Additional themes are courage, loyalty, friendship, and family.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Choose a central theme from Diary of a Wimpy Kid that your class will focus on for discussion. Invite students to sit in a circle and share examples from the book that relate to this theme. This encourages active listening and helps everyone see multiple perspectives on the same idea.
Ask students to cite specific quotes or scenes from the book when discussing themes. This builds critical reading skills and helps students learn to back up their opinions with proof from the text.
Prompt students to share real-life experiences or feelings that relate to the book's theme. This makes the discussion more meaningful and shows how literature connects to their own lives.
Provide easy prompts like "I noticed..." or "This reminds me of..." to help all students join in. Sentence starters lower the barrier for participation, especially for shy or emerging readers.
Give each student a quick task to write or draw one thing they learned or felt during the discussion. Exit tickets are a simple way to assess understanding and encourage self-reflection.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid explores major themes like belonging, friendship, family, loyalty, and courage. These themes help students connect with the characters and understand important life lessons.
Have students identify recurring themes and support them with text evidence. Using storyboards, students can illustrate examples, write short descriptions, and discuss how these themes relate to their own lives.
Ask students to create a storyboard highlighting a theme, such as friendship or belonging, and include scenes from the book with brief descriptions. This visual approach encourages deeper understanding.
Understanding theme helps students grasp the central message or moral of the story, allowing them to apply its lessons to their own experiences and develop critical thinking skills.
Examples include Greg’s desire to fit in at school, his worries about image, and his attempts to get elected as Class Favorite. These moments show his struggle to find acceptance and feel like he belongs.