This lesson will expand on the knowledge that students have gained about how various components come together to form a theme. At the end of this lesson, students are going to:
- Determine a fiction text's theme.
- Elucidate how the theme is developed using literary devices.

- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers? 
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response? 
- What is the actual topic of this text?

- Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various personalities. 
- Dialogue: In its widest sense, dialogue is simply a conversation between people in a literary work; in its most restricted sense, it refers specifically to the speech of characters in a drama. 
- Theme: A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work. 
- Moral: The lesson in a story.

- W.W. Jacobs. (1906). The Monkey’s Paw. Gaslight etext. http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/mnkyspaw.htm 
- Alternatives include excerpts from Animal Farm by George Orwell and short stories such as “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe, and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. 
- Teachers may substitute other texts to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.

- Maintain your focus on identifying the theme throughout the lesson. Examine students' comprehension by observing how they participate in class discussions.
- Give students the chance to gain more experience by asking them to recognize the themes in well-known fables or fairy tales. Ask them to explain how literary devices help to convey the theme in their response, using passages from the text as evidence.

Active Participation and Clear Instruction 
W: Show how to determine a fictional text's theme. 
H: Ask students to examine the main idea of a well-known tale, like an Aesop fable. 
E: Give students the chance to investigate and assess how people are inspired to act in both real-life and fictional works. Assist students in recognizing films and their motifs to reinforce the idea of the theme. 
R: Let students reevaluate their choices for the theme by having discussions in small groups. 
E: By ensuring that they have at least four relevant pieces of evidence to support the theme, encourage students to review their understanding and the veracity of the theme they have identified. 
T: Assign learning tasks according to the instructional reading levels of your students, and include extension activities for every level by offering resources for additional practice and more challenging materials to push your students' thinking to new heights. 
O: This lesson's learning exercises include large-group instruction and discussion, small-group inquiry, partner work, and individual application of the material. 

Focus Question: How does a story develop its theme?

Part 1

Say: "Analyzing a story is similar to working as a detective. You look for hints that will clarify the story's meaning or central theme for you. The theme can be developed through the use of figurative language, plot, characterization, and setting."

To introduce the theme, pick an Aesop fable, like "The Lion and the Mouse." After reading the tale aloud, have partners discuss the fable's main concept. Describe how the fable's moral serves as a guide for proper conduct for people. Students should be asked to identify the moral or theme and provide an explanation. (Examples: A kind act is never in vain. Unexpected outcomes can arise from actions. Show kindness to others, as you never know when you might need their assistance.) Talk about how the lion and mouse's words and deeds contribute to the theme's development and how personification is used to further the theme.

Part 2

Say, "We're going to read The Monkey's Paw, a short story. Look closely for hints that suggest a theme as you read." To find the theme, apply the think-pair-share method. First, assign students to think independently about the theme of the story. Next, have pairs of students present their ideas to the class.

"Now, write the theme you believe at the top of a piece of paper. List the story's hints that you used to determine the theme beneath the theme. Next, determine which literary device the clues point to." [Characterization is demonstrated, for instance, by the father's and the sergeant-major's interactions and dialogue. The setting contributes to the suspenseful atmosphere of the story. The approaching catastrophe is highlighted by imagery like the woman's "burning eyes" and the candle's "pulsating shadows."] "Go over the narrative and try to identify at least four distinct hints that reinforce the theme."

Once students have completed their work, evaluate their understanding using one of the following methods:

Ask small groups to compare their responses using cooperative learning. Students should be instructed to debate their responses and reach a consensus on potential themes using precise details from the narrative.
Talk about the themes the students came up with. Write the theme and any supporting hints on the board or interactive whiteboard.
If you would like to alter the theme search, you can suggest three possible themes to the students before they read, and they can then use the story's evidence to support or refute the themes. An example of a theme might be "Think before you wish."

"What are some ways writers hint at a theme?" you might ask. (Examples: dialogue, actions, mood swings.) "Many stories have a lesson or message about human behavior. What can we infer from the experiences of these characters? What lessons can we take away from "A Monkey's Paw" for our own lives and circumstances? In what ways do we resemble or differ from these characters? In their shoes, how would we have responded? That is the purpose of theme analysis in reading a story as readers. " Assist the students in realizing that the story is a "cautionary tale," illustrating what can occur when people disregard their moral compass or the repercussions of their actions.

Extension:

If students require more practice, consider having them brainstorm in small groups about a fairy tale like "Hansel and Gretel" or a movie like "Star Wars." Assist students in realizing how crucial characterization is to the overall plot.
When students are prepared to go beyond the basics, have them listen to a radio version of "The Monkey's Paw." Talk about whether seeing the story performed helps them understand it better or changes how they see the theme.