A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme, and often in folktales, the theme is tied to the lesson the audience will take away from the story. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate the main theme in Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters and support the theme with evidence from the text. The main theme of this story is that kindness is beautiful.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a one cell storyboard that identifies a recurring theme in Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. Illustrate an example and write a short description.
Student Instructions:
Create a large anchor chart displaying the story’s title and main theme. Display it in your classroom as a visual reminder. This helps students see how themes connect to story events and encourages repeated reference during discussions.
Read a passage aloud and pause to think aloud about how words or actions show the theme. Explain your reasoning so students learn to support theme ideas with evidence.
Divide students into small groups and assign each a section of the story. Ask them to find examples that illustrate the theme and share their findings. This builds teamwork and evidence-gathering skills.
Show images or short video clips of kind acts from everyday life. Discuss how these acts relate to the story’s theme. This makes the lesson relevant and memorable for students.
Invite students to perform or draw examples of kindness from their own lives. Display their work alongside references to the story’s theme. This reinforces the message and builds classroom community.
The main theme of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is that kindness is beautiful. The story shows that true beauty comes from being kind and considerate to others, rather than just outward appearance.
Students can identify a theme by looking for recurring ideas or lessons in the story. In Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, they should pay attention to characters’ actions and the consequences, especially moments where kindness makes a difference.
An easy activity is to have students create a one-cell storyboard that illustrates a theme from the story. They draw a scene showing the theme and write a short description explaining how the scene represents it.
Kindness is the central message because the story demonstrates that those who are kind are rewarded, while selfishness is not valued. This teaches students the importance of positive behavior and empathy.
Examples include Nyasha’s kind actions toward others, such as helping a hungry boy and being polite to everyone she meets. These actions lead to positive outcomes for her, reinforcing the theme that kindness is rewarded.