Unlike the topic of literature, a theme ...

Themes are universal because ...

Which of the following is NOT an example of a theme?

What could be an example of a theme?

A theme should be a statement, not just one word.

When Curtis transferred to our high school from some fancy private school, I was assigned the job of showing him around our building. First, I showed him our trophy case. Our school has done put together some quality teams and programs over the years, so our trophy case was pretty full. Curtis was not impressed. He claimed that the trophy case at his old school was at least twice as big as ours and much more crowded. Next I showed him our swimming pool. Not every high school has a swimming pool, so we were proud of ours, but Curtis couldn't care less. "The swimming pool at my old school is bigger and more modern. This one looks kind of dirty," he said with disdain. I continued to guide Curtis around the school, showing him our cafeteria, gymnasium, and even our garden, but Curtis seemed disappointed with everything that he saw. He'd quickly compare it to his old school, which in his words was superior to ours in every way. The last thing I showed Curtis was the front door. I told him that he would like this one best because he could walk through it and go back to his old school.

What is the theme of the story?

Topic or Thematic Statement?

Family

Topic or Thematic Statement?

People without strong families may rely on other groups for a sense of community.

Which of the following is NOT a THEME STATEMENT?

Which of the following is an example of a THEME STATEMENT?

Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave.

What is the theme of the story?

Where can a reader find the theme in MOST stories?

Choose the best common childhood theme that matches this image

If the theme topic is Kindness, a good theme statement could be ...

If the theme topic is Change, a good theme statement could be ..

Which of the following is NOT a theme topic?

What could be a theme of the following story?

A dog is walking home with a piece of meat in his mouth. On his way home he crosses a river and looks into the water. He mistakes his own reflection for another dog and wants that dog's food also. But as he opens his mouth, the meat falls into the river and is never seen again. Now the dog has no food at all. :(

Which sentence tells the theme?

(1) One summer day, Grasshopper was having fun and singing. (2) Ant passed by, carrying food to her nest.

(3) "Why don't you sing with me?" asked Grasshopper.

(4) "Why work on a lovely day?"

(5) "I'm gathering food for winter," said Ant.

(6) "Why worry about winter, especially since we have food now?" asked Grasshopper. (7) Ant kept working, and Grasshopper kept playing. (8) Winter came, and Ant had plenty of corn and grain, but Grasshopper was starving.

(9) Grasshopper realized then that it is best to prepare for hard times ahead.

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "I want that cheese," thought Fox. He walked up to the foot of the tree. "Good-day, Miss Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eyes. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds. Please sing one song so that I may enjoy your lovely voice." The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Fox. What is the theme of this story?

The theme of a work is the message about life that the writer wants to communicate. It is different from the ______, or what the work is about.

Read the story. In your own words, what is the theme?

Julia wanted to become a doctor for as long as she could remember. In college when her friends were out at the mall or going out with friends, Julia spent all of her time studying. At graduation, Julia graduated with high honors and was offered a job shortly after.

Jess was not happy that she had to sit beside Ben. He was loud and silly, he talked all the time, and his desk was always messy. She promised herself that she would ignore him and never make contact. That is until one morning.. THUD! When Jess heard this loud noise, she looked up to see Ben had tripped over a chair that should have been pushed in. He was suddenly laying on the floor, and his papers were strewed everywhere. Jess rushed over to him. Despise Ben's obnoxious behavior, Jess helped him up and picked up all of his papers. "No worries, Ben, that chair was in your way," Jess said. That afternoon during recess, Ben thanked Jess for helping him. Jess realized that Ben was actually nice, and that she had never taken the time to get to know him. Jess and Ben had each found a new friend.

What problem did Jess face in this story?

How prepared were you for this test?

Benny and Danny were twins. Each week, they each got five dollars in allowance. Benny always spent all of his allowance on candy and small toys. Every so often, Danny bought some candy, but he saved most of his money in a piggy bank that he kept on his nightstand by his bed. Sometimes, Danny did extra chores around the house to earn more money. He always put his earnings into his bank. The months passed and soon school was out for summer. One day, Danny asked his parents to take him to the bike store. He had saved enough money for a new bike! Danny picked out a red bike with blue handlebars. His parents were so impressed with how much he had saved that they bought him a helmet and a bike lock. Danny spent the summer riding his new bike around the neighborhood with his friends. Since he did not have a bike, Benny spent most of his summer alone at home.