Theme (multiple choice)
A speedy hare made fun of a tortoise for moving so slowly. The tortoise challenged him to a race. The hare was so confident that he would win, he raced ahead and then stopped to nap. Meanwhile, the tortoise kept moving, step by step, and crossed the finish line first.
What is the Theme?
a) Hares should never nap while they are racing.
b) Tortoises are really fast.
c) Slow and steady wins the race.
Slow and steady wins the race.
A YouTube streamer constantly copied other peoples' ideas. Her followers started leaving, because they thought she was boring. Finally, she gave up and started making content about her own life. She gained back ten times as many followers.
Finish the moral:
Being yourself is better than _________________.
Possible answers:
- being fake
- copying others
- doing what everyone else does
- trying to be popular
A boy was very good at playing Fortnite, and he loved to win. He was so competitive that he was never happy until he won against his friends. He ignored them when they wanted to play anything else, and he would never teach them his secrets. Eventually, he got so good that he went to the world cup for gaming. He won his league, but he realized that he didn't have anyone to celebrate with.
Which is NOT a good theme for the story:
1. Games are meant to be fun, not super serious.
2. Fortnite is a terrible game to play with friends.
3. Friendships are more important than winning.
Fortnite is a terrible game to play with friends.
Theme is the ________ of the story.
Possible answers: moral/message/lesson
One day, a lion caught a tiny mouse. The mouse begged the lion not to kill it, promising one day to repay the kindness. The lion laughed but let her go. Later, the mouse found the lion caught in a hunter's net. She climbed onto the ropes and chewed them apart, setting the lion free.
What is the theme?
a) Lions should not laugh at mice.
b) Be nice to others; you never know when you will need their help.
c) You should try to be friend with mice because they might save your life.
Be nice to others; you never know when you will need their help.
A little girl enjoyed playing games on her iPad, but she was often careless and left it around the house. No matter how many times her parents told her to put it away, she would leave it laying around. One day, she left it laying next to a bucket of mop water as her mom was cleaning the house. As the cat was playing, he brushed against it and it fell into the water.
Finish the theme:
If you want something to last, you should ___________.
Possible answers:
1. Take care of it
2. Treat it well
3. Be responsible
A girl begged her parents for a solid gold Stanley water cup. She got it for her birthday, but she was too afraid it would get scratched. She never took it to school and never filled it with water, in case it got damaged. It sat on a shelf and collected dust.
Which is NOT the theme:
1. It's better to have something useful than something pretty.
2. Something nice that brings you anxiety is worse than something plain that brings you joy.
3. You should only buy solid gold items because they are worth more money.
You should only buy solid gold items because they are worth more money.
A story might have more than one theme:
True OR False
True
A groups of ants worked hard all summer storing food, while the grasshopper sang and played. They tried to tell him to store food, but he wouldn't listen. When winter arrived, the grasshopper had nothing to eat and begged the ants for help, but they would not give him their food.
What is the theme?
a) You should take care of your responsibilities or you will regret it in the future.
b) If you sing and play guitar you will go hungry in the winter.
c) If you are rude to others, they will be rude to you.
You should take care of your responsibilities or you will regret it in the future.
A boy was very good at soccer. He practiced every day. When it came to the soccer tryouts, he knew he was better than everyone else and did not want to pass the ball. He blamed others when they missed goals, and he got angry when players did not pass the ball to him. Even though he was a great player, the coach decided not to let him join the team.
Finish the theme:
You will be more successful if ____________
Possible answers:
you work as a team
you use teamwork
you are nice to others
A donkey dressed in a lion's skin and ran around, scaring all of the other animals. He really enjoyed feeling powerful, and he opened his mouth to let out his best roar. When he did, the other animals heard his donkey bray and they realized who was tricking them.
What is NOT the theme?
1. Pretending to be someone else is a good way to play a prank.
2. You can't hide who you really are.
3. You should not pretend to be something you are not.
Pretending to be someone else is a good way to play a prank.
What is wrong with this theme?
You should never give your money to a girl named Janice, because she will waste it all on candy.
It is too specific; it does not apply to everyone.
A thirsty crow found a pitcher with only a little water at the bottom. Unable to reach it, he began dropping pebbles inside. A few other birds laughed at his hard work, until the water rose high enough for the crow to drink.
What is the theme?
a) You can get water from a pitcher by using pebbles.
b) Clever thinking can solve difficult problems, if you don't give up.
c) You should not laugh at others because they will hurt you.
d) Don't play tricks on other people.
Clever thinking can solve difficult problems, if you don't give up.
Finish the theme:
People will judge you based on ___________.
Possible answers:
The people you hang out with
The company you keep
The friends you have
A bear climbed a tree one day to get some honey from a hive. The bees barely noticed him at first, and he was only stung a couple times. The bear became very irritated with the bees and began to swat at them and try to bite them. Now the bees really noticed him and they swarmed him, causing him to let go of the tree and run away.
What is not the theme:
1. You should not make a small problem into a big one.
2. Don't be greedy.
3. You should always wear a beekeeping suit.
4. There is strength in numbers.
You should always wear a beekeeping suit.
What is wrong with this theme?
Lying.
It is too short; it does not say the message or moral.
A dog carrying a bone saw his reflection in the water and thought it was another dog with a bigger bone. Hungrily, he snapped at the reflection, hoping to get the bone away from the other dog. In the process, he dropped his own bone into the river and it sank to the bottom.
What is the theme?
a) Be careful when you look at your reflection in the water.
b) Don't try to make your life better; it won't work.
c) Be nice to others and they will be nice to you.
d) Being greedy might ruin what you already have.
Being greedy might ruin what you already have.
A girl was always asking her mom for a new toy every time she went to the store. Once she would get home with her toy, it would go into the pile of toys that she had in her room. She barely played with any of them, and would always beg her mom for something new that she did not already have. No toy every seemed good enough for very long. She kept looking for the best, newest toys. It seemed like nothing would ever make her happy.
Finish the theme:
Having more stuff ________________.
Possible answers:
Won't make you happier
Won't bring you joy
Doesn't make you happy
A hungry fox came across a crow with a piece of cheese in its mouth. He called up to the crow, saying, "I have heard that you have the most lovely voice in the entire world. I would be honored to hear even a small song from you, the King of Birds." The crow, feeling very good about himself, opened his mouth to sing. The fox snapped up the cheese as it fell and ran away.
What is NOT the theme:
1. Never trust a fox.
2. Beware of people who flatter you too much.
3. Do not always trust strangers.
4. Think before you do something.
Never trust a fox.
A theme is not usually stated in the story. A reader usually has to make i____________.
Inferences