Finding the Theme | Worksheet - Free Printable

Let’s go through each question one by one, using the story “An Unlikely Friend” to find the answers.

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Question 1: What problem did Jake face in this story?

Looking at the story:
- Jake is new and doesn’t know anyone.
- He feels lonely and nervous.
- He’s scared to eat lunch alone.
- He’s worried about being laughed at or ignored.

So the main problem is that Jake is new, feels lonely, and doesn’t know how to make friends — especially since he’s different (he likes science and math, not sports).

✔ Answer: Jake was new, felt lonely, and didn’t know how to make friends.

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Question 2: How did Jake solve the problem?

From the story:
- Jake saw someone drop their books.
- He helped pick them up.
- The person thanked him and introduced himself as Tyler.
- They talked about school, and Tyler invited Jake to sit with him at lunch.
- Jake realized helping others can lead to friendship.

So Jake solved his problem by being kind and helpful — he helped Tyler, which started a friendship.

✔ Answer: Jake helped Tyler pick up his books, which led to them becoming friends.

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Question 3: Which of the following best captures the main lesson or theme of the story?

Options:
A. Being afraid can get you in trouble.
B. People often know things teachers omit.
C. Never trust someone you don’t know well.
D. Small acts from the heart helped you determine the theme. ← This seems like a typo or misprint. Probably meant: “Small acts of kindness can lead to friendship.”

But looking at the actual story — Jake helped Tyler, and that small act changed everything. So the theme is about kindness leading to friendship.

Option D is worded strangely, but if we interpret it as “small kind acts matter,” then it fits.

Actually, re-reading option D: “Small acts from the heart helped you determine the theme.” That doesn’t make sense as a theme statement. It sounds like an instruction, not a theme.

Wait — maybe it’s a trick. Let’s look again:

The real theme is: Kindness opens doors to friendship.

None of the options say that exactly… but let’s see:

A — No, fear didn’t get him in trouble.
B — Not relevant.
C — Opposite! He trusted Tyler and it worked out.
D — If we ignore the weird wording and think “small acts from the heart” = kindness, then yes — that’s what happened.

Actually, I think there’s a typo in option D. It should probably say: “Small acts of kindness can lead to friendship.”

Given the choices, D is the only one that even hints at the right idea, even if poorly worded.

✔ Answer: D (assuming it means small kind acts lead to good outcomes)

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Question 4: What details from the text helped you determine the theme?

We need to point to specific parts of the story that show the theme.

Examples:
- “Jake’s stomach knotted as he thought about eating with Jake.” → Shows his loneliness.
- “He bent down to help pick up the books.” → Shows his kindness.
- “Tyler smiled and said, ‘Thanks.’” → Shows the positive reaction.
- “No worries, man,” Tyler said, and a half smile lit up his face. → Shows connection forming.
- “Jake couldn’t help but feel good after that.” → Shows emotional reward.
- “He realized he was learning a lot from Tyler.” → Shows growth through friendship.

These details show that being kind led to friendship and happiness — which is the theme.

✔ Answer: Details like Jake helping Tyler, Tyler smiling and thanking him, and Jake feeling good afterward show that kindness leads to friendship.

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Final Answer:
1. Jake was new, felt lonely, and didn’t know how to make friends.
2. Jake helped Tyler pick up his books, which led to them becoming friends.
3. D
4. Details like Jake helping Tyler, Tyler smiling and thanking him, and Jake feeling good afterward show that kindness leads to friendship.