Classroom Activities: Theme

These classroom activities are designed to complement the Theme topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Write a Fable

Brainstorm different fables and fthairy tales with the whole class. Remind students that the moral is a lesson taught in the story. The moral can also be the theme. Analyze a few fairy tales or fables and discuss the characters, plot, and conflict. How do the characters change and what do they learn? Help students identify the moral. Then have students choose a moral or theme and write their own fable or fairy tale that explores it. Students can share their writing with each other or with the whole class. They may want to illustrate their work or swap with a partner and illustrate their partner’s story.

Conflict and Solution Skits

Review with students that stories have a conflict, or a problem, that the characters face. Discuss a story or book you’ve read as a class recently and identify the central conflicts. You may want to sort the conflicts into internal and external problems. Discuss with students  how each conflict is solved. Use a graphic organizer to keep track of students’ ideas. Then have small groups create a skit in which the characters face a conflict. Have them create an outline of the plot, discuss character traits, and compose a skit. Students can perform their skits in front of the class. Discuss each skit and the theme with the whole class.

Film Review

Remind students that artwork and films also have themes. Discuss different films together students have seen, and encourage them to identify the theme. What clues and details did they use to identify the theme? Have students explain their thinking. Then have students watch a film at home and review it. Encourage then to determine whether it does it good job of addressing the theme. Have students share their reviews with the class and hold a discussion about the themes explored in their films. What other films explore similar themes?