Introduction
Welcome! Today you will be taking part in an exciting Webquest designed to teach you about theme. You will be learning what theme is, how to identify theme in a story, and why theme is important. By the end, you should be able to identify the themes within your chosen book and create a visual representation of those themes. You will have the whole class period to do this, so get started and remember to enjoy the journey!
Task
For this Webquest, you will be learning about theme and how to identify theme in a novel. You will also be identifying the theme in the book you chose for this unit, creating an infographic on those themes, and sharing it with the class. This will count as part of your grade and will be included in the portfolio you hand in at the end of this unit.
Process
Task 1: Visit the following link and read to learn about what theme is and the steps to identifying theme within a literary work.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson800/theme.pdf
Task 2: Watch the following video on how to identify theme within a story:
Task 3: Log on to insertlearning.com and read/complete the article "What is Theme, and Why is it Important? - DIY MFA". If you need help remembering how to log on to Insert Learning/how to access the class, I can provide assistance. Direct access to the article can be found here: https://insertlearning.com/v1/share/r6kq4f02
Task 4: Visit easel.ly and create a free account. Then, watch this quick tutorial on how to create an infographic
Once you have watch the video, create a new visual and begin trying out different templates, tools, etc. to find what you need. You will be creating an infographic that serves as a visual representation of the themes in your book. For each theme you list, you must provide a quote from your book that depicts that theme. I have provided you with an example from Fahrenheit 451: https://www.easel.ly/infographic/456peg.
Once you are finished, upload your infographic as a new Google Doc on our Google Classroom page.
Evaluation
Your evaluation will consist of your completion of the Insert Learning article as well as the quality of your infographic (not artistic quality, don't worry). You will receive points if you have simply answered the questions in the article. As for the infographic, I have provided a rubric below that outlines how you will be evaluated.
| Mastery | Acceptable | Developing | Beginning | |
| Content |
Infographic contains at least four themes from student's book. Student has chosen a relevant quote for each theme. |
Infographic contains several themes from student's book but could contain more. Themes are accompanied by relevant quotes. | Infographic contains a few themes from student's book. Student has added somewhat relevant quotes for each theme. | Infographic contains only one or two themes from student's book. Quotes are either irrelevant or missing. |
| Appearance | Infographic is visually appealing, with a variety of colors, appropriate template, and pictures to go with each theme. | Infographic is visually appealing for the most part. Student uses colors and pictures to increase quality, but could use more work. | Student has chosen an appropriate template and uses some pictures to go along with themes. Still, much could be added to make more visually appealing. | Infographic is not visually appealing, student has not chosen an appropriate template, few or no images to go along with themes, and little to no use of color. |
| Mechanics | Grammar and syntax are clear throughout infographic. No spelling errors. Quotes are placed in proper format and are accompanied by page number. | Grammar and syntax are mostly clear throughout. Little to no spelling errors. Quotes are properly formatted and accompanied by page number. | Grammar and syntax are mostly unclear. Several spelling errors present. Quotes are properly formatted but not accompanied by page number. | Grammar and syntax are unclear. Many spelling errors are present. Quotes are not properly formatted and do not contain page numbers. |
Conclusion
After completing this Webquest, you should now have a better understanding of theme, why it is important, and how to identify it within a text. You should also be familiar with the themes in your book and can now keep track of these themes as you continue reading. And, if you ever need a reminder, you have your infographic to look to for help. Once you have added your infographic to our Google Classroom page, you may put away your laptop and continue reading your book.