Introduction
THEME!
Today we are going to look at different stories and identify the theme of each story. Some of the stories you will be reading and others will be videos. For each story you will be using a graphic organizer.
A theme is the moral of the story. It is different than the plot of a story.
Everyone knows the story of The Three Little Pigs
- The Plot of The Three Little Pigs: The wolf blew the first two pigs' houses down, and ate them, but the third pig had a sturdy house and outsmarted the wolf.
- The Moral: "Always be prepared" or "Make wise choices"
- The Theme: Preparedness or wisdom
Watch the video!
Now that we know more about identifying themes in a story, let's find out what your task will be!
Task
It's time to start our quest!
You will be identifying themes from the stories that can be found in the Process tab.
You will read or watch the stories and determine the theme of each story and providing evidence.
Remember the theme is not the plot of the story, it is the message the author is trying to send.
Let's look at one more resource to help you identify the theme of a story.
What is Theme?
Now that we really know what theme is, and how to identify a theme in a story lets begin our quest!
Process
PHASE 1
- First you will view a video or read a story
- Then you will decide on what the theme of the story is. You may want to refer to the "Common Themes" sheet (attached below), but you may not feel that any of the suggestions it provides appropriately describe your interpretation of the film's message.
- http://zunal.com/zunal_uploads/files/20140930063028aQeNa.jpg (Common Themes)
- Once you have decided on a theme, phrase that theme in a claim statement.
- For example, "I believe the theme of the short film [insert title of video] is [insert theme].
PHASE 2
Now that you have settled on a theme, find some evidence in the clip/story that supports your claim statement. Evidence could include things that characters say or do, ways that the setting or plot changes, or the consequences a character faces for his/her choices.
YOU NEED TO USE AT LEAST TWO STORIES FOR YOUR FIVE THEMES.
STORIES
Dog and His Reflection http://read.gov/aesop/026.html
Sleeping Beauty http://childhoodreading.com/sleeping-beauty/
The Journey of the Noble Gnarble http://www.magickeys.com/books/noblegnarble/index.html
Invisible Alligators http://www.magickeys.com/books/invis-allig/index.html
The Bogey-Beast https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/the-bogey-beast
VIDEOS
Evaluation
When you are completing your worksheet, make sure you have the following:
- You are choosing a theme that reflects the meaning of the story well
- You phrase a clear claim that includes the chosen theme
- You back up claim with at lease 2 pieces of evidence and appropriately reasons why those details support the claim.
- You write all responses in complete sentences with no spelling and grammar errors.
Conclusion
Congratulations!
You have completed this quest. Hopefully you had fun reading stories and watching videos while looking for deeper messages.
Consider yourself a THEME master!!
