This or That
What is the overall theme of the paragraph below?
It was going to be a tough few months in the Gonzalez household. Dad had lost his job and Mom was only working part-time. When their parents broke the news, the kids were a bit worried about the change. But, Mom explained that sometimes life is tough and that by working together, they’d get through it. Everyone was going to pitch in so that Dad could look for work and Mom could apply to work full time. The kids promised to help with more chores, and the whole family committed to eating more meals at home to save money. Together, they’d make it through.
Families love each other no matter what.
Together, families can survive hardships.
Together, families can survive hardships.
Fill in the blank to complete the theme for the paragraph below.
Greta pumped herself up, whispering, “I can do this!” as she read over the essay prompt again. She had gotten a really bad grade on her last essay and the one before that. So, she had asked for extra help from her teacher and was now working through a rewrite of her essay. Greta remembered how she had struggled with math last year and how she had never given up. Finally, she had gotten an A+ on the last math test of the year. “I can do this again,” she thought to herself.
Theme: You must ______ when facing life’s challenges.
Persevere
Determine whether the given theme is true or false.
Whispers rippled throughout the classroom as the new kid, Landon, walked through the door. He was wearing all black, and his hair was spiked with gel. Later, at lunch, Landon sat down at a table alone. The other kids in the class felt nervous about talking to him, he looked kind of scary. But, cheerful David, who was the class extrovert, went over and sat beside him. The other kids in the class were surprised to see that Landon and David were soon laughing together. Over the next few weeks, the kids got to know Landon. They soon realized that his clothing preferences didn’t make him scary after all.
Theme: Don’t judge a person based on their looks.
True
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
Karen and Jessica were best friends, but they ran into trouble after Jessica let Karen borrow her bracelet. When Jessica asked Karen to give her the bracelet back, Karen said that she couldn’t because her dog had chewed it up, ruining it. But, a few days later, Karen wore the bracelet to a basketball game. Jessica happened to be there too and asked about the bracelet. Karen answered guiltily that she had actually lost the bracelet and her dog hadn’t ruined it. Jessica also noticed that Karen was wearing a bracelet on each wrist. But, Karen had told Jessica that she didn’t have any bracelets, which is why she wanted to borrow one. All these lies made Jessica feel hurt, and she wasn’t sure she could believe what Karen told her anymore.
Theme: If you lie frequently, others may not believe you when you tell the truth.
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
Diego was very disappointed. His birthday had come and gone, but he hadn’t gotten the phone he wanted for his birthday and was still stuck with a tablet. Instead, his parents had given him a cool new Lego set. They even explained that a new phone wasn’t in the budget right now. But, he was so disappointed that he complained to his friend Tyler about not getting the gift he had wanted. Tyler reminded Diego that his parents had spent the whole day with him. They had even taken him to the park and baked him a birthday cake. “I wish my Dad would pay attention to me,” Tyler said. So, Diego thought about it again and tried to be thankful for what he had.
Theme: Being open to trying new things can bring you unexpected joy.
What is the overall theme of the paragraph below?
Mrs. Finch looked frustrated. She was working on the scenery for the class play, but she had never been very good at drawing birds. Jonah’s friend poked him in the ribs. “Hey, why don’t you help Mrs. Finch draw the bird?” he asked as they painted the grass. Jonah had a natural gift for drawing, especially animals. So, inspired by his friend, Jonah offered to help Mrs. Finch with the drawing. Mrs. Finch was so grateful that Jonah shared his gift of drawing. They would finish the scenery on time after all!
Share your talents with others.
Learn from your mistakes.
Share your talents with others.
Fill in the blank to complete the theme for the paragraph below.
The worker ants worked tirelessly at building their hill. They built new tunnels and chambers without stopping until the project was nearly finished. Just then, a dog ran through the area and stepped on their hill. However, the ants didn’t despair. Instead, they kept right at it and repaired the damage. Another day, rain made some of the tunnels collapse. The ants never gave up and patiently worked on their home so that it was always in good condition
Theme: You can overcome ______ if you’re patient and work hard.
Challanges.
Determine whether the given theme is true or false.
Today was the day for group presentations in Mrs. Taylor’s class. When it was Jenny’s group’s turn to present, her group members all stood up. Jenny nervously cleared her throat before speaking, “Mrs. Taylor, I’m sorry. I forgot to bring my group’s poster that we worked on together. Please don’t give my group members a bad grade, it was my fault. Take off points from my grade, but not theirs.”
“That’s very mature of you, Jenny,” Mrs. Taylor replied. “Why don’t we save your presentation for tomorrow?”
Theme: Never count on others when it comes to completing a project.
False
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
Jasmin was busy making a birthday cake for her mom. She was in a bit of a hurry, so she mixed up the ingredient baking powder with baking soda when she was putting the ingredients together. Eagerly, she watched the cake in the oven. Why didn’t it rise? She didn’t want to give her mom a flat, dense, birthday cake. Worried, Jasmin looked at the recipe again and finally noticed her mistake. She had to start all over again to make a cake that rose properly! But, her mistake taught her an important lesson in baking. Now, Jasmin always checks carefully to make sure she uses the right amount of each ingredient when baking.
Mistakes are the best teachers.
Determine whether the given theme is true or false.
Dilya was in excruciating pain. Breaking her leg was the most painful, scary thing that had ever happened to her. Even though she had a cast on now, she still felt really bad. The worst part was that her cheer captain had called to see how she was doing and instead of cheering her up, she was mad that Dilya wouldn’t be able to compete in next week’s competition! Then, Dilya saw balloons coming through the doorway! It was her best friend Allison and a few other members of her cheer squad who had come to visit her. There’s nothing like good friends to cheer you up.
Theme: You can find friendship in unexpected ways.
False.
What is the overall theme of the paragraph below?
Isabella knew she had to work fast if she wanted the party to start on time. But, there was so much cleaning to do, and the decorations were still waiting to be hung up, too. When her soccer team sailed through the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re here to help,” the team captain said. Isabella assigned tasks to everyone, and they were done within 20 minutes. They had plenty of time to spare before the other guests arrived.
If you work as a group, you can accomplish more.
To have a good friend, you must be a good friend.
If you work as a group, you can accomplish more.
Fill in the blank to complete the theme for the paragraph below.
Kevin was excited to pass out the holiday cards he had made for each of his neighbors. A short time after delivering the cards, he got one back in his family’s mailbox. Inside, the card read “Thanks for the card, Kevin. It really meant a lot since I don’t have family in the area.” Kevin told his mom about the card from the neighbor. She gave him a hug and said, “See? By being kind, you never know who you’ll touch in a special way.”
Theme: Treat others with ______. You never know what someone is going through.
Kindness.
Determine whether the given theme is true or false.
Paul was nervous about starting school this year. His family had just moved from another state and everything was new. His first day in his new class wasn’t great, and he missed a lot of things about his old school and classmates. But, over the next few months, he slowly made friends, and things got better. Before he knew it, he loved his new school and neighborhood.
Theme: Don’t judge a person based on their looks.
False
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
There was once a small squirrel who lived in a large forest. One day, the squirrel was running through the forest collecting acorns when she heard two bears talking in hushed voices. Then, one of the bears howled as if in pain, prompting the squirrel to run over to the bears to see what was wrong. “You stay out of the way,” said the first bear. “We’re trying to get this thorn out of his paw. There’s no way a tiny squirrel could help.” The squirrel bravely spoke up and suggested that her small fingers and nails might be perfect for getting the thorn out. Seeing that they weren’t making any progress, the bear finally let the squirrel give it a try. She quickly pulled out the thorn to the bear’s relief.
Even the smallest and weakest can help the strongest.
Fill in the blank to complete the theme for the paragraph below.
Mrs. Johnson’s class was planning an end of the year party. The children all had different ideas about what to bring. Esmeralda, whose family was from Guatemala, suggested bringing a piñata. Darren said that he could bring a vegetable tray with carrots from his garden. Sarah and Rebecca, who loved sports, said they’d organize some games to play. Mrs. Johnson told the class that the party sounded like lots of fun thanks to all of the unique ideas everyone had.
Theme: ______ brings something unique and special to a group of people.
Everyone
What is the overall theme of the paragraph below?
Jimmy had to wear glasses to see the board at school. Some kids made fun of him for it, calling him 4 eyes and other names. One day, Jimmy saw that Austin, the kid who had made fun of him most, pulled out an eyeglasses case during class. Then, he put on a pair of glasses! “So now you’re 4 eyes too,” Jimmy said to Austin later that day. Austin apologized for being mean and said that he shouldn’t have made fun of Jimmy for being different.
Be true to who you are.
Be tolerant of the differences of others.
Be tolerant of the differences of others.
Fill in the blank to complete the theme for the paragraph below.
Two university students were arguing furiously about whether or not soft drinks should be taxed. Before long, the discussion turned into insults and attacks. One called the other stupid. The other retorted back, saying they were an idiot. At this point, the conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Without respect, neither student was really listening anymore.
Theme: Respect other people’s opinion even when you don’t ______.
Agree.
Determine whether the given theme is true or false.
Adam was an amazing carpenter who had worked his whole life building houses for other people. When he decided to retire, his boss asked him to build one last house. Adam agreed, but he really didn’t want to build the house. He did it, but his work was sloppy and not as good as usual. When the boss came to see the house, he handed Adam the keys and explained that this house was his parting gift. Adam was shocked and very grateful but regretted that he hadn’t done his best work.
Theme: Always do your best.
True
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
“He runs like a girl,” Joshua’s classmate said, laughing at another boy running. Joshua felt his face grow hot with anger and nervousness. He knew it was wrong to say things like that. There are plenty of great women athletes that could run circles around his classmate! Not to mention that there’s nothing wrong with being, acting, or looking like a girl. A lump formed in his throat, but he opened his mouth anyway. “Don’t say things like that, it’s not funny,” Joshua finally said. “Thanks,” whispered Abigail, a classmate who had heard him, “That joke of his is getting old.”
Stand up for what you believe in.
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
Fatima felt lost at ballet camp. It was her first time dancing ballet, and she wanted to try, but she was sure the other kids would laugh at her when they saw her dancing. Finally, the teacher asked her what was wrong and if she’d like to choose a song to dance to. Fatima blushed and told her that she was best at dancing hip hop. The teacher said it would be ok to put one hip hop song on. The other kids were amazed to see her dance and even asked her to teach them to dance hip hop during the break. Fatima was relieved and even started to enjoy herself a bit more at the camp.
Theme: Be yourself.
What is the overall theme of the paragraph below?
A blue car raced down the street and quickly pulled ahead of another car. The driver in the second car was shocked and beeped. She even grew angry and started yelling out the window at the driver of the blue car, “You almost caused an accident!” What the driver didn’t know was that the driver of the blue car was in a rush to get to the hospital with his wife. She was just about to give birth to their baby! If he didn’t hurry up, she might give birth in the car.
Talk less and listen more.
Don’t judge the actions of others.
Don’t judge the actions of others.
Fill in the blank to complete the theme for the paragraph below.
Hannah’s eyes gleamed with greed as she pulled the cookies she had just baked out of the oven. Soon, her little sister walked into the kitchen with her friend and asked if they could have a cookie. Hannah responded that they were her cookies and if they wanted some, they could make their own. Alone again in the kitchen, Hannah devoured all of the cookies. Before she knew it, she was nursing a stomachache from eating so many sweets.
Theme: Selfishness can sometimes lead to ______ outcomes.
Bad/unwanted
Determine whether the given theme is true or false.
Dan couldn’t wait for summer camp so that he could get away from his little brother, Gavin, and his annoying friends. He would be free of them for a whole week! But, sitting around the campfire on the first night of camp, Dan was surprised to find himself thinking about his little brother. Camp was fun, but he felt a little lonely and sad without his family. Plus, Gavin would love the fire and the s’mores. He’d be sure to give Gavin a big hug when he got home.
Theme: Appreciate the family and friends that you have.
True.
Determine the best theme for the passage below.
Adriana rolled her eyes when her brother pulled the slip of paper out of the hat. “Visit our neighborhood park,” it read. Everyone else in the family smiled at the prospect of spending Saturday afternoon playing soccer and trying out the slides at the new park that had just opened. But, Adriana whined, saying that it was going to be a boring trip. “You never know, you just might have fun!” her Mom said cheerfully. “Come on, where’s your game face?” she teased. “All right, all right,” Adriana answered. “I’ll keep an open mind.” It just so happened that it was a beautiful day and just as they were ready to leave, an ice cream truck drove by. So, they finished up the afternoon enjoying a sweet treat to cool off. Adriana couldn’t help but smile.
Being open to trying new things can bring you unexpected joy.
What is the overall theme of the paragraph below?
After working for hours, Blake realized he wasn’t getting anywhere with his toothpick bridge. It was crooked and leaned off to the side. He slumped into his chair, disappointed that his efforts hadn’t turned out. But, after looking at it for a while, he realized that the crooked bridge’s supports made perfect diamonds. Maybe if he placed some extra toothpicks in the center of them, creating triangles, it would work. Inspired, Blake got to work. It turned out that design worked a lot better and held more weight than the rectangular one.
Shoot for progress, not perfection.
Growth can come from failure.
Growth can come from failure.