Activity Overview
Themes, symbols, and motifs are valuable aspects of any literary work, and they add richness to stories. Part of the Common Core ELA standards is to introduce and explain these complex concepts. However, abstract ideas are often difficult for students to analyze without assistance. Using a storyboard, students can visually demonstrate their understanding of these concepts, and master analysis of literary elements. For best practices, see our supplementary article with specific lesson plan steps on setting up your classroom and activities to teach themes, symbols, and motifs.
In the classroom, students can track the themes that The Monsters are Due on Maple Street uses to teach lessons to the audience and illustrate them.
Themes to Look For and Discuss
Fear/Paranoia
Fear and suspicion can cause normal, peaceful people (neighbors and friends) to turn on one another. Despite having known each other for some time, idiosyncrasies drive them to re-examine how well they know their neighbors.
Mankind as Its Own Worst Enemy
Ever noticed how mankind pulls itself down? This theme is present in this story and throughout history.
Prejudice
When people make prejudgments they are often irreversible. Once a thought is put into someone's mind, it is hard to root out. This is why prejudices are so dangerous. In the residents' search for a scapegoat, suspicion and prejudice lead to dire consequences.
People as Wild Animals
Throughout the story, the author creates metaphors around the people acting like animals. This symbolizes the loss of control humans have once hysteria and paranoia take control. They become no better than animals, living by instinct rather than rationality.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify the theme(s) from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street you wish to include and replace the "Theme 1" text.
- Create an image for an example that represents this theme.
- Write a description of each of the examples.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Needs Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification of Theme(s), Symbol(s), and/or Motif(s) | All themes are correctly identified as important recurring topics or messages in the story. Symbols are correctly identified as objects that represent something else at a higher level in the story. Motifs are correctly identified as important recurring features or ideas in the story. | Most themes are correctly identified, but others are missing or incomplete. Most symbols are correctly identified, but some objects are missing or incomplete. Some motifs are correctly identified, but others are missing or incomplete. | Most themes are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. Most symbols are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. Most motifs are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. | No themes, symbols, or motifs are correctly identified. |
| Examples and Descriptions | Quotes and examples are accurate to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) that are being identified. Descriptions accurately explain the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) and highlight their significance to the story. | Most quotes and examples are accurate to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motifs that are being identified. Descriptions mostly accurately explain the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s), and highlight their significance to the story. | Most quotes and examples are minimal, incorrect, or unrelated to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) that are being identified. Descriptions contain inaccuracies in their explanations, or do not highlight their significance to the story. | Examples and descriptions are missing or too minimal to score. |
| Depiction | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are accurate to the story and reflect time, effort, thought, and care with regard to placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are mostly accurate to the story. They reflect time and effort put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are inaccurate to the story. The depictions may be rushed or show minimal effort, time, and care put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Most depictions are missing too many elements or are too minimal to score. Little time or effort has been put into placement and creation of the scenes. |
| English Conventions | There are no errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions reflect careful proofreading and accuracy to the story. | There are a few errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions show accuracy to the story and some proofreading. | There are several errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. Most writing portions do not reflect proofreading or accuracy to the story. | Errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics in writing portions of the storyboard seriously interfere with communication. |
How To Analyze the Development of Different Perspectives in a Story
Discuss the Development of Themes
Ask the students to identify and list down different themes present in the narrative. Students can use a plot diagram to analyze how all the themes are developing in the story by dividing the narrative into different stages and highlighting the changes and development.
Identify Different Viewpoints
Ask the students to identify characters with conflicting or different points of view. This frequently intensifies suspense and moves the narrative along. Take note of how these conflicts are resolved or how they affect the main conflicts of the narrative. Students can also connect these perspectives to broader themes in the story.
Analyze Author’s Intent
Consider whether the story has any evidence of the author's personal perspective. Students can also reflect on how the author has conveyed his own ideas and opinions by projecting them through different characters present in the narrative.
Links Perspectives With Broader Themes
Analyze how each perspective contributes to the story's overarching ideas. Think about how they expand on and complicate the story's treatment of these ideas. Ask the students to discuss how each perspective shapes the story and what would happen if a certain perspective was absent from the story.
Consider Role-Playing Activities
In order to understand the development of different perspectives, ask the students to role-play the story. Students can choose their own characters, write a script according to the story, and act it out in front of the whole class. This will help them understand different situations from the perspective of different characters.
Frequently Asked Questions About Themes in The Monsters are Due on Maple Street
How does the theme of fear help in the development of the narrative?
The main driving force behind what is happening on Maple Street is fear. A power outage first causes locals to feel anxious, but as suspicion spreads and terror increases, neighbors start to turn against one another. The fear then develops into paranoia and causes all the residents of Maple Street to become the real monsters.
What function do paranoia and mass hysteria serve in the narrative?
The citizens' anxiety and mistrust are heightened by paranoia. They start to believe one another to be "aliens" in disguise, which causes disputes and accusations inside the neighborhood. This is an important development in the narrative as it shows the fragility of society and human beings.
What lesson about human nature does the story teach the audience?
The story makes the argument that when faced with uncertainty or a crisis, people have a propensity to betray one another. It draws attention to our propensity for irrationality and the harmful impact of fear.
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