5th Grade: Theme & Character Traits

David found a wallet on the ground. He opened up the wallet and saw an old woman’s ID card. David took the wallet to the woman’s house, and returned it to her.   What character trait does David demonstrate?

• Honest

• Irritated

• Friendly

• Fearless

Jake was looking forward to Saturday. That was when his team would play int he big game against the Rays. Jake's team, the Mets, was really good. They had won all of their games so far this season. Jake was the pitcher and he practiced constantly. Every afternoon he would come home from school and play catch with his dad. After supper he would practice throwing pitches with his older brother. Jake was hoping all the hard work would pay off and his team would win on Saturday. What is the theme of this short story?

• Practice never helps.

• Practice takes time away from family.

• Practice makes progression.

• Don't judge a book by its cover.

Jake was looking forward to Saturday. That was when his team would play int he big game against the Rays. Jake's team, the Mets, was really good. They had won all of their games so far this season. Jake was the pitcher and he practiced constantly. Every afternoon he would come home from school and play catch with his dad. After supper he would practice throwing pitches with his older brother. Jake was hoping all the hard work would pay off and his team would win on Saturday. What is a character trait that describes Jake?

• Determined

• Obsessed

• Lazy

• Kind

Susan's leg was trembling under her desk. Susan had not studied at all and didn't know what to do; she didn't want to fail after all. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that she could see the answers to her classmate's paper right next to her. As she was copying down the answers, she felt a looming presence coming up from behind her. As Susan turned around she saw her teacher snatch her paper and put a large red F right on the top. She had failed. What is the theme of this short story?

• Cheating does not pay off in the end.

• Studying will always earn a good grade.

• Honesty always pays off in the end.

• Cheating is against the rules.

Susan's leg was trembling under her desk. Susan had not studied at all and didn't know what to do; she didn't want to fail after all. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that she could see the answers to her classmate's paper right next to her. As she was copying down the answers, she felt a looming presence coming up from behind her. As Susan turned around she saw her teacher snatch her paper and put a large red F right on the top. She had failed. What is a character trait that describes Susan?

• Honest

• Hard-working

• Sneaky

• Dishonest

Aiden was a ten year old boy who was not very nice to his friends. In class, he took a boy's pencil and refused to give it back. During recess, he ran into his friend and knocked him over while playing soccer. Rather than apologizing and helping him up, Aiden just laughed and continued to play. When his friend made a poor grade on his science test, Aiden said, "I can't believe you failed that test! It was so easy!"

One day, Aiden was in tears when he got off the school bus. "What's wrong?" his mother asked. Aiden replied, "Everyone was so mean to me today! Luke took one of my chips and ate it during lunch. Cade told me he didn't want to be my friend anymore, and no one would play with me during recess." After listening to his mom's advice, Aiden slowly began to realize he needed to make some changes.

What is the theme of this short story?

• Everyone is a bully in their own way.

• Treat others the way you want to be treated.

• Don't judge a book by its cover.

• Actions speak louder than words.

Aiden was a ten year old boy who was not very nice to his friends. In class, he took a boy's pencil and refused to give it back. During recess, he ran into his friend and knocked him over while playing soccer. Rather than apologizing and helping him up, Aiden just laughed and continued to play. When his friend made a poor grade on his science test, Aiden said, "I can't believe you failed that test! It was so easy!"

One day, Aiden was in tears when he got off the school bus. "What's wrong?" his mother asked. Aiden replied, "Everyone was so mean to me today! Luke took one of my chips and ate it during lunch. Cade told me he didn't want to be my friend anymore, and no one would play with me during recess." After listening to his mom's advice, Aiden slowly began to realize he needed to make some changes.

What character trait BEST describes Aiden?

• Generous

• Considerate

• Sympathetic

• Rude

Rose was a busy teenager. She was always on the go from one activity to another. One day, she noticed that her backpack strap was beginning to become loose. Rose considered fixing it, but she had so many other things to do that she didn't have time. Time passed and the backpack strap was only hanging by a thread. Again, Rose decided to worry about it another day. Then, on her way to a busy day at school, Rose's backpack strap ripped completely off. Her books and supplies went everywhere. She was stuck picking them all up as her school bus went by. She wouldn't be able to do anything, but fix the backpack now.

What is the theme of the short story?

• Procrastination is the thief of time.

• Put off small tasks, because there is always something more important to tend to.

• You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

• Busyness equals success.

Rose was a busy teenager. She was always on the go from one activity to another. One day, she noticed that her backpack strap was beginning to become loose. Rose considered fixing it, but she had so many other things to do that she didn't have time. Time passed and the backpack strap was only hanging by a thread. Again, Rose decided to worry about it another day. Then, on her way to a busy day at school, Rose's backpack strap ripped completely off. Her books and supplies went everywhere. She was stuck picking them all up as her school bus went by. She wouldn't be able to do anything, but fix the backpack now.

What is the BEST character trait that describes Rose?

• Overwhelmed

• Inconsiderate

• Preoccupied

• Inquisitive

Answer explanation

Overwhelmed = to overcome completely in mind or feeling (This might have been what Rose was feeling, but there is not enough text evidence to suggest this.)

Inconsiderate = thoughtlessly causing hurt or inconvenience to others (Rose did not cause hurt or inconvenience for others, just for herself.)

Preoccupied = engrossed in thought; distracted; busy (This is the best description of Rose, because the text evidence shows us she is busy with many tasks, taking away her time to fix her backpack.)

Inquisitive = curious or inquiring (The text does not show evidence that Rose is curious about her backpack, nor about her tasks. Just that she is busy, and puts off fixing her backpack.)

The message of a story is the...

• plot

• theme

• setting

• protagonist