Finding the Theme in a Story: Four Practice Worksheets, Poster, & Craft Activity

Do your students struggle with finding the theme in a story? Keep your student engaged as they learn to identify the theme, or central message, of a story with this set of four worksheets and optional craftivity! Each worksheet features one fiction passage.

Here's what you'll find in this resource:

• POSTER: The instructional poster explains how the theme-filled cupcake analogy. Just as creme can be hidden inside a cupcake, a theme is hidden inside a book. A book's theme is revealed as you read it.

• FOUR WORKSHEETS: You will distribute a packet of four worksheets to your students. Each worksheet contains a unique short story. After reading each story, students generate a theme for the passage, and write it at the bottom of the worksheet. This resource provides a differentiation option, where you can adjust the task based on your students' needs. You can either have your students write the theme independently, or you can give them a list of ten theme choices, and students choose the theme that matches each story.

If you want, you can stop right there! Or, you may choose to move on and have your students use their worksheet answers to assemble the follow-up activity!

• CRAFTIVITY- After completing the worksheets, students color and cut out the cupcake images. They also write the four themes they found on the filling pieces. Finally, they follow the written directions to glue the pieces onto a sheet of construction paper. The final result is four colorful theme-filled cupcakes!

My hope is that when my students see the word “theme” in the future (perhaps even on a standardized test!), they will recall this experience of making “theme-filled cupcakes” and remember that they need to determine the hidden message in the story.

A complete direction page (with photos) is included that you can place under your doc camera so that students can refer to the directions as they complete and assemble the project. Answer keys are also included.

******** This resource is available in TWO FORMATS! ********

1. TRADITIONAL PRINTABLES- Print the PDF and distribute paper copies to your students to complete.
2. TPT EASEL ACTIVITY- I created a new, colorful version for this digital format. Students can complete this activity on a device. Students read each passage and identify its theme. They type the theme on the cupcake's display card.

If you are interested in viewing the DIGITAL VERSION OF THIS CRAFTIVITY that is compatible with GOOGLE SLIDES, click here.

Here's what teachers like you have to say about using these resources with their students:

• Elana W. said, "My students loved this craftivity. It really helped them understand the idea behind theme, which they struggled with until this activity."

• Alissa S. said, "This was a good project to review our lesson on theme. Some of the kids really got into designing their cupcakes. I liked that there was a bank of options for students who might have a more difficult time putting their thoughts into words."

• Doug B. said, "This was a great resource to help my students understand theme. We referenced back to the cream-filled cupcake all year long."

• Cassie D. said, "This is the BEST activity my class has done so far. The story passages are easy to read and the theme is semi-obvious. My students enjoyed reading the passages and then wrapping it all up with the fabulous craftivity!"

Feel free to check out my other resources for teaching about themes in literature:

Teaching Theme: An Introduction PowerPoint

Theme: Targeted Tri-folds

Identifying Themes: SIX Worksheets

Theme Task Cards (16 passages with two options for responses)

Theme Filled Cupcakes for Valentine’s Day

This item is a paid digital download from my TpT store

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Deb-Hanson

As such, it is for use in one classroom only. This item is also bound by copyright laws. Redistributing, editing, selling, or posting this item (or any part thereof) on the Internet are all strictly prohibited without first gaining permission from the author. Violations are subject to the penalties of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me if you wish to be granted special permissions!

Copyright by Deb Hanson