Finding theme Review

Pedro was upset because he had to take his little brother, William, to the baseball field. He didn't want want his little brother coming along because he was too small to play on Pedro's team. William felt sad because because he was being left out. When they got to the field, Pedro's team wasn't there. There was an older group of boys playing. When Pedro asked if he could play, they told him he couldn't play because he was too small. Pedro felt bad because they wouldn't let him play. What is the theme?

• Little brothers are not fun.

• Treat others how you would like to be treated.

• Little kids do not belong with big kids.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Amanda and her mom drove to the grocery store to buy ingredients for a birthday cake. When they got there, they walked around the store aimlessly. Amanda tried hard to remember what they needed for their cake, but she just couldn't recall. Her mom couldn't remember either. They tried to think about what they added to their bowl the last time they baked a cake but neither one remembered exactly what they had used. Her mom suggested they return home to make a list.

What is the theme?

• Shopping is hard when you are making a cake.

• It's easier to remember things if you have a list.

• Amanda and her mom cannot cook.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

One bright day in late autumn, a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"

"I didn't have time to store up food," whined the Grasshopper, "I was so busy making musing that before I knew it the summer was gone."

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust. "Making music, were you?" they cried, "Ver well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work. What is the theme?

• Help others when they are struggling.

• Work comes before play.

• It's important to store food so that you're prepared for the winter.

• Ants are rude insects.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Shirley was not looking forward to her trip to the dentist. She knew she had not been taking very good care of her teeth. Shirly thought brushing and flossing took too long. She didn't want to waste her time. She thought her time was better spent on other things, like watching her favorite tv show. Her dentist found six cavities on her visit! Shirley had to come back to the dentist four more times to fix them all. She missed her show each time. What is the lesson learned?

• Shirley was lazy about her teeth.

• The dentist was mean to Shirley.

• It's more work to fix things than to just take care of them.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Keishawn was frustrated because his mother was making something new for dinner. He liked his usual macaroni and cheese with chicken nuggets. He saw the ingredients his mother was adding to the pot and he grew more and more upset. Keishawn did not like to try new foods. When dinner was finally ready, he tried to push the food around the plate with his fork. His mother said, "You should at least try to take a bite." Keishawn took a small bite. The flavors were amazing! He ate everything on his plate and even asked for seconds. What is the message this author is trying to say?

• Keishawn's mother doesn't know how to cook.

• It is good to try new things.

• Keishawn is unhealthy because he doesn't try new things.

• Trying new things is hard.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Jessie and Kelly wanted to start a garden. Jessie couldn't wait to plant her flower seeds. She ran to the garden and got to work right away. Her friend Kelly said they should research the type of seeds they had and the care they required first. Jessie didn't want to wait. She wanted to get her garden growing right away. Kelly did some reading and gathered her tools. Jessie's flowers sprouted before Kelly's, but they died after only one week. Kelly's flowers grew beautiful and healthy. What is the lesson that Jessie may have learned?

• Jessie isn't patient.

• Starting up a garden is not fun and a lot of hard work.

• It is better to take your time at learning things than to rush.

• Jessie and Kelly learned they couldn't be friends.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Olivia knew she was the best player on her Little League team. She always made the best plays and got the hardest hits. Many of her teammates thought she was a showoff because she didn't let them shine. Olivia didn't care because she wanted to win more than anything else. On the day of the championship game, Olivia was running to make the game winning catch when suddenly her shoelace got caughton something and she fell. She thought se missed the catch, but her teammate came up behind her and made the play. Olivia felt so relieved. What is the theme?

• Olivia is selfish.

• It takes the whole team to win a game in baseball, not just one player.

• Olivia is the best player.

• There is always one star of a team.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Marc loved to eat! He asked the waitress for two orders of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and orange juice. Lucy looked at him in disbelief. She told him he would get sick if he overate. Marc ignored her, finished his meal, and asked for an additional order of fruit topped waffles. Lucy shook her head an watched Marc stuff himself. She was convinced his eating would make him ill. When they were done Marc complained that his belly hurt. Later that morning, Marc was too sick to have lunch. It was Marc's favorite! What is the lesson?

• Marc loves to eat.

• Marck learned his lesson that he made himself sick.

• It is not good idea to overdo things.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Mikal was walking home from school when he saw an injured bird on the sidewalk. He took the bird home and bandaged his wing. He made a nest for the bird in a shoe box and fed the bird some berries. After a few days, the little injured bird was all better and ready to fly away. Mikal didn't want to see the bird go but he knew it needed to be free. He took the bird gently in his hand and walked outside. Mikal opened his hands for the bird to go. The bird soared over Mikal's head and flew away. That night the bird came back to Mikal's window and started building a nest.

What is the theme?

• Mikal should become a vet when he grows up.

• If you are kind, friends will not leave you for long.

• Birds like to build nests.

• Birds are always clumsy and fall.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Nick took a deep breath and stepped to the edge of the pool. His father stood in the shallow end calling to him. Nick shook his head no. There was no way he was jumping in the deep end of the pool and swimming to his dad. Nick's father patiently explained that he would help him and that he was perfectly safe. Nick started to walk away. Suddenly, he turned around, started running, and took a giant leap into the pool. He swam all the way to his dad. He was so proud of himself!

What is the theme of this story?

• Swimming is scary for all kids.

• Taking a chance is easier when someone you trust is there.

• Nick is not a good swimmer.

• His dad was encouraging Nick to jump.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9