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.

• Share with your neighbor

• Be Respectful

• Work before you play

• don't be greedy

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.K.5

Larry had it all. A huge house, all the toys he wanted, and best of all he had enough money to buy anything he wants. He was always coming to school with new shoes and designer clothes. What more could a kid ask for? But everyday at recess Larry went out to the playground and played on the swings by himself. He disliked recess because there was no one that wanted to play with him. It made him very sad. What is the theme?

• Do the right thing and people will follow

• Money can't buy happiness or friends

• Helping others

• Practice and Persistence pay off

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

In the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel," a brother and sister find a house made of candy in the forest, are invited inside by an old woman, and are almost cooked and eaten by the woman, who turns out to be a witch. In "Little Red Riding Hood," a little girl is on her way through the forest to see her grandmother and tells a wolf where the grandmother lives. The wolf races ahead of the little girl and eats her grandmother. What recurring theme is present in both stories?

• Wolves and witches are mean

• The forest is a dangerous place

• Always be prepared

• Do not trust strangers

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Can a story have more than one theme?

• Yes

• No

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

 

"You can do it!" shouted her father, as he pushed Chloe and let go. She was going on her own, but suddenly fell. She cried, but said, "Again, daddy!" This time she went farther but fell into the ditch. A few moments later, she was riding down the street, smiling from ear to ear.

Which best represents the theme or moral?

• You should sacrifice for others

• When you are greedy, you will fall down

• Give up with things are tough

• You should never give up

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Jim was stacking boxes at work.  There was a certain height he had to reach.  He stretched his body, but could not reach to place the final box at the top.  Bill happened to see Jim struggling and came to his rescue, since he was a foot taller.

• Teamwork can accomplish a goal

• Work hard to reach a goal

• Tall people are the best

• People can be like boxes

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

Eleanor invited the new girl Jessica over to play. When Jessica arrived, she didn't bother to wipe her shoes. She got mud all over Eleanor's white bedroom carpet and didn't even say sorry. Then, she hopped onto Eleanor's bed and took out a cherry juice box. When cherry juice dripped onto Eleanor's bed, Jessica just shrugged. Later, when Jessica was eating some Cheetos, she wiped the orange powder on her fingers onto Eleanor's pillow. When Jessica left, Eleanor called all of her friends to tell them what happened. Jessica was never invited to play at any of their houses again.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Jessica should have been less messy if she wanted to make friends.

• Don't eat when you're at a friend's house

• You should always respect other people's things

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

"You must clean your room before your baseball game," Stephen's mom said. 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 shut 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 stuff came tumbling out. "Stephen!" she shouted. "If you'd cleaned your room properly the first time, you wouldn't have to stay home and clean it all over again."

What is the theme of this passage?

• Children should keep their rooms clean at all times

• Stephen should have listened to his mother the first time

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

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

When Darcy was eighteen, she wanted to dance on Broadway. When she went to her first audition, she was told that she would never get a job as a dancer because she didn't have the proper technique. Darcy didn't let this stop her. In fact, she became even more determined. For the next few months, Darcy took every dance lesson that she could attend in New York in order to keep improving. She studied from the best teachers and danced everyday, even when she was tired. A year later, Darcy signed a contract to dance in her first Broadway show.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Determination is the key to success

• Take a lot of dance classes if you want to dance on Broadway

• Don't let someone else's negative comments get you down

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

"Let's open the presents! I hope that you got me everything I wanted!" Emma exclaimed to her parents. When Emma opened up the first present, she threw it on the ground. "I wanted the gold belt. not the ugly silver belt." When Emma opened up the next present, she mad a face as she held it up. "This isn't the newest edition! This is the cheaper one. I'll have to return it." Emma continued to complain about every present she received from her parents. Emma's parents were furious and decided to return all of Emma's presents to the store. Clearly, Emma didn't need to receive any presents for her birthday.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Parents can always take away the presents that they give you

• Be thankful for the things you recieve

• Always say "thank you" after recieving each present

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9