Determining Themes and Central Ideas

Central Idea and Theme

I can determine the theme of a text and the central idea of a text.

Open Ended

What is the difference between theme, central idea, and topic?

Open Ended

What is the focus of this paragraph? What is the main/central idea?

Open Ended

Based off the application, what is the topic?

Open Ended

Based off the application, what is the central idea?

Open Ended

Based off the application, what is the theme?

Multiple Choice

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the central idea?

• Who is the main character?
• What is the main event?
• What is one important detail?
• What point is the author trying to make?

Multiple Choice

What does the central idea of a story tell the reader?

• a specific detail from the story
• The conflict of the story
• What the story is about 
• The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

Multiple Choice

What is the main difference between THEME and CENTRAL IDEA. 

• Theme is a universal lesson and main idea is what a story is about.
• Theme is what a story is about and main idea is the universal lesson it teaches.
  

Multiple Choice

A theme should always be written as...

• A sentence or statement
• A phrase
• One or two words
• A brief summary of 5-8 sentences. 

Multiple Choice

A jingle dress is for special occasions among the Ojibwa people. Often, Ojibwa women and girls wear a jingle dress at powwows. These are social gatherings where people do traditional dances have fun. A jingle dress has small metal cones hanging from it like a fringe. The dress makes a jingling sound when a girl dances. According to a story, a jingle dress helped cure a young girl. That is why the Ojibwa believe that the jingle dress is a healing garment. 

• The central idea is about curing people. 
• The central idea is about how jingle dresses are used for special Ojibwa events. 
• The central idea is about the jingling sounds that Ojibwa dresses make. 

Multiple Choice

As young Americans mature into adults, they are tempted by the allure of easy credit.  Credit card companies attempt to ensnare young people by giving away “free” headphones or sports towels in return for completing credit applications. Many of these young people go on to accumulate debt through undisciplined spending.  They pay much more than the original loan because they are charged a high rate of interest and it takes them years to repay their debts.  It is best to avoid this debt prison altogether.   

• The central idea is about how certain young people should always get free sports towels. 
• The central idea is about how certain young people should stay away from headphones. 
• The central idea is about how certain young people can become burdened with debt.

Multiple Choice

Where is the Grand Canyon? Most people think it is in Arizona. However, many other states have their own grand canyons, too. The Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. People in North Dakota think of the Painted Canyon in that state as their grand canyon. And Californians use the nickname for a canyon on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. This underwater grand canyon is officially called the Monterey Bay Canyon. 

• The central idea is about how cool canyons are. 
• The central is about how other states have their own grand canyons. 
• The central idea is about Californians. 
• The central idea is about the Pacific Ocean's grand canyon. 

Multiple Choice

 It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year.  Brach's, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end.  That's a lot of candy corn, but that's nothing compared to Tootsie Roll production.  Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day!  But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry's staple product, chocolate.  Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year.  Now that's a mouthful! 

•  This central idea is about chocolate. 
•  The central idea is how Tootsie Rolls are better than candy corn. 
•  The central idea is about how to circle the earth 4.25 times. 
•  The central idea is about how many popular candies are produced each year.

Multiple Choice

Money is pretty old but nobody knows exactly how old it is. Perhaps the oldest evidence of people using money is in the Code of Ur-Nammu. The Code of Ur-Nammu is a system of laws written around 2050 BC. That’s like 4,000 years ago! Many of Ur-Nammu’s laws carry fines, such as one stating that if a man is proven innocent of sorcery, his accuser must pay 3 shekels. This ancient document shows me two things: Ur-Nammu didn’t tolerate false witch-hunts, and money is very old.  

• This central idea of this passage is that the barter system and some of its shortcomings. 
• This central idea of this passage is that money is old. 
• This central idea of this passage is about sorcery. 
• This central idea of this passage is about life in 2050 BC. 

Multiple Choice

When determining a theme, the reader should first consider...

• the illustrations
• the subject or topic
• the title
• the length of the story 

Multiple Choice

A novel can have more than one theme.

• TRUE
• FALSE

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of THEME?

• Carry your laptops with two hands at all times.
• Cereal is the healthiest food you can eat.
• You can severely break your leg while crossing the street.
• Life is short; make the most of it.

Multiple Choice

What is the best definition of THEME?

• A universal truth, moral, or idea that the author wants to express. 
• The location and time of the story
• The events that occur in the story
• The author's reason for writing a story