Generated with Monsha

Save this resource to edit, expand, or export it, or create more resources for free.

Find the Theme Game: Determining Themes in Literature Grade 4 Reading Activity

Smart Worksheet
Grade 4
English

Find the Theme Game: Determining Themes in Literature Grade 4 Reading Activity

Teacher Directions: How to Play "Find the Theme"

Goal: Be the first player to reach the "Knowledge Kingdom" at the end of the path by correctly identifying the themes of mini-stories.
Players: 2–4 players
Materials Needed:
  • The printable game board
  • 30 Game Cards (cut out and shuffled)
  • One 6-sided die
  • Small tokens (coins, buttons, or small toys) for each player
Setup:
  1. Place the game board in the center of the group.
  1. Shuffle the Game Cards and place them face-down in a stack.
  1. Each player chooses a token and places it on the START cloud.
Gameplay:
  1. The youngest player goes first. Play continues clockwise.
  1. On your turn, draw the top card from the deck.
  1. Read the mini-story aloud to the group.
  1. Choose the correct theme from the four options provided.
  1. Self-Check: Look at the small text at the bottom of the card to see if you are correct.
  • If Correct: Roll the die and move your token forward that many spaces.
  • If Incorrect: Your token stays where it is. Your turn ends.
  1. Special Spaces:
  • Shortcuts: If you land on a space with a forward arrow, follow it to jump ahead!
  • Slide Backs: If you land on a space with a backward arrow, you must slide back to that space.
  1. The first player to land on or pass the FINISH space wins!

Activity 1: Know Your Board

Before you start the game, let's make sure you know the layout of the path. Label the parts of the game board below using the word bank provided.
fig 1: Game Board Labeling Activity
fig 1: Game Board Labeling Activity

Word Bank:
  • Start
  • Finish
  • Shortcut
  • Slide Back
  • Path Space
  1. _______________
  1. _______________
  1. _______________
  1. _______________
  1. _______________

Activity 2: The Official Game Board

Print this board and use it for your game!
fig 2: Find the Theme Winding Path Game Board
fig 2: Find the Theme Winding Path Game Board


Activity 3: Game Cards

Read each card carefully. Identify the theme to move forward!
Card 1
Leo found a ten-dollar bill on the playground floor. He saw it fall out of Mrs. Gable’s pocket just a moment before. He thought about the candy he could buy, but he knew Mrs. Gable worked hard. He ran to catch her and handed her the money. She smiled and thanked him for his truthfulness.
  1. What is the theme of Card 1? A. Kindness B. Teamwork C. Perseverance D. Honesty Answer: Honesty

Card 3
Sam didn't finish his math homework because he played video games all night. When his teacher asked for it, Sam claimed his dog chewed it up. However, he felt a heavy knot in his stomach all day long. Finally, at recess, Sam told the teacher the truth and asked for extra help instead.
  1. What is the theme of Card 3? A. Teamwork B. Courage C. Acceptance D. Honesty Answer: Honesty

Card 5
Jack saw his best friend, Mark, using a hidden cheat sheet during the board game championship. Jack knew that winning was important, but he also knew that following the rules was more important. Jack quietly told the referee about what he saw. Even though Mark was mad, Jack knew he had done the right thing.
  1. What is the theme of Card 5? A. Kindness B. Honesty C. Perseverance D. Teamwork Answer: Honesty

Card 7
Chloe struggled with long division for weeks. Every time she saw the numbers, she wanted to cry. Instead of giving up, she asked her big brother to practice with her every night before bed. After twenty nights of practice, Chloe finally got every single question right on her big Friday math test.
  1. What is the theme of Card 7? A. Perseverance B. Kindness C. Honesty D. Acceptance Answer: Perseverance

Card 9
Sarah was running the city's annual 5K race. By the fourth kilometer, her legs felt like lead and her lungs were burning. She saw other runners passing her, and she wanted to sit down on the grass. Instead, she focused on her breathing and kept taking one small step after another until she crossed the finish line.
  1. What is the theme of Card 9? A. Kindness B. Perseverance C. Teamwork D. Courage Answer: Perseverance

Card 11
A tiny ant found a large cracker crumb that was ten times its size. It tried to lift it alone but couldn't move it an inch. Soon, five other ants arrived. They positioned themselves around the crumb and lifted together. By working as a group, they carried the giant feast all the way back to the hill.
  1. What is the theme of Card 11? A. Honesty B. Courage C. Teamwork D. Acceptance Answer: Teamwork

Card 13
Class 4B was shocked by the amount of litter on the playground after the weekend. Instead of complaining, they divided into four groups. One group picked up plastic, one collected paper, and the others swept the blacktop. In just twenty minutes, the entire playground was sparkling clean because everyone did their part together.
  1. What is the theme of Card 13? A. Perseverance B. Teamwork C. Courage D. Kindness Answer: Teamwork

Card 15
Building the neighborhood treehouse was a huge job. Mr. Henderson showed the kids how to measure, but it took three people to hold the heavy wooden boards in place while someone else hammered the nails. By coordinating their movements and helping each other stay steady, the kids finished their new clubhouse before the sun went down.
  1. What is the theme of Card 15? A. Courage B. Teamwork C. Acceptance D. Honesty Answer: Teamwork

Card 17
Lily noticed a new student named Omar sitting alone at a lunch table. He looked down at his tray and didn't speak to anyone. Lily remembered how scary her first day was. She grabbed her apple and sat down across from him. She introduced herself and told him a funny joke, making him feel welcome.
  1. What is the theme of Card 17? A. Courage B. Honesty C. Kindness D. Perseverance Answer: Kindness

Card 19
Maria saw that her friend Jamie had forgotten her lunch bag at home. Jamie looked sad while everyone else was eating. Maria didn't have much, but she split her turkey sandwich in half and gave Jamie her bag of pretzels. Seeing Jamie smile made Maria feel much happier than if she had eaten the whole lunch herself.
  1. What is the theme of Card 19? A. Honesty B. Acceptance C. Kindness D. Teamwork Answer: Kindness

Card 21
Liam saw a group of older boys teasing a first-grader because of his glasses. Liam’s heart hammered against his ribs and his hands shook. He was much smaller than the older boys, but he walked right up to them. "Leave him alone," Liam said firmly. The older boys were so surprised that they walked away.
  1. What is the theme of Card 21? A. Honesty B. Perseverance C. Teamwork D. Courage Answer: Courage

Card 23
Kai was chosen to read his poem in front of the entire school during the assembly. He had a stutter when he got nervous, and he was terrified people would laugh. As he stood at the microphone, he took a deep breath and looked at his teacher. He read every word clearly, facing his biggest fear.
  1. What is the theme of Card 23? A. Kindness B. Acceptance C. Courage D. Perseverance Answer: Courage

Card 25
Rose was at a dinner party where they served a dish called 'Escargot.' She had never seen snails served as food before, and they looked very strange and slimy. Her friends were hesitant to try them. Rose decided to be the first. She took a bite and discovered that she actually liked the garlic butter flavor!
  1. What is the theme of Card 25? A. Courage B. Kindness C. Honesty D. Teamwork Answer: Courage

Card 27
In the great oak forest, a group of blue jays lived in the highest branches. One day, a bright red cardinal flew into their territory. At first, the blue jays chirped loudly to drive him away. But soon, they realized the cardinal knew where the best seeds were. They stopped fighting and allowed him to stay.
  1. What is the theme of Card 27? A. Perseverance B. Acceptance C. Honesty D. Teamwork Answer: Acceptance

Card 29
The town of Riverside held a festival to celebrate the ten different languages spoken by its residents. Instead of sticking to their own groups, people moved from booth to booth, trying new foods and learning basic phrases. They realized that their differences made the town a much more interesting and beautiful place to live in.
  1. What is the theme of Card 29? A. Acceptance B. Kindness C. Courage D. Honesty Answer: Acceptance
Card 2
Maya accidentally knocked over a beautiful glass vase while reaching for a book. It shattered into a hundred pieces. When her mother walked into the room and asked what happened, Maya’s heart raced. She looked at the floor and then at her mom. "I did it, Mom. I was being clumsy," she said quietly.
  1. What is the theme of Card 2? A. Courage B. Kindness C. Honesty D. Perseverance Answer: Honesty

Card 4
Elena walked by the teacher’s desk and saw the answer key for tomorrow’s science test lying in plain sight. She knew she had been struggling with the unit and could easily memorize the answers. Instead of looking closer, Elena quickly covered the paper with a book and told her teacher that the key was visible.
  1. What is the theme of Card 4? A. Perseverance B. Honesty C. Teamwork D. Acceptance Answer: Honesty

Card 6
Tim received a new bicycle for his birthday. He was excited but terrified. Every time he tried to peddle without his father holding the seat, he tumbled into the grass. He scraped his knee and bruised his elbow, but each time he wiped his tears and climbed back on. By sunset, he was riding alone.
  1. What is the theme of Card 6? A. Kindness B. Perseverance C. Honesty D. Acceptance Answer: Perseverance

Card 8
A tiny green sprout began to grow through a narrow crack in the concrete sidewalk. Every day, people stepped over it, and the hot sun beat down on its leaves. It didn't have much soil or water, but it pushed its roots deeper and deeper into the dirt until it finally bloomed into a yellow flower.
  1. What is the theme of Card 8? A. Teamwork B. Courage C. Perseverance D. Acceptance Answer: Perseverance

Card 10
David spent all Saturday afternoon trying to fix his broken remote-controlled robot. He took out the screws, checked the wires, and replaced the batteries three times. He was frustrated and wanted to throw the toy in the trash. He took a break, came back, and finally found the loose wire that fixed it.
  1. What is the theme of Card 10? A. Perseverance B. Honesty C. Courage D. Kindness Answer: Perseverance

Card 12
The Wildcats basketball team was losing by ten points. During the timeout, the coach told them to stop trying to be stars and start passing the ball. In the second half, every player shared the ball and looked for the open teammate. Because they played as a unit, they made a comeback and won.
  1. What is the theme of Card 12? A. Teamwork B. Honesty C. Acceptance D. Perseverance Answer: Teamwork

Card 14
The school orchestra was preparing for the winter concert. The violins were too loud, and the flutes were too fast. The conductor stopped them and said, "You must listen to each other." They began to pay attention to the tempo of the drums and the melody of the cellos. Together, they created a beautiful harmony.
  1. What is the theme of Card 14? A. Courage B. Acceptance C. Teamwork D. Kindness Answer: Teamwork

Card 16
Ben was walking home from school when it started to pour rain. He saw his classmate, Sarah, standing under a tree without a jacket. Ben only had one small umbrella, but he walked over and held it over both of them. He walked Sarah all the way to her house, getting his own shoulder wet.
  1. What is the theme of Card 16? A. Honesty B. Courage C. Perseverance D. Kindness Answer: Kindness

Card 18
An elderly man was struggling to carry three heavy bags of groceries up the stairs to his apartment. Toby was playing outside and saw the man stop to rest. Toby ran over and asked if he could help. Toby carried two of the bags all the way to the man's door and refused any reward.
  1. What is the theme of Card 18? A. Teamwork B. Kindness C. Honesty D. Acceptance Answer: Kindness

Card 20
Mr. Miller spent every Saturday morning planting bright red tulips and yellow daisies in the empty dirt patch at the corner of the street. He didn't own the land, and he didn't ask for money. He just wanted the neighbors to have something beautiful to see when they walked to the bus stop.
  1. What is the theme of Card 20? A. Kindness B. Honesty C. Perseverance D. Courage Answer: Kindness

Card 22
Sofia was incredibly afraid of heights. Even standing on a chair made her dizzy. One afternoon, she saw her neighbor's kitten stuck on a high tree branch, meowing piteously. Sofia's heart raced, but she grabbed the ladder. With trembling hands, she climbed up step by step until she could reach the frightened kitty.
  1. What is the theme of Card 22? A. Honesty B. Teamwork C. Acceptance D. Courage Answer: Courage

Card 24
The young firefighter heard a faint whimper coming from the back of the smoke-filled house. The heat was intense, and the visibility was nearly zero. He knew his team was right behind him, but he crawled forward alone to find the source of the sound. He found a puppy and carried it safely outside.
  1. What is the theme of Card 24? A. Kindness B. Courage C. Honesty D. Perseverance Answer: Courage

Card 26
When a new student named Wei joined the class from China, he didn't speak much English. Some kids whispered about his different lunch and the way he dressed. However, a group of students invited him to play soccer. They learned that even though they spoke different languages, they all loved to score goals together.
  1. What is the theme of Card 26? A. Perseverance B. Courage C. Honesty D. Acceptance Answer: Acceptance

Card 28
Jenny noticed that many kids in her grade made fun of Arthur because he liked to collect rocks and read about geology instead of playing sports. Jenny decided to sit with Arthur and ask him about his collection. She realized that Arthur was brilliant and that having different hobbies was actually very cool.
  1. What is the theme of Card 28? A. Teamwork B. Honesty C. Acceptance D. Kindness Answer: Acceptance

Card 30
Mark was frustrated because he was the slowest reader in his group. He felt like he didn't belong. His teacher pulled him aside and showed him how talented he was at drawing and building. Mark realized that everyone has different strengths, and being different is what makes a classroom work well together.
  1. What is the theme of Card 30? A. Courage B. Perseverance C. Acceptance D. Honesty Answer: Acceptance