Theme in Literature

The theme of a story is its

• main character
• universal message
• basic plot
• most memorable sentence or phrase

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.3.9

You can always tell what the theme of a story is by 

• reading carefully to find where the author directly states it
• putting the main ideas together in a single sentence
• researching where and when the author lived
• examining the characters and plot

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Which of the following might be the theme of a story?

• overcoming fear
• a brave young girl pretends to be a man and takes her father's place in the army.
• some people are afraid of heights
• "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too."

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.3.9

What is the difference between the theme and the main idea of a story?

• A story only has one main idea but always has more than one theme
• The author will tell you the theme somewhere in the text.  You have to use clues to figure out the main idea.
• The main idea is what the story is mostly about.  The theme is the universal message you take away from the story.
• There is no difference.  Theme and main idea are the same.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Which of the following is a true statement?

• No two stories can have the same theme.
• Every story has a main idea, but not every story has a theme.
• Stories from different cultures will never have the same theme.
• Stories written in different cultures and times can have the same theme.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.3.9

War destroys human values.  This is an example of a 

• plot
• main idea
• fable
• theme

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

In a fable, the theme is 

• that evil wins out over good
• usually stated in a straightforward way
• a fact about childhood
• about talking animals

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.K.5

Which of the following would not be considered a theme?

• the pain of love
• the pressure of traditions
• a soldier coming home from World War I
• survival

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

Which of the following could be a theme of Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

• respect for others
• why you shouldn't eat cold porridge
• the baby bear
• a curious girl breaks into a stranger's house

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

You are writing a story with the theme of friendship.  Which of the following would be the best way to get your theme across?

• make the plot a mystery
• have the characters get to know each other despite their differences
• have the characters never meet
• have the characters overcome a fear

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2