Sometimes in our high school classes we need to help students to access difficult texts, difficult skills or difficult concepts. This is where paired texts come into play. There are so many reasons to use text pairings in high school English.
They can help to fill out units that include full length texts as the anchor text (For more, check out these posts on text pairings for Hamlet, Macbeth and Of Mice and Men).
But literary pairings can be used for a variety of other reasons as well.
Reasons to Create Paired Texts Lesson Plans
Paired Texts to Teach Theme
There are lots of reasons to create text pairings for high school English. One of my favorites is that it helps students to develop an understanding of theme. We want students to see that theme statements should be broad concepts that can be applied to more than one text. So if we choose two (or more) texts to pair based on theme, students can easily see this principle in action.
Text Pairing to Teach Allusions
Allusions are another concept that students hear a lot about as they are coming up throughs the ranks, but I think they often take allusions for granted, that is until they encounter a text where the allusion means everything. For more, check out this post on 5 Reasons to Teach Short Stories at the Beginning of the Year where I talk about Franz Kafka’s micro story “Sirens.”
Use Poetry Pairings to Make Them More Relevant
Another great reason to use poetry pairings is to help make the texts more relevant and accessible. Bringing in well knows artists in other genres like musicians and rappers can allow students to feel more connected to more challenging texts.
Use Paired Texts to Teach Compare and Contrast
Paired Texts allow students to work on their close reading and analysis skills. This can be accomplished with a simple compare and contrast lessons.
Use Text Pairings to Explore Genre
Genre refers to categories. Which means we can talk about genre in terms of fiction and nonfiction, poetry and prose. But it can also refer to categories like science fiction and gothic. Using text pairings is a great way to introduce genre.
4 Paired Text Sets for High
This week I have brought together some of my favorite high school teachers to share their favorite paired texts for High School students.
“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou And “The Rose that Grew from the Concrete” by Tupac
Amber from Success through Literacy began using poetry in her high school reading class to engage students since texts were short but packed with power. She then began comparing rap music to poetry and how both used similar writing techniques to convey emotion.
A popular pairing she uses each year is “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou and “The Rose that Grew from the Concrete” by Tupac. Both poems depict a story of growth or rising up, despite factors that tried to keep the writer down.
To use this within the classroom, students should first have a deep understanding of “Still I Rise” through the use of an analysis lesson then begin with the paired poems.
Amber services high school students who read below grade level, so she prefers a collaborative approach when working with text analysis, especially for paired text activities.. Using class size, create small groups or split the class in half. Paste both poems on a larger piece of paper. First, have groups read and annotate each for meaning. Then, have groups work to identify similar language or literary devices between the two paired texts. After, have students look for common annotation or word choice. Pose the question: “How are these two pieces of writing similar?”
You can read more about ways to incorporate collaborative annotations in this post: Collaborative Annotations for High School English.
PLEASE NOTE: there is a song by Tupac that is also called “Still I Rise” but has explicit content and words used, which is why I opted for “The Rose that Grew from the Concrete” instead. Depending on the age you teach, you could use these lyrics with modifications.
“Bluebeard” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault
Jeanmarie from McLaughlin Teaches English first discovered the sonnet “Bluebeard” when looking for sonnets to use in her AP® Literature course. Because it is a sonnet, there is so much to study (for more on teaching sonnets, check out this post). But the problem with this poem is that if you ask most high school students who Bluebeard is, they will tell you he’s a pirate. Wrong.
Bluebeard is actually an allusion to a pretty gruesome fairy tale by Charles Perrault. An ugly old man named Bluebeard for the odd color of his facial hair wants to marry one of his two young neighbors. Neither is interested until one becomes greedy for his money. It’s sort of a Pandora’s box story.
Understanding the allusion that the poem is making to the original text is integral to the understanding of the poem. Have students first read the poem and try to make meaning. They can annotate for the elements of sonnets along with what they think is happening.
Then have them read the original fairy tale. Again have them read and annotate, but while they are doing so, they should underline anything that reminds them of the poem. Then discuss how the meaning of the poem changes for them once they know the allusions.
For more on using “Bluebeard” as part of a Gothic Unit, check out this post.
“Planet Earth” by PK Page and “Earth Rise” by Amanda Gorman
Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 loves all things poetry! And one of her favorite activities is to pair a traditional poem with contemporary spoken word.
Pairing “old and new” first came about when Lesa was looking to update an intro lesson to get to know students. She had been using George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem but knew her students needed something different. Enter Rudy Francisco’s “My Honest Poem” as an alternative. You can read all about that process in this post.
Once that lesson was a success Lesa started considering other pairings of old and new for meaningful lessons.
One option was to use two poems to practice compare and contrast skills. To infuse some environmentalism, particularly around Earth Day in April, get students to read a poem like P.K. Page’s “Planet Earth” and then read/view “Earth Rise” by Amanda Gorman. Students can compare the two in terms of tone, language, message, and more. Use a graphic organizer, like a venn diagram, to record findings of where/how the poems are similar and different. (TEACHER TIP: Add lines to your venn diagram to make it more user-friendly!)
This activity is ideal to introduce and practice those initial comparative skills before students tackle an essay (usually not based on poetry but this is totally feasible too).
Want more ideas for comparative essays? Check out this post. And grab this FREE poetry e-book with poetry suggestions for every month of the year including 8 activities to work with any poem.
Dante’s Inferno with Avett Brothers’ “Ill With Want”
Missy from A Better Way To Teach has found that when teaching very classic pieces of literature like Dante’s Inferno, it’s absolutely essential to pair it with modern texts, and one great way to do this is through pairing it with songs.
If you teach Dante’s Inferno, you may have found that your students do not immediately see the connection with real life–the text can feel outdated, and quite frankly pretty gruesome. But, if you can ask some guiding questions about the actual effects of some of the actions that Dante considers sin, you can start to get buy in from your students. For instance, Canto VII focuses on the 4th circle of hell, which is reserved for the hoarders and wasters: people who misused their money.
Tie it to Theme
One way to make a modern-day connection with this is to focus on the concept of greed. Whether a person hoards money or wastes money, the root of this action is greed. The Avett Brothers have a powerful song called “Ill With Want” which is about the nature of greed in our society; it is very straightforward, but still has some lovely poetic elements.
Try this: start class with a journal prompt that focuses on the nature of greed. Have students define greed and give examples. Then play the song “Ill With Want” by the Avett Brothers. Give students the lyrics printed out and have them underline or highlight words or phrases that stand out to them. Then, have them listen to the song again. With a partner, have them paraphrase sections of the song and interpret the message of the song.
Then, as a class, read Canto VII of Dante’s Inferno.After reading, have students discuss connections between the song and Dante’s punishment for hoarding and wasting. You can ask questions such as “What are the ultimate dangers of hoarding and wasting?” and “Why does Dante consider it a sin?” “How do we see it play out in our society” and “What would happen if we were all a little less greedy?” There are so many places you can take this.
Missy also loves using literature students are familiar with and revisiting it through grammar and writing lessons. Once your students are well into Dante’s Inferno, you can use mentor sentences from the text to teach concepts like strong verbs, parallel structure, and how to use phrases. If you want to see exactly how you can do this, grab a free grammar lesson here that incorporates classic literature into the grammar lesson.
Literary Paired Texts for the Win
Be sure to keep an eye out for more posts on pairing texts. This is part of an intermittent blog series sharing themes, essential questions and backward design to help you plan your next unit.
If there is a text or genre you would like to see highlighted in this series, be sure to let me know by completing this form.
Related Resources
Need Text pairings for Shakespeare? Check out 11 Supplemental Texts to Include in Your Hamlet Lesson Plans, Teaching Macbeth: 19 Supplemental Texts or from Smith Teaches 9 to 12, Poetry for Romeo and Juliet.
Looking for something for Of Mice and Men? Here is one from me: 21 Thematic Pairings for Of Mice and Men and one from Lesa: 10 Poetry Pairings for Of Mice and Men.
Use your collaborative annotations with your text pairings.
Want more on teaching a Gothic Unit? Eleven Scary Stories of Gothic in Literature for High School English.
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