Find Theme and Summarize Literature

Determine a literary theme, connect it to key details, and distinguish an objective summary from opinion or judgment.

How the lesson starts: Find Theme and Summarize Literature

Tonight at Iceberg Cinema
Welcome to Iceberg Cinema, run by Kofi, a penguin director. Before every film, Kofi asks the audience one question. What does this story mean? That meaning is the theme. Let's find tonight's.
Topic or theme?
A topic is what a story is about, in a word or two, like friendship or a race. A theme is what the story says about that topic, as a full sentence. It is a lesson you could carry into your own life.
Worked example: Sled Day
Tonight's film: Juniper won't lend her fast sled to her cousin Bo. Bo races a box, and every kid laughs with him. Juniper stands alone. Next morning, she brings two sleds. Kofi follows her choice and its result. The theme: sharing can bring more fun than having the best thing.