ELA Theme

Themes will not be clearly stated, but rather __________.

• implied throughout the book.

• explained through the main character.

• explained in the title.

• stated in the beginning.

Which answer is a good example of a theme?

• Love.

• Evil winning.

• Money cannot buy people happiness.

• Human nature.

When determining a theme, the reader should first consider?

• the illustrations

• the subject or topic

• the title

• the length of the story

One way to figure out the theme is to ____.

• Skim through the story.

• Read the beginning of the story.

• Think about what the character has learned.

• Read the ending of the story.

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.

Izaac always wanted to be on the “Benders” soccer team. When Izaac was very little, he would watch his older brother Zach play on the team and over time become a local hero. The Benders were undefeated and had won countless championships. Zach was on track for a scholarship to the state university. Izaac was always envious of Zach and wanted to be just like his brother. Izaac’s father was the coach of the team and he begged his dad to let him on the team, even though he was a year younger than the rest of the boys. His father agreed but told Izaac that he would have to work twice as hard to keep up with the older boys. His dad also told him that he would be even harder on Izaac so the other boys on the team wouldn’t think he was playing favorites. Soccer practice was tough! Every day, the team practiced long and hard. Weeks of practice were endured and many times Izaac felt like quitting. He was sore and tired and often wondered why he had wanted this so badly. Often, he knelt down on the soccer field feeling like he was going to throw up. Of course, the other boys didn’t feel too badly for him, since they had been through the same thing. The Benders trained hard for the state championship and they knew they would face some “nasty” competition. The big day of the championship arrived, and Izaac watched with nervous excitement as his team won the first game of the competition. The second game, Izaac got to play for a few minutes and even made an epic block, but was benched for most of the time because he just wasn’t as good as the other boys ~ yet. Izaac didn’t get to play much but felt really proud to be part of the team. The Benders went on to win the championship and Zach was the hero again. For the first time though, Izaac didn’t feel jealous of Zach. He wondered why.

• Don't judge people before you get to know them

• Hard work is it's own reward.

• Be kind, always.

• Money is important.

Trinity wanted a puppy so badly and begged her mom and dad for one whenever an opportunity came up. She had always loved dogs and would watch National Canine Competitions and any dog shows she could find on television. Trinity desperately wanted a pure bred German Shepherd ever since she had seen “Aphrodite - Goddess of Beauty”, win the BEST IN SHOW in the National Kennel Club Competition. She decided that she wouldn’t be satisfied with just any dog. Trinity’s birthday arrived and her heart pounded as her dad carried in her gift which was hard to disguise. It was obviously a puppy kennel with a blanket strewn across it to conceal its contents. Wild with excitement, Trinity raced over and ripped off the blanket. Her eyes fell upon the contents of her gift, and there looking up at her was a scruffy, awkward little puppy. Trinity tried to act thrilled to receive a puppy that she had always asked for. But, inside she was deeply disappointed with the scrawny, little, floppy-eared “mutt” she saw in front of her. This pup was certainly a far cry from “Aphrodite - Goddess of Beauty”. Trinity’s father explained that he had gotten the puppy from a friend at work who needed to find a home for the puppy. It was the runt of the litter and no one was interested in adopting him. Her dad went on to say that he was sorry that he couldn’t get her a German Shepherd pup like she had wanted, but they were just too expensive. The puppy whimpered, poked his nose out of the kennel, and blinked his little brown eyes as he looked up at Trinity. Trinity’s heart immediately softened and she pulled him from the kennel into her arms. The puppy gently licked her face and nibbled on her ear. She felt a little ashamed of how she felt at first and quickly had a change of attitude. She ended up naming the puppy Gus, and he grew up to be loyal and smart. Gus had become Trinity’s best friend and although Gus would probably never win any fancy competitions, he had won her heart.

• You should adopt from the animal shelter.

• Sometimes things surprise you.

• Dogs are cute and a girls best friend.

• Beauty is not the most important thing.

The big day had arrived of the “Character of the Quarter Assembly” at school. Four times a year, students were recognized by their teachers for academic success and behavior. The winners would receive a fancy certificate, recognition from the principal, a t-shirt, and their pictures were taken and hung up on the “Wall of Fame”. After the ceremony, cake and punch were served to the winners. Parents of the winners were notified to come to see the ceremony and the whole school watched as the few selected students received their awards. It was a big honor for the students who received the award. The recipients remained a secret until they announced the “Character of the Quarter” winners at the assembly. The kids were called to the auditorium and the audience was abuzz of kids whispering to each other about who they thought would receive the awards. They kept turning to look at the back where the parents sat to see if they could get a glimpse of whose parents or family were there. Often, it was fairly obvious to the students who was going to receive the awards. It was time for the teachers to announce the winners of the awards and hand out the certificates. Several names were called and the children clapped as their classmates received their awards. Some students in the audience gave the winners a “thumbs-up”, while others pouted because they thought that they should have won. Just as the ceremony was coming to a close, Mrs. Jones, the principal, announced that she had one more special “Character Award” to give. She began by saying that the boy winning this award was a student who she saw in the grocery store one day. Mrs. Jones said that this student did not know that she was there as she was behind him in the checkout aisle. She watched as this boy was polite and courteous to the clerk and even returned a fifty dollar bill to a gentleman who had dropped it. As Mrs. Jones announced the name of this student, she ended by saying that what had impressed her the most about this boy was that this behavior was displayed even “when no one was looking!

• It's nice to be a good person.

• The strength of your character is measured in many ways.

• The best students should get awards.

• People who don't get awards are losers.

Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton's reading class. Mr. Morton wasn't too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle Amusement Park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C" minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A." Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably won't complete this activity either.

• Deadlines are for losers.

• Mr. Morton liked Tammy better than Sammy.

• Reading class is too hard.

• It is better to do things right the first time.

In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn't let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Growing four inches helps you become a better basketball player.

• Coaches can be unfair to basketball players no matter what their height.

• Never give up. Always have the "Eye of the Tiger!"

• Not everyone will believe in you.