Theme Development | Answer Keys

Student Concept Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	Helping others / Kindness / Community Accept any appropriate 1-2 word topic.
2	Helping others brings more happiness than focusing only on yourself. Accept variations like "Kindness to others is more rewarding than self-interest" or "Helping people in need brings joy." Must be a complete sentence with no character names.
3	IMPLIED - No character or narrator directly says the lesson. Marcus realizes it himself when he asks to help more neighbors, but he doesn't state it as a universal truth.
4	C. Marcus felt better helping Mrs. Chen than playing games, so he wanted to help more. This shows the character's change and realization that supports the theme about helping others.
5	Accept any complete sentence about courage, such as: "Being brave means doing what's right even when you're afraid" or "True courage is facing your fears to do something important."

Practice Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	Courage / Bravery / Fear / Trying
2	B. Being brave and trying is more important than being perfect.
3	STATED - Mia says "I'm proud of myself for trying. That's what matters most." Mia directly expresses the theme in her dialogue at the end.
4	C. Mia's voice cracked on the first note, but she kept singing and felt proud for trying.
5	C. Sharing with others can bring more happiness than keeping things for yourself.
6	Leo changes from wanting the whole cookie for himself to choosing to share (and giving the bigger half to his sister). He realizes sharing felt better than eating alone, which shows that generosity brings happiness.
7	B. "Leo realized that sharing actually felt pretty good. Better than eating alone would have."
8	Don't let fear of comparison stop you from trying. / You should measure success by your own efforts, not by comparing yourself to others. / Trying your best is what matters, not being better than everyone else.
9	B. She goes from not trying because of fear of comparison, to working hard and succeeding on her own terms.
10	STATED - Emma says "the only person I need to compete with is myself" which directly expresses the theme.
11	B. Her dad's question making her think about why she wasn't trying. The dad's question "That you can't be good at something just because someone else is better?" made Emma reflect and change.
12	B. Taking responsibility for your mistakes, even when it's difficult, is the right thing to do.
13	Jason changes from following friends and making bad choices, to taking responsibility and apologizing even when it was hard. His courage to face Mr. Wilson alone and make things right shows that taking responsibility leads to feeling better about yourself.
14	Both themes involve overcoming fear and trying anyway. Mia overcame fear of performing to discover the value of trying. Emma overcame fear of comparison to discover she could succeed on her own terms. Both characters learned that what matters is making the effort, not being perfect or the best.

FAST Format Quiz Answers

Question	Answer
1	B. Big goals can be achieved by taking them one step at a time.
2	A. Stated - The dad says "Any big goal works the same way." The father directly connects the hiking lesson to all of life's goals.
3	C. Olivia stopped looking at the top and focused on one step at a time until she reached the summit.
4	B. Sometimes you have to take the first step to make connections with others.
5	B. "I guess sometimes you have to be the friend you wish you had."
6	B. She goes from being scared to reach out, to taking a brave first step that leads to friendship.
7	B. True success comes from working together and trusting your teammates.
8	A. Teamwork Topic is 1-2 words. B is a theme (complete sentence), C is a summary, D is also a theme statement.
9	See rubric and sample response below.
10	See rubric and sample response below.

Question 9 Scoring Rubric

Score	Criteria
2	Clearly identifies the theme AND explains how it develops with at least TWO specific details from the story
1	Identifies theme with only one detail, OR details don't clearly connect to theme development
0	Incorrect theme, missing details, or response doesn't address the question

Sample 2-Point Response for Question 9:
The theme of "The Mountain Trail" is that big goals can be achieved by taking them one step at a time. The story develops this theme through Olivia's experience. First, when Olivia feels like she can't reach the top, her dad tells her to focus on one step instead of looking at the whole mountain. Then Olivia tries this approach - she stops looking up and just watches her feet moving forward. Finally, two hours later she reaches the summit. Her success from taking one step at a time proves the theme.

Question 10 Scoring Rubric

Score	Criteria
2	Identifies both themes correctly, explains what they have in COMMON, AND explains how they are DIFFERENT
1	Identifies themes but only discusses similarities OR differences (not both), OR comparison is vague
0	Incorrect themes, no comparison, or response doesn't address the question

Sample 2-Point Response for Question 10:
Both stories share a similar theme about reaching out and connecting with others. In "The New Student," the theme is that you have to take the first step to make friends. In "The Championship Game," the theme is that working together brings greater success than going alone.

They are SIMILAR because both involve putting others first and taking a risk - Amara risked rejection to sit with Derek, and Jayden risked losing by passing to Miguel.

They are DIFFERENT because "The New Student" focuses on starting individual friendships, while "The Championship Game" focuses on trusting teammates in a group. One is about personal connection, and one is about team success.

Quick Reference: Topic vs. Theme