Contextualization

In literature, every story we read tells us something. But have you ever asked yourself what is the main idea or message that the author is trying to convey through their writing? That's where the concept of Theme or Central Idea comes into play. The theme of a piece of literature is its central idea or message. This theme is an abstract concept made concrete through the characters, action, and images of the text. Themes are not directly stated but are implied and can be deciphered by looking at various elements in the story such as the plot, characters, and conflict.

The theme of a story can be specific to that story, or it can be a more general observation about life or human nature. Identifying the theme of a text is a crucial aspect of understanding literature. It allows us to make connections across various stories and genres and helps to deepen our understanding and appreciation of literary works.

Understanding the theme or the central idea is not just about enhancing our reading experience. In real life, we often communicate through stories. We tell anecdotes about our day, share past experiences, and dream about the future through narratives. The ability to identify the central idea in these narratives helps us comprehend and process the information being communicated. Being able to extract the central message from a piece of communication, be it a novel, a movie, a speech or even a conversation, equips us with the necessary skills to navigate our world effectively.

Resources

1. Reading: Literature | 7th grade | Khan Academy
2. Theme: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net
3. What is Theme in Literature? - Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com
4. How to Find the Theme or Central Idea - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com
5. How to Determine the Theme or Central Idea

Start by exploring these resources, familiarize yourself with the concept of theme, how it is crafted, and how to identify it in a text. Then, you will be ready to dive into our project.

Practical Activity

Activity Title

"Exploring Themes: A Journey Through Short Stories"

Objective of the Project

The objective of this project is to allow students to explore themes or central ideas in literature by reading, analyzing, and discussing short stories. By the end of this project, students should be able to determine the theme or central idea of a literary text and analyze its development over the course of the text.

Detailed Description of the Project

In this project, students will work in groups of 3-5 to read and analyze short stories. Each group will be tasked with identifying the themes or central ideas of their assigned story and creating a visual representation of how these themes develop. The visual representation can be a storyboard, a timeline, a concept map, or another creative format chosen by the group.

Necessary Materials

• Short stories for each group. These can be provided by the teacher or chosen by the students themselves with teacher approval.
• Creative materials for the visual representation: poster boards, markers, colored pencils, magazines for cut-outs, etc.
• Access to online resources to research their themes further.

Detailed Step-By-Step for Carrying Out the Activity

1. Groups are formed and each group is assigned or chooses a short story to read and analyze.
2. Each member of the group reads the assigned story individually.
3. After everyone in the group has read the story, they meet to discuss and analyze the themes or central ideas they have identified.
4. The group starts brainstorming how they can visually represent the development of their theme in the story.
5. Students use the creative materials available to create their visual representations.
6. Once the representations are complete, each group presents their work to the class, explaining their understanding of the theme and how they chose to represent it.
7. After all presentations, an open discussion is encouraged for the students to reflect on the different themes identified in the different stories.

Project Deliveries

Each group is expected to deliver a written report and a visual representation depicting the theme's development throughout their assigned story. The written report should follow the four main topics: Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Used Bibliography:

Introduction: Here, students should introduce their assigned short story, the identified theme, and why they think it is significant.

Development: In this section, students should explain how they identified the theme, how it developed through the story, and why they chose their specific visual representation. A step-by-step detailing of how they approached reading, discussing, and analyzing the story could be included.

Conclusion: Here, students should revisit the main points of their analysis, stating what they learned from the exercise, and draw conclusions about the theme they identified in their story.

Bibliography: Students must include the sources they used to understand the theme, these could include the story itself, any articles they read about the theme, and the resources provided at the beginning of the project.

Remember, the purpose of the report is to formalize and reinforce your understanding of the theme and its development in the story. It should complement the visual representation and provide a detailed explanation of your thoughts and findings. The report should not exceed four pages.