Name:________________________________________ Core:___________

Theme Notes

Theme
The theme of a story is a lesson about life that the author wants you to understand. It usually has
to do with the main idea of a story.
In order to be a theme, an Idea must be:
Universal- that means it is true anywhere, for anyone.
Abstract- that means it is an idea, not a thing (ex: love, not cats).
Where to find the Theme - Sometimes the author will NOT tell you straight up. In those stories,
you have to make an inference.

Group Practice

I looked at all the candy I could buy. I had the dollar, right here 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 bank. “I don’t think I want to buy anything today,” I muttered quickly to the clerk.
Then I ran from the store. I had learned something important—it’s better to be honest than to
have money.

Extra Practice
We knew that it was time to set the butterfly free. We had seen it make its chrysalis and emerge.
Then it had flown around in the cage, trying to stretch its wings. Although we felt a little sad, we
opened the lid to the cage one evening. The butterfly seemed confused and didn’t leave at first.
Then, in one burst of zigzag fluttering, it erupted from the cage and flew all the way to the end of
the yard and down the hill by the school. “That was the right thing to do,” Aidan said. “I know,”
I answered, even though I already worried about the butterfly. What would it eat? How would it
live?

Blaine opened up the present and began pouting. He screamed in a high-pitched voice, "This is
Captain Thunder! I wanted Captain Lightning!" His mother looked at him with dismay and
handed him another present, which he greedily opened. "Why did you get me a red hat? You
know I like blue more," Blaine whined as he threw the hat across the room. His mother
straightened her expression and squinted at him. Earlier she had hoped to take some pictures of
this moment, but by now she had put away her camera. She sighed and handed him one more
present in hopes that this year wouldn't be a total bust. Blaine huffed and opened it. "A Game
Box 4000… wow. Where's the Game Box 5000 that I asked for?" His mother could bear his
ingratitude no longer. The next time that Blaine returned from his father's house, he was shocked
to find that all of these toys and gifts, along with many other of his things, had been generously
donated to needy children.