Themes

Topic: Themes in literature

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify the theme in a given piece of literature and explain its meaning and significance.

Materials

• Short passage from a children's story or novel
• Handout with examples of themes (e.g. friendship, acceptance, courage)

Warm-up

• Ask students to think of a favorite children's story or novel.
• Ask them to share the title and briefly describe the plot.
• As a class, brainstorm a list of possible themes that could be present in literature, such as friendship, acceptance, courage, etc.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of theme, explaining that it is the underlying idea or message of a text.
• Provide examples of different themes, such as friendship, courage, and teamwork.
• Ask students to brainstorm a list of themes that could be present in the text they chose.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with copies of the text they have chosen and have them begin to read silently.
• As they are reading, encourage them to think about and identify any themes they find.
• Have them provide evidence from the text to support their conclusions.

Independent Practice

• Once students have completed their reading, have them work in small groups to discuss their themes and come to a consensus on what the overall theme of the text is.
• Encourage them to be creative and think outside the box as they discuss and come to a consensus.

Closure

• As a class, review the various themes that were identified by the students and discuss the importance of theme in literature.
• Ask the students to give examples of themes that they have encountered in literature and discuss how they have impacted them.

Assessment

• Observe the students during independent practice to ensure that they are accurately identifying the theme in the literature that they are reading.
• Have the students write a short reflection on the theme in a piece of literature that they have recently read, and discuss their thoughts with the class.