Theme Review

What might the theme be in this story? There is more than one correct answer.

"Oh yeah?" Charles sneered. "If you're so great, why don't you race me?" Lucy gasped. Charles was the fastest runner at school. "You're on," she gulped. That night, she began to train. Day after day, she ran laps at the track. Charles would watch her, laughing. His friends asked him why he wasn't practicing, too. "Practice? I don't need practice to win." Finally, the day of the race dawned. Lucy met him at the track. "Good luck," she said. "I don't need it," he replied. They took off. At the finish line, he turned back to look for Lucy—but she'd already beaten him by half a lap!

• Love is the key to happiness

• Hard work pays off

• With planning, the weak can defeat the strong

• Overconfidence can lead to failure

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read the story attached to the question. Which sentence best tells you the theme?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 6

• Sentence 8

• Sentence 9

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read the passage below. Then, choose the sentence below that best states the theme.

"Why can't you just pack me salami or tuna sandwiches? That's what everyone else eats." "Don't you like the lunches I pack you?" Abu seemed surprised that I was complaining. "Of course I love your mansaf, Abu, but it . . . it just smells so strong. People think the jameed in it smells like dirty socks. I feel like everyone's staring at my weird food," I said." Are you ashamed of being different?" I didn't answer my father. He continued, "We have a beautiful heritage. There is no shame in eating the foods your grandparents and great-grandparents ate! Never look down on your traditions, my child." I knew in my heart Abu was right.

• It is hard to fit in.

• A person should be proud of his or her heritage.

• One should eat ethnic foods.

• Some people don't like to appear "different."

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which statement best supports the story's theme that one should be proud of his or her traditions?

(1) "Why can't you just pack me salami or tuna sandwiches? (2) That's what everyone else eats."(3) "Don't you like the lunches I pack you?" Abu seemed surprised that I was complaining.(4) "Of course I love your mansaf, Abu, but it . . . it just smells so strong. (5) People think the jameed in it smells like dirty socks. (6) I feel like everyone's staring at my weird food,"? I said.(7) "Are you ashamed of being different?"(8) I didn't answer my father. (9) He continued, "We have a beautiful heritage. (10) There is no shame in eating the foods your grandparents and great-grandparents ate! (11) Never look down on your traditions, my child."(12) I knew in my heart Abu was right.

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 4

• Sentence 7

• Sentence 11

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

True or false: A theme is a statement about something, not just a single word.

• True
• False

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

The theme of the story is the

• main character

• message about life that the author expresses

• sequence of events

• short summary of what the story is about

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which of the following could be a theme of a story?

• A 35-year-old woman named Essie and her brother.

• A small apartment in Marfa, Texas.

• Telling the truth may cause you pain, but in the end, it's better than lying.

• Essie lied to her brother about her identity for two years, but she finally decided to tell him the truth.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

You can often infer the theme of a piece of literature by ...

• evaluating how a character has changed
• sharing a character's experience
• determining how the conflict has resolved
• ALL of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

A theme should be supported by ...

• your own words
• evidence from the text
• rationale/reasoning
• ALL of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Sometimes the reader must infer the theme based on the theme topics and events in the plot.

• True

• False

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2