Determine the Theme

Georgia decided to take a sewing class, but felt very frustrated when she couldn’t sew a straight line on the first day. “This looks so easy, but it’s not! Clearly I’m just terrible at sewing!” she complained. Even though she felt frustrated, she continued to go to class week after week. Each week, her sewing instructor helped her. By the last week of class, Georgia finally completed a project all by herself! She created a rectangular pillow for her bed… with four mostly perfect straight lines
What is the theme in the story?

• Differences of opinion create problems.

• Family should always be there to help.

• If they really want to help, teachers should just do all the work.

• Perseverance pays off.

One minute we were goofing around and having fun and the next thing I knew, Hank’s body soared over the top of the patio and suddenly his life was in danger. With fingers grasped tightly on the railing, he desperately cried for help. I watched his grip slowly slip away and knew that a 40-foot plunge to the ground could be disastrous. Without stopping to consider my own safety, I jumped into action. My heart pounded through my chest and fear pulsed through my veins as I clutched his hands and pulled up as hard as I could.

What is the theme of the story?

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Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean’s white bedspread without asking, and Messy Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy’s sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment.

What is the theme?

• Hard works and perseverance pays off

• Love conquers all

• Respect other people's property

• Choose your partner carefully

Even though Greg had been looking forward to his best friend's party for over a month, he knew his grandma would really love to see him. "It's your choice, Greg. Grandma is really sick, but I know you've been very excited about this party," said his mom. Most of his class was planning on going to the party and he knew it would be so much fun! After some thought, though, Greg knew exactly what he was going to do. "It's not like this is the last party that I'll ever be invited to and grandma would be so sad if I didn't come," said Greg. "Plus, I always like making her smile." What is the theme of this passage

• dreams come true when you go to parties

• family comes first

• trust in your friends and they will help you

• perseverance pays off

What is theme?

• the main idea

• the characters in the story

• the moral or lesson in the story

• the topic

What TWO sentences led you to the theme in part A?

• "First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat."

• "Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy's sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor."

• "Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment."

• " The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. "

The Tradition Luis's whole family gathered every June to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Before everyone sat down to eat, each person had to recite a personal story they had about Grandpa. Some family members told the same story year after year. Luis, for example, had his usual story about the time Grandpa taught him how to take care of a vegetable garden. The stories were a tradition, and now that most of the grandchildren were old enough to participate, the tradition could go on for quite a while. Last year, it took three hours. Luis battled the need to yawn as he listened to all the familiar old tales. This year, Uncle Frank and Aunt Teresa had dinner ready early and called everyone to eat. "What about the stories?" Luis asked. "There's just not enough time this year, with so many people," Uncle Frank said. As he sat down at the long dining room table, Luis was relieved. Yet he also felt a pang of disappointment. In the absence of the tradition, Grandpa's birthday felt like any other holiday the family shared. Luis eyed the platter of chiles rellenos. "You know, I wouldn't know how to pick a pepper right if it wasn't for Grandpa," he mused. "I wouldn't know how to drive a car," said Aunt Teresa. "I wouldn't have known how to turn a paperclip into a safety pin," added Uncle Felix. "That sure saved the day at Edna's wedding!" Everyone laughed and smiled at each other at the reminder of that well-known family story. It was a pleasant birthday. Conversations flowed like water, and the food was superb. But something told Luis that next year, the tradition of telling stories would return. Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

• Traditions can bring people together in unique ways.

• A person cannot control the way traditions come and go over time.

Going the Distance Riya spent the first week of high school trying to keep her head above water. She was overwhelmed by the huge building. She decided that she would memorize where her classes were and then pretend that the rest of the place didn't exist. All the different hallways and wings were too much to think about, let alone commit to memory. In P.E., Coach Wallace sent her reeling when he announced that everyone had to run one mile around the track outside. Riya searched the faces of her classmates for signs of panic. There was nothing she dreaded more than having to run a whole mile. To Riya, a mile was used to describe long distances. It was ten miles to her grandfather's house, and that always seemed like a long way, even in a car! When Coach Wallace blew his whistle, Riya figured she would be left in the dust. However, while some of her classmates edged ahead, others actually lagged behind. It's just the beginning, she thought. I'll come in last for sure. Riya started using a mind trick on herself. She stopped thinking about the word mile. Instead, she focused on reaching the shadow cast on the track by an oak tree up ahead. Then she concentrated on jogging to the spot where the track curved. After that, she tried to see if she could complete her first lap. One lap turned into two, then three, then four. When Coach Wallace gave her a high five and said, "Nice work," Riya was shocked. She never would have guessed that she had just run a whole mile. As Riya walked back to the school building after P.E., she noticed that she felt less overwhelmed by its size. Maybe she would come to know the place, one lap at a time. Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

• Goals are easier to achieve in small steps.

• Try not to measure yourself against other people.

Self-Portrait Alia was dismayed to find herself in the drawing studio. She had been sick with the flu during the week when everyone else got to pick their classes. She had hoped for Astronomy or Marine Biology, but they were full by the time she got to choose. She loved everything about science, from the way it used facts and formulas to how it revealed the basic nature of things. But art was so . . .un-scientific. The first class project was self-portraits. Some students were drawing self-portraits using mirrors. Others were working from photographs. Alia glanced at the incomplete sketches, feeling like a cat in a dog show. The teacher came up to Alia's easel and sat next to her. "Every portrait begins with a circle," he said. "Then you create a series of lines." To demonstrate, he drew a group of small, quick portraits. He began each one with a circle, some straight lines, and a triangle to determine where the eyes, nose, and chin should go. Alia had never thought about it, but the features of everyone's face were in the same spots. Hesitantly, Alia began her own self-portrait. She drew the basic form of a head, the way she had been shown. From there, she used lines to plot the features of her face. The process took patience and precision. She had to take note of each detail. One wrong measurement could throw off the whole portrait. Alia was surprised by the structure and discipline involved in drawing a portrait. Measuring, studying details, revealing the basic nature of something—it reminded her of what she loved about science. Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story?

• Don't assume you won't like something until you try it.

• It's important to know what your strengths are.

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 another 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.

• Being greedy can lead to negative consequences.

• Always share your things with others.

• He should have kept his bone.