Main Idea & Theme
How would you describe the main idea of a text?
What the passage or reading section is mainly about.
The children danced to the music with merry JUBILATION. What does JUBILATION mean?
delight, happiness
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
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, a lot
JULIA has a volleyball game every Saturday.
Noun
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, tired
Dad thought the spaghetti sauce was too BLAND, so he added more garlic. What does BLAND mean?
plain
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
Ollie's parents BOUGHT him a new phone for his 13th birthday!
Verb
Is this a main idea or theme?
Autumn, or fall, marks the transition from summer to winter.
Main idea
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, cool
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 were able to get backstage ACCESS at the fun concert!
Is this a main idea or theme?
Treat everyone with respect because you never know what is going on in their life.
Theme
Susie could smell the AROMA of freshly baking bread as soon as she walked into the kitchen. What does AROMA mean?
scent, smell
Joe felt ANGUISH when his dog died. He'd had his dog for 13 years. What does "ANGUISH" mean?
extreme pain or sadness
That movie had an INTENSE effect on me. I could not stop thinking about it! What does INTENSE mean?
powerful, large, significant
It is important to keep a healthy and BALANCED diet.
Adjective
What is the main idea AND theme of this story?
Kyle was nervous about giving his speech in class because he had written it last night and didn't have time to practice.
The main idea is that a boy named Kyle did not prepare very well for his speech and he felt unneasy.
The theme could be to not wait until the last minute to complete something important, be responsible, or that hard work pays off.
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
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? a.) short b.) exact c.) long
a.) short
The snow was a MARVEL to look at as it glistened in the bright sun. What does "MARVEL" mean?
an awesome sight
He jumped VERY high over the hurdles at the track meet on Sunday.