Theme Lesson

What is a theme?

Themes are the universal message, life lesson, or moral of a fictional story.
Themes are universal which means they can apply to multiple people or stories.

Multiple Choice

Which option best fits the definition of a theme?

• The main topic a story is about.

• The reason the author wrote a story.

• The main problem or conflict in a story.

• The life lesson of a story.

Some things to know about themes in a story:

1. Themes are implied, meaning they are not said directly in a story.

2. Themes are universal and should apply to many different people or stories

3. Themes are NOT one word, they are a full sentence because they are a message.

Examples of themes:

​Remember that themes are universal so they apply to everyone!

• Love will always win in difficult situations.

• Karma comes back around.

• Never judge a book by its cover.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT an example of a theme.

• The only person you can truly trust is yourself.

• Never trust strangers.

• Love

• Sometimes change is a good thing.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of a theme?

• Love

• You cannot escape the consequences of your actions.

• Bravery

• Karma

How do I find the theme of a story?

You can find the theme of the story by figuring out what lesson the character learns or what lesson they should have learned in the story.

Open Ended

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew.

What is the theme of this text?