Inferring Theme

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant,“ and I advise you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work. When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without supper,” and he closed the door.
What is the theme?

• share with your neighbor

• work before you play

• be respectful

• don't be greedy

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.

What can you infer from this image?

• The mom spilled her coffee. 

• Her son drank the coffee. 

• She never made the coffee.

• The coffee is in her hand.

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.

The best definition of theme is...

• The lesson the author is teaching. 

• The message the author is sending.

• A word that summarizes the story.

• The character's main problem.

In a piece of narrative text, what is the "theme"?

• What the story is about

• The topic of the text

• A message the author is trying to get across to the reader

• Where and when the story happens

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.

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

• True

• False

Kara chose a difficult piece to play for the piano recital. Her teacher advised her to select an easier one, but Kara knew she could do it. Kara practiced every day after school. When her friends called to see if she could play, Kara told them that she couldn't and continued to practice. Even with all that practicing, a week before the recital, Kara still could not play the piece without making mistakes. Kara thought about giving up and switching to an easier piece, but instead she decided to double her practice time. The night of the recital arrived. Kara was the last student to play. As she walked onto the stage to take her place at the piano, she remembered the long hours she had spent practicing. Kara began to play. Her hands danced across the keyboard. She knew the piece so well! When the final note faded, the room erupted in applause. She had played the piece perfectly! Choose the theme that best fits this story.

• It takes a lot of practice to play the piano.

• Kara practiced a lot and did well at her recital.

• Persistence pays off.

Kevin wasn't worried about his book report. He had three whole weeks to get it done. There was no reason to get started right away, especially when he had just gotten a new video game!

The next day, Kevin thought about going to the library to pick out a book for his report, but decided to play with his friends instead. He could go to the library on the weekend instead. The weekend came and rather than going to the library, Kevin spent the whole weekend at his cousin's farm. He didn't go to the library the next week either; there was always something fun to do instead.

Two weeks passed and Kevin still hadn't picked out a book. By the time he finally got to the library, there was not enough time to read the book and write the report. Kevin tried to write the report without reading the whole book, but it did not go very well. Kevin failed the assignment.

Choose the best theme that fits this story.

• School work is more important than playing

• Don't put things off until the last minute

• Kevin should have done his book report first.