Theme Reading

In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty Crow found a pitcher with a little water in it. But the pitcher was high and had a narrow neck, and no matter how he tried, the Crow could not reach the water. The poor thing felt as if he would die of thirst. Then an idea came to him. Picking up some small pebbles, he dropped them into the pitcher one by one. With each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it was near enough so he could drink.
What is the theme?

• be persistent

• be honest

• always share with others

• respect your family

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.
What is the theme?

• share with your neighbor

• work before you play

• be respectful

• don't be greedy

The theme of a story is the...

• climax

• exposition

• life lesson

• problem

Becky sobbed for hours trying to think of a way out of having to tell her father she wrecked her new car.  After thinking over it for quite some time, she called her father on his cell phone.  "Thank you for telling me," he said.

What is the theme of this passage?

• Driving a car takes responsibility

• Sometimes crying is good for you.

• Being honest is always the best option

Matt was always mean to the other younger kids on the school bus. He would make fun of them and put sticky stuff in their seat. He was the oldest and “coolest” kid on the bus. After this year, Matt would be going to high school. He would not have to ride with these little kids anymore. The summer had passed and Matt was headed to high school. He was a little nervous getting on the bus. When he walked on, he could feel the older kids laughing at him. When he got into his seat there was chocolate sauce smeared all over his seat. What is the theme?

• Treat others the way you want to be treated

• Be yourself

• Money can buy friends

Jerry thought it would be funny to hide Tracy’s book bag. One day he took it from the back of the room and threw it behind the book case. At the end of the day Tracy was looking everywhere. The teacher started looking and asked the class if anyone has seen the book bag. Jerry of course did not answer. After about ten minutes of searching the teacher called for the principal to come and help. Jerry had told the teacher he did not know where it was, so what was he going to tell the principal? He should have just taken it out right away when Tracy was looking. What is the theme?

• Don't put things off until last minute

• Always tell the truth

• Loyalty

An old turtle looked up and said,
“Mr. Sky, I have lived a long time.I have seen it all,
And what they say is true.
There is nothing new under the sun.”
“Really?” said Sky.
And from six miles up, he dropped 
A single snowflake. 
Which sentence describes the theme of the poem?

• There’s always something new to experience.

• Nature always challenges us to think twice.

• Animals understand nature better than humans.

• It’s important to gather new knowledge.

George and Brent were brothers, but you would never know it. They did not really get along. George loved sports, and Brent loved to read. They were complete opposites., but the one thing they had in common was they were both failing a subject. George was failing reading and Brent was failing Math. Their mom would not be happy. They decided to help each other in their failing subjects by tutoring each other. By the time the report card came home, they were both passing reading and math.

What is the theme?

• Loyalty

• Treat others how you want to be treated.

• Be yourself!

• Two heads are better than one.

Mark had so many toys, but he would not share with his sister. He hid all his toys in his closet so she could not play with them. When his mother came looking for Mark and his sister, she could only find his sister. She handed her a plate of cookies to enjoy. Mark was sure his sister would not share the cookies since he was not sharing his toys. But his sister knew the right thing to do was to share. Mark was so happy that his sister gave him a cookie, that he shared his toys with her.

What is the theme?

• Do the right thing and people will follow.

• Friendship

• Practice patience and persistence will pay off.

• It is important to help others.

Ambition Over Adversity by Tupac Shakur

What is the theme?

• Never help people  do bad things.

• Learn from mistakes and turn them into success.

• Keep your eye on the prize.

• Learn to share.