Coraline

Analyze Coraline’s character growth based on the three themes of the novel. Consider these questions as you formulate your answer:

• How does Coraline determine what is brave?
• What examples does Coraline use to define bravery? 
• How does Coraline use her examples of bravery as inspiration to act? 
• How does Coraline feel about getting what she wants at the beginning of the novel? 
• In what way does Coraline’s perspective on achieving all she wants shift by the novel’s conclusion? 
• How are allies important to Coraline in the story?
• Would Coraline have succeeded without her allies? 

Teaching Suggestion: To help students organize information across multiple themes as well as across a whole text, it may be beneficial for students to analyze the themes one by one and record their thoughts separately, prior to responding. Students may wish to fully examine each theme individually, analyzing Coraline’s initial perspective and the changes she makes as her character grows through the lens of each theme.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with attentional and executive-functioning challenges might benefit from drawing columns for each of the themes and recording their thoughts in a graphic organizer. Students can first analyze the themes in small groups to generate ideas and share thoughts on Coraline’s character growth, then work to organize their thinking graphically.