1. THEME! The answer to the never ending question: What was the point of this story?

2. What is THEME? Theme is: the central idea, message, or lesson that the author is trying to get across to the reader. They are:  Universal (apply to the real world; should NOT mention specific characters)  Statements (not questions)

3. How do I find the THEME of a story? STEP ONE: Identify an abstract noun that BEST describes what this story is about/what it deals with  Ex: love, fear, kindness, good vs. evil, loneliness, family, greed, jealousy, etc…  Abstract noun for “The Three Little Pigs”: Work ethic

4. How do I find the THEME of a story? STEP TWO: Identify what the author is saying ABOUT that abstract noun  Ex. If you chose Work Ethic as your abstract noun to describe “The Three Little Pigs,” maybe the author’s message about work ethic is: “It is best to work hard and do things right the first time rather than take short cuts to finish faster.”  NOTICE:  I did not mention any characters  This is a full sentence long, not one word

5. How do I find the THEME of a story? STEP THREE: Defend your theme with evidence (quotes) from the text!  Ex: The theme for “The Three Little Pigs” is it is best to work hard and do things right the first time rather than take short cuts to finish faster. I know this because the first two pigs took the easy route to make their houses out of straw and sticks. When the wolf came he “huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down.” It did not take much to make the house fall, and the pigs ended up being eaten by the wolf. However, third pig worked the hardest to create a strong, sturdy house as “he made his house out of bricks.” His house was the only one that survived the wolf’s huffing and puffing. So, even though the third pig had to work harder, his hard work ended up paying off as he survived the wolf’s attempted attack.

6. Let’s try identifying a theme together:  First, let’s watch this Pixar short film. As you watch, think about some abstract nouns that BEST describe what is happening here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e70NIYIfiTc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e70NIYIfiTc  Now, let’s identify a good abstract noun:  Now, what is the author saying about this abstract noun (opinion)?  How do we know (Text support)?