Determining Themes and Central Ideas

You can often infer the theme of a piece of literature by ...

• evaluating how a character has changed

• sharing a character's experience

• determining how the conflict has resolved

• ALL of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which of the following statements about theme is TRUE?

• Authors NEVER use the same theme twice

• Themes only repeat in short stories

• All poems have the same theme

• The same themes can occur in different stories/different authors

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

To identify a theme in a story, a reader can ask ...

• What has the character learned?

• What is the setting?

• Who is the narrator?

• ALL of the above

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

The theme of a piece of literature is the same as its ...

• message

• significance

• subject

• meaning

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Unlike the topic of literature, a theme ...

• can be expressed in one word

• always shows the setting

• is always stated directly in the text

• cannot be just one word

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Themes are universal because ...

• all humans share common experiences

• authors add them to make the writing meaningful

• the entire universe enjoys them

• the stories go on forever

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

A good objective summary....

• Is a summary sentence of the text that covers the key details.

• Identifies the topic, has all the key words, and is a complete sentence.

• Focuses on the central idea of the text and only the details that support it. 

• Uses direct quotes from the text in order to let the audience know what it was about. 

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

What is a theme?

• a word to describe the book

• life lesson or message in a literary work

• teaching you about the characters

• When a character changes over time.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is the central idea of the passage?

• The light bulb was an important invention

• Thomas Edison was an important inventor

• Thomas Edison was an excellent student

• Creating inventions is a difficult process

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is the central idea of the passage?

• Apollo 11’s landing was an important moment in history

• Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin are heroes

• People were surprised about Apollo 11's success

• Millions watched the Apollo 11 moon landing

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2