Learning Objective: Today we will understand that theme is the meaning or moral of the story.

• Theme = meaning or moral• Meaning =importance• Moral = life lesson you learn from a story

What are we going to understand today?

Today we will understand that theme refers to the meaning or moral of the story!

It is important to understand the theme of a story because it helps you understand the life

lesson that the author is explaining.

What are other reasons it is important to understand the theme?

To understand the author’s message.It will be tested!

Have you ever been in trouble?

Why?

What lesson did you learn?

Our lives are like stories! Full of lessons we need to learn!

ThemeIs the insight into life you learn from a story. It is

the deeper understanding you gain about yourself and the world. Sometimes the theme of a story is not immediately clear. A good way to figure out the theme is to pay attention to the main character and observe how he or she changes during the course of the story.

Symbolismis the use of objects to represent ideas. For

example, the author might use a dove to stand for peace or a lamb to stand for innocence interpreting symbols can help you understand the theme.

ThemeSome themes are universal. This means they

span different times and cultures. You might find the same theme about friendship in a folktale from Africa and in a short tale from Japan. You might even find the same theme in a movie you see on television.

ThemeIn order to discover theme, you have to keep in

mind the other elements of fiction: plot, characters, and setting. Everything in a story contributes in some way to the story’s theme!

Let’s look at some examples!

Ways to identify THEME

• Pay attention to the main character and observe how he or she changes throughout the story.

Ways to identify THEME

• Plot – the events that unfold in the story that lead to the them.

Ways to identify THEME

• Look for symbolism, it’s how the author uses objects to represent ideas.

Ways to identify THEME

• Setting: The time and location in the story can also affect the theme.

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Let’s practice with some short stories to identify the theme!

Let’s Practice!The Ant and the Dove

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove take wing.

Steps to identifying theme1. Read the story2. Think about the elements of

the story, (plot, setting, characters, symbols).

3. Use the elements to identify the theme.

4. Answer the question.

What is the theme in this story?a. Mind your own business.b. Treat others as you’d like

to be treated.c. Use others to your

advantage.d. Think before you act

Let’s Practice!The Ant and the Dove

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove take wing.

What element helped you identify the theme?a. symbolsb. charactersc. settingd. none of the above

Steps to identifying theme1. Read the story2. Think about the elements of

the story, (plot, setting, characters, symbols).

3. Use the elements to identify the theme.

4. Answer the question.

Let’s Practice!The Ant and the Dove

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove take wing.

Why did the ant help the dove avoid capture?a. The dove was his only

friend.b. The ant is returning a

good deed.c. He thought the dove

would be a good dinner.d. The bird catcher is going

to catch the bird

Steps to identifying theme1. Read the story2. Think about the elements of

the story, (plot, setting, characters, symbols).

3. Use the elements to identify the theme.

4. Answer the question.

Let’s Practice!The Ant and the Dove

An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a bird catcher came and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the bird catcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove take wing.

What does the ant’s and dove’s behavior teach you about life?a. What goes around comes

around.b. Only think of yourself.c. Look the other wayd. Practice random acts of

kindness

Steps to identifying theme1. Read the story2. Think about the elements of

the story, (plot, setting, characters, symbols).

3. Use the elements to identify the theme.

4. Answer the question.

Now let’s use a longer narrative to identify theme!

Vocabulary• Rice moon-a full, white moon. It appears in

midwinter or early spring.• Rattan-slats made from the stems of rattan

palm trees.• Brocade-a rich cloth with raised designs

woven into it

Under the Rice Moon By Rhiannon Puck

Far from the evening shadows thrown by Hong-Kong’s tall buildings, the narrow streets of the city of Kowloon come alive under the rice moon.(Where does the story take place?) Food stands sell bowls of noodles, rice and fried fish balls on bamboo sticks to factor workers strolling homeward at the end of the day.

In a small rattan cage, a cliff swallow huddles with its tiny wings tucked around its body. For the first time in its life, the little swallow will not fly under the rice moon tonight.

The man who caught the swallow that same morning sells dried fruits and sugarcane. A young girl walking through the market place buys a stick of cane to chew and sees the swallow in its small cage.

She has just enough money to buy it, and as she walks home, the rattan cage swings open and bobs lightly on her arm. “I promise to take care of you, little bird,” the young girl whispers.

The swallow blinks at her sadly from the corner of the cage, and in a language the young girl cannot understand, the bird cries, “Let me fly under the rice moon!”(How do you understand what the cliff swallow is saying?)

Sour smells and sharp noises come from the side alleys and drift out to the crowds, and taxi horns blare and dash for the next fare. Near the center of the market, a boy glances up from the pairs of colorful brocade slippers his mother has made for him to sell.

He hears the cliff swallow flutter its wings softly as he looks through the stacks of shoes. Thinking that the tiny bird would make his ailing daughter happy, he offers the boy a very high price. “I know who will take care of you, little bird,” the man whispers.

When he arrives home, he carries the cliff swallow in its rattan cage to the room where his daughter lies sleeping. Rather than wake her, he places the caged bird on her bedside table. As he leaves the room, the little bird coos, “Oh, please let me fly under the rice moon tonight!” But the man does not understand the swallow’s language.(What do you learn from the father’s actions?)

When the girl wakes suddenly in the middle of the night, the first thing she sees through her fever is a small cliff swallow blinking at her from behind the bars of a rattan cage. She knows too well how horrible it is to be kept inside. (What does this statement tell you about life?)

“I know what you need little bird,” she murmurs. But the swallow no longer believes what people say.

Slowly, the sickly girl rises from her bed and carries the cage to the open window. Unlatching the rattan door, the girl asks, “Will you fly for me, too little bird?” And her language is one that the swallow understands.

When a young girl stops to look at the slippers, the boy sees a caged bird at her side. The swallow blinks at him from the corner of the cage.

The boy trades a pair of his mother’s brocade slippers for the swallow and lifts the cage to look at the bird. “I promise to take care of you, little bird,” the boy murmurs.

The cliff swallow coos. “How I would like to fly under the rice moon!” But the boy does not understand.(What does the swallow mean when it says “I would like to fly under the rice moon again”?

He puts the cage to one side as a man stops at the market stand to look at the rows of brocade slippers. After a hard day’s work, he wearily searches for a cheerful gift for his young daughter, who has been at home with a fever.

For a moment, the bird studies the open cage uncertainly. Then it steps to the edge, carefully spreads his small wings, and flies away.

Although the cliff swallow now can fly anywhere it chooses, it always passes by the little girl’s bedroom each night. (What lesson do you learn from the cliff swallow’s nightly visits?) And each night, for a little while, both the bird and the girl are free under the rice moon.

Do the people who owned the cliff swallow before the sick girl

think they are giving the bird what it wants? Explain?

Who owned the swallow and what promise

did they make?

What tells you that the characters in this story value the

bird highly?

The characters value the

swallow in this story

What is the theme of this story?

The theme of this story is

How has the cliff swallow’s problem been solved?

The cliff swallows

problem was solved

Why is it important to understand that theme refers to the meaning

or moral of the story?

To be able to understand the theme of the story!