TEKS.ELA.6.7A

During a baseball game, Tanner tried to tag a player leaving first base. When the umpire called the player out, Tanner immediately informed the umpire that he in fact did not tag the runner. Two weeks later, the very same umpire was at another one of Tanner’s baseball games. Tanner was playing short stop and tagged a runner as they approached third base. When the umpire called the player safe, Tanner didn’t say a word, but the umpire noticed the surprised look on Tanner’s face. “Did you tag the runner?” she asked Tanner. When Tanner told her that he did tag the runner, the umpire changed her decision and called the player out. The coaches and parents were furious, but the umpire stood by her decision.
What is the theme?

• You should cheat to win.
• Always work hard.
• It pays to be honest.
• Teamwork is best.

Tags

TEKS.ELA.9-12.II.C.2

TEKS.ELA.9-12.II.A.4

TEKS.ELA.7.7A

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he would die of thirst. Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
What is the theme?

• be persistent
• be honest
• always share with others
• respect your family

Tags

TEKS.ELA.9-12.II.C.2

TEKS.ELA.8.7A

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What is the theme of this story?

• Respect your elders.
• Don't steal.
• Don't be lazy.
• Help others because what goes around comes around.

Tags

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

What is the theme of this story? 

• Slowly but surely wins the race.
• Don't be lazy. 
• We are stronger together than we are apart.
• If you try to go on your own, you will get eaten by a big fish.

Tags

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

What is the theme of this story?

• Don't steal
• Look both ways before crossing the street. 
• Necessity is the mother of invention. 
• One good turn deserves another.

Tags

TEKS.ELA.6.5F

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

The Isle of the Lost Excerpt
By Melissa de la Cruz
Once upon a time, during a time after all the happily-ever-afters, and perhaps even after the ever-afters after that, all the evil villains of the world were banished from the United Kingdom of Auradon and imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost. There, underneath a protective dome that kept all manner of enchantment out of their clutches, the terrible, the treacherous, the truly awful, and the severely sinister were cursed to live without the power of magic. King Beast declared the villains exiled forever. Forever, as it turns out,is quite a long time. Longer than an enchanted princess can sleep. Longer,even, then an imprisoned maiden’s tower of golden hair. Longer than a week of being turned into a frog, and certainly much longer than waiting for a prince to finally get around to placing that glass slipper on your foot already.Yes, forever is a long, long, long time. Ten years, to be specific. Ten years that these legendary villains have been trapped on a floating prison of rock and rubble. Okay, so you might say ten years isn’t such a long time, considering;but for these conjurers and witches, viziers and sorcerers, evil queens and dark fairies, to live without magic was a sentence worse than death. (And some of them were brought back from death, only to be placed on this island—so, um, they should know.) Without their awesome powers to dominate and hypnotize, terrorize and threaten, create thunderclouds and lightning storms, transform and disguise their features or lie and manipulate their way into getting exactly what they wanted, they were reduced to hardscrabble lives, eking a living selling and eating slop, scaring no one but their own minions, and stealing from each other. It was hard even for them to imagine they once had been great and powerful, these poisoners of forest apples and thieves of undersea voices, these usurpers of royal powers and owners of petulant mirrors. Now their lives were anything but powerful. Now they were ordinary. Everyday.
What theme best fits this excerpt?

• working class struggles
• immortality
• change in power
• power of wealth

Tags

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

The underlying meaning or a universal truth of a story.

• Cause and Effect
• Metaphor
• Theme
• Statement

Tags

TEKS.ELA.7.7A

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

A theme is the big idea in a story. It's the message about people or the world that the author is trying to get across. Themes are universal, which means they are true in all times and all places. They apply to many different types of people.

Read the following passage from a story.
Rohan triumphantly lifted the trophy above his head. Despite all the obstacles, he had won. Beneath his cheerful exterior, he felt a twinge of the constant pain he’d learned to live with. Almost unconsciously, Rohan removed one hand from the trophy and rubbed the thin red scar that snaked around his ankle. He thought back to the surgery and the weeks spent lying in his bed, unable to compete. The months of exercises to strengthen his leg. “Rohan!” he heard the crowd scream, as if in slow motion. A smile broke across Rohan’s face, shattering his thoughts. He returned his hand to his trophy, firmly grasping it.

Which of the following is most likely a theme of the story?

• Some goals are too hard to achieve even if you try many times.
  
• Through determination, you can overcome big challenges.
  
• You need the support of your family to overcome challenges.
  
• When you achieve a goal, you shouldn’t brag about it.
  

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TEKS.ELA.6.5F

TEKS.ELA.6.9A

TEKS.ELA.5.7C

TEKS.ELA.5.6F

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

You and your friend might analyze the plot and the characters of a story and come up with two different correct themes.

Read the following passage from a story.
Wind whipped at Vanessa, Mo and Jaime's faces as they trudged up the mountain. "Do you have the ice samples?" Vanessa questioned Mo again."Why don't you carry them the rest of the way?" he responded irritably. Mo was digging into his backpack to retrieve the samples when suddenly, a gust of wind snatched them out of his hands, sending them tumbling down the mountain."
If we lose those, this was all for nothing!" Vanessa cried. The wind roared angrily, churning flakes of snow that had newly begun to fall. How far had the samples gone? The three scientists stared at each other in horrified silence."
I'll go back for them," Jaime spoke up quietly.
Vanessa and Mo looked at Jaime. He was the smallest and youngest of the group, barely strong enough to carry his large backpack.
"I'll go," he said louder.

Which sentence from the passage provides the best clue that a theme of the story is "Courage can be found in the people you least expect it"?

• "'Why don't you carry them the rest of the way?'" he responded irritably.
  
• "How far had the samples gone?"
  
• "The wind roared angrily, churning flakes of snow that had newly begun to fall."
  
• "He was the smallest and youngest of the group, barely strong enough to carry his large backpack."
  

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TEKS.ELA.6.6C

TEKS.ELA.5.8A

TEKS.ELA.6.7A

Which of these things is not related to the "theme" in a story?

• how a character is feeling
• a "life lesson" the main character learns
• a big idea that people from any culture or any place can understand
• the moral of the story

Tags

TEKS.ELA.6.7A