Theme Essential Question How can you determine theme

Theme Essential Question: How can you determine theme of a story from the details of the text?

What is Theme? ▪ Theme is the underlying message of a story or poem. ▪ It is a big idea. ▪ It is a lesson or something that you can learn about life.

Finding the Theme… ▪ Sometimes an author comes right out and tells you theme. ▪ Most of the time you have to find theme by making inferences from the details in the story or

Identifying the Theme…. ▪The theme comes from the way that the characters, usually the main character, changes and grows throughout the story. Looking at how the main character responds in

Ask yourself… ▪ How did the characters react to obstacles? ▪ What important decisions did the characters make? ▪ How did the characters grow and change over the course of the story?

Example 1 I looked at all the candy I could buy. I had the dollar right there in my hand, but suddenly I didn’t feel hungry. I wished that I hadn’t stolen the dollar. I wished that I hadn’t taken the money from my brother’s piggy bank. “I don’t think I want to buy anything today, ” I muttered it’s quickly to the clerk. better to tell the. Then truth. I ran from the store. I had learned something very important --than have money. it’s better to tell the truth than have money.

Example 2 Jenny was so excited. She had a pack of Starburst in her lunch and she had been looking forward to eating them all morning. Lunch finally came and Jenny sat down to eat her Starbursts when her friend Gabby sat next to her. “Let me get the pink ones, ” demanded Gabby. Jenny liked the pink ones best, but she thought Gabby was funny. Jenny wanted Gabby to like her, so Jenny gave Gaby all of her pink Starbursts. Before Jenny was done giving Gaby the pink ones, Carrie sat on the other side of Jenny. “Let me get the red and the orange ones, Jenny. Remember when I gave you that Snickers? ” Jenny didn’t remember that, though she

What is theme? ▪ Turn to your partner and share! ▪ What is theme? Justify your answer. You may want to use a conversation starter like this: I think theme of the story is ____. I believe this because

Possible Answers… ▪You can’t buy friendship. ▪True friends are hard to find.

Let’s Review… ▪ What is theme of a story? ▪ How can you determine theme of a story from the

▪Let’s practice now!!! (task cards)