It can be difficult to find the theme of a book or story if you don't know the questions to ask. Teach your kids to discern the universal theme in works of literature with a set of activities that promote critical thinking and active reading.

Concepts

literary themes, socratic discussion, universal themes, elements of a short story, story elements, plot, conflict, protagonists

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Use in a literary elements unit, or when discussing theme
• Keep the list of themes as a reference for additional story or novel units
• See if kids can identify books they have read that align with as many of the listed themes as possible
• Modify the comprehension questions to reflect the piece of writing your kids are studying in class

Classroom Considerations

• Graphic organizer and questions worksheet have a specific story in the title, but the actual worksheet could be applicable to any story or book

Pros

• Applicable to different stories
• Questions are thought-provoking and prompt kids to reflect on what they have read
• Defines the difference between theme and other literary concepts

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.7.2 RL.8.2 RL.9-10.2 RL.11-12.2