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Arizona ELA Standard: 6.RL.2

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Main Idea and Details
Main Idea and Details
Young students can use this big idea organizer to identify the main idea and support it with details.
Gr 1-8
Identifying A Story’s Theme
Identifying A Story’s Theme
Teach your young students to identify the moral or the theme of a story.
Gr 1-8
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
Introducing Universal Theme of Conflict
So what could you do with a Universal Theme of Conflict? Well, here’s an introduction that will get your students’ brains sweating.
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Plant Adaptation Tournament
Plant Adaptation Tournament
Who will win in a tournament of eight plants with Interesting adaptations!?
Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)
Writing Sample: A Christmas Carol (Cold)
A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Add complexity by considering how multiple factors 🔄 Converge within one topic.
Gr 2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Depth and Complexity: ⚖️ Ethics
Depth and Complexity: ⚖️ Ethics
Want to add drama to any topic? Use the Ethics prompt!
Gr 2-8
Depth and Complexity: 🏛️ Big Idea
Depth and Complexity: 🏛️ Big Idea
Let’s get students thinking big and focusing on more abstract ideas.
Gr 1-8
Depth and Complexity: 🌻 Details
Depth and Complexity: 🌻 Details
Get kids focusing on the small, but essential, details of a topic.
Gr 1-8
Analyze Character Change with Depth and Complexity
Analyze Character Change with Depth and Complexity
Your students will use Depth and Complexity to note how a character’s main trait changes across a story.
Gr 1-8
Elements of The Fantasy Genre
Elements of The Fantasy Genre
Every fantasy story has patterns hiding underneath the magic. Once your students see the elements, they’ll spot them everywhere — and use them in their own writing.
Gr 1-8
Romeo and Juliet Summary
Romeo and Juliet Summary
Romeo and Juliet in just about five minutes.
Gr 1-8
“Much Ado About Nothing” Summary
“Much Ado About Nothing” Summary
Shakespeare’s Much Ado summarized in just five minutes!
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Twelfth Night Summary
Twelfth Night Summary
An animated summary of Shakespeare’s utterly ridiculous “Twelfth Night.”
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Hamlet Summary
Hamlet Summary
It’s Hamlet in just about five minutes!
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Nothing could possibly go wrong with a love potion on the loose!
Gr 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Writing Summaries in Haiku
Writing Summaries in Haiku
Let’s write a summary. A very short summary. With VERY strict rules.
Gr 1-8
Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes
Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes
A typical student narrative includes plot and characters but lacks a larger idea to hold it all together. This is where a lesson on themes comes in…
Gr 1-8