Activity Overview
A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate 2 of the themes in The Wild Robot. Teachers may want the students to identify and illustrate 2 themes, one for each cell, or identify one theme and show two examples of it, one example per cell.
Examples of Themes in The Wild Robot
Family
In this story, family members may not look alike or even be in the same species, but that does not matter. Being a part of a family is all about love, trust, and loyalty.
Being Alive
Although Roz does not eat or breathe, she is seemingly very much “alive”. She has emotions and the survival instinct that she learns from observing the animals. Although a manufactured robot, Roz also has the ability to feel compassion, empathy, and love.
Acceptance
When Roz first arrived on the island, the animals were immediately afraid of her and called her a “monster”, even though they knew nothing about her. Without even trying, Roz taught them all the important lesson to accept others, no matter what they look like.
Cooperation
Although at the beginning of the story the others were afraid of Roz and did not want her there, when it came time to help save her from being taken away, everyone pitched in. This sense of cooperation made everyone closer and more like a family.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The Wild Robot. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify the themes from The Wild Robot you wish to include and write them in the headings.
- Create an image for an example that represents this theme using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short description of each of the examples.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify Theme(s) | All themes are correctly identified as important recurring topics or messages in the story. | Some themes are correctly identified, but others are missing or do not make sense with the story. | No themes are correctly identified. |
| Examples | All examples support the identified themes. Descriptions clearly say why examples are significant. | Most examples fit the identified themes. Descriptions say why examples are significant. | Most examples do not fit the identified themes. Descriptions are unclear. |
| Depiction | Storyboard cells clearly show connection with the themes and help with understanding. | Most storyboard cells help to show the themes, but some storyboard cells are difficult to understand. | Storyboard cells do not help in understanding the themes. |
How To Help Struggling Learners Analyze Themes in The Wild Robot
Define Themes in Literature
Remind students that another way to say theme is lesson, and a theme in a story or novel is the lesson that students learn after reading it. Stories often have more than one theme, and readers learn something about life after they read the book.
Discuss Life Lessons in This Story
Once students understand the definition of theme, discuss the lessons learned in any book or movie as a class. This can help fast learners to take some leadership, while struggling learns can see a lot of examples that will help them.
Use a Visual Aid to Assist Learning
Visual aids assist students in learning. Using a storyboard that shows the theme and an illustration will help to cement the ideas for students, especially those who are struggling.
Frequently Asked Questions about Themes in The Wild Robot
Why are themes so important to a story?
A theme is what the reader learns about life after reading a story. Therefore, themes are very important because learning lessons about life is one of the key reasons people read, especially young people.
How can reading The Wild Robot help students in their own lives?
There are several important themes in The Wild Robot that students can learn about. For instance, it teaches children to accept others who are different than they are and it teaches about the importance of family.
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