Grade 4 · Reading · Lesson 12

Compare Themes Across Stories

A theme is the central message or life lesson that runs through a story. Themes are not the same as the plot — the plot is what happens, while the theme is the deeper meaning behind it. Many different stories can share the same theme even though their characters, settings, and events are completely different.

What this lesson teaches

1Identify the central theme of a story from characters' actions and outcomes
2Compare similar and different themes across two stories
3Explain how two stories can share a theme while telling it in different ways

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