English 9A Lesson 2.1

English 9A Lesson 2.1

Literary analysis

start

development

intro

Closure

Reflection

Learning sessions

Literary Analysis

Introductory Paragraph

Body Paragraphs

Conclusion

LEARNING OUTCOMES: SWBAT

write informative/explanatory texts to examine complex ideas through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis and reflection.

develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts.

introduce a thesis statement.

provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

introduce a topic and organize complex information to make important connections.

Essential Questions:

• What is literary analysis and why do we do it?
• What strategies can we use to effectively structure a literary analysis, support our ideas with text evidence, and communicate our interpretations?

Introduction

Welcome, Literary Detectives!Every good essay has clues hidden inside it: a thesis statement, body paragraphs with evidence, and a conclusion that ties it all together. Today, your mission is to explore how these parts work together to build a strong literary analysis.

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Literary Analysis

Buiding Background Knowledge

Video: Literary Analysis Using the C-E-R Strategy

Info

Let's examine how writers use the C-E-R method to analyze literature. Watch the video to learn how to approach any writing prompt successfully.

FILL IN THE BLANKS. Choose the correct word to completer the sentence.

summary

A claim is your idea about the text based on your ____________ .

analysis

analysis

facts

feelings

opinion

evidence

Once you make a claim, your ___________ needs to support your reason.

evidence

when

why

Reasoning explains ________ your evidence supports your claim.

who

why

Let's Practice!

Summary vs. Analysis

Solution

Drag each example to the group it belongs to

Analysis

Summary

01 Consider key ideas

02 Interpret deeper meaning

03 Restate main points

04 Examine literary elements

05 Provide an overview

06 Explore themes

From C-E-R to the literary analysis essay

Now that you know how to use the C-E-R method to explain your thinking, it’s time to use those same skills and apply them to a full literary analysis essay. Let's get started!

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Learning Session 1

Introductory Paragraph and Thesis Statments

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Cracking the Code: The Introductory Paragraph

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Every great essay starts with a strong beginning. The introductory paragraph is like a first impression—it grabs the reader’s attention, introduces the topic, and sets up your thesis (the main idea of your essay). Think of it as your essay’s movie trailer: it should hook your audience and make them want to read more.

Let’s examine the different parts of a student’s introductory paragraph based on the poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes.

This type of hook makes a general statement about life and big ideas that most readers can relate to, like judgment, fairness, and identity.

When life is difficult, it can be easy to give up, but Langston Hughes reminds readers that strength comes from never stopping. In his poem “Mother to Son,” a mother speaks to her child about the challenges she has faced and the importance of continuing to climb despite them. Hughes uses imagery and an extended metaphor of a staircase to show that life is full of obstacles, yet people can overcome them through perseverance and resilience.

The background introduces the title and author and summarizes the text.

Thesis: Makes a statement about what the author is trying to show us (the theme or message) using literary elements such as imagery, figurative language, characterization, or plot.

Use the drawing tool to match the parts of an introductory paragraph on the left with the correct definition on the right.

A clear statement that explains your main idea or argument about a story, poem, or play.

Hook

Captures the reader's attention. Tries to get them to think about big ideas.

Background

Introduces the title and author and briefly summarizes the text.

Thesis

Thesis Statements

The foundation of your Analysis

Thesis statements:Now that we know what literary analysis is… (looking closely at how an author uses literary elements to create meaning). It’s time to turn our ideas into a clear argument! That’s where the thesis statement comes in. A thesis statement is the sentence that tells the reader: “Here’s the idea I’m going to prove using evidence from the text.” Think of it as your main point—your literary opinion in one strong sentence,

thesis statement Formula

A strong thesis statement isn’t just one random sentence—it follows a formula. Think of it like a recipe: every thesis needs the right ingredients in the right order. Click on each element or ingredient below to learn more.

Strong verb

Introductory phrase

Literary elements

Title

Claim

Author

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Thesis Statement Student Example

Below is a student’s thesis statement based on the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Notice how the student arranges the different elements, or ingredients, to create a strong thesis statement.

Strong verb

Introductory phrase

Literary elements

Title

Author

Claim

In the novel The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton uses characterization and conflict to show how social class and brotherhood influence identity and belonging.

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Thesis Statement Scramble #1

Solution

Instructions: Drag the phrases below onto the line in the order given to make a complete thesis statement.

Literary elements

Introductory phrase

Claim

Author

Strong verb

Title

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

to reveal how courage and sacrifice expose the cost of survival in a corrupt society.

Suzanne Collins

uses

In the novel

The Hunger Games

setting and plot

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Thesis Statement Scramble #2

Instructions: Drag the literary elements below onto the boxes, putting them in the order they appear in the example thesis statement.

In the poem “Mother to Son,” Langston Hughes uses extended metaphor and imagery to show that perseverance is essential despite life’s obstacles.

Claim

Introductory phrase

Strong verb

Literary elements

Title

Author

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Thesis statements

learning session

Body Paragraphs

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learning session 2

Body Paragraphs

C-E-R Practice

You made a claim, now, let’s prove your ideas by digging into the text for evidence and reasoning. Think of body paragraphs as the building blocks of your essay.

Let’s examine the different parts of a student’s body paragraph based on the poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes.

Evidence: a quote, a moment, or a detail from the text that supports your claim.

Claim/Topic Sentence: Your main idea or argument about the text in one sentence. It must connect to your thesis.

Hughes uses imagery to show that the mother’s life has been difficult and full of challenges. The mother tells her son, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up.” These images help readers picture a staircase that is broken and painful to climb. The details of “tacks” and “splinters” make us imagine her struggles and the pain she has faced. By using vivid imagery, Hughes shows how the mother has suffered but continues to climb anyway, proving her resilience.

Reasoning: Explain how the evidence you chose proves your claim. Think of it as connecting the dots between your idea and the text.

The concluding idea in the reasoning section of the C-E-R (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) paragraph connects the evidence and the claim to the poem’s universal theme—perseverance.

learning session 2

Evidence and Reasoning

Text Evidence Video

Textual evidence is the exact words or details from a text that you use to support your claim.

Reasoning explains how your claim and evidence work together, helping readers understand the significance of your argument and its connection to the text.

• Watch the video to learn more.

Follow these steps when Incorporating Text evidence into Your Body Paragraphs

Context

Quotation

Lead in

Citation

Reasoning/ Explanation

Using Text Evidence

Instructions: Read the student model paragraph below. Then use the colors shown on the left to mark each part of the paragraph using the drawing tool in the upper right hand corner. It is okay if the colors provided do not match exactly.

Context

In The Outsiders, Ponyboy struggles to understand where he belongs and often feels different from the other kids at school. During a moment when he is reflecting on how isolated he feels from his classmates, Ponyboy admits, “I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me” (Hinton 16). This statement shows that Ponyboy feels unsure about himself and does not trust his own thoughts. It also suggests that he feels pressured to pretend he is okay even when he is not.

Lead in

Quotation

In-text Citation

Reasoning/ Explanation

Evidence Detective Strategy

1. Read the question or prompt carefully.
2. Re-read the text
3. Highlight clues, both explicit and implied
4. Choose strong pieces of evidence.
5. Explain how your evidence supports your idea

Use the following Reading Detective Steps to help you prove what the text says.

Let’s practice

Let’s read an excerpt from the poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes on the next slide and answer the prompt below.

What can you infer about the mother’s life based on the description of her climb?

Excerpt from Mother to Son

Use the drawing tool to highlight or underline evidence from the text that best illustrates the mother's life has not been easy.

But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now— For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Excerpt from Mother to Son by Langston Hughes, Source: The Collected Works of Langston Hughes (University of Missouri Press (BkMk Press), 2002)

Check Your Understanding: Claims

Check Your Understanding: Add Evidence

Read the student's claim sentence below. Then complete the next sentence by adding evidence on the right. If needed, refer back to the poem to locate the evidence.

The mother uses an extended metaphor of the staircase to illustrate that her life has been full of struggles and hardships.

Check Your Understanding: Add Reasoning

Read the student's claim and evidence below. Then complete the paragraph on the right by adding reasoning.

The mother explains that her life has been full of struggles and hardships. She says, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”

Rate your understanding

Body paragraphs

learning session

Conclusion

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learning session 3

Conclusions

Conclusions in Literary Analysis

• Writing a strong conclusion shows an understanding of the main ideas of the text and also ensures that your writring leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

How Can we conclude?

Restate ThesisRestate your thesis in a new way.

SummarizeSummarize the main ideas.

IdentifyIdentify a new question.

ReflectionProvide a final thought or reflection.

Let’s examine the different parts of a conclusion paragraph based on the poem “Mother to Son.”

Instructions: Read the example conclusion paragraph below. Then use the colors shown on the left to mark each part of the paragraph using the drawing tool in the upper right hand corner.

Langston Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son” uses imagery and an extended metaphor to show that resilience and perseverance can help people survive life’s challenges. The mother’s strong voice and powerful staircase metaphor remind readers that success doesn’t come easily—it comes from refusing to give up. Hughes’s message is timeless: even when life isn’t a “crystal stair,” you must keep climbing.

• Red: Restate the thesis statement
• Yellow: Summarize the main ideas
• Blue: Final reflection

Rate your understanding

Conclusion paragraph

closure

This is the time to review and check if you have mastered the knowledge and skills.

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Quiz

Literary Analysis

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General Feedback

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Congratulations! You completed today's lesson.

Restate thesis: In [title], the author shows that ___ through ___. Overall, the story reveals that ___..

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Summarize Key Points: The examples of ___ and ___ prove that ___. The characters’ choices show that ___.

Group 01

01 03 05

Group 02

02 04 06

While not required, sometimes the writer may ask an open-ended question. Why do stories about _____ still matter today?” “What can readers learn from ______'s perspective?”.

So What?: This matters because ___. The author’s message is important today since ___.