Creating a Theme Statement Lesson Plan

Teacher: Mickaela Biron

Date: Wednesday October 10th, 2018
Grade: Secondary 5
Subject: ELA 536-03
Time frame: 1 period (75 minutes)
Materials: PowerPoint presentation (Smart Board, Laptop), time keeper (phone/wall clock),
chalkboard and chalk, each student will have his/her own copy of The Chaser from previous
classes as well as a pen/pencil, highlighter, red pen and English Notes copy book.

Time: 1 period: 75 minutes

- 5 minutes: Students will be reading their class novels individually. During this time I will
take attendance and address any administrative issues pertaining to students.
- 2 minutes: Greet students. Present agenda for the class. If students seem sleepy (since it is
last period), ask them to stand up and stretch.
- 30 minutes: Ask students to take out a pen/pencil, red pen, highlighter, their English
Notes notebook, and their short story The Chaser. Ask students what they already know
about theme. Explain what theme is. Show students how to create a good theme statement
step by step with the help of a PowerPoint presentation. Students will follow the
presentation step by step as I explain the 5 steps to a good theme statement by writing
notes in their English Notes copybooks.
- 15 minutes: Students will work in teams of 3 and come up with their own theme from
either of the short stories addressed in the class in their English Notes copybook. They
will have to do so by following the 5 steps to a good theme statement addressed
previously.
- 20 minutes: I will turn off the lights and ask students to turn towards the front. I will ask
one student from one team to share with the class their 5 steps. As they read out to me
what they wrote for each of the steps, I will type up their answers and project them on the
Smart Board. Teams will be given 20 seconds to discuss with their teammates whether
they believe the final theme statement is good and complete, then I will countdown from
3 after which each team must show me either a thumbs up if they think the statement is
good and complete, and a thumbs down if they think it is not. If any teams say that it is
not, I will ask them to explain their reasoning. If all the teams say that it is good and
complete, but I believe it is not, I will ask them to rethink their answers and analyze the
theme statement once more. I will participate in the thumbs up/thumbs down activity as
well.
- 3 minutes: students will return to their desks and put away their stuff. They will take out
their agendas and write down any reminders that are on the homework board. If they feel
like they are struggling with the material, they will write in their agendas my lunch
tutorial time for the next day. I will ask if anybody has any questions. Once all of this is
complete, they will be given whatever time is left until the bell rings.

Lesson:
Students will learn about theme and how to write a good and complete theme statement.
In order to do so, I will show students a 5-step method which will help them in finding a story’s
theme and then creating their own theme statement relating to that theme. To start off with, I will
ask students what they already know about theme. Then, I will explain what a theme is (I will
especially highlight the difference between a theme and a topic). Once students understand what
a theme is, I will present the 5-step method by which they can create a good and complete theme
statement through the use of a PowerPoint presentation. As I go through each step with the help
of my PowerPoint presentation, students will follow by writing every step in their English Notes
copybook. As I go through each step, I will not only be explaining the step, but also
simultaneously creating a theme statement about The Chaser with the help of the students (A
short story they will have previously read).
Once we get to the final step, the students will have constructed their own theme
statement step by step as a class. Students will then be required to create their own theme
statements in teams of 3. Each team will have to create its own theme statement by using the 5-
step method (by referring back to their notes). Once time is up, I will turn off the lights and ask
students to turn towards the front. I will ask one student from one team to share with the class
their 5 steps. As they read out to us what they wrote for each of the steps, I will type up their
answers and project them on the Smart Board. Teams will be given 20 seconds to discuss with
their teammates whether they believe the final theme statement is good and complete, then I will
countdown from 3 after which each team must show me either a thumbs up if they think the
statement is good and complete, and a thumbs down if they think it is not. If any teams say that it
is not, I will ask them to explain their reasoning. If all the teams say that it is good and complete,
but I believe it is not, I will ask them to rethink their answers and analyze the theme statement
once more. I will participate in the thumbs up/thumbs down activity as well.
We will repeat the thumbs activity with multiple teams until the end of class. The activity
will most likely spill over to the following class. If I feel like students have really grasped the
concept I will only have teams share their themes until the end of class, but if I feel like some
students are still confused, we will continue sharing every team’s theme next class. If I still feel
like the students could benefit from more practice, I will ask them to get back into their teams
and write another theme next class and we will redo the thumbs activity with the new themes.

Learning Objective:
- Students will create a theme statement in teams of three following the 5-step method
shown to them in class.
- Students will analyze and criticize theme statements and explain how the theme statement
could be improved.

What has already happened?

- Students have read the short story The Chaser previously and will create theme
statements from these works.
- Students have learned about theme and theme statements in previous years and in the
beginning of this year. This being said, most students have difficulty finding themes in
stories and especially creating theme statements. This activity will therefore act as a
review for most students, but will be presented in a way that teaches theme and theme
statements to both students who have encountered these concepts before, as well as
students to whom this is a new concept (ex: international students, students who have
transferred from other schools, etc.).
Assessment:
- I will be constantly assessing student understanding through the frequency and quality of
student participation.
- Students will be assessing themselves and each other through the thumbs activity. As
groups share their theme statements with the class, both their peers and myself will be
able to assess them cooperatively. Based on the quality of the theme statements being
presented, and the quality of the criticism given by the class, I will be able to informally
assess student understanding.
- Formal assessment will follow in the following classes when students will be asked to
work individually on theme statements.
- Any students who seem to be struggling, or express that they are struggling, will be
encouraged to come see me at tutorials during the week so I can work with them one-on-
one.

QEP:
- Competency 1: Uses language/talk to communicate and to learn
o Students will communicate with each other during group work
o Students will practice their oral skills when sharing their theme statements with
the class, as well as assessing each other’s theme statements during class
discussion
- Competency 2: Reads and listen to written, spoken and media texts
o Students will return to their texts and reread any parts they may need to create a
theme statement
o Students will read each other’s theme statements and critically assess what they
have read
- Competency 3: Produces texts for personal and social purposes
o Students will create their own theme statements using the 5-step method

Rationale:
- Group work both in smaller groups and as a class allows for students to converse and
debate with their peers.
- I have included a short introduction presentation using PowerPoint to ensure all students
get the introductory information and therefore have a basic understanding of the unit. The
use of a visual component along with my explanations ensures both visual and auditory
learners are being catered to. Many students will have already learned the material being
presented, although it is what they will be asked to do on the final MELS exam at the end
of the year, so it is important that they practice and perfect their skills. On the other hand,
many students have been exposed to theme and theme statements in the past, but still
struggle. It is therefore important to review theme this early in the year to ensure every
student has acquired a thorough understanding which will help them both throughout the
year, and during the final provincial exam.
- Although I will lecture a little bit at the beginning of class when I explain to students
theme and theme statements, it will be an interactive lecture. Students will have to follow
along with the presentation by writing notes in their copybooks. Students will also be
asked to participate in the creation of a theme during the presentation of the 5-step
 method. Following the explanation, the rest of the lesson is student centered. Students
will work in groups and then assess each other’s work as a class. This will allow students
to apply their understanding of the topic and therefore reinforce their mastery of the
material.
- This class is very structured and so is the 5-step method. This is done intentionally so that
the material being presented in simple and easy to understand. I believe that approaching
the material from such a simple angle will improve student comprehension and ease any
anxiety they may feel towards the final provincial exam. The 5-step method will give
them a simple way to structure themselves which they can always refer back to when
writing reading responses in the future.