Theme and Supporting Details

Jess was not happy that she had to sit beside Ben. He was loud and silly, he talked all the time, and his desk was always messy. She promised herself that she would ignore him and never make contact. That is until one morning.. THUD! When Jess heard this loud noise, she looked up to see Ben had tripped over a chair that should have been pushed in. He was suddenly laying on the floor, and his papers were strewed everywhere. Jess rushed over to him. Despise Ben's obnoxious behavior, Jess helped him up and picked up all of his papers. "No worries, Ben, that chair was in your way," Jess said. That afternoon during recess, Ben thanked Jess for helping him. Jess realized that Ben was actually nice, and that she had never taken the time to get to know him. Jess and Ben had each found a new friend.

What is the theme of this story? Think about the lesson Jess learned.

• It's better to push your chair in than trip someone.

• You never really know the quality of a person's character until you get to know them.

• A nice gesture sometimes goes unnoticed.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Jess was not happy that she had to sit beside Ben. He was loud and silly, he talked all the time, and his desk was always messy. She promised herself that she would ignore him and never make contact. That is until one morning.. THUD! When Jess heard this loud noise, she looked up to see Ben had tripped over a chair that should have been pushed in. He was suddenly laying on the floor, and his papers were strewed everywhere. Jess rushed over to him. Despise Ben's obnoxious behavior, Jess helped him up and picked up all of his papers. "No worries, Ben, that chair was in your way," Jess said. That afternoon during recess, Ben thanked Jess for helping him. Jess realized that Ben was actually nice, and that she had never taken the time to get to know him. Jess and Ben had each found a new friend.

What text evidence helped you find the theme? Think about the author's message.

• Jess helped Ben up when he tripped over a chair.

• Ben thanked Jess for helping him and asked if she wanted to play soccer.

• Jess realized that Ben was annoying and messy.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Jake loved his phone and was always looking at it. His parents would try to talk to him, but he would just ignore them. When he was at school, he'd sneak peeks at his phone under his desk when no one was looking. When he was at his friend's house, he spent more time on his phone than with his friend. One day Jake was watching a funny video of people doing tricks with their dogs while he was walking home. He began crossing the street and was so into the video that he did not notice the oncoming traffic. Jake was suddenly hit by a car. He had mild injuries, but his phone was destroyed. Jake quickly realized that he didn't need to be on his phone so much.

What is the theme of the story? Think about the lesson Jake learned.

• Nothing is a sure thing.

• You can get too much of a good thing.

• Always walk at a crosswalk.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Jake loved his phone and was always looking at it. His parents would try to talk to him, but he would just ignore them. When he was at school, he'd sneak peeks at his phone under his desk when no one was looking. When he was at his friend's house, he spent more time on his phone than with his friend. One day Jake was watching a funny video of people doing tricks with their dogs while he was walking home. He began crossing the street and was so into the video that he did not notice the oncoming traffic. Jake was suddenly hit by a car. He had mild injuries, but his phone was destroyed. Jake quickly realized that he didn't need to be on his phone so much.

The theme is: you can get too much of a good thing

What text evidence from the story helped you find the theme? Think about the author's message.

• Jake ignores others and eventually gets hit by a car because he's on his phone too much.

• Jake couldn't get enough of the funny videos on his phone.

• Jake was injured and his phone was destroyed.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Three flies notice an overturned honey pot. Two of the flies decide to land in the honey and start eating it. But the oldest fly stays back. The two flies tease the older fly, but then get stuck in the honey.

What is the theme of this story?

• Some prizes aren't worth it.

• Overeating leads to illness.

• Insects value food over safety.

• Always send a tester.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Lucy is a superhero. There is an evil villain approaching Lucy's small-town of Gray. Lucy hears of this news, and she instantly begins training so she can defeat him.

What theme can we take away from this summary of a story?

• Friendship is important.

• Treat others how you would like to be treated.

• You must work hard to reach your goals.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

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

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Jorge had to go to the eye doctor and get glasses. At school the next day, he took them off for recess and left them outside. When he arrived home that day his mom asked where his glasses were and Jorge told her he lost them at school. She made him mow the yard and take out the trash to earn money for a new pair. What is the theme?

• Being honest doesn't always work
• Be responsible and thoughtful with your possessions
• Jorge should have been more responsible
• Parents can be too mean

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Tom wandered down the dusty road, a fishing pole over his shoulder and a tin pail swinging from his hand. The sun beat down upon him, but he whistled merrily. A long day of school lessons had been endured, and now freedom was his. When he reached the riverbank, he stretched out upon the grass, content that his troubles were behind him—at least for the afternoon. Which of the following best supports the theme of this paragraph?

• The joy of freedom after finishing your duties for the day

• Friendship is the greatest treasure
  

• Honesty is more important than play
  

• Hard work leads to reward

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Tom wandered down the dusty road, a fishing pole over his shoulder and a tin pail swinging from his hand. The sun beat down upon him, but he whistled merrily. A long day of school lessons had been endured, and now freedom was his. When he reached the riverbank, he stretched out upon the grass, content that his troubles were behind him—at least for the afternoon.

Which detail best supports the theme?

• A fishing pole over his shoulder

• A long day of lessons had been endured

• The sun beat down upon him

• He stretched out upon the grass

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2