If all of the elements of this lesson plan are employed, students will develop the following powers, skills, and understanding:
Trace the development of key characters over the course of a novel; analyze characters' actions and motivations, as well as relationships between characters.
Make evidence-based judgments about open-ended questions in a literary text.
Analyze the impact of a historical and/or cultural setting on a novel's plot.
Identify key themes in a novel and trace their development throughout the text.