Today’s Goals:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Determining Theme4 Steps to Determining Theme1. Read the text. 2. Consider the important topics, issues, conflicts, and ideas

presented. You will know they are important because they are addressed frequently, repeated, and relate to the main conflict.

3. Examine how the topic is reflected through characters’ actions, dialogue, conflicts, and plot events.

4. Analyze the author’s opinion on the topic, based on what you find in #3. This opinion becomes your theme statement.

Simple PracticeDetermine the theme is related to the broader reading skill of determining importance. ● Determining importance involves involves sorting out the

main ideas of a text from the supporting details.● It is often used in reading nonfiction texts, but is relevant to

reading challenging literature, especially of a historical nature● It is helpful when reading to maintain comprehension when

lots of new information is presented.

Simple PracticeYou have been given five sentences from your newspaper to report on the following news story. What do you include? Why?

A 13-year-old surfing star was attacked by a shark. It happened just off Kauai’s North Shore. There was no sign of danger as Bethany Hamilton was lying on her surfboard in clear water. Her best friend and her friend’s father were nearby. The shark bit just once and then disappeared. It took Bethany’s left arm just below the shoulder. Bethany remained in stable condition after the attack. Dr. David Rovinsky at Wilcox Memorial Hospital cared for her at the hospital. He said her top condition as an athlete helped her survive the attack. "This is a woman who is a highly trained athlete,” Rovinsky said. The shark had not only taken off most of Bethany’s left arm, but her surfboard as well. The chunk taken out of her surfboard measures about 16 inches across and 8 inches deep. The measurements mean the shark was about twelve to fifteen feet long. A spokesman for the state Shark Task Force thinks that it may have been a tiger shark.

Process Step 1: Topic

*Read the text

*Consider important topics, issues, conflicts, and ideas

*Look for what ideas are addressed frequently, repeated, and relate to the main conflict

Step 2: How is the Topic Addressed?*Examine how the topic is reflected through characters’ actions, dialogue, conflicts, and plot events.

Step 3: Create Theme Statement*Analyze the author’s opinion on this topic *Create a complete opinion-based statement to become your theme statement

Simple PracticeYou have been given five sentences from your newspaper to report on the following news story. What do you include? Why?

A 13-year-old surfing star was attacked by a shark. It happened just off Kauai’s North Shore. There was no sign of danger as Bethany Hamilton was lying on her surfboard in clear water. Her best friend and her friend’s father were nearby. The shark bit just once and then disappeared. It took Bethany’s left arm just below the shoulder. Bethany remained in stable condition after the attack. Dr. David Rovinsky at Wilcox Memorial Hospital cared for her at the hospital. He said her top condition as an athlete helped her survive the attack. "This is a woman who is a highly trained athlete,” Rovinsky said. The shark had not only taken off most of Bethany’s left arm, but her surfboard as well. The chunk taken out of her surfboard measures about 16 inches across and 8 inches deep. The measurements mean the shark was about twelve to fifteen feet long. A spokesman for the state Shark Task Force thinks that it may have been a tiger shark.

Try It Out!

As you read the following excerpt from Romeo and Juliet, use your skill in determining importance, and what you know about determining theme, try to determine a theme related to this topic:

family

http://youtube.com/v/YKHtbkCV9qE

C: Soft, take me with you, take me with you, wife.

How, will she none? Doth she not give us thanks?

Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blessed,

Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought

So worthy a gentleman to be her bride?

J: Not proud you have, but thankful that you have.

Proud can I never be of what I hate,

But thankful even for hate that is meant love.

C: How, how, how, how? Chopped logic! What is

this?

“Proud,” and “I thank you,” and “I thank you not,”

And yet “not proud”? Mistress minion you,

Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds,

But fettle your fine joints 'gainst Thursday next

To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church,

Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.

Out, you green sickness, carrion! Out, you baggage!

You tallow face!

LADY C: Fie, fie! What, are you mad?

J: Good Father, I beseech you on my knees,

Hear me with patience but to speak a word.

C: Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!

I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,

Or never after look me in the face.

Process Step 1: Topic

*Read the text

*Consider important topics, issues, conflicts, and ideas

*Look for what ideas are addressed frequently, repeated, and relate to the main conflict

Step 2: How is the Topic Addressed?*Examine how the topic is reflected through characters’ actions, dialogue, conflicts, and plot events.

Step 3: Create Theme Statement*Analyze the author’s opinion on this topic *Create a complete opinion-based statement to become your theme statement