Theme Worksheet 7 | Reading Activity - Free Printable

Here is the step-by-step solution to the theme worksheet problems.

Problem 1 Analysis:
1. Read the story: The narrator shows a new student named Curtis around the school. Curtis complains that everything is worse than his old school ("trophy case was at least twice as big," "pool looks kind of dirty"). He is constantly comparing and finding faults. Finally, the narrator tells him he can leave through the front door to go back to his old school.
2. Identify the lesson: Curtis is unhappy because he refuses to appreciate what he has right in front of him; he is too focused on what he thinks he lost. The narrator's final comment suggests that Curtis's attitude is a choice.
3. Formulate the Theme: The lesson is about appreciation. "Grass is always greener on the other side" or "Don't take what you have for granted."
4. Find the evidence: Curtis compares the trophy case, pool, and cafeteria to his old school and finds them lacking. He is ungrateful for the good things the current school has.

Problem 2 Analysis:
1. Read the story: Alan hates cleaning his room. To save time, he throws everything into his closet instead of putting it away. Later, he needs his baseball mitt to go play. He can't find it because the closet is a huge mess. He spends hours digging and makes the room messier, eventually missing the game.
2. Identify the lesson: Alan tried to take a shortcut to save time, but that shortcut actually cost him much more time in the end. He learned that doing a job right the first time is better.
3. Formulate the Theme: "There is no such thing as a free lunch" or "Shortcuts often lead to more work later." A simple theme is: "Procrastination and laziness can cause more problems than doing the work correctly in the first place."
4. Find the evidence: Alan thought his idea would "save a lot of time." However, when he needed the mitt, he "dug and dug," his room got "messier and messier," and he missed the game because he had to clean for "hours."

Problem 3 Analysis:
1. Read the story: Dan and Doug work together on a school paper. They are successful. Dan gets interviewed by a local paper but takes all the credit, ignoring Doug's help. Doug is upset.
2. Identify the lesson: Dan tried to take credit for a team effort. He was selfish. The story highlights the importance of acknowledging others' contributions.
3. Formulate the Theme: "Teamwork is important" or "Don't take credit for other people's work."
4. Find the evidence: Dan "spoke at length about all he had done" and "failed to mention Doug's involvement," even though Doug was "invaluable" and they worked "together."

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Final Answer:
1. What is the theme of the story?
The theme is that you should appreciate what you have instead of constantly comparing it to others.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?
Curtis refuses to be impressed by the school's good features, like the trophy case and swimming pool, because he constantly compares them to his old school. His ungrateful attitude leads the narrator to suggest he just leave and go back to where he thinks he belongs.

2. What is the theme of the story?
The theme is that taking shortcuts to avoid work often creates bigger problems later on.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?
Alan tried to save time by shoving his messy room into the closet, but later he couldn't find his baseball mitt in the pile. He ended up spending hours digging through the mess and missing his game, which proves his "shortcut" actually wasted more time.

3. What is the theme of the story?
The theme is that you should give credit to others when you work as a team, rather than taking all the glory for yourself.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?
Dan and Doug worked together to uncover a scandal, but during the interview, Dan only talked about his own writing and ignored Doug's help. This shows that Dan was selfish and failed to recognize the value of their teamwork.