Understanding and identifying theme is
a higher-order skill that often leaves many students scratching their heads. In fact, many teachers are struggling along side their students trying to find ways help them understand this challenging
concept. It is no easy task to get
students to make text connections and think inferentially, but hopefully these
tips, examples, and resources will help you along the way.
Don’t Jump In Too Early
One mistake that many teachers make is
jumping into identifying and analyzing the theme too early after reading a
text. Before you ask students, “What is
the theme?” they first need to have a solid grasp of the more literal story elements
of the text (plot, setting, characters etc.).
Not only that, but identifying and
analyzing theme is a skill that requires explicit teaching and practice. While it can be tempting to want to dive into
discussing the deeper meaning or purpose of a reading, that should be reserved
for a later date when students have a solid grasp on the text they are reading
as well as on the meaning of theme.
Clearly Define Theme
Before students can analyze theme,
they need to have a deep understanding of the meaning of the term. Ask your students for a definition of theme, and
you will probably hear one or more of the following responses:
While the main idea, topic, and moral do relate in some
ways to theme, they are not correct. Before I define theme for my students, I
differentiate between these terms using Little Red Riding Hood as an example:
I teach my students that the theme is
a significant idea/statement that the story is making about society, human
nature, or the human condition. Theme focuses on the deeper meaning or message
that the reader is meant to consider, and it is often a statement that people
can apply to their own lives or world in some way.
Too often I hear people use a one-word
topic to label a theme. For example,
someone might say the theme of a text is freedom, power, family, love etc. Make sure your students know that a theme
can never be just one word. These
words are topics that are important to the text, but it does not become a theme
until a statement is made about the topic!
Start Simple and Scaffold
Start with a simple children’s book or
film to help your students practice identifying theme (Disney movies or Dr.
Seuss books tend to work well). Once
students are familiar with the plot, use the following scaffolded approach
below to help them develop a thematic statement:
1. Have students develop a list of topics that are examined in the reading/film
and choose one. For example, some common
topics in literature are family, loyalty, identity, ambition, guilt, fear, power, sacrifice, love, trust,
ignorance, freedom etc.
2. Have students write a specific sentence
about what the author thinks about the topic
you chose. (For example, “The author
thinks that… power is a corrupting force”).
3. Remove “The author thinks that” from your sentence
and rewrite any necessary parts to form a thematic statement! (For example, “Power
is a corrupting force”).
Click HERE for a free organizer to help students write a thematic statement using this approach.
After students are familiar with the
process with a simple text or film, it will more easily translate when they
apply it to a poem short story, novel, or play they are reading in class.
Prove It To Me
Have students put their thematic statement to the test to make
sure that it can be supported with direct evidence from the text. If it can’t be supported, ask them to go back and start the
process of identifying another theme.
Practice Makes Perfect
Here are a couple fun
activities to help students practice writing thematic statements:
Thematic Journals
Have 10-15 small booklets with
universal theme topics written on the front of each (Courage, Fear, Friendship,
Family, Power, Innocence, Justice, Love, Loyalty, Revenge, Pride, Beauty, Fate,
Freedom, Prejudice etc.). If students
are reading an independent novel that relates to one of the topics in someway,
have them respond with a journal about how the theme of their novel relates to
this topic. I ask students to complete
at least 2 entries per semester.
On the
inside cover of each booklet, have the following prompting questions to help
students get started:
1. What does the author of the novel you are reading think about this topic?
2. What message do you think the author wants you to consider about this
topic?
3. How do you relate personally to the theme of the novel?
4. How does the theme of the novel relate to the world or to humanity in
general?
5. Does the theme of this novel remind you of the theme of something else
you have read/watched?
Students can also read what others
have written before them and discuss how their reading relates.
Hashtag the Theme
Have students differentiate between
topic and theme by having them write a thematic statement in the form of a
social media post (140 characters or less) with a relevant topic hashtag. This looks great on display in your classroom
and allows students to see a variety of examples of how a topic can turn into a
thematic statement. Download this free activity/display HERE.
There
Is No Right Answer
Take a bit of the pressure off your
students by telling them that there is no right answer when it comes to
identifying theme. Interpretation is
based on the readers’ prior experiences and knowledge. As long as their
thematic statement can be supported by evidence, it is correct!
Want more ideas for teaching theme? Click below to check out these other ideas from The Secondary English Coffee Shop bloggers.
Main Idea vs Theme from Presto Plans
Theme Focus Lesson for Any Novel from The SuperHERO Teacher
Discovering Theme Learning Stations from Room 213
Want more ideas for teaching theme? Click below to check out these other ideas from The Secondary English Coffee Shop bloggers.
Main Idea vs Theme from Presto Plans
Theme Focus Lesson for Any Novel from The SuperHERO Teacher
Discovering Theme Learning Stations from Room 213
