Show:
Hey! What's Your Theme?
Hey! What's Your Theme? II
Hey Bro, What's Your Conflict?
Hey Bro, What's Your Conflict? II
TOSS UP!!!
100
Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean's white bedspread without asking, and Messy Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy's sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment
What is the theme of the story? Respect other peoples' property. Choose your partners carefully. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Missy ruins Katie's property and had to work alone.
100
Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark's bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family's private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn't appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness. Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each other. Penny Petal appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the buckets. She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist, and everyone on the block loved the rhythms that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Now she had everything that she had ever dreamed of and she truly loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family who supported her through all of the hard times.
What is the theme of the story? Money doesn't buy happiness. You don't appreciate the things for which you don't work. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Mark was rich but miserable. Penny was poor but happy.
100
After breaking his mother's favorite vase, Casey struggles to decide whether he should tell his mother the truth and face the consequences, or whether he should attempt to hide his mistake and blame the family dog.
Answer Protagonist: Casey Antagonist: Casey Type of Conflict: Person vs. Self Answer Explanation Casey is struggling against himself; therefore, the conflict type is person vs. self.
100
It's the year 3030 and society is completely dependent on computers and robots. A young boy named Domino is flying his hover board to school when all of the machines start acting up and attacking people due to a powerful computer virus. What will Domino do now that the machines that are supposed to help him have turned against him?
Protagonist: Domino Antagonist: Robots and computers Type of Conflict: Person vs. Technology Answer Explanation Domino must overcome computers and robots; therefore, the conflict type is person vs. technology.
100
Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton's reading class. Mr. Morton wasn't too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C" minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A." Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably won't complete this activity either.
What is the theme of the story? It is better to do things right the first time. Work hard, play hard. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Sammy blew off his work but it caught up with him.
200
Derek was doing his homework on his computer one night when he saw an ad banner for a free Gamebox 9000. He clicked on the ad with great interest and was taken to a webpage with details about the offer. It seemed simple enough. All he had to do was post some content to his social networking pages and complete a few offers. Derek didn't really approve of the content that he was required to share, but he really wanted the new Gamebox, so he shared the required links with all of his friends and family. Then Derek began completing the offers. The offers were organized into three tiers. According to the website, he had to complete three offers in each tier and then he would get his Gamebox for free. So Derek started completing the offers in the first tier, which required him to create accounts on a bunch of websites that he had no interest in joining. He completed the first tier in a couple of hours and he was really getting excited about getting a free Gamebox 9000. The second tier required Derek to become a member at more websites and to get three of his friends to sign up to the program. Signing up to the websites was pretty easy (though time consuming), but getting his friends to participate in the program was much harder. Most of them warned Derek that he was falling for a scam, but Derek finally found three freshman who agreed to participate. Derek was pumped. Unfortunately, the third tier required him to sign up for satellite television service, change his phone service provider, and get approved for several credit cards. Derek finally did what he should have done from the beginning and walked away from these offers.
Suggested Answer: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Answer Explanation: Derek should know better than to believe that some company on the internet wants to give him something of great value for free. If Derek would have listened to his friends, or considered the offer more skeptically, he could have saved a lot of time and energy as well as a bit of his reputation.
200
Grant Grand was a superstar high school athlete from a small town where football was revered. The people of this town placed such a high value on victories that a top performer like Grant was given privileges and exceptions that all others were denied. Grant did not have to struggle his way through rigorous courses in high school. Instead he attended special study sessions with members of the athletic department where the participants studied little other than football. To the surprise of few, Grant was given a full ride to a reputable university based on his athletic prowess, but Grant was not prepared for this new experience. He expected the university to make numerous special exceptions for him as his high school had, and while he did receive quite a few of these exceptions, it was not enough to compensate for how woefully under-prepared he was. Despite numerous good faith interventions by the university, Grant failed to get it together, lost his scholarship, and dropped out after his freshman year.
Suggested Answer: You can hurt people if you help them too much. Explanation: The exceptions and privileges that Grant received in high school did him a disservice. If someone had forced him to work earlier in his life, he wouldn't have been so far behind when he got to college.
200
Greg is just a regular boy who tries to do his best in school and just so happens to have a magical unicorn. When he's not studying and playing baseball, Greg is riding his unicorn through the enchanted land of Harmonia. When Greg brings something to Harmonia that he shouldn't, a secret gate is unlocked and the muck-muck monsters are unleashed, causing terrible pollution in Harmonia. Can Greg and his unicorn stop the muck-muck monsters before they find a way to Greg's world?
Protagonist: Greg Antagonist: Muck-muck monsters Type of Conflict: Person vs. Supernatural Answer Explanation Greg is battling forces that are not of this world; therefore, the conflict in this story is person vs. supernatural.
200
Everything was going just fine for Mae until yesterday. That was when she found out that her eyes were turning green. In Mae's world people discriminate against those with green eyes. Green-eyed people cannot vote or hold public office and they are often forced to work the worst jobs for the least pay, if they can even find a job. Mae parents want her to have surgery to change her eye color, but her grandma, who also has green eyes, encourages her to fight for her rights. With her grandma behind her, Mae joins a resistance movement and becomes the poster child for green-eyed rights, but how will all of this attention affect Mae's family, especially her parents who wanted her to hide who she was?
Protagonist: Mae Antagonist: Society Type of Conflict: Person vs. Society Answer Explanation Mae's parents might seem oppositional, but the real problem that Mae faces is societal values and traditions. She and her grandma fight passionately to change those values; therefore, the conflict in this story is person vs. society.
200
Nicole was hesitant to lend Lia her tea set. Though the tea set was not worth much money, it had been in the family for a long time and was pretty much irreplaceable. But Lia was persistent and since she was a dear friend, Nicole relented and agreed to lend her the tea set. As Nicole had feared, Lia did not handle the tea set with the same care that Nicole would have and consequently Lia broke or damaged several of the pieces. When Nicole asked for her tea set, Lia stalled, "Uh� I forgot it at my cousin's house. I'll get it later this week. I'm so sorry." Lia figured that she could run out and replace the missing pieces. When she got around to doing so, Lia was disappointed to find that no stores carried the antique tea set. So Lia purchased a brand new tea set, much more expensive than the old set. She then threw out the rest of Nicole's old tea set to hide the evidence of her irresponsibility. When Lia presented Nicole with the new tea set, Nicole was extremely disappointed and Lia did not understand why. "Look, Nicole, my cousin lost your tea set. I mean, he's still looking for it but it's probably gone, but this tea set is much nicer." When Nicole did not accept the new tea set, Lia shook her head in disgust and told herself, "Some people don't appreciate anything."
Suggested Answer: Honesty is the best policy; treat other people's property with respect; money isn't everything. Answer Explanation: Lia damages Nicole's cherished possessions because she does not treat them with respect. Rather than telling Nicole the truth and giving her the opportunity to repair or salvage the damaged tea set, Lia lies to Nicole and discards her heirlooms, incorrectly believing that a more expensive tea set is better. For Nicole, the real value of the tea set was the history attached to it not its material worth.
300
Even though they were sisters, Suzie and June were nothing alike. If Suzie wanted to jump rope, June wanted to play hopscotch. If June wanted to watch soap operas, Suzie wanted to watch talk shows. Tensions rose to the point that the girls could no longer stand one another's company. It seemed that they had nothing in common, until the day that progress reports came out. While riding the bus home from school, the girls�startled by how upset the other looked�realized that they were both failing a subject. Suzie was failing math and June was failing reading. Since both girls wanted to pass their classes, they got to talking and agreed to help one another. So everyday after school for the next few weeks, Suzie tutored June in reading and then June tutored Suzie in math. By the time report cards came were distributed, Suzie and June were passing all of their classes. The girls were delighted, but their mother was happiest of all. Not just because her daughters passed their classes, but because they had learned to be good sisters.
What is the theme of this story? It's better to work together, everyone can learn something from someone else, two heads are better than one, etc. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? June and Suzie help one another out by learning to work together.
300
All Victor ever wanted to do with his life was be a singer. He didn't pay attention in school and he spent all of his time at home watching music videos online and impersonating his idols. His mother tried to teach him the value of getting an education and having a backup plan, but Victor would respond the same way every time, "Mom, I won't need to know any of that boring old stuff when I'm famous. You'll see." But there was one major problem with Victor's plan: he wasn't any good at singing. Victor wanted to be a singer so badly, that he didn't notice the pained look on the faces of those who endured his singing. Because he wanted to be a singer so badly, when honest people told him to find something else to do with his life, he accused them of being "jealous haters" and ignored their advice. After Victor dropped out of high school to focus on his music career, the years passed and the doors never opened.
What is the theme of this story? Have a back up plan, don't put all of your eggs in one basket, sometimes you should listen to other's advice, etc. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Victor puts all of his energy into becoming a singer, even though he is a terrible singer.
300
Jack Juniper is the best fighter pilot in the Air Force. He can take down an enemy jet while doing a barrel roll. One day while Jack is escorting some friendly pilots to a military base, something that Jack has never seen before attacks the convoy� aliens! Can Jack outmaneuver the highly skilled alien pilots or is the mission doomed to failure?
Protagonist: Jack Antagonist: Aliens Type of Conflict: Person vs. Supernatural Answer Explanation Jack is doing battle with enemies that are not of this world; therefore, the conflict in this story is person vs. supernatural.
300
Ronny has won second place in the science fair for the last two years, and Newton Robinson has taken first. Ronny hated how Newton gloated and held these victories high over Ronny's head. This year, Ronny will stop at nothing to beat Newton. He has even enlisted the help of a Nobel Prize nominated scientist who was banished from the scientific community for his rouge experiments. Can Ronny and his mad scientist partner win against the undefeated Newton at this year's science fair?
Protagonist: Ronny Antagonist: Newton Type of Conflict: Person vs. Person Answer Explanation Ronny is mainly concerned with beating Newton, who is another person; therefore, the conflict in this story is person vs. person.
300
The little grey mouse that lived in my wall prospered for many days on nibbles of my lunch. I'd pack a meal before bed and, while I slept, he would take small bites of my lunch, which I left on the counter. He'd take a cracker crumble here, and a bread crumb there, but he wouldn't take too much and he'd always clean up after himself. Things were going quite well for him and I didn't even know he existed, until he got sloppy. One night while I slept, he ate all of my chips and left behind a big mess. When I awoke to this sight, I knew what had happened to my chips. So the next night when he returned for another snack, he found a nice, delicious piece of cheese... lightly balanced on a mouse trap. Now I don't have to share my chips anymore.
What is the theme of this story? Don't be greedy, don't be sloppy, clean up after yourself, etc. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? The mouse lives a happy life in the shadows, until he gets too bold.
400
Ulysses spent all of his free time reading books and felt that he was very intelligent. One day a nice student from his class asked him if he wanted to go sledding and Ulysses responded, "I've read about sledding in books, and it sounds miserable. No, thank you." On another day, a different friendly student asked Ulysses if he wanted to go out for hotdogs after school. Ulysses responded, "I've read that hotdogs are filled with rat parts and pig bellies. No, thank you." Nobody asked Ulysses to hang out again, but he did read about friends in his books.
What is the theme of this story? Learning from books is no substitute for real life experience, etc. What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Ulysses acts snobby at the expense of a social life.
400
Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave.
Suggested Answer: A thing worth doing is worth doing correctly; cutting corners comes at a cost; better to do a thing once the right way then many times the wrong way. Answer Explanation: Alan thinks that he's saving a lot of time by throwing all of his stuff in the closet, but the truth of the matter is that he is wasting time because now he will have to clean up everything twice. Had he just cleaned his room properly the first time, he would have been able to play baseball with his friends instead of having to clean all night.
400
Willow loved living by herself in the middle of the woods, until things started moving around her cabin all by themselves. It started with a book falling from the shelf, then a light flickering on and off, and now it's gotten out of control. Willow contacts a medicine man who lives near her, and he informs her that she is dealing with ghosts. Can Willow make peace with these spirits or will they make pieces out of her?
Protagonist: Willow Antagonist: Ghosts Type of Conflict: Person vs. Supernatural Answer Explanation Willow is struggling against ghosts, who are not of this world; therefore, the conflict in this story is person versus supernatural.
400
Alice is surrounded by junk. Everywhere she looks, people are littering, tossing recyclable materials in the garbage, and wasting perfectly good resources that could be reused. Alice decides to take a stand against this. She and a small group of environmentally conscious friends create an antilittering campaign. When one of their videos goes viral, Alice finally gets the attention that she needs to make her point. Will she be able to affect change?
Protagonist: Alice Antagonist: Society (wasteful habits in particular) Type of Conflict: Person vs. Society Answer Explanation Alice is not fighting against any particular person or group of people. She is fighting against a wasteful attitude in society; therefore, the conflict is person vs. society.
400
Brian has the best dog in the world. In fact, he has one of the only dogs in the world. That's because dogs are not allowed in Brian's world, where people believe that dogs spread diseases. Brian's dog will be executed if he is caught. Soon Brian learns of a mysterious underground dog owners club and joins the fight to legalize dogs. Can Brian and his new friends prove to the world that dogs are safe and friendly?
Protagonist: Brian Antagonist: Society Type of Conflict: Person vs. Society Answer Explanation Brian is not fighting against a single person or entity. He is fighting against a prevailing social value; therefore, the conflict in his story is person vs. society.
500
Dan and Doug led the journalism club. While Dan was generally regarded as a better writer than Doug, Doug was invaluable to the publication for his investigative skills. Together, they had uncovered a scandal in the cafeteria that had been dubbed "Horsemeat-Gate." Due to Dan and Doug's compelling story, interest in the high school paper grew. Dan was even interviewed by the local paper. During the interview Dan spoke at length about all he had done to write the story. He failed to mention Doug's involvement. Doug felt slighted and confronted Dan, but Dan asserted that he was the main writer of the story and therefore deserved the credit. Shortly after the blowout, Doug left the journalism club. The people of the town were interested in the high school paper, but without Doug's knack for finding good stories, the quality of the paper diminished and so did interest in the paper. Now that his popularity surge had ended, Dan had more time to think. He reasoned that they'd still be on top of the world if Doug hadn't been so stubborn and selfish.
Suggested Answer: Give credit where credit is due; a good relationship has to have some give and take. Answer Explanation: Dan fails to credit Doug for his crucial involvement in the story, which leads to the deterioration of the paper. Had Dan given Doug credit for his contributions, they'd both still have a productive relationship that benefitted them both.
500
Lucas swung his fist as hard as he could and hit William between the shoulder blades. William cringed and moaned. He was a grade younger than Lucas and forty pounds lighter. "That's what you get for sitting on my swing, crybaby," Lucas said with anger in his eyes and hatred in his heart. "If you tell on me, I'll hit you twice as hard!" Lucas shouted at William as he ran off crying. Lucas enjoyed bullying William. It was easy to do and it made Lucas feel strong and good about himself. As he was regaling in his easy victory over the fragile William, Lucas felt a sharp sting in between his shoulder blades as he was knocked from the swing. "Ugh!" He shouted as he sprawled across the soft rubber playground tiles. Lucas looked up to see Craig. Craig was a grade older than Lucas and at least forty pounds heavier. "That's what you get for bullying little kids, coward," Craig said with anger in his eyes and justice in his heart. "If I see you put your hands on another little kid out here, or anywhere else, I'm going to hit you twice as hard!" Craig shouted at Lucas as he ran off crying.
Suggested Answer: Treat others as you wish to be treated; what goes around, comes around. Answer Explanation: Lucas enjoys picking on people who are smaller and weaker than he. When he is under attack by someone who is bigger and stronger, he learns that it is not much fun. If Lucas would have treated William how Lucas wanted to be treated, Craig would not have attacked him and everyone would be happier. Violence begets violence.
500
10. After Kylie and her friends run out of gas on a road trip, they find themselves stranded in the middle of the desert with nobody around for miles. With no phone signal, little water, and the brutal desert sun pounding down on them, Kylie and her friends make a desperate attempt to find water. Will they survive the harsh elements?
Protagonist: Kylie Antagonist: Nature (specifically, the heat and lack of water) Type of Conflict: Person vs. Nature Answer Explanation Kylie and her friends are challenged by heat and a lack of water, which are natural elements; therefore, the conflict in this story is person vs. nature.
500
Franz was once the best ballerina dancer in Europe, until he was involved in a tragic dancing accident that shattered his anklebone. After several surgeries and months of physical therapy, Franz was told that he might never dance again. Join Franz as he pushes the limits of recovery and anatomy on a quest to regain his former grace and poise as a lead dancer.
Protagonist: Franz Antagonist: Franz's body Type of Conflict: Person vs. Self Answer Explanation Franz is struggling against his own anatomy. It will take a lot of will power and effort for him to succeed, if success is even possible. Since both the problem and solution reside within Franz, the conflict in this story is person vs. self.
500
Janie is on a whitewater-rafting trip along a choppy river when their guide suddenly has a heart attack. Now she and the other passengers must learn to work together to survive the treacherous rapids. As if things weren't bad enough, some of the passengers spotted a bear following the confused rafters along the shore. Will Janie make it home safely?
Protagonist: Janie Antagonist: Nature (specifically, the rapid waters and a bear) Type of Conflict: Person vs. Nature Answer Explanation Janie is trying to get home through some troublesome conditions in the natural world; therefore, the conflict in this story is person vs. nature.