💡 The theme is the big lesson or message in a story. It's what
the author wants you to learn.
Common Themes:
• Be kind to others • Hard work pays off • Be yourself • Friends help each
other • Don't give up • Honesty is important • Treat others how you want to be treated
The Wind and the Sun
The wind and the sun argued about who was stronger. They agreed on a contest: whoever could get a traveler to remove his coat would win. The wind blew as hard as it could, but the traveler only pulled his coat tighter. Then the sun shined warmly, and soon the traveler grew hot and took his coat off himself. The sun had won through gentleness, not force.
Question
Your Answer
What is the theme/moral of this story?
Which character's actions best showed this theme?
What mistake did the other character make?
2 Match the Story to the Theme
🔗 Read each mini-story. Draw a line to the best theme.
A teacher noticed a student struggling silently with a math problem and offered a quiet word of encouragement instead of correcting him in front of the class.
Instead of arguing loudly with her brother about chores, Mia calmly explained her side, and they worked out a fair schedule together.
Ken kept practicing his free throws quietly every day after school without bragging about it. By the championship game, he had become the most reliable shooter on the team.
Kindness matters, even in small moments
Gentleness can be more powerful than force
Hard work and practice pay off
3 Find the Theme
📖 Read the story. Choose the BEST theme from the options.
The Loud Announcement
During a group project, one student kept interrupting and insisting his idea was the only good one. His group grew frustrated and stopped sharing their thoughts altogether. A quieter student gently asked everyone, one at a time, what they thought might work best. The group ended up combining several ideas into their best project yet, all because someone chose to listen instead of shout.
A Loud ideas are always the best ideas.
B Listening calmly to others can lead to better outcomes than shouting.
C Group projects never work well.
D Only one person's idea should be used.
Why did you choose that answer?
4 Create a Story with a Theme
✍️ Choose a theme. Then write a short story (3–5 sentences) that teaches that
lesson.
Pick a ThemeDon't give upBe a good friendTell the truth
My theme:
5 SBA Performance Task: Extended Response
This section is like a performance task on the state test. Read carefully, find evidence, and write a complete response.
Question: What is the theme or lesson of this story? Use two details from the text to explain how the author develops this theme.
My claim or answer:
Evidence 1: (Quote or detail from the text)
Evidence 2: (Another quote or detail)
My explanation: (Connect the evidence to your claim in 2-3 sentences)
+ Bonus Reading Practice
Use this short practice to extend Set 7.
Topic words: farm, barn, goat, gate
1. Write one sentence using two of the words above.
2. What detail would you expect to find in a passage about this topic?
3. Write one inference a reader could make from a text about this topic.