Theme
Maxwell looked at the pile of firewood. His neighbor, Mr. Foy, was paying him to move it all into his shed. Maxwell had been working for an hour already, but the pile didn't look much smaller. Suddenly he heard someone calling his name. Looking up, he saw his friend Jon. He gave a tired wave, and Jon came over to say hi. "Hey. It looks like this is going to take a while. Maybe all day," said Jon. Maxwell shot him a look that seemed to say, "Thanks for stating the obvious." "Can you use a wheelbarrow to haul the wood? It would be a lot quicker," said Jon. "Good idea. I can ask Mr. Foy if he has one I can use," said Maxwell. "I would. You want some help, too?" Jon asked. "Really? Okay," said Maxwell. It turned out that Mr. Foy did have a wheelbarrow behind the shed that Maxwell could use. Then Maxwell and Jon both loaded the firewood into the wheelbarrow, rolled it into the shed, and stacked it neatly against a wall. The whole job took an hour. Maxwell went to tell Mr. Foy that he'd finished. Mr. Foy was surprised that he was done already. "Yeah, it went faster than I thought," Maxwell said. He wondered if he should tell Mr. Foy that Jon helped. Jon hadn't asked to be paid, but Maxwell felt he should probably mention it. For some reason, though, he didn't. "That's good to hear. Here's your pay," Mr. Foy said, handing Maxwell some cash. Maxwell looked at the money. It was a lot. "Actually, my friend Jon helped. It was his idea to use the wheelbarrow," Maxwell admitted. Mr. Foy nodded in approval. "It seems to me that Jon earned some of that money, too." "Yeah," said Maxwell, "he did."
What is the theme ?
People deserve to get credit for their work.
Barbecue is a popular American food. It is usually made by smoking meat over fire and then adding a sauce as the meat finishes cooking. However, barbecue sauces come in many different styles. In North Carolina, for example, people often prepare barbecue sauce with vinegar and spices. In South Carolina, many folks prepare what they call Carolina Gold. The sauce gets its name and golden color from mustard, the sauce's key ingredient. Texas-style barbecue sauce is a thick and spicy sauce that is made with tomatoes. Finally, Kansas City, Missouri, has a famous barbecue sauce as well. It is also made with tomatoes. Unlike Texas-based sauces, however, barbecue sauces from Kansas City are usually sweet. The sweetness comes from using molasses as a main ingredient.
What is the main idea ?
Barbecue sauce is prepared differently in different places.
Someday we will all have robots that are our personal assistants. They will look and behave much like humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers. Amazingly , the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.
What are the supporting details of this paragraph ?
We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers , They will look and behave much like real humans , Robots of the future will be able to learn from experience
When she walked in the room she had drawn everyone's attention because she was very flamboyant.
What is the meaning of the word flamboyant ?
Confident or Stylishness
What is the difference between theme and main idea ?
Theme is your overall life lesson , while main idea is the central idea of the text
As the school bus chugged away, Spiro walked slowly up the quiet street. His neighbor, Dominic, stopped to wait for him. "Hey, Spiro. How was your first week?" Awful, Spiro thought, staring ahead. "It was okay. I'm pretty tired," he said. He wanted to say that he missed his old home and his old friends. "Really? Are you sick or something?" asked Dominic. "Yeah, actually. I think the bus is making me sick. I used to ride my bike to school," said Spiro. "Oh. Did you know there's a bike trail two streets over?" asked Dominic. "Really?" "Yeah. It's like thirty miles long. I've biked the whole thing a few times. Maybe if you feel better later, I can show you." Spiro really just wanted to sleep the afternoon away, but Dominic seemed friendly. "Sure," Spiro said. "Can I stop by around five?" "Perfect," Dominic said. "See you then!" He went inside his house. At his own home, Spiro found his bike in the garage among all the boxes of unpacked stuff. His bike reminded him that just a few weeks ago he'd been riding around his old neighborhood with his old friends. At five o'clock, Spiro went next door. Dominic was already outside with another boy and a girl when Spiro arrived. Dominic introduced them and said that they wanted to go for a ride, too. As he pedaled alongside the others, the wind in his face, Spiro realized that he was feeling okay for the first time since moving.
What is the theme ?
Be open to new friendships :0
Edouard de Laboulaye, a French writer and law professor, admired the freedoms enjoyed in the United States. He supported Abraham Lincoln's freeing of slaves during the Civil War. After the war, in 1865, he suggested that France present a statue to the U.S. The statue was meant to honor Lincoln and American democracy. At that time, the French people had little say in their government. Laboulaye hoped the statue would encourage the French to demand more freedom at home. Work began on the project in 1875. Ten years later, the statue, known as the Statue of Liberty, finally arrived in New York.
What is the main idea ?
Edouard de Laboulaye wanted the statue of liberty to inspire freedom and democracy of France
Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he's alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren't too violent.
What are the supporting details ?
Juan dislikes violence , Juan enjoys Monopoly , He likes to think
Her apron was very layered and had many frillys.
Based on this what is the meaning of frilly ?
Ruffle / Has Ruffles
She made the discovery of another planet. The only way to describe this was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
What is the meaning on the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Extraordinary. / Wonderful
I've been working on a present for my dad, Danielle told her friend, Lina. She was holding a colorful knitted strip. "Neat!" Lina said. "What is it?" "A bookmark," Danielle said. "Can't you tell?" Lina thought it looked a little too thick to put in a book. Danielle was just learning to knit, and her creations were not very practical. Lina recalled the misshapen duck booties Danielle had knit for her baby cousin. Lina hoped the baby never had to wear them. Now Danielle picked up a big bag of yarn. She beamed at Lina and patted the floor next to her. "Come and pick out your colors!" she said. Lina sat down. "My colors?" "I'm going to knit you a sweater for your birthday," said Danielle. "I bought all this yarn. I was thinking shades of blue. Maybe some yellow?" "That is so sweet of you. But that's too much work," said Lina. The thought of Danielle spending so much time on something she would never wear almost broke her heart. "It's no problem. You're my best friend. And I love knitting," said Danielle. Lina took a deep breath. "Danielle, I don't want a sweater." There, she had said it. "Those colors are so pretty, though. Maybe you could make me something to decorate my room?" "A decoration?" Danielle echoed. Lina hoped she wasn't upset. "Have you ever seen those pictures online of lampshades wrapped in yarn?" Lina went on. "I've always thought they look so cool, but I'm not crafty enough to make one myself." "Oh! I know what you're talking about!" Danielle said in excitement. "I could do blue yarn at the bottom, then start adding some yellow in the middle . . ." As Danielle began to plan excitedly, Lina breathed a sigh of relief. Now she would be getting a birthday present that reminded her of her best friend—and one that she would be excited to use.
What is the theme ?
A creative solution can ease a tough conversation
In 1847, Charlotte Brontë and her sister Anne both published their first novels. The following year, their sister Emily also published a first novel. Charlotte's novel, Jane Eyre, was one of the best-sellers of 1847. Emily's novel, Wuthering Heights, was disliked at first but later became highly respected. Anne's first novel did not sell well, but her second novel did. How did three sisters from the same family all become published writers? Their childhood might have had something to do with it. When Charlotte and Emily were young girls, they made up stories about an imaginary land called Angria. They filled notebooks with stories about Angria. When Anne was old enough, she joined in. It could be that their early years helped the girls to develop their creativity and storytelling abilities.
What is the main idea ?
The Brontë sisters childhood story telling may have helped their future writing careers
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America. It is on the Niagara River halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagara Falls is located on the American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167 feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high.
Which is NOT a supporting detail ?
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America
When she was on her bed , she was supined facing the ceiling.
What does the word supined mean ?
Facing upwards
Find the main idea of the paragraph 1 .
What are the key words in this questions ?
Main idea , Paragraph 1
Liane was confident about the sand sculpture contest. She and her sister, Amanda, had been building sandcastles for years. People often stopped to admire the intricate details of their creations. The two knelt in the damp sand by the foamy surf and tried to hatch a winning idea for the contest. "We should make something really unusual for this contest. Like a giant octopus or something," said Liane. "I thought we were making a sandcastle town, like we always do. Look, I collected all these shells for the walls," said Amanda. She pointed at a pile of smooth cowrie shells. "Come on, let's do something different," Liane insisted. "Think big!" "I don't know," Amanda said, dragging a finger in the sand. "No, I'm sticking to the original plan." She compressed a clump of sand between her palms, shaping it into a castle corner. "I'll just make my own, then," Liane said. She marched to another spot a few yards away, plopped herself down, and began making her own sculpture. At the end of the day, Liane gave up on her sculpture of a giant octopus attacking a castle. It looked like a lopsided shack with a blob on it. Liane hadn't had time to add any details. Amanda had made a satisfactory castle, small but neatly ornamented with shells. Around it she had shaped the sand to look like rolling farmland. Amanda had spent most of her time on making a little herd of shell cows. Looking around, Liane realized that neither of them would win the contest. Liane's sculpture was missing Amanda's skillful touch, and Amanda's castle was missing Liane's big ideas.
What is the theme ?
Sometimes its better to compromise and work together <3
Poachers in Africa are killing large numbers of rhinos for their horns. Rhinoceros horns, valued for use in traditional medicines in Vietnam and China, can fetch as much as thirty-six thousand dollars a pound. Officials have tried to protect the rhinos: they have created fenced areas for the animals, patrolled their habitats, and even tried removing their horns. Despite these efforts, the number of rhinos in Africa has been dwindling. One creative solution to the poaching problem is to remove the rhinos from Africa altogether. Ray Dearlove, the founder of the Australian Rhino Project, came up with a plan to relocate eighty rhinos to a safari park outside Adelaide, Australia, where a breeding herd can be established.
What is the main idea
Because other attempts to protect African rhinos from poachers failed, the Australian Rhino Project is relocating their rhinos to Australia
Hummingbirds love pink or red flowers. They guard their favorite flowers and try to keep other birds away. They fight one another for food. Their wings make a whirring sound when they hover over flowers to sip nectar. The tiny birds fly long distances to go to a warmer climate for the winter. They make their tiny nests in shrubs or trees.
What are the supporting details ?
They hover over flowers to sip nectar , They fly long distances to travel to warmer climates in the winter , They guard their favorite flowers
Jim was a reckless spender. He was very prodigal. He spent his money on nonsense.
What is the meaning of the word prodigal ?
What does the acronym I.D.E.A.S stand for ?
Inference , Definition , Example , Antonym , Synonym
Elliot looked up from his book and rubbed his eyes. "Are you having trouble seeing over there?" asked his father. "You might be giving yourself eyestrain." "I'm fine," grumbled Elliot, even though he had a pounding headache. He liked his reading spot on the couch. It was cozy, but his parents were always telling him to turn on the lamp. "It's just this book," he lied. "The plot is giving me a headache." The next morning, Elliot's mom was looking out the window at the bird feeder. "Oh look—the yellow finches are back," she said. Elliot looked, but all he could see were yellow blurs darting to and from the bird feeder. He quickly lost interest. "You're squinting," his mom observed. "Can you see them?" "I am?" Elliott said. He hadn't felt himself squinting. "You know, I think we should get your eyes checked. You make that squinty face a lot," said his mom. When they went to see the eye doctor, Elliot learned that he had astigmatism in both eyes. He badly needed glasses. At the optometrist, Elliot picked out a pair of sleek oval frames. When his lenses were ready, he tried them on. He was amazed. He could see street signs a block away. He could see the outlines of leaves on trees. His headaches disappeared, too, as if some muscle behind his eyes had suddenly loosened its grip. Later that night, Elliot was reading on the couch when his dad got up and stretched. "Good book, Elliot?" "Yeah," Elliot said. He had been reading for hours and hadn't stopped once to rub his eyes. "Books are better when I can see."
What is the theme ?
Sometimes people need help to see things about themselves
Main idea is the _____ ____ of the text.
Supporting details are pieces of _____ that can help you find out the _____ _____
evidence , main , idea
All the 5th grade classes were very adept. They were very intelligent and intellectually advanced.
What is the meaning of the word adept ?
very skilled; proficient.
What are Ms . Scott's favorite colors ?
Blue & Purple