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ELA 5: Themes 1123 Views


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Description:

Picking a theme for a party is pretty easy—always go karate party, because they come with nunchuck egg rolls. Themes in writing are a little different. They’re about sending messages, not chucking egg rolls at unsuspecting bystanders. We're not saying one is better than the other, though. We suggest you chuck a few egg rolls and draw your own conclusion.

Language:
English Language
Common Core Standards:

Transcript

00:04

[Coop and Dino singing]

00:13

If you’re sitting down to write, it’s a good idea to have something to write about. [woman sits down and thinks about writing]

00:17

Otherwise, you might as well just be putting together a shopping list.

00:22

What your piece of writing needs is a subject.

00:25

A subject can usually be described in one or two words. [Coop describing what a subject is]

00:28

For instance, surfing is a subject. So is autumn. So is toilet bowl cleaner, if you

00:35

can find a way to make it interesting. [A man wearing rubber gloves cleaning a toilet]

00:38

The theme, on the other hand, is the message about being human that the author sends when

00:44

writing about the subject. [Dino discussing the theme]

00:46

Any piece of writing worth its salt has some kind of message.

00:51

It could be saying that we are all born basically good…[A baby in a basinet and a halo appears]

00:54

…or that true love conquers all…

00:56

…or that we have a hard time turning down anything wrapped in bacon. [Man serving food wrapped in bacon to a woman]

00:59

Doesn’t have to be profound…but there does have to be some kind of message.

01:03

But…an author would not be much of a writer if they just out-and-out stated the theme

01:08

and then, uh…went home. [A door with an out to lunch sign displayed]

01:11

Themes aren’t usually stated directly in a text. The reader has to discover the theme…[Woman using binoculars in a country side]

01:15

and that's part of the fun of reading.

01:17

That, and being able to turn on a flashlight under the covers when it’s past your bedtime. [flashlight turned on under the covers]

01:23

Readers infer themes as they read a text.

01:25

To infer is to guess or figure out, using details from the text.

01:30

In a fictional story, the reader sees what happens to the characters and figures out [Girl reading a Harry Potter book in a library]

01:34

what mistakes they make, how they've changed because of them, and what it all means.

01:39

Nonfiction writing has themes as well.

01:41

When you’re reading something and trying to nail down the theme… [Hammer striking a nail]

01:44

…see if you can find a word or short phrase that seems to capture the entire idea,

01:49

or subject, of the piece. [Astronaut floating in outer space looking at Earth]

01:51

Then, you can try to think of a way to explain what the author said about that subject.

01:56

If you can come up with a suitable explanation that delivers some sort of message about the [Darth Vader crossing a road with a light saber]

02:00

human condition…

02:01

…and that message is fully supported by all of the text…

02:04

…then boom – you’ve tracked down the theme.

02:07

Just make sure you’ve got a firm grip on it. They’re slippery little suckers. [Theme slips off of a scale]

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