Depicting Theme in Red Kayak

Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the story, and support their choices with details from the text.

An important theme is determination. Brady has incredible determination in searching for Ben and does not give up until he finds him.

Three pieces of evidence for this theme are:

1. “If that red kayak was out there, I wanted to be the one to find it.”
2. “Brady is freezing, but tells his mother, ‘I need to keep looking!’”
3. “I ignored the rain, the cold - everything - and just continued. Five compressions, another breath, a quick check to make sure the boat was headed in the right direction.”

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that identifies a theme in Red Kayak. Illustrate examples and write a short description below each cell.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Identify a theme in the story and write it on the row.
3. Find three examples of the theme in the text and describe one in each cell.
4. Illustrate each example with appropriate characters, scenes, and items.
5. Click "Save & Exit" when done.