Finding the Theme

5th Grade•20 minutes

Learning Objective

I can identify the theme of a story.

A theme is an important idea that is woven throughout a story, and it is different from the main idea or plot.

Themes are universal, meaning anyone can relate to them, and can often be discovered by asking big questions about the characters and their actions.

In the story of Anansi, a theme could be that anyone can have a good idea or that wisdom is inside all of us.

This lesson includes 3 practice questions to reinforce learning.

View questions preview

1. Which of the following best describes the difference between a theme and a summary?

2. In the story of Anansi, the spider, how did Anansi's son, Ntikuma, contribute to the spreading of wisdom?

3. Based on the video, list three questions you can ask yourself to help identify the theme of a story.

Understanding theme | Reading | Khan Academy

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