How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature?
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
30 minutes total
ByRobert Louis Stevenson
Grade9-10
Time30 minutes
Essential question
How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature?
Marked passage
Passage location
Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case
Start anchor
Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures;
End anchor
that man is not truly one, but truly two.
Passage focus
Jekyll argues that man is truly two
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
Solo
Read the exact passage independently.
Supported
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
Evidence
Use Jekyll's description of concealed pleasures and duplicity, then the shift into statements about 'man' being truly two.
Mark
Underline the details Jekyll gives about concealing parts of his life. Circle the sentences where he stops talking only about himself and begins making claims about 'man' or human nature. Star the sentence where private conflict becomes universal theory.
Instructional move
Follow a personal history into an abstract theory
Notice
• What personal experience gives Jekyll the material for his theory? • At what point does he move from confession to generalization? • Does his theory explain his behavior, excuse it, or both?
Strong answer
Jekyll generalizes from his own divided life: secrecy and conflicting desires become evidence for a theory that human identity itself is multiple. Personal autobiography turns into universal claim.
Think
Answer provisionally: How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not assume the theory is objectively proven because Jekyll believes it. Show how he builds it from his own case.
Why this passage
Jekyll begins with a personal problem—his respectable public identity and concealed pleasures—then expands that divided life into a general theory that every human being contains opposing selves. The abstract theory grows directly out of autobiography.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response to: How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Mark
Underline the details Jekyll gives about concealing parts of his life. Circle the sentences where he stops talking only about himself and begins making claims about 'man' or human nature. Star the sentence where private conflict becomes universal theory.
Notice
What personal experience gives Jekyll the material for his theory? At what point does he move from confession to generalization? Does his theory explain his behavior, excuse it, or both?
Think
Answer provisionally: How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage. Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
Ready-to-teach lesson
TumbleTA 6-12 · TEXT-BASED LESSON
BATCH 06 · 9-10 · LESSON 114
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human
nature?
TOTAL TIME
PASSAGE
30 minutes
Jekyll argues that man is truly two
FIND THE ANCHOR TEXT
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
SECTION / LOCATION
Henry Jekyll’s Full Statement of the Case
START
Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures;
END
that man is not truly one, but truly two.
PASSAGE ID
sec-jh-04
THE MOVE
Follow a personal history into an abstract theory
WHY THIS PASSAGE
Jekyll begins with a personal problem—his respectable public identity and concealed pleasures—then expands that divided life into a general theory that every human being contains opposing selves. The abstract theory grows directly out of autobiography.
MARK
Underline the details Jekyll gives about concealing parts of his life. Circle the sentences where he stops talking only about himself and begins making claims about 'man' or human nature. Star the sentence where private conflict becomes universal theory.
page 1
NOTICE
What personal experience gives Jekyll the material for his theory?
At what point does he move from confession to generalization?
Does his theory explain his behavior, excuse it, or both?
THINK
Answer provisionally: How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature?
Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
WRITE
Write a short evidence-based response to: How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human nature? Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
CLOSE
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and explain why.
STRONG ANSWER
Jekyll generalizes from his own divided life: secrecy and conflicting desires become evidence for a theory that human identity itself is multiple. Personal autobiography turns into universal claim.
EVIDENCE
Use Jekyll's description of concealed pleasures and duplicity, then the shift into statements about 'man' being truly two.
WATCH FOR
Do not assume the theory is objectively proven because Jekyll believes it. Show how he builds it from his own case.
SOLO
Read the exact passage independently.
SUPPORTED
Use narration and sentence highlighting while reading the same passage.
LISTENING
Listen to the exact passage; visual following is optional. Same question and evidence demand.
page 2
STUDENT PAGE · SAME PASSAGE, SAME THINKING
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human
nature?
START ANCHOR
Hence it came about that I concealed my pleasures;
END ANCHOR
that man is not truly one, but truly two.
Use the Anchor Text Table of Contents in the Enhanced Reader to open the START anchor. Then use the dropdown to select the END anchor.
OPEN THE MARKED PASSAGE IN TUMBLELIT
SOLO: read independently. SUPPORTED: use narration + highlighting. LISTENING: listen to the exact passage. The question and evidence task stay the same.
1.MARK - Underline the details Jekyll gives about concealing parts of his life. Circle the
sentences where he stops talking only about himself and begins making claims about 'man' or human nature. Star the sentence where private conflict becomes universal theory.
2.NOTICE - What personal experience gives Jekyll the material for his theory? At what point does
he move from confession to generalization? Does his theory explain his behavior, excuse it, or both?
3.THINK - Answer provisionally: How does Jekyll turn his own secrecy into a theory about human
nature?
4.WRITE - Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage.
Use evidence from the assigned passage. Show what you noticed and how the text supports your interpretation.
page 3
Original printable PDF
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