Themes

Definition: The theme of any literary work is the base topic or focus that acts as a foundation for the entire literary piece. The theme links all aspects of the literary work with one another and is basically the main subject. The theme can be an enduring pattern or mo**tif throughout the literary work, occurring in a complex, long winding manner or it can be short and succinct and provide a certain insight into the story.**

**Example:** **The main theme in the play Romeo and Juliet was love with smaller themes of sacrifice, tragedy, struggle, hardship, dev**otion and so on.   Elementary Level: [|Theme Idea Site]  **VIMEO VIDEOS to Practice Finding THEMES** **If you have videos you don't mind sharing, email me at dherman@wsh1.k12.wy.us.** **It may not be a good idea to have younger students search for Vimeo videos.** **If you have a YouTube video and want to use your account in our Google domain, I can upload them for you to use online.**  You may need to copy and paste the links below if they do not automatically link to Vimeo.
 * THEME SAMPLES **


 * [|Theme: Growing Up]

1 + minutes Possible Examples: Growing Up fear, change, challenges, f acing the unknown || **MS/HS** https://vimeo.com/79373088 2 plus minutes
 * "Skiing in Three Different Countries"**

Possible Examples: Diversity among people and cultures Desire to escape Empowerment Nature as beauty Power of Nature Quest for discovery/adventure || **HS or MS: Multi-themed **

https://vimeo.com/25239728 (7-8 minutes long- <span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans','Lucida Sans Unicode','DejaVu Sans',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5;">can be divided up into minor themes.
 * <span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans','Lucida Sans Unicode','DejaVu Sans',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5;">The Boy and the Box **

Possible Examples: family love quest for adventure the power of imagination Endurance Dealing with disappointment ||
 * **"MOVE"** (shared by Jan)

https://vimeo.com/27246366 (May need to copy and paste link)

|| Elem/MS "**From the Other Side"**

https://vimeo.com/49972531

4 1/2 minutes Possible Examples: Extraordinary adventure Perspectives || **HS or MS: Persistence** https://vimeo.com/61857629 3 + minutes Examples: Challenging Nature Freedom in Nature Pushing the Limits Illusion of Power || https://vimeo.com/58734984 3 + minutes
 * || ELEM/MS/HS **"Don't Go"**

Chaos and order Survival Invincibility Finding humor i || **High School:** The Story of Hands https://vimeo.com/67207222 || 2 minutes
 * || MS/HS **"The Child Story"** (Arabic)https://vimeo.com/44489937

Dreams Hope in a Hopeless Situation || **High School:**

Aging as a State of Mind https://vimeo.com/60640966

Man vs. Nature Young at Heart Perspectives on Growing Old || 1 minute Growing Up Differences in Thinking ||   ||
 * || MS/HS **"Dead Bird"**https://vimeo.com/52771912

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans','Lucida Sans Unicode','DejaVu Sans',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">** MORE IDEAS FOR TEACHING THEME ** || [|Middle School: Teaching Theme Analysis in Layers] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans','Lucida Sans Unicode','DejaVu Sans',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">|| [|Book Theme Idea (slow link)] || || || [|Elementary: Common Themes in Literature] || [|4th Grade: Theme] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: 'Lucida Grande','Lucida Sans','Lucida Sans Unicode','DejaVu Sans',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">[|Elementary Theme Analysis] [|Theme vs Subject]

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