Skip to Main Content

Share Suggestion

Determining the Theme of a Text

Unit Plan

Determining the Theme of a Text

Objectives

In this unit, students will explore themes in fiction and literary nonfiction. Students will:

  • define theme.
  • identify different techniques authors use to elicit theme.
  • build understanding of larger issues embedded in text.
  • identify theme and support it with details from the text.
  • determine why theme is essential to comprehension.

Essential Questions

How do strategic readers create meaning from informational and literary text?
How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?
What is this text really about?
  • How does interaction with text provoke thinking and response?
  • How do strategic readers create meaning from informational and literary text?
  • What is this text really about?

Related Unit and Lesson Plans

Related Materials & Resources

The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.

Materials haven't been entered into the unit plan.

Formative Assessment

  • View

    Short-Answer Item:

     

    Provide books for students to read or read aloud a book that has not been used for this unit. Examples include The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, Dragonfly Books, 2003; Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell, Alladin Picture books, 1998; or Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say, Sandpiper, 2008. Have student complete the following activity based on the book.

    Determine the theme in a story and provide two pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer.

    Short-Answer Key and Scoring Rubric:

     

    Points

    Description

    3

    Student correctly determines the theme in a story

    AND

    provides two pieces of evidence from the text to support the answer.

    2

    Student correctly determines the theme in a story

    AND

    provides one piece of evidence from the text to support the answer.

    1

    Student correctly determines the theme in a story but does not provide evidence from the text to support the answer.

    0

    Student does not attempt to answer the question or does not understand the question.

     


    Performance Assessment:

    Have students choose one of the following assessment tasks to complete:

    1. Give students a theme and have them write a poem around the theme, using two details to support the theme. Note: The format of the poem is not the focus of the task.
    2. Have students find three books, determine the theme of each, and provide one piece of evidence that supports the theme of each story.
    3. Have students read a picture book, determine the theme, and give two pieces of evidence to support their answer.

    Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric:

    Points

    Description

    3

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by

    • showing adequate knowledge of theme to determine theme of a text.
    • indicating the ability to incorporate or identify two pieces of evidence that support the theme.

    2

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by

    • showing adequate knowledge of theme to determine theme of a text.
      • indicating the ability to incorporate or identify one piece of evidence that supports the theme.

    1

    Student completes one of the performance tasks by

    • showing adequate knowledge of theme to determine theme of a text.

    OR

    • indicating the ability to incorporate or identify evidence that supports a theme without specifically identifying the theme.

    0

    Student does not attempt to complete a performance task.

     

Final 05/01/2013
Loading
Please wait...