Theme Review

What is the definition of THEME?

• A struggle between two opposing forces

• A message or life lesson in a text

• The attitude a writer has about a subject

Sha’Rice stood on the fence and squinted. Far off in the distance, she could see a group of people horseback riding quickly toward the ranch. “You won’t take our cattle,” she said softly. “I won’t let you.” Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you go inside and get some rest”? A familiar voice said. “Your uncle and I will handle this.”

What is the theme of the passage?

• Accepting differences

• Valuing traditions

• Standing up for what you believe in

When Myla opened the pack of seeds, they didn't look like much. One seed was no bigger than her thumbnail. But Myla was determined to help them grown. She made sure they had plenty of sunlight and water. She kept bugs and snails away. One of the seeds grew into a pumpkin bigger than Myla. It won first place at the county fair!

What is the theme of the passage?

• It's important to believe in yourself.

• Good always defeats evil

• Hard work pays off

Landry was sure his summer was ruined. Now that he had a broken leg, no one would have time to hang out with him. As he sat in his room feeling sorry for himself, he heard a knock at the door. Then five of his closest friends came in.

“Did you think we would just let you hang out by yourself”? Laron asked. “We’re all here for you, buddy. You can’t get rid of us!”

What is the theme of the passage?

• Sadness

• Friendship

• Persistence

Prince slumped in his chair and looked out the window. It sounded like the whole kingdom was down below.

"Everyone just loves Steven, don't they"? he muttered. Prince and Steven were twins. But because Steven was born first, the law said Steven would be king.

"it's not fair," prince said. I'm not going down there, and no one can make me!"

What is the theme of this passage?

• Jealousy

• friendship

• Bravery

Messiah stared at the money in his hand. He had paid with a $20 bill. The clerk had given him a $50 bill in return. Messiah didn't notice until he was outside the store, which is where he was now. He could buy a lot of cool stuff with the money. But he felt uneasy. "it's not right," he thought to himself. "I have to give this back." With a sigh, Messiah opened the door and walked back into the store.

What is the theme of this passage?

• overcoming challenges

• making good choices

• never giving up

Da’Marcus didn’t want to look at Christopher. They both knew Da’Marcus was horrible at kickball. But Ms. Milfort had made Christopher the captain of one of the teams. The two were best friends, but Da’Marcus wouldn’t have picked himself for any team. He was that bad. As he stared at the ground, he heard his name. Da’Marcus looked up. Christopher was pointing at him. “Get over here, pal. You’re on my team!

What is the theme of the passage?

• Loyalty

• Fairness

• Taking a stand

"You must clean your room before your baseball game," Stephen's mom stated. Stephen hated cleaning his room because he wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible, he threw all of his clothes and toys into a huge pile in his closet and closed the door. "Done!" Stephen exclaimed. Right before it was time to leave for the game, Stephen's mother went into Stephen's room to get his uniform out of the closet. All of his clothes and toys came tumbling out. "Stephen!" she shouted. "If you'd cleaned your room properly in the first place, you wouldn't have to stay home and clean it all over again.

What is the theme of the passage?

• Stephen should have listened to his mother the first time.

• It's better to do things correctly the first time.

• Children should keep their rooms clean at all times.

Once there was a mean little boy who lived in a small village.  This mean little boy loved to mess with people, so one day he ran up to a sheep herder and shouted, “WOLF!  WOLF!  A wolf is attacking the town!”  The sheep herder grabbed his staff and ran to defend the town, but realized he had been fooled when the boy started pointing and laughing at him.  “Ha ha!  I made you jump,” said the boy.  Then the boy ran up to a farmer and shouted, “WOLF!  WOLF!  A wolf is attacking the town!”  The farmer grabbed his pitchfork and ran to defend the town, but when the boy started pointing and laughing at him, he realized he had been tricked.  As the boy went back to his family’s farm laughing about the funny trick he played, he saw a real wolf in his father’s chicken coop.  As the wolf ate all of his father’s chickens, the boy screamed over and over again, “WOLF!  WOLF!  Please help us!”  But nobody came to help him.
What is the theme of the passage?

• Wolves are dangerous. 

• People should believe everything that anyone says. 

• If you trick people, they may not be there to help you when you need it. 

Hera was in a pickle. Her best friend had invited her to go skiing over the weekend but Saturday was Christmas Day. Christmas was a big deal in Hera's family. Relatives from all over the country came to visit. There was plenty of food and lots of laughter. Hera had always wanted to go skiing but she loved her family with all her heart. She knew there would be other opportunities to ski.

What is the theme of the passage?

• The importance of family

• The importance of following your dreams

• The importance of being yourself