Identifying the Theme in a Passage

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow bridge, he looked down and saw his reflection in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own. If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish Dog he had been.
What is the theme?

• Be honest.
• Don't be greedy.
• Always share your things with others.
• Be respectful to others.

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.

The theme is a lesson learned; the moral of the story.

• True
• False

Which of the following is an example of THEME?

• Carry your laptops with two hands at all times.
• Cereal is the healthiest food you can eat.
• You can severely break your leg while crossing the street.
• Life is short; make the most of it.

A novel can have more than one theme.

• TRUE
• FALSE

What is the theme of this story? 

• Necessity is the mother of invention.
• Don't steal.
• Respect your elders.
• Slow and steady wins the race.

What is the theme of this story? 

• Slow and steady 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.

What is the theme of this story? 

• Don't steal. 
• Don't judge others. You don't know what they are capable of. 
• Being beautiful is the most important thing.
• Swans are prettier than ducks.

What is the theme of this passage:
Today was Friday and Mark knew that meant it was Fun Friday at school.  All the students were allowed to participate in Fun Friday if they turned in their homework.  Mark walked into class and open his backpack.  He stared inside and froze.  He had left his homework on the counter.  He tried to think quickly, what could he say?  He could tell Mr. Barnes that his little brother had thrown it away.  He could tell him that he dropped it on the bus or he could say that he already turned it in and that Mr. Barnes must have lost it.  "Where's your homework, Mark?" asked Mr. Barnes.  Mark just hung his head, he couldn't tell a lie.  "I left it at home", he said quietly.  

• Friendship
• Honesty
• Perseverance

What is the main difference between THEME and MAIN IDEA. 

• Theme is a universal lesson and main idea is what a story is about.
• Theme is what a story is about and main idea is the universal lesson it teaches.