Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Ministry of Basic, Higher & Technical Education

DIVISION OF LANAO DEL SUR 1
Module Code: LDS-ENG11/12-CNF-Q1-W1-D1

MODULE IN CREATIVE NONFICTION

First Quarter/ Week 1 Day 1

Name:___________________________________________Grade/Strand:___________________
Name of Teacher: ________________________________Date: _____________________

ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOME: Explain the theme and techniques used in a

particular text HUMSS_CNF11/12_Ia-3

LITERARY ELEMENTS AS TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP THEMES

Your lesson for today:

1) Explain the theme of a particular text
2) Identify other literary elements used to develop the theme of a story
Try to Discover:

Let’s try to recall first all the elements of a story that you learned in 21 st century
Literature from the Philippines and the World and in Creative Writing. Look for 10 elements
in this Word Search by listing them down.

1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
 5. ____________________________
6. ____________________________
7. ____________________________
8. ____________________________

Now that you have recalled the Elements, for today’s lesson, the focus is on THEME.
WHAT IS THEME?
1) Theme is the central idea of a story.
2) It sums up what the story shows us about the human condition.
3) It is not a moral.
4) It is stated in a complete statement, with a subject and predicate.

All stories have theme. It is the insights in to the human conditions

and experiences that the author wants us to get. Is it about love
conquers all? Is it about the love-hate relationship of a mother-
daughter? Is it about good versus evil? As we read, the Theme will slowly unfold itself so
don’t be overwhelmed by it. But remember that the theme is NOT DIRECTLY STATED in
the story. You as the reader will be the one to state it.

Remember the other elements like character, setting, plot, motif, point of view?
They all help in developing the theme of a story. The author uses all these other elements to
tie up all these in to one central theme. If you understand your PLOT, the parts your
CHARACTERS, especially the Protagonist and the Antagonist, play in the story, and the
effects of the plot will have on the characters’ lives, you will find the meaning of the story,
hence, identify the theme.
Let’s focus on one element and technique in developing the theme of a particular story.
Characterization and how it helps you in understanding the theme. In characterization, the
writer gives us clear picture of who the characters are. How the characters respond to the
situations(CONFLICT) in the story gives us clues as to what the theme is.

In dynamic characters (characters that go through changes in the story), how the
characters respond to the changes, whether positive or negative will already help the reader
get the theme. For example, in the story, John is a bully at the beginning of the story, but at
the end he is kind and caring because Joshua showed him concern and love. What could be the
theme of this story? You are right. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Other examples of theme.
Crime pays. Honesty is the best policy. Love conquers all. Home is where the heart is. People
with nothing to lose is dangerous.

Here are 3 simple Steps to help you find identify the story’s Theme.
Ask these questions:
1. What is the story about?
This is the plot of your story.
Ex. The story is about girl who finds love in an unexpected and unusual way.
2. What is the meaning behind the story?
This is usually an abstract result of the actions of the character
3. What is the lesson?
This is a statement about the human condition.
Integrated the Development of the Following Learning Skills:
Communication Character Critical Thinking
a. Following instructions/directions. a. resourcefulness a. analyzing statements

Are you ready now for some activities that will help you identify the theme
and of course you need to explain how the other elements in the story
helped you in identifying the theme.
Just a reminder, READ the text carefully and just enjoy the story.

Practice Exercise 1:
IDENTIFYING THE THEME
Directions: Determine what the theme is for each story and explain your answer.

Remember, theme is a lesson or message in the story. Write in complete sentences.

1. Katie Clean Invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie
Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and
Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the
doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean’s white bedspread
without asking, and Messy Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the
bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy’s sloppy behavior, but
then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended
that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the
teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed
Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she
spilled grape soda all over her assignment.
What is the theme of the story? _____________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? __________________________

2. Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything
handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a
basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private
 game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark’s bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he
wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every
Saturday at the family’s private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the
time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a
bunch of possessions that he didn’t appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new
or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness.
Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each
other. Penny Petal appreciated everything she got. When she was six, her father walked
her around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the
crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she could see a real
game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the buckets. She was an extremely
talented musician, a natural percussionist, and everyone on the block loved the rhythms
that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful
businesswoman. Now she had everything that she had ever dreamed of and she truly
loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family who supported her through all of
the hard times.
What is the theme of the story? ______________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? __________________________

3. Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton’s reading class. Mr. Morton
wasn’t too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his
homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton’s reading
assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand,
completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to
stay up a little later, but she didn’t want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work
late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep “C” average for
the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter
came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle
amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy’s mother, and she grounded Sammy
until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up
until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn’t complete all of the assignments. The whole
while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at
night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter,
Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a “C” minus in reading while Tammy earned an
“A.” Sammy still hasn’t learned his lesson and probably won’t complete this activity
either.
What is the theme of the story? _____________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? _________________________

4. Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr.
Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog
was watching him eat. “Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I’ll let you
have the next bone I find.” Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the
 last three slices of pizza. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dog,” Mr. Pig said, “but I paid for this pizza and
it’s all mine.” Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the
animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig
normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large
meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that
night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and
began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and
marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate.
What is the theme of the story?
_____________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?
________________________

Integrated the Development of the Following Learning Skills:

Communication Character Critical Thinking
a. Following instructions/directions. a. Self-direction a.Analyzing the text
Practice Exercise 2
Recall a story that you have just recently read or a story that was discussed in
your Literature classes even in junior high. Try following the 3 Easy guide questions in
identifying theme. Make sure you write the theme in COMPLETE SENTENCE.

Evaluation:
Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer
1. When determining a theme, the reader should first consider
a. The illustrations
b. The subject or topic
c. The title
d. The length of the story
2. A theme should be a statement, not a word.
a. TRUE b. FALSE
3.The best definition of theme is:
a.the lesson the author is teaching
b.the message the author is Sending
c.a word that summarizes the story
d. the character’s main problem

4.Which of the following is an example of a theme

a. carry your laptops with both hands at all times
b.cereal is the best food you can eat
c.you can severely hurt yourself by over exercising
d.life is short; make the most of it.
 5. What is the central theme of this poem?
a.nature and man
b.innocence cannot last
c.sunsets and sunrises are beautiful
Nature’s first green is gold
d. nature and beauty
Her hardest hue to hold,
Her early leaf’s a flower
But only so an hour
Then leaf subsides to leaf
So eden sank to grief
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay

Integrated the Development of the Following Learning Skills:

Communication Character Critical Thinking
a. Following instructions/directions. a. Insightfulness a. Analyzing the questions

References:online
www.paterson.k12nj.us
www.readwritethink.org Book: Writing Creative Nonfiction Edited by Carolyn Forche