Unlocking the Theme: Exploring Morals with Aesop's Fables
Lesson Description
Video Resource
Fun Animation Showing How to Identify a Theme within a Story
McGraw Hill PreK-12
Key Concepts
- Theme Identification
- Moral of the Story
- Character Analysis
- Fable
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to define 'theme' in a literary text.
- Students will be able to identify the theme of 'The Monkey and The Dolphin' fable.
- Students will be able to explain how character actions and plot events contribute to the story's theme.
- Students will be able to engage in discussions about the themes of the story.
Educator Instructions
- Introduction (5 mins)
Begin by asking students if they have ever heard of Aesop's fables. Briefly explain what a fable is: a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral. Introduce the concept of 'theme' as the central idea or message of a story. - Video Viewing (5 mins)
Play the McGraw Hill PreK-12 video: 'Fun Animation Showing How to Identify a Theme within a Story'. Instruct students to pay attention to the plot, the characters' actions, and any potential lessons or morals presented in the story. - Discussion and Analysis (15 mins)
Facilitate a class discussion about the video and the fable. Prompt students with questions about the monkey's actions, the dolphin's reaction, and the different interpretations of the story's theme. Encourage students to explain their reasoning and support their answers with evidence from the video. Use the provided transcript. - Theme Exploration (10 mins)
Guide students in identifying the overarching theme of the fable. Discuss different potential themes and analyze how the story events support each one. Help students understand that a story can have multiple valid themes, but some interpretations may be stronger than others. Focus the class on understanding that lying creates even worse problems for yourself. - Wrap-up (5 mins)
Summarize the key points of the lesson. Review the definition of 'theme' and the process of identifying it in a story. Assign students to write a short paragraph explaining what they believe is the most appropriate theme of 'The Monkey and The Dolphin' and why.
Interactive Exercises
- Character Trait Matching
Create a worksheet with a list of character traits (e.g., honest, dishonest, helpful, angry) and ask students to match each trait to the character who best exemplifies it in the story. Have students provide evidence from the text. - Theme Brainstorm
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group to brainstorm potential themes for the fable. Have each group present their ideas and explain how the story events support their chosen themes.
Discussion Questions
- What was the monkey's initial intention in lying to the dolphin?
- How did the dolphin's actions change throughout the story, and why?
- What different interpretations of the story's theme did the characters in the video discuss?
- Do you think the dolphin was right to leave the monkey in the water? Explain your answer.
- Can a story have more than one theme? Why or why not?
Skills Developed
- Critical Thinking
- Theme Identification
- Collaborative Discussion
- Textual Analysis
- Summarization
Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1:
What is the central idea or message of a story called?
Correct Answer: Theme
Question 2:
In 'The Monkey and The Dolphin,' what did the monkey do that was dishonest?
Correct Answer: He lied about being from Athens.
Question 3:
What was the dolphin's initial reaction to the monkey?
Correct Answer: Helpfulness
Question 4:
Why did the dolphin change his mind about helping the monkey?
Correct Answer: The dolphin discovered the monkey had lied.
Question 5:
Which of the following could be a theme of 'The Monkey and The Dolphin'?
Correct Answer: Lying can lead to bad consequences.
Question 6:
What is a short story that teaches a lesson called?
Correct Answer: Fable
Question 7:
According to the passage, who wrote dozens of stories to teach lessons about life?
Correct Answer: Aesop
Question 8:
In 'The Monkey and The Dolphin,' what event caused the ship to be destroyed?
Correct Answer: A mighty storm
Question 9:
What did the dolphin ask the monkey?
Correct Answer: Are you from Athens?
Question 10:
What happened to the monkey at the end of the story?
Correct Answer: The monkey drowned.
Fill in the Blank Questions
Question 1:
The central message or lesson of a story is called the ________.
Correct Answer: theme
Question 2:
In the fable, the ________ lied to the dolphin about being from Athens.
Correct Answer: monkey
Question 3:
Aesop wrote many short stories called ________ that taught lessons about life.
Correct Answer: fables
Question 4:
The ________ was initially helpful to the monkey because he thought the monkey was a man.
Correct Answer: dolphin
Question 5:
One possible theme of the fable is that ________ can lead to negative consequences.
Correct Answer: lying
Question 6:
The sailor brought a ________ on his ship to keep him company.
Correct Answer: monkey
Question 7:
The ship was destroyed by a ________.
Correct Answer: storm
Question 8:
The monkey claimed to know ________, but he was actually lying.
Correct Answer: Perus
Question 9:
Because the monkey lied, the dolphin flipped the monkey off his ________.
Correct Answer: back
Question 10:
At the end of the story, the monkey ________.
Correct Answer: drowns
Educational Standards
Teaching Materials
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