Central Idea and Theme
What is another way to describe the central idea?
What the passage or reading section is mainly about
The children danced to the music with merry JUBILATION. What does JUBILATION mean?
delight
This school has a lot of DIVERSITY. We have students from many races, religions and cultural backgrounds. What does "DIVERSITY" mean?
Different kinds of things or people together
The snow was a MARVEL to look at as it glistened in the bright sun. What does "MARVEL" mean?
An awesome sight
Joe felt ANGUISH when his dog died. He'd had his dog for 13 years. What does "ANGUISH" mean?
Extreme pain, sadness and suffering
What is the theme of a story?
The theme of a story is the lesson or moral of the story.
The substitute teacher felt EXASPERATED because she could not get the students to stop talking and listen. What does EXASPERATED mean?
frustrated
The full moon ILLUMINATED the sky so much that we did not need our flashlights. What would be a synonym for ILLUMINATED?
lit
Cheerleaders are a BOISTEROUS group. They spend a lot of time jumping and shouting to energize the players and the fans. What does "BOISTEROUS" mean?
loud, noisy, energetic
Dad thought the spaghetti sauce was too BLAND, so he added more garlic. What does BLAND mean?
mild
We read a short Native American story about a stork getting caught in a net with some crows who were stealing a farmer's corn. What is the theme of this story? a) many b) Crows are not smart animals c) You should be careful when choosing your friends.
c) You should be careful when choosing your friends.
Arnold approached the snake CAUTIOUSLY. He thought it was dead, but he didn't know for sure. What does CAUTIOUSLY mean?
carefully
Even though Paul was excited about the project, he wanted the other kids to think he was cool, so he answered the teacher's question in a NONCHALANT tone. What would be a synonym for NONCHALANT?
relaxed
The girl had a very DISTINCT way of dressing. She did not dress like the rest of the crowd. What does "distinct" mean? What does DISTINCT mean?
different
The black plague swept through Europe in the Middle Ages killing millions of people. In some villages, half the population PERISHED. What does PERISHED mean?
died
We read a story about a selfish emperor who hired some tailors to make him some special clothes that would be invisible to stupid people. The tailors cheated him and stole his wealth. What is a theme for this story? a) Never trust anyone b) We should treat all people with respect and not act like we are better than others. c) If you are selfish you will get what is coming to you
b) We should treat all people with respect and not act like we are better than others.
Susie could smell the AROMA of freshly baking bread as soon as she walked into the kitchen. What does AROMA mean?
scent
The town is so RURAL that most of the residents are cows! What does "RURAL" mean?
country
The CONTINUOUS pounding of the hammers gave me a headache. It seemed like they had been working on the new ramp for days. What does "CONTINUOUS" mean?
non-stop
That movie had an INTENSE effect on me. I could not stop thinking about it! What does INTENSE mean?
powerful
What is the difference between the main idea of a story and the theme of a story?
Central idea--what story is about; Theme--Life lesson or moral
Luke was COMPENSATED for the yard work he had done over the summer. He spent the money he had earned on a new bike. What does COMPENSATED mean?
paid
Tanya's mother drives slowly when she gets close to the school and is careful to watch for PEDESTRIANS. What would be a synonym for PEDESTRIANS?
people walking
Keep your speech concise to save time. We have many students who need to present their reports. What does "CONCISE" mean? What does CONCISE mean?
short
Angela knew that there were NUMEROUS reasons why she should take the job, but she just did not want it. What does NUMEROUS mean?
many