A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate two of the themes in Ella Enchanted. Teachers may want the students to identify and illustrate two themes, one for each cell, or identify one theme and show two examples of it, one example per cell.
Ella’s selflessness is evident throughout the story. Perhaps her greatest act of selflessness is when she refuses Char’s marriage proposal in order to keep him safe, even though she loves him and wants to be his wife.
Although Ella is born into wealth and privilege, her gift of obedience causes her to lose control of her own actions. She does not have the power to make her own choices. Hattie abuses her power by tormenting and tricking Ella into doing things she doesn’t want to do.
Wealth and status is a major theme of the story. Her father lost all his money, and her new step family is obsessed with wealth and having nice things. Ella, on the other hand, doesn’t care about money, and it turns out that Char doesn’t either.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Ella Enchanted. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
Foster meaningful conversation by arranging students in small groups to discuss themes such as selflessness, power, and wealth. This format encourages active participation and helps students make personal connections to the story.
Give each student or pair a specific theme to focus on, such as selflessness, power, or wealth. Encourage them to find textual evidence and present their findings to the class, promoting ownership and teamwork.
Provide students with graphic organizers to visually map out multiple examples of a chosen theme from the book. This strategy helps learners see connections and organize their thoughts effectively.
Invite students to create illustrations or comics that depict moments from the story representing their assigned theme. This creative activity deepens comprehension and makes learning memorable.
Ella Enchanted explores several major themes, including selflessness, power, and wealth. The story highlights how Ella’s selflessness shapes her choices, the struggle for personal power, and differing attitudes toward money and status.
Students can identify themes by looking for key ideas that recur throughout the story, such as selflessness or power. They can then illustrate examples of these themes using scenes or characters and write short descriptions to explain their choices.
Selflessness is central because Ella often puts others' needs before her own. Her most notable act is refusing Char’s proposal to protect him, showing how caring for others guides her actions even when it’s difficult.
Ella’s magical obedience curse causes her to lose control over her own actions, highlighting the theme of power and its misuse. This struggle influences the plot and Ella's personal growth throughout the story.
Teachers can assign students to create storyboards that identify and illustrate themes, use text evidence to support their choices, and discuss how these themes relate to real life or other literature.