Theme

Kevin wasn't worried about his book report. He had three whole weeks to get it done. There was no reason to start right away, because he just got a new video game.

Two weeks passed and Kevin still hadn't picked out a book. By the time he finally got to the library, there wasn't enough time to read the book and write the report. Kevin failed the whole assignment.

• Kevin should have done his report first.

• Don't put things off until the last minute.

• School work is more important the playing.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.3

Kara chose a difficult piece to play for her piano recital. Her teacher told her to pick an easier one, but Kara knew she could do it.

Kara practiced every day after school. When her friends called to see if she could play, Kara told them she couldn't.

The night of the recital arrived. She walked onto the stage and began to play and she knew the piano piece so well. She had played perfectly!

• Hard work pays off!

• Kara practiced a lot and did well.

• It takes a lot of practice to play the piano.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.3

Sarah didn't play with Laila, the new girl in her class, at recess. No one did. Laila had come to their school after winter break. She wore strange clothes and she spoke with an accent.

One day the teacher put Sarah and Laila together as partners on a class project. Sarah was nervous to work with Laila but then they began to talk. She found out the both had little brothers and the both loves to collect seashells.

The next day, Laila invited Sarah over for dinner. The food was different but tasted really good. The girls became good friends.

• Sarah and Laila became good friends.

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

• Friends are important.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.3

Jess was not happy that she had to sit beside Ben. He was loud and silly, he talked all the time, and his desk was always messy. She promised herself that she would ignore him and never make contact. That is until one morning.. THUD! When Jess heard this loud noise, she looked up to see Ben had tripped over a chair that should have been pushed in. He was suddenly laying on the floor, and his papers were strewed everywhere. Jess rushed over to him. Despise Ben's obnoxious behavior, Jess helped him up and picked up all of his papers. "No worries, Ben, that chair was in your way," Jess said. That afternoon during recess, Ben thanked Jess for helping him. Jess realized that Ben was actually nice, and that she had never taken the time to get to know him. Jess and Ben had each found a new friend.

What is the theme of this story?

• It's better to push your chair in than trip someone.

• You never really know the quality of a person's character until you get to know them.

• A nice gesture sometimes goes unnoticed.

Tania broke her mother's favorite snow globe. She knew that she wasn't supposed to pick it up, but it was so tempting to shake it and watch the glittery snow fall. Tania felt so guilty. She knew she couldn't fix it. So, gathering up all of her courage, she walked downstairs where her mother was to confess in a shaky voice what she had done. Her mother scolded her for picking up the snow globe when she was told not to. However, she didn't punish her because she had been honest. Her mother was proud of her for telling the truth. Tania felt so relieved.

What is the theme of the story?

• It's best to be brave and speak the truth even if your voice shakes.

• The unknown can be scary.

• Temptation can get you in trouble.

Jake loved his phone and was always looking at it. His parents would try to talk to him, but he would just ignore them. When he was at school, he'd sneak peeks at his phone under his desk when no one was looking. When he was at his friend's house, he spent more time on his phone than with his friend. One day Jake was watching a funny video of people doing tricks with their dogs while he was walking home. He began crossing the street and was so into the video that he did not notice the oncoming traffic. Jake was suddenly hit by a car. He had mild injuries, but his phone was destroyed. Jake quickly realized that he didn't need to be on his phone so much.

What is the theme of the story?

• Nothing is a sure thing.

• You can get too much of a good thing.

• Always walk at a crosswalk.

A story's main theme might be difficult to figure out because:

• Authors rarely want the reader to figure it out

• It has little to do with plot, characters, and other story elements

• Only complicated, adult stories have themes

• It is rarely stated explicitly

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

A story can have more than one theme.

• true
• false

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.5

The message or lesson that the author wants you to learn from the story is called the

• thesis
• summary
• theme
• plot

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

Which of the following is an example of theme?

• Cinderella was thoughtful and kind.

• Jack risked his life to save Jane.

• Don't judge people by outward appearances.

• Happiness

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.5.2