Finding Theme worksheet - Free Printable

Let’s go through the story step by step to answer each question.

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1) What problem did Sasha face in this story?

At the beginning of the school year, Sasha was unhappy because her reading partner, Jake, had been making fun of her glasses and blue shoes. She even asked her teacher to switch partners, but the teacher said no — they had to stay together for the whole unit. So Sasha felt stuck working with someone who was rude to her.

→ Answer: Sasha had to work with Jake as her reading partner, even though he had been mean to her.

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2) How did Sasha solve this problem?

Even though she was still upset, when Jake dropped all his books and looked embarrassed, Sasha chose to help him pick them up. She didn’t say anything mean — instead, she joked kindly about how heavy the books were. That small act of kindness changed everything. Jake thanked her, and they started getting along. By being kind despite his past behavior, Sasha turned a bad situation into a good one.

→ Answer: Sasha solved the problem by choosing to be kind and helpful to Jake, even after he had been rude to her.

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3) What is the theme of this story? Think about the lesson that Sasha learned.

The story shows that even if someone treats you badly at first, giving them a chance — especially by being kind — can lead to friendship and learning from each other. Sasha learned that judging someone too quickly or holding onto anger doesn’t help. Being open-minded and kind can change things for the better.

Also, remember from the top box: A theme is NOT just what happened in the story (that’s a summary). It’s the bigger life lesson — like “kindness can turn enemies into friends” or “don’t judge people too fast.”

→ Answer: The theme is that kindness and giving people a second chance can lead to unexpected friendships and mutual learning.

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4) Write about how you have noticed this theme in your own life.

This part is personal — so think of a time when someone wasn’t nice to you at first, but then you gave them a chance… or maybe you were the one who wasn’t nice, and someone else was kind to you anyway. Maybe it was on the playground, in class, or at camp. You could write something like:

> “Once, a new kid sat next to me at lunch and didn’t talk much. I thought he was weird. But later, I saw him drop his pencils, and I helped him pick them up. He smiled and started talking to me. Now we’re friends! I learned that being kind first can make a big difference.”

You don’t need to copy that — just use your own real experience.

→ Answer (example): I once had a classmate who ignored me during group projects. I felt left out. But when she forgot her notebook one day, I lent her mine. She thanked me and started including me more. Now we work well together. I learned that showing kindness can break down walls.

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Final Answer:

1) Sasha had to work with Jake as her reading partner, even though he had been mean to her.
2) Sasha solved the problem by choosing to be kind and helpful to Jake, even after he had been rude to her.
3) The theme is that kindness and giving people a second chance can lead to unexpected friendships and mutual learning.
4) [Personal response example:] I once had a classmate who ignored me during group projects. I felt left out. But when she forgot her notebook one day, I lent her mine. She thanked me and started including me more. Now we work well together. I learned that showing kindness can break down walls.