Story Elements
What is the people or animals who are important to the story?
Characters
Main Idea
What the book is mostly about
Theme is the same thing as the main idea?
False
A group of sailors set sail on a long voyage. They brought along a monkey to keep them company. After several weeks at sea, there was a terrible storm. The choppy waves tossed around the small ship, and both the sailors and the monkey were thrown into the sea.
A dolphin saw the monkey in the water and rescued him. The dolphin swam to a nearby island, carrying the monkey on her back. When they arrived at the island, the dolphin asked, "Have you been here before?"
The monkey said, "Yes, I have. Actually, I am the king of this island." Of course, that was not true. In fact, no one lived on the island at all.
The dolphin replied, "Good. Then you no longer need me." And she swam off, leaving the monkey stuck on the island.
A) Boasting and lying can get you into trouble.
B) Never trust someone you don't know.
C) Never help people in need.
A) Boasting and lying can get you into trouble.
Cinderella
Don't judge a book by it's cover, kindness, good vs evil, empathy & compassion for others
What is the location and time the story take places in?
Setting
Analyze
To study or examine something in detail
Can a story have more than one theme?
Yes
A monkey put his hand into a jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment.
A) Your actions have rewards.
B) Do not eat too many cookies.
C) Greed can get you into trouble.
C) Greed can get you into trouble.
Toy Story
Friendship
What is the main conflict, struggle, or issue that the characters are up against?
Problem
Evidence
A piece of proof that shows something is true
What is the theme of a story?
The idea, message, or lesson
A thirsty hare had gone down into a well to drink the water. He took a good long drink, and when he wanted to get back out again, he found himself trapped with no means of escape. It was a very discouraging situation. A fox then arrived on the scene and when she found the hare she said to him, 'You have made a very serious mistake indeed: you should have first decided on a way to get out and only then gone down into the well!'
You should not act impulsively
Lion King
Family, friends, betrayal, running from responsibility
What is the way the characters solve the problem?
Solution
Fable
A fable is a story that usually uses animals to teach a valuable life lesson, a moral.
How do you find theme?
Choose a topic and create a lesson that applies with or without the story
Tired of being laughed at by the other animals, a donkey wishes it was something else. Its wish seems to be granted when it fi nds a lion costume. When it puts it on, it starts to inspire respect in the other animals. When it comes across a fox it becomes over-confi dent, thinking it will sound like a lion of it tries to roar. The resulting bray gives it away, and the fox pulls off its costume, making the other animals laugh at the donkey again.
Beware of over-confidence
Cars
its about the journey, not the destination, kindness, friendship
What is the events or actions that drive your story?
Plot
Inference
An educated guess
The theme is explicity stated in the text and can be found written word for word.
No, theme must be inferred
A king and queen cannot agree on which bird is more beautiful, the peacock or the swan, so they decide to hold a beauty competition. Unlike the other birds, the jackdaws are not bothering to enter, because they know they are not beautiful. However, one jackdaw thinks he might be able to win by borrowing feathers discarded by all the other birds. When the competition comes, the strange but beautiful new bird does indeed win, but when the feathers start to fall off, the jackdaw is recognised for who he is, and has the other feathers pulled off by the other birds. He is humiliated, and subsequently ignored by the other jackdaws.
You should not pretend to be something you are not
The Princess and the Frog
the importance of keeping promises, hard work, follow your dreams, love