This helps deepen comprehension and connect visuals to textual evidence.
Themes, symbols, and motifs provide frameworks for students to analyze literary works. In Milkweed, they help students uncover deeper meanings, understand character motivations, and connect historical context to the narrative.
Effective activities include tracking motifs throughout reading, storyboard projects, group discussions, and creative assignments where students illustrate and describe recurring elements. These tasks foster engagement and critical thinking.