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 the themes in Sounder. Teachers may want the students to identify and illustrate twp themes, one for each cell, or identify one theme, and show two examples of it, one example per cell.
The dog’s name, Sounder, is the only name in the whole book. The family is identified as poor, but that is their only identity. To the family, Sounder is important, but to the world, the family is unimportant and has no identity.
Sounder is a fearless and loyal dog. One example of this is when he chases the wagon as his master is being taken away to jail.
The boy is forced to grow up fast when his father is taken away. He must help raise his younger siblings and take care of his family.
The boy is very courageous. He goes out to look for his father, and is even injured because of it. He also never gives up his dream of learning to read and write.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies 2 recurring themes in Sounder. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
Encourage students to brainstorm and share ideas about recurring themes in Sounder as a group. This builds background knowledge and helps all learners feel included.
Demonstrate how to spot a theme and connect it to a scene or character from the book. Use a short passage to show your thought process out loud, so students can follow your reasoning step by step.
Help students organize their ideas by setting up a simple storyboard template together. This gives them a clear structure for identifying themes and matching examples before moving on to drawing or digital work.
Support students' writing by offering sentence starters such as, "One theme in Sounder is..." or "This scene shows the theme of..." This scaffolding makes it easier for all students to write strong, clear explanations.
Create a positive classroom environment by inviting students to present their storyboards. Highlight a variety of themes and creative approaches to show that there are many ways to engage with literature.
Sounder explores key themes such as identity, loyalty, growing up, and courage. These themes highlight the family's struggles, the boy's development, and the dog's importance within the story.
To teach theme analysis for Sounder, have students identify two recurring themes, illustrate examples from the story, and write short descriptions explaining their choices. Using a storyboard format helps visualize and reinforce theme understanding.
An example of loyalty in Sounder is when the dog bravely chases the wagon as his master is taken to jail, showing his unwavering devotion to the family.
Identity is important in Sounder because the family and the dog struggle to be recognized and valued by the world. The dog's name, Sounder, stands out as the only name used, emphasizing their search for a sense of self.
Effective activities include creating storyboards, identifying and illustrating themes with examples from the text, and discussing how events and characters demonstrate key ideas such as courage or growing up.