Topic or Theme?
"Friendship" is a topic or a theme?
What is a Topic?
"Friendship is good."
Strong friendships can help people through difficult situations.
Finding Nemo: Marlin travels across the ocean despite his fears to find his son. What is one possible theme?
Love can give people courage to overcome their fears.
Theme: True friends help each other during difficult times.
Which is stronger evidence?
A. Maya and Ava have known each other for three years.
B. When Maya struggled in math, Ava stayed after school to help her study.
B
Lily finds a wallet containing $50. Although she wants the money, she returns it to its owner.
Topic: Honesty
Possible Theme: Doing the right thing sometimes requires giving up something you want.
"True friends support each other during difficult times." Topic or theme?
What is a Theme?
"Never give up."
Determination can help people achieve their goals despite setbacks.
Shrek: Shrek believes others will reject him because he is an ogre, but eventually learns that people can love him for who he is. What is a possible theme?
People can find happiness when they accept themselves instead of allowing others' judgments to define them.
Theme: Perseverance can help people overcome failure.
A. Marcus enjoys playing basketball.
B. After being cut from the team, Marcus practiced every afternoon and tried out again the following year.
B
Jayden fails his first driving test. He practices for weeks and passes on his second attempt.
Topic: Perseverance
Possible Theme: Failure can become an opportunity to improve when people continue trying.
"Courage means facing your fears even when you are afraid." Topic or theme?
What is a Theme?
"Don't lie."
Dishonesty can damage trust between people.
Spider-Man: Peter Parker learns that having extraordinary abilities means he has a responsibility to help others. What is a possible theme?
Having power comes with a responsibility to use it wisely.
Theme: Greed can cause people to lose what is truly important.
A. A wealthy man continually ignores his family while trying to make more money.
B. The man owns a large house.
A
Sofia desperately wants to join a popular friend group. She begins making fun of her best friend because the group does. Eventually, her best friend stops talking to her.
Possible Theme: Seeking acceptance from others can cause people to hurt the relationships that truly matter.
What's wrong with this theme statement: "Family"?
It is only a topic! A theme needs to express a complete message about life!
"Be yourself."
Accepting who you are can lead to greater confidence and happiness.
Encanto: Mirabel feels less important because she doesn't have a magical gift, but eventually plays an important role in helping her family. What is a possible theme?
A person's worth is not determined by their abilities or accomplishments.
Theme: Facing your fears can help you discover your own strength.
Lena is terrified of public speaking. When her group's presenter becomes sick, Lena volunteers to present their project. Her hands shake at first, but she finishes the presentation successfully.
What evidence best supports the theme?
Lena volunteers to present despite being afraid and successfully finishes the presentation.
A king becomes obsessed with gaining more territory. He ignores his people's needs and eventually loses their support.
Possible Theme: The desire for power can cause people to neglect what is truly important.
Turn "Determination" into a complete theme statement.
Determination can help people overcome difficult challenges.
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
Judging people based only on appearances can prevent us from understanding who they truly are.
Inside Out: Riley tries to avoid sadness, but eventually realizes sadness helps her communicate what she needs. What is a possible theme?
Accepting difficult emotions can help people understand themselves and connect with others.
Theme: Trying to fit in can cause people to lose sight of who they really are.
Diego starts pretending he dislikes drawing because his new friends think art is boring. He eventually stops drawing completely, even though it used to make him happy.
Identify TWO pieces of evidence.
Two brothers blame each other for their family's problems. When a crisis forces them to work together, they discover that both had misunderstood the other's actions.
Possible Theme: Communication and cooperation can help people overcome misunderstandings and repair damaged relationships.