Theme and Summary
Theme and Summary is a free, printable Grade 4 ELA worksheet — 6 questions with an answer key, aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2. Lessonpress generated it in about a minute, and you can make your own for any K–5 grade, standard, or skill.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text
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Answer key
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- 1.
Read the passage below. Then answer the questions that follow.
Answer: Reading passage — see comprehension questions below.
- 2.
Which statement best describes the theme of The Flooded Garden?
Answer: Even after setbacks, hope and perseverance help us begin again.
- 3.
A theme is the central ___ or lesson of a story, supported by details from the text.
Answer: message
- 4.
Write a 2-3 sentence summary of The Flooded Garden. Include the most important events in the order they happened. Do not include every small detail.
Answer: Amara works hard all spring planting her grandmother's garden, but a flood destroys half of her seedlings. Feeling discouraged, she talks with her grandmother, who encourages her not to give up. The next morning, Amara returns to the garden and begins planting again.
- 5.
What detail from the passage best supports the theme? Write 2-3 sentences explaining how that detail connects to the theme. Begin your response with a quote from the text.
Answer: Strong responses will quote Nana Kwame's line about seeds representing hope, or the final image of Amara kneeling in the mud to start again. Student explains how the detail shows that setbacks do not have to stop a person from trying again.
- 6.
How does Amara change from the beginning of the story to the end? Use at least two details from the text to explain your thinking. Write 3-4 sentences.
Answer: At the beginning Amara is hopeful and hard-working, tending the garden every morning. After the flood she is discouraged and questions whether trying is worth it. By the end, after listening to her grandmother, she puts her boots on and starts planting again, showing she has moved from despair back to action and hope.
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Common questions
What grade is the "Theme and Summary" worksheet for?
Grade 4. It's calibrated to the Grade 4 reading load and content, and aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2.
What standard does this ELA worksheet cover?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2, from the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text
Is this worksheet free to print or download?
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