Main Idea and Theme

The main idea of a text --

• is a lesson from the story

• will never use characters' names

• is what the story is mostly about

• is the story's message

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

TRUE OR FALSE

A text can have more than one theme.

• True

• False

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is theme in a story?

• The main idea

• The solution to the story

• The lesson about life in the story

• The author's purpose or reason for writing the story

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is one major difference between theme and main idea?

• Theme is a universal lesson about life and main idea is what a story is about

• Theme is what a story is about and main idea is the universal lesson about life that the story teaches

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Read the following paragraph:

There was once some hardworking ants and a grasshopper who hated to work. The ants gathered food all spring, while the grasshopper played. When winter came, the ants had enough food, but the grasshopper had nothing to eat.

What is the theme of this story?

• Don't be lazy

• Have as much fun as you can before you die

• Don't steal

• Look before you leap

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

When Julia fell off the monkey bars and broke her arm, she was terrified to go to the emergency room.

• Theme
• Main Idea

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

When Julia fell off the monkey bars and broke her arm, she was terrified to go to the emergency room.

• Theme
• Main Idea

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

It was a rainy day, and mom had to get creative to keep the kids from getting too bored.

• Theme
• Main Idea

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

The boys never expected to get caught stealing the bag of chips, but the security camera caught their theft.

• Theme
• Main Idea

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Is this a topic, main idea, or theme?

Even though it had been a terrible day, Joey came home in a pleasant mood, hoping to have a good night.

• Topic

• Main Idea

• Theme

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2