CCSS RL.6.2: How to teach it + Lesson and activities

A story’s theme is its purpose. That is, an author writes in order to transmit that theme into the world. To understand what theme a story explores is to understand the story itself, making the skills of this standard pretty vital for deeper analysis of any narrative work. Thankfully, if students can understand a story’s plot, finding its theme should be achievable for them as well. 

Sequence

Before this standard, teach this:

• RL.6.3: Plot and Plot-character interaction

After this standard, teach this:

• RL.6.1: Claim-evidence-reasoning with explicit and inferred evidence

How to teach CCSS RL.6.2

There are 2 components to CCSS RL.6.2: finding a works theme and creating an objective summary. From CoreStandards.org (emphasis my own):

[1:] Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide [2:] a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

How to teach theme for RL.6.2:

Plot reveals theme. This is why it is important that students be able to outline a narrative's plot before further analyzing that narrative. If your students struggle with plot, review CCSS RL.6.3 with them before moving on — they must be able to outline a story’s plot before they can find its theme.

Once your students have a strong grasp on plot, these steps will help them analyze a story's theme.

• Understand that a theme is often an author’s conviction about life and the world.
• Outline a story’s plot.
• Identify where a change occurs. For example: Does someone who used to be cruel now act with kindness?‍
• Find a plot event that could have caused this change to occur. For example: Was that person treated cruelly himself?‍
• What lesson can we draw from this change?
• Should we treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves?
• That lesson, if it’s supported by evidence from the text (especially plot events and character changes) could be the theme of the work.

How to teach objective summaries for RL.6.2

This is pretty straightforward: by now, students have already outlined the plot of the story and found the story’s theme. Now all they need to do is clearly present this information without including subjective claims, that is, their own opinions or judgments. 

• Define “subjective” and “objective” with students.
• Provide students the opportunity to practice categorizing information as either subjective or objective.
• Organize plot and theme notes into a paragraph using only objective information.

How to use this resource

This digital worksheet/escape room is designed to serve as a lecture guide, guided practice, and a template for freer practice. Review the input with students, possibly complete a game together, then allow them to complete a game on their own, and finally let them create their own game.

Here is a video of me talking through it.

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