Lesson 9: Theme
In lesson 8 we learned a whole lotta (that's slang and not very good grammar--I'd mark you down for using 'lotta' on an assignment) stuff!
We learned about story structure (aka narrative structure, aka plot structure).
We learned about narrative elements such as conflict and character.
Lesson 9 continues the process of learning about another narrative element: theme
Theme is another characteristic that all stories have, just like all stories have a structure, a conflict and characters.
So what exactly is theme?
Theme is pretty simple, really--a story's theme is its overall message to the reader.
Think about where you may have heard the term theme used before...how about if someone invited you to a 'theme' party? You ask, "Ok, what's the theme of the party?" and the answer they give is that it's an 80's party!
You know that this means all the music and decorations at the party will be from the 1980's. You also may be thinking that you should dust off your mom's jean jacket and lace glove, or bust into your dad's cassette tape collection.
Theme works somewhat similar in the literary world, but not so obviously.
Stories have themes, but it has nothing to do with decorations or costumes, it has to do with big ideas the story deals with.
When I say big ideas, I mean the heavy topics that every human being thinks about and sometimes struggles with--love, death, life, honesty, deception, and so on.
A simpler way to think about theme is to think about the 'moral' (lesson) of the story.
The author does not write down in words what a story's theme is...that's up to you to figure out!
Slides 2-3 in the Connexus lesson give very detailed information about the idea of theme in stories, fables and fairy tales.
Please skip slide 4 and go to slide 5.
War of the worlds
On slide 5 you are given the worksheet that you will fill out and turn in as one assignment for this lesson.
It is the "As I Read Graphic Organizer," and it's the exact same one you did for lesson 6: Annotated Noted for the short story 'The Cold Equations.'
However, this time you'll be filling it out while you are reading a chapter from a novel called The War of the Worlds.
Please read the interactive book on slide 5. It's chapter four of a science fiction novel written over 100 years ago!
Think about: what can an author of a 100 year old story possibly write that would be of any interest to an audience today? What is the author's message? Now, what is the theme of this story?
You can access the text version here:
It is the "As I Read Graphic Organizer," and it's the exact same one you did for lesson 6: Annotated Noted for the short story 'The Cold Equations.'
However, this time you'll be filling it out while you are reading a chapter from a novel called The War of the Worlds.
Please read the interactive book on slide 5. It's chapter four of a science fiction novel written over 100 years ago!
Think about: what can an author of a 100 year old story possibly write that would be of any interest to an audience today? What is the author's message? Now, what is the theme of this story?
You can access the text version here:
Fill out your "As I Read Graphic Organizer" as you read the chapter. You'll turn it in in one of the drop boxes for this lesson.
Topic sentence
This lesson has a lot packed into it!
We spent a good deal of our brain power learning about the literary element of theme.
Now, we need to switch gears somewhat and think about writing.
Specifically, writing paragraphs. Now, you are not being asked to write a paragraph in this lesson, but you are going to to be asked to pretend you are being asked to write a paragraph.
This is not confusing unless you make it confusing. Don't make it confusing.
Now please read slide 6 in the lesson.
Notice the word 'thesis.' That is often a bit of a scary word, but it basically the writer's purpose. A thesis is one sentence that tells the reader what they are going to be reading about.
You can ignore the part about controlling ideas. That is very detailed and if you write a good topic sentence, the controlling idea part happens naturally, without you even having to think about it.
TOPIC SENTENCE:
For the second assignment for this lesson, you will be writing one sentence. The one sentence you will be writing is to be a topic sentence for a pretend paragraph (it's a pretend paragraph because you are not, in fact, writing the paragraph).
For the present paragraph you are writing, you have your choice of two topics.
Here are the two topics you can chose from:
Based on this chapter, what might be the author’s message or theme?
OR
How is H. G. Wells’ fictional world in War of the Worlds similar to the real world?
So basically, answer one of those two questions in one sentence.
HINT: construct your sentence by using the same words that were given in the question + your answer
For example:
Based on this chapter, the author's message might be to not let fear control you.
That brings us to the end of slide 7.
We spent a good deal of our brain power learning about the literary element of theme.
Now, we need to switch gears somewhat and think about writing.
Specifically, writing paragraphs. Now, you are not being asked to write a paragraph in this lesson, but you are going to to be asked to pretend you are being asked to write a paragraph.
This is not confusing unless you make it confusing. Don't make it confusing.
Now please read slide 6 in the lesson.
Notice the word 'thesis.' That is often a bit of a scary word, but it basically the writer's purpose. A thesis is one sentence that tells the reader what they are going to be reading about.
You can ignore the part about controlling ideas. That is very detailed and if you write a good topic sentence, the controlling idea part happens naturally, without you even having to think about it.
TOPIC SENTENCE:
For the second assignment for this lesson, you will be writing one sentence. The one sentence you will be writing is to be a topic sentence for a pretend paragraph (it's a pretend paragraph because you are not, in fact, writing the paragraph).
For the present paragraph you are writing, you have your choice of two topics.
Here are the two topics you can chose from:
Based on this chapter, what might be the author’s message or theme?
OR
How is H. G. Wells’ fictional world in War of the Worlds similar to the real world?
So basically, answer one of those two questions in one sentence.
HINT: construct your sentence by using the same words that were given in the question + your answer
For example:
Based on this chapter, the author's message might be to not let fear control you.
That brings us to the end of slide 7.
assessment: two portfolios
1) Slide 8 is the drop box for the 'As I Read Graphic Organizer' you filled out while reading chapter four of The War of the Worlds.
5 questions and answers + text evidence will suffice for full credit
2) Slide 9 is the drop box for your topic sentence.
Full credit will be given for a complete sentence that responds to one of the given prompt
Lesson 10 will be more about The War of the Worlds!
5 questions and answers + text evidence will suffice for full credit
2) Slide 9 is the drop box for your topic sentence.
Full credit will be given for a complete sentence that responds to one of the given prompt
Lesson 10 will be more about The War of the Worlds!