R21: Consider various titles with respect to a specific universal idea.

Notes and Resources:

Story Chart
Socratic List

As with all other facets of literary reading, students apply the techniques they have learned previously on children’s stories to works at their own reading level, putting the general and specific themes of the current title in the context of an ongoing human conversation about universal ideas.

The “general theme” of a story is the universal idea, topic, or question that the story addresses; the subject toward which the author wishes to turn the conversation. It is distinct from the “specific theme” of a story, which is the case, point, or argument that the author is making about that topic.

Element of Fiction:

Biblioscopic Dialogue
Theme
Worldview

Assignment Options:

R21.1 Short Answer Exercise: Explain General Theme of Current Title
R21.2 Short Answer Exercise: Explain Specific Theme of Current Title
R21.3 Interpretive Question Exercise: Discuss Universal Idea Using Current Title
R21.4 Story Chart Exercise: Relate Title’s Themes to Universal Idea
R21.5 Short Answer Exercise: Relate Title’s Characters to Universal Idea

Assignment Templates: