1. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary What Is the Difference Between Theme and Summary? Why Summarize or Find the Theme? Summarizing Tips Tips for Finding Theme Use the Strategy Practice the Strategy Feature Menu

2. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary What is the difference between theme and summary? A theme is the truth about life revealed in a story. A summary explains what happens in a story. What happened: Your friend gave you a gift. What it meant: Your friend cares about you.

3. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary What is the difference between theme and summary? Put an S for summary or a T for theme next to each of the following sentences. [End of Section] 1.Joaquin and his parents won the lawsuit and lived happily ever after. 2.Things always turn out for the best. 3.Andrea found a buried treasure and became wealthy. 4. Money can’t buy happiness.

4. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Now check your answers. S is for summary, and T is for theme. [End of Section] What is the difference between theme and summary? S 1.Joaquin and his parents won the lawsuit and lived happily ever after. T 2.Things always turn out for the best. S 3.Andrea found a buried treasure and became wealthy. T 4. Money can’t buy happiness.

5. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Why summarize or find the theme? Summarizing helps you understand stories, especially those with complicated plots. It also helps you to share these stories with others.

6. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Why summarize or find the theme? [End of Section] Finding the theme helps you understand life. Often you can apply the themes from literature to your own experiences.

7. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Summarizing Tips You can come up with a good summary by using these four words: Somebody, Wanted, But, So. Look at the following summary of one of Aesop’s fables: (a dog) another dog’s bone, he didn’t realize that the other dog was his own reflection, he jumped to get the other dog’s bone and lost his own. wanted but so Somebody

8. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Summarizing Tips Follow these steps to use the Somebody, Wanted, But, So strategy. First, ask yourself who is the most important somebody in the story. Second, ask yourself what that somebody wants.

9. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Summarizing Tips Follow these steps to use the Somebody, Wanted, But, So strategy. Next, ask yourself what happens to keep the character from getting what he wants. Finally, ask yourself what was the outcome of the story.

10. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Tips for Finding Theme 1. Summarize the story. A dog wants another dog’s bone, but he doesn’t realize that the other dog is his own reflection, so he jumps in to get the other dog’s bone and loses his own. 2. Ask yourself, “What message or truth have I gotten from this story?” I’ve gotten the message that wanting more than what you have can be dangerous. 3. Turn your answer into a statement of theme. Greed can leave you with less than you had at first.

11. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Use the Strategy As you read “The People Could Fly,” you’ll find this open-book sign at certain points in the story:. Stop at these points and think about what you’ve just read. Stop and think. Answer the question. [End of Section]

12. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Practice the Strategy Use the following organizer to take notes for a summary of “The People Could Fly.” SomebodyWantedButSo

13. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary Next, look at your summary and think about the story’s theme. Practice the Strategy Now finish one of the theme statements or write your own. Freedom is a result of... You can be free if...

14. Theme: A Message, Not a Summary The End