Summary and theme- 5th grade rock stars

Two Sides to the Story

"I don't understand, Papa. What's wrong with being British?" asked young Thomas Miller. "We can live in the colonies and still be British, can't we?"

It was very difficult for Thomas to understand the changes in the colonies. Some people, like his father, were talking about how they disliked being British. These people wanted to make a new country out of the colonies. Others said they were proud to be a part of England.

"Things have changed, Son. We're being treated like children who are being punished. We don't really understand why. If we don't resist, the British will destroy us. They will take away our dignity," explained his father.

Mr. Miller spent most of the evening recounting the events that molded his point of view.

"It all started at the end of the Seven Years' War against France. England sent over soldiers to help us keep the French from taking over the colonies. It was a good thing because we won. Ever since that time, England has been trying to get us to pay them back for their help."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Thomas. "It seems like the fair thing to do."

Thomas's father began to pace back and forth as he spoke. His voice got louder with each statement.

"Taxation without representation, Son. That is what's wrong. Taxation without representation! In 1764, right after the war, England put a tax on sugar. They wanted us to pay extra for sugar, coffee, and many other products. Sure, they were shipped to us from England, but we were very poor at that time. When we tried to talk to King George III of England, he wouldn't listen to us. He just said we owed the money to England because of the war."

"Father, we won the war because of England's soldiers, right?" inquired Thomas.

"That's not all that happened. A year later in 1765, England made us pay taxes on stamps. All kinds of printed materials had to have stamps on them. Newspapers, documents, and even playing cards had to have stamps on them that cost money," his father added. "Then they started taxing us on tea. Can you believe it? Tea! Everyone drinks tea."

"That explains the Boston Tea Party, Father. Is that why people dumped the tea into Boston Harbor?" questioned Thomas.

"Yes, Son, but that's just the beginning. Our opinions are not being heard in England; we need to break away. We could be our own country," his father explained further. "Do you understand me now?"

"Well, yes, Father, but I'm going to have to think about this. I want to be sure I understand both sides of this situation," responded Thomas. "You always told to me to think for myself, and that's just what I'm going to do."

What is the theme of this passage?

• Taxes in England will always be raised constantly.

• There are many ways to look at a situation.

• All people wish to be heard, no matter what.

• Most people are selfish and think only of themselves.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.9

When summarizing a story you must include...

• Everything that happened
• The most significant information
• An Inference
• My background knowledge

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

Which of the following statements about SUMMARIZING is true?

• The Summary is a thought that is true but is not in the passage.
• The Summary is what the passage is mostly about.
•  The Summary is specific, detailed information contained in the passage.
• The Summary is always found in the first sentence of the passage.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open range-herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats, powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators and other exotic wildlife.
The Summary of this passage is:

• There are a lot of cows in Texas.
• There are many different, varied parts of Texas.
•  Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.
•  There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

Tomorrow is Jill's birthday. She is excited because she gets to pick where she will eat dinner. Will it be Mexican food at the Big Enchilada House? Or will it be fried chicken at the Chicken Shack, or a big cheeseburger at Al's Hamburger Palace. She just couldn't decide. Then there was always the Pizza Shop with that great pepperoni pizza. How would she ever decide? Maybe she would just flip a coin.
The Summary of this passage is:

• Jill has many restaurants to choose from for her birthday.
•  Jill loves Mexican food.
• The Pizza Shop has the best pizza in town.
•  Jill will choose a place by flipping a coin.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.4.9

Julie watched the ants as they carried small crumbs down the trail to the anthill. She thinks ants are very hard working and industrious little creatures. They always seemed busy, and you never saw an ant just laying around doing nothing. They were carrying food, building tunnels, or defending the anthill. One thing you could say about ants is that they sure aren't lazy.
The Summary of this passage is:
 

• Ants carry many things.
• Some ants may bite you.
• Ants are hard workers.
• Some ants help take care of the queen.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

The first book Chris read in fifth grade was about a lost kitten. Then he read a book about a family of bears, and then he read about a wild kangaroo in Australia. It seems every book Chris reads is about animals. Last week he found a good book about snakes and reptiles, and another book about elephants. Today Chris went to the library, and he checked out a book about dolphins, whales and other animals that live in the sea.
The Summary of this passage is:

• Chris likes kangaroos.
• Chris is in the fifth grade.
• Chris reads a lot of books about animals.
• Dolphins and whales live in the sea.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

Which of these things is not related to the "theme" in a story?

• how a character is feeling
• a "life lesson" the main character learns
• a big idea that people from any culture or any place can understand
• the moral of the story

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.9

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

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

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.9

What is the theme of this story?  

• Eat your vegetables.
• Don't brag. Be modest. 
• Don't talk to strangers. 
• What does the fox say?

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.9