In this activity, students will select a theme and support the theme with evidence from the text. One of the themes that is clearly depicted in Stuart Little is acceptance. Stuart is born a mouse into a human family; his family not only accepts him, but embraces him and treats him as one of their own. Students can use a grid format to depict the text evidence that supports a theme of their choice.
Possible themes for Stuart Little:
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Stuart Little. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Engage students in a group conversation by inviting them to share examples of themes they found in Stuart Little. Encourage respectful listening and prompt students to explain why their evidence supports their chosen theme. This promotes critical thinking and helps students learn from one another’s perspectives.
Have students brainstorm possible themes as a class, then vote or discuss until the group agrees on one or two strong options. This builds consensus and encourages participation from all students.
Read a short passage aloud and demonstrate how to highlight or note parts that support a specific theme. Explain your thinking aloud so students can see the process in action.
Prompt students to explain why they believe their chosen text evidence supports the theme. This deepens understanding and helps students make connections between the story and the theme.
Invite students to share something new they learned or how their view of the theme changed after hearing classmates’ ideas. Reflection reinforces learning and builds classroom community.
Stuart Little explores key themes such as acceptance, friendship, and adventure. These themes are shown through Stuart’s experiences as a mouse born into a human family, his close relationships, and his exciting journeys.
Students can identify themes in Stuart Little by looking for repeated ideas or messages in the story. Using a grid or storyboard, they can match text evidence to each theme and write short descriptions to support their choices.
An example of acceptance in Stuart Little is how Stuart’s human family loves and treats him as one of their own, despite his being a mouse. This acceptance is a central message in the book.
A quick classroom activity is to have students create a storyboard. They choose a theme, illustrate examples from the book, and write short descriptions explaining how each scene supports the chosen theme.
Teaching themes helps students develop reading comprehension by encouraging them to find deeper meanings in stories. It also promotes critical thinking and helps students connect stories to real-life situations.