Finding the Theme Games and Centers - Theme Sort, Mazes, and Writing Center
Kalena Baker - Teaching Made PracticalKalena Baker - Teaching Made PracticalAlso included in
- This resource is a bundle of my 4 low prep theme resources to help your students better understand theme and make teaching theme easier. Save over 20% when you buy the bundle!Determining Theme - Scaffolded to Build UnderstandingThis resource is scaffolded to help your students develop a thorough un$10.50$13.50Save $3.00
Description
This resource contains 3 low prep theme center activities for you to use in your classroom. These games are an engaging, hands on way to help your students be better able to find the theme of a text.
This resource includes the following 3 theme games for upper elementary students (4th grade, 5th grade):
First Center: Theme Mazes - No Prep
These 5 mazes are designed to help students think about how themes and main ideas are related and how they are different.
In the first two mazes, students must distinguish between themes and main ideas. Students shade in possible themes (and don’t shade in main ideas statements) in order to complete the mazes.
In the last 3 mazes, students are provided a theme and possible main ideas. Students must shade in the main ideas statements from stories that could support the provided theme. Students must distinguish between main ideas that support the provided theme and main idea statements that don’t support the theme.
A student recording sheet is provided to help you understand your students’ thinking. Students can complete the same recording sheet for each of the 5 mazes.
Included: 5 theme mazes, a student recording sheet to help you understand your students' thinking, and answer keys.
Second Center: Theme Sort - Low Prep
This can be an independent, partner, or small group activity. Students are given 4 different themes and 12 short stories. Students must read the stories, determine the theme, and sort the stories appropriately.
Included: 4 theme cards, 12 short stories, student recording sheet, and answer key
Third Center: Theme Writing Center - No Prep
Students choose a character, setting, and theme, and then write a story incorporating all of those elements. Ideas for characters, settings, and themes are provided if your students need some ideas. This helps students apply what they have learned about theme into their own writing.
There is writing paper for both a short story and a longer story, depending on your needs and your students’ writing abilities.
Included: Idea sheet, writing paper for both shorter and longer stories, and a grading rubric
You might also like some of my other theme or main idea activities :
Determining Theme: Scaffolded to Build Understanding
Main Idea and Details: Scaffolded to Build Understanding
Kalena Baker, Teaching Made Practical