Determining Themes of Stories, Dramas, or Poems Worksheets - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to figure out whether each paragraph is about the theme or a summary.

First, remember:
- A summary tells you *what happened* in the story — the main events, in order.
- The theme is the *big idea* or lesson — what the story is really about deep down (like friendship, courage, honesty).

Now let’s look at each paragraph one by one.

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Paragraph 1:
> “A group of friends went on a camping trip. They set up their tents, cooked dinner over a fire, and told scary stories. At night, they heard strange noises outside. In the morning, they found footprints near their campsite.”

This just lists what happened during the trip — setting up tents, cooking, hearing noises, finding footprints. It doesn’t say what it means or what lesson we learn. So this is a summary.

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Paragraph 2:
> “The author uses symbols like the dark forest and the broken compass to show how lost the characters feel. These symbols help us understand that sometimes people get confused about who they are or where they’re going in life.”

This talks about symbols and what they mean — being “lost” in life. That’s not just what happened; it’s about the deeper message. So this is about the theme.

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Paragraph 3:
> “Maggie didn’t want to go to the dance. She was afraid no one would talk to her. But when she got there, everyone was friendly. She even made new friends. By the end of the night, she realized she had been wrong to be so nervous.”

This tells us what Maggie did and how things turned out — she was scared, went anyway, had fun, learned something. But notice: it ends with her realizing she was wrong to be nervous. That’s a personal growth moment — which hints at theme. However, the whole thing is still mostly telling the sequence of events. Wait — actually, the last sentence shows a change in her thinking. Is that theme? Let’s compare.

Actually, this is still mostly summarizing what happened to Maggie. The realization is part of the plot. If it said, “This shows that fear can stop us from having great experiences,” THAT would be theme. But here, it’s still focused on Maggie’s experience. So I think this is a summary.

Wait — let me double-check. Some might argue the realization makes it thematic. But the question is: does it explain the big idea, or just tell what happened? Since it’s centered on Maggie’s specific story and outcome, not a general truth, it’s still a summary.

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Paragraph 4:
> “I read a book about a boy who moved to a new town. He missed his old friends and felt lonely. Then he joined the soccer team and met kids who liked him. Now he feels happy and belongs.”

Again, this is telling the story of the boy — moving, feeling lonely, joining soccer, making friends, feeling better. No mention of a bigger lesson like “belonging is important” or “trying new things helps you fit in.” Just what happened. So this is a summary.

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Paragraph 5:
> “It was hot and sunny at the lake. The kids played volleyball and swam. Later, they ate ice cream and laughed together. Everyone agreed it was the best day ever.”

Purely describing events and feelings during a day at the lake. No deeper meaning discussed. Definitely a summary.

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Wait — hold on! Did I miss any that could be theme?

Looking back:

Only Paragraph 2 clearly talks about symbols and what they represent about life — that’s theme.

All others are recounting events or outcomes without pulling out a universal message.

So final answers:

1. Summary
2. Theme
3. Summary
4. Summary
5. Summary

But wait — let me check Paragraph 3 again. It says: “she realized she had been wrong to be so nervous.” That’s a character learning something. Is that theme?

In some classrooms, if a character learns a lesson, that can point to theme. But strictly speaking, unless the paragraph explains the broader message (e.g., “This teaches us that facing fears leads to happiness”), it’s still summary.

Since the instruction is to decide if the paragraph is discussing theme OR summary, and only Paragraph 2 explicitly discusses symbolic meaning and its connection to human experience, I’ll stick with only #2 as theme.

Final Answer:
1. Summary
2. Theme
3. Summary
4. Summary
5. Summary