A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme, and fairy tales often use the theme to help teach a lesson. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate the main theme in The Frog Prince and support the theme with evidence from the text. One theme is the importance of keeping a promise or sticking to your word.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a one cell storyboard that identifies a recurring theme in The Frog Prince. Illustrate an example and write a short description.
Student Instructions:
Encourage students to look beyond the obvious lesson by asking guiding questions about character actions and outcomes. This helps deepen comprehension and reveals how stories often have more than one message.
Display a large chart listing common fairy tale themes and examples from The Frog Prince. Refer to this chart during discussions to reinforce theme recognition and connect new texts.
Have students jot down evidence for their chosen theme, then discuss with a partner before sharing with the whole class. This strategy boosts confidence and builds critical thinking skills.
Ask students to quickly sketch a scene from The Frog Prince that illustrates their identified theme. Visual representation supports students who may struggle with writing and makes abstract ideas concrete.
Arrange students’ theme illustrations around the classroom and allow peers to walk around and leave positive sticky notes. This fosters a sense of community and highlights how stories can have multiple valid interpretations.
The main theme of The Frog Prince is the importance of keeping promises and staying true to your word. The story teaches that honoring commitments leads to positive outcomes and personal growth.
To teach the theme to 2nd or 3rd graders, have students identify the promise made in the story, discuss why it's important, and create drawings or storyboards that show the theme in action. Encourage them to connect the lesson to real-life situations.
A simple lesson plan includes: 1) reading The Frog Prince, 2) discussing the central theme, 3) identifying examples from the text, 4) having students illustrate the theme, and 5) writing a short description of their illustration.
Keeping your word is important in The Frog Prince because it shows integrity and respect for others. The princess learns that promises matter and that fulfilling them can lead to unexpected rewards.
Students can find themes like keeping promises, transformation through kindness, personal growth, and the idea that appearances can be deceiving in The Frog Prince.