Connecting classic pieces of literature with high-interest modern texts is a great strategy to engage students in the classics while maintaining their interest. Not only that, but intertextuality (making connections between texts) allows students to extend their analysis into a compare/ contrast format that enables them to analyze literary elements and techniques on a deeper level. These textual connections can help students to “see” similar themes at work in different contexts, and using high-interest pieces can help students stay engaged and interested in the classic text.
Check out these ideas from secondary English teachers for pairing classic pieces of literature with modern literature to engage your students!
Lord of the Flies & Hunger Games
Submitted by Meredith from Bespoke ELA
This pairing may seem kind of obvious, but the concepts of survival and innate evil bring these two pieces together thematically in a way that can tap into student interest. Just as Katniss must survive the “games” in order to survive, the boys on Golding’s island must survive. In both cases, the children must overcome their own inner evil natures, which emphasizes how evil is part of the human condition and experience.
“The Necklace” & Nonfiction Pairings
Submitted by Liz from Teach Bewteen the Lines
Before reading “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, we read two nonfiction articles about affluenza. Affluenza, as I explain to my students, is a ‘flu’ for affluent people needing THINGS. It is the act of needing to buy and own the latest and greatest of everything. These two articles, titled “Kids Have an Inflated Sense of Entitlement” and “Who are the Fabled Jonses” help to build background for the fictional story they are about to read. I’ll connect back to these articles after students have finished this classic short story. The discussions we have about how these texts connect with similar themes and ideas - from an entirely different time period - is phenomenal. You can grab these two texts for your short story unit here!
Macbeth & Long Way Down
Submitted by Jackie from Room 213
Hi! I'm Jackie from Room 213 and we are always pairing classic texts with choice novels in my classroom, as we do two months of reading workshop followed by two full class novel studies. One of my favorite pairings is Macbeth and Long Way Down. These two texts might seem very different, but they actually have quiet a few connections, ones that kids find fascinating too. One protagonist is an ancient Scottish king and the other is a young teen with very modern problems, but both are wrestling with very difficult moral dilemmas. Both stories deal with visits from ghosts from the past, revenge, and murder, and - most importantly - both protagonists are interesting and highly relatable. If you'd like more information on how to make connections between full class novels and choice reading, you can read this blog post.
Night & Between Shades of Gray + Salt to the Sea
Submitted by Melissa from Reading and Writing Haven
I love reading classic novels with middle and high school students, but it can be a very time-consuming process. After trying different approaches, I’ve realized that students don’t always have to read the whole book! Teachers can use excerpts from classic novels like Night as a mentor text for whole-class discussion and minilessons. Following, students can read young adult novels that might interest them more or that might be closer to their independent reading level in a literature circle or book club setting. I’ve had much success with full-choice book clubs in which the common denominator is genres, which switch each month. Many students enjoy reading stories that are set during WWII. Elie Wiesel's Night is a high-interest memoir that could easily be paired with Ruta Sepetys’s books, Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea. Both of these exceptional young adult novels shed light on some of the lesser known aspects of the war.
The Scarlet Letter & Speak
Submitted by Christina, The Daring English Teacher
Pairing a classic novel with a highly-engaging YA novel is a great way to get students interested in new literature. One of my favorite pairings is Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. I especially enjoy how both of the female protagonists deal with isolation -whether it be by not speaking or by being forced to wear a letter A. Melinda’s silence is almost identical to the scarlet “A” Hester must wear. To combine these novels, I like to provide my students with excerpts from each and have the students complete a fishbowl discussion to talk about the ways in which the novels connect.
The Outsiders & Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
Submitted by Kristy from 2 Peas and a Dog
One of my favourite books for middle school ELA is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. In this novel set in the 1960s, Ponyboy Curtis lives with his 2 other brothers after his parents' death. Ponyboy and his brothers are part of a gang called the Greasers who are always getting into fights with their rival gang the Socs. The Greasers feel like outsiders in their hometown due to their low socio-economic status. A modern version of this "outsiders" theme is the novel Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Aven was born without arms but has lived a fantastic life until her parents announce they are leaving Kansas and moving to Arizona to run a western theme park. Aven is terrified to leave her friends behind. At her new school, people stare at her and ask her questions about her missing arms. She feels more and more like an outsider each day until she meets Conor and Zion two boys who also struggle with being outsiders. Both of these books speak to middle school students because of the common settings and themes presented in each novel. Both of these novels are sure to fly off your classroom library shelves.
A Raisin in the Sun & The Hate You Give
Submitted by Lauralee from Language Arts Classroom
I dream of pairing two female authors. A Raisin in the Sun explores (among many topics) how racism contributes to roadblocks to affordable housing. Similarly, The Hate You Give highlights the struggles characters face as they leave one neighborhood to move to a safer one. Both stories show diverse feelings about moving out of a comfort zone, something modern students can appreciate. The potential research topics are interesting, especially for mathematical minded students, as they can research the effects of segregation from a monetary aspect. The pairing of these two powerhouse female authors also lends itself to postmodernism research.
What are your favorite modern texts to pair with a classic text? Leave us a comment! We’d love to hear from you! In the meantime, please enjoy this FREE Fiction Close Reading Choice Board! Be sure to subscribe to Bespoke ELA to unlock all of the freebies in the FREEBIE LIBRARY!
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About the Author
Meredith is the founder and creator of TeachWriting.org and Bespoke ELA. She has taught high school English for 10+ years in Dallas, Chicago, and New York City and holds a M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University. She has always had a connection to the written word-- through songwriting, screenplay writing, and essay writing-- and she enjoys the process of teaching students how to express their ideas. Meredith enjoys life with her husband, daughter, and sweet pups.