R9.1 Oral Presentation Exercise: Discuss General and Specific Themes of Current Title
Literary Core Skill:
Rhetoric Level 9: Defend thematic interpretations of various titles in oral discussion.
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Elements of Fiction:
Assignment Type:
Description:
On this worksheet, teachers grade and record student presentations discussing the themes of the current story.
“Thematic” interpretation refers to a student’s explanation of the story’s main ideas that is based solely on the evidence of the story itself.
The “general theme” of a story is the universal idea, topic, or question that the story addresses; the subject toward which the author wishes to turn the conversation. It is distinct from the “specific theme” of a story, which is the case, point, or argument that the author is making about that topic.
Grading Rubric:
Equal parts credit for a) plausibility of interpretation and b) quality of oral presentation (poise, diction, etc.).