ELA - Theme w/ Passages

What is a theme?

• a word to describe the book

• life lesson or message in a literary work

• teaching you about the characters

• When a character changes over time.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

A theme is not a single word, but a ___________.

• theory

• paragraph

• sentence

• big piece of action

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

Themes will not be clearly stated, but rather __________.

• implied throughout the book.

• explained through the main character.

• explained in the title.

• stated in the beginning.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

Which answer is a good example of a theme?

• Love.

• Evil winning.

• Money cannot buy people happiness.

• Human nature.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is the best definition of theme?

• The lesson the author is teaching.

• The message the author is sending.

• A word that summarizes the story.

• The character's main problem.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

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.7.2

One way to figure out the theme is to ____.

• Skim through the story.

• Read the beginning of the story.

• Think about what the character has learned.

• Read the ending of the story.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is the main difference between THEME and MAIN 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.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

Layla and her family lived in a large house in a neighborhood full of kids. She made friends easily and Layla would often have friends over to play in her backyard. They’d play “Kick-the-Can” and “Hide and Seek” and run and laugh until dark. Next door lived a grouchy old man named Harry Smith. He would often grumble about Layla’s dog barking or if anyone stepped on his lawn. The kids in the neighborhood referred to Layla’s neighbor as “Scary Harry”. He would often shake his fist and yell at the children through the window to stop making so much noise. One day Layla was feeling guilty for all the names that she and the neighborhood kids called the old man next door. She told her mom about the way she was feeling. Her mom asked her what she was going to do about it? Her mom told her that she would support her in her decision. Layla knew that meant that her mom wanted her to start solving her own problems. After some thought, Layla decided to bake some of her homemade oatmeal and raisin cookies and bring them over to Mr. Smith. Nervously, she rang the doorbell and waited on Mr. Smith’s front steps. When Mr. Smith finally arrived at the door, he couldn’t help but smile at Layla as she handed him the platter of cookies. They became friends of an unlikely sort. “Scary Mr. Harry” was actually a war veteran full of fascinating stories and a great listener. Layla would share her own “war stories” of growing up, and Mr. Smith would give a comforting smile and tell her it would all be o.k.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Always be kind.

• Money makes you happy.

• You shouldn't judge people before you know them.

• Tell the truth.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

Izaac always wanted to be on the “Benders” soccer team. When Izaac was very little, he would watch his older brother Zach play on the team and over time become a local hero. The Benders were undefeated and had won countless championships. Zach was on track for a scholarship to the state university. Izaac was always envious of Zach and wanted to be just like his brother. Izaac’s father was the coach of the team and he begged his dad to let him on the team, even though he was a year younger than the rest of the boys. His father agreed but told Izaac that he would have to work twice as hard to keep up with the older boys. His dad also told him that he would be even harder on Izaac so the other boys on the team wouldn’t think he was playing favorites. Soccer practice was tough! Every day, the team practiced long and hard. Weeks of practice were endured and many times Izaac felt like quitting. He was sore and tired and often wondered why he had wanted this so badly. Often, he knelt down on the soccer field feeling like he was going to throw up. Of course, the other boys didn’t feel too badly for him, since they had been through the same thing. The Benders trained hard for the state championship and they knew they would face some “nasty” competition. The big day of the championship arrived, and Izaac watched with nervous excitement as his team won the first game of the competition. The second game, Izaac got to play for a few minutes and even made an epic block, but was benched for most of the time because he just wasn’t as good as the other boys ~ yet. Izaac didn’t get to play much but felt really proud to be part of the team. The Benders went on to win the championship and Zach was the hero again. For the first time though, Izaac didn’t feel jealous of Zach. He wondered why.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Don't judge people before you get to know them

• Hard work is it's own reward.

• Be kind, always.

• Money is important.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2