Activities

1. Identify the main idea or theme of a literary text. 
   
   
2. List the main points in a literary text in the order in which they presented in the text.

3. Using the evidence presented in the literary text, infer a theme from the text.
   
   
4. Predict what you think will happen next in a literary text.

5. Analyze how the author develops a theme throughout a literary text, citing specific textual evidence to illustrate the theme’s development.
   
   
6. Construct a written response in which you discuss the theme or central idea in a literary text using two relevant, accurate pieces of textual evidence in support of your statement.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student correctly identifies a possible main idea in a literary text.  Keep in mind, main idea can be different for each student.  Teachers can ask students to evaluate their main idea using these questions:
   
   
   1. Can the main idea apply to every person who will ever walk the face of the earth?
   2. Can you support your main idea with at least two pieces of textual evidence?
      
      
2. Student is able to list the main points in a literary text in the order in which they were presented in the text.  Student may leave out some minor points but all of the key ideas should be presented.
   
   
3. Student demonstrates an understanding of theme and can clearly state one possible theme.  A theme must:
   
   
   1. Apply to every person who will walk the face of the earth
   2. Have the ability to be turned into a hashtag (in Twitter language) or an inspirational poster – if it does not fit those criteria, it cannot be a theme
   3. Be supported by textual evidence
      
      
4. Student demonstrates an understanding of the text.  He/she will be able to make predictions about next events in the text when they have understood the literary text.  Predictions can vary depending on their understanding of the text.  Predictions are not meant to be exact but merely demonstrate the student is thinking beyond the text.
   
   
5. Student recognizes how an author develops a theme.  Authors develop a theme by selection of details, development of characterization, events in plot, and presentation and resolution of conflict. 
   
   
6. Student compose a short response of approximately 3-5 sentences in which they clearly identify a theme, as defined above, and provide two pieces of relevant, accurate textual evidence.  Theme can be different based on student understanding and experiences but are always general enough to be applicable to humans no matter where they live, are meant to teach a lesson (and can be turned into a hashtag statement or an inspirational poster), and are proven with relevant, accurate textual evidence.  Textual evidence must show a clear connection to the theme and must be accurate as a result of clear comprehension of the literary text.