Jekyll & Hyde is a valuable text in the English classroom because it challenges students to read a complex text with elevated syntax and vocabulary, yet the story is familiar and accessible to students.  Because it is a novella, the length of the narrative does not overwhelm even reluctant readers. I also appreciate this text because of the universal thematic topic of good vs. evil, its incorporation of the "shadow" archetype and all the possible discussion points that allows, and the structure of the novella which, unlike many contemporary stories, withholds a significant amount of information until the very end. This structure frustrates nearly all of my students, yet they come to realize how creating an element of mystery by withholding information shapes the reader's understanding of the meaning of the work.

This activity is called "leader, skeptic, scribe" and was inspired by a strategy in the instructional resource, "The Pocket Instructor, Literature: 101 Exercises for the College Classroom," edited by Diana Fuss & William A. Gleason.[1]In this activity, students work in small groups of students (3-4 students per group) to consider a series of prompt questions and then form an analytical conclusion. 

What I like about this activity based on my in-class observations:

Full participation - Each student takes on a particular role within the group, ensuring that all members participate.  Groups are actively engaged in the activity during the entirety of the lesson.

Close-reading of the text - Each time I have used this lesson, I have seen students in every group pulling out their books and finding relevant passages and quotes to defend their positions or challenge the position of others. 

Multiple-modalities - This activity incorporates collaboration, close-reading, literary analysis, and writing tasks. 

Active Learning - As envisioned in this lesson, this activity incorporates movement, helping ensure students do not remain seated for extended periods of time. 

Customizable - The structure of this activity is infinitely customizable, so it can be easily adapted to suit any text and any instructional area of focus with minimal planning.