Understanding Themes and Morals in Stories

What is a theme in a story?

• The main character's name

• An important idea that is woven throughout the story

• The summary of the story's events

• The setting where the story takes place

How is a theme different from the plot or summary of a story?

• A theme is a deeper idea, not just what happens or what the story is about.

• The plot is always more important than the theme.

• The summary is always longer than the theme.

• Themes are only found in non-fiction stories.

Which of these is an example of a question a theme might answer?

• What did the character eat for dinner?

• What is the main character's favorite color?

• What does it mean to be a family?

• How many pages are in the book?

What is the main idea of a story?

• A lesson or message to take out of the story

• The events of the story

• What the story is all about

• The author's opinion

What is a theme considered to be?

• The plot of the story

• The summary of the story

• A lesson or a message you can apply to your own life

• The main character's problem

What does it mean for themes to be "universal"?

• Only smart people can understand them

• They are about space and planets

• Anyone can relate to them, no matter who they are or where they live

• They are always about food

How is a moral different from a theme?

• A moral is a very specific lesson the story tries to teach you.

• A moral is always about good versus evil.

• A moral is less important than a theme.

• A moral is only found in fables.

Which of these questions helps you discover the theme of a story?

• What color was the character's shirt?

• What did the characters learn?

• How long was the story?

• What is the author's name?

What did Anansi the spider want to gather in a clay pot?

• All the gold in the world

• All the food in the world

• All the wisdom in the world

• All the water in the world

Why did Anansi want to hide the pot of wisdom?

• He wanted to share it with his family.

• He was afraid his children would knock it over or someone would steal it.

• He wanted to sell it for money.

• He wanted to bury it in the ground.