Fish in a Tree Themes

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 Fish in a Tree. 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.

Examples of Themes in Fish in a Tree

Identity

The three main characters in the story all have their own unique identity. Ally struggles with her learning disability and does not want it to become the only thing that people know her for. Keisha is one of the only African American kids in the class, and Albert is brainy and considered weird by the mean kids.

Self-Esteem

Ally struggles with her self-esteem throughout most of the novel, while Albert and Keisha seemingly have a great deal of confidence and don’t let things bother them.

Friendship

The theme of friendship is evident throughout the whole story. One example of the importance of friendship is when Albert fights the bullies who have hurt his friends.

Teaching

Ally acted out and constantly got into trouble until Mr. Daniels arrived and showed her that he cares and believes in her. She wanted to make him proud and truly respected him. Mr. Daniels saw Ally for who she was and gave her the confidence to succeed in life, and taught her that people learn in many different ways.

Due Date:

Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Fish in a Tree. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.

Student Instructions:

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Identify the themes from Fish in a Tree you wish to include and write them in the headings.
3. Create an image for an example that represents this theme using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
4. Write a short description of each of the examples.
5. Save and exit when you're done.