Substitute Guide: Theme and Character in a Short Story
Learning goal (plain language)
Students read a short original story, "The Last Row," and figure out its theme (the big idea or lesson), track how the main character changes from beginning to end, and notice how the writer's word choices shape meaning. They finish by writing a short response that states a theme and backs it with two pieces of text evidence. You do not need an English or reading background to run this. Everything students need — including the whole story — is printed in their packet, and every question can be answered directly from that story.
Standards alignment
Framework: 19 TAC §110.23 (Grade 7 English Language Arts and Reading).
- Theme: analyze how a theme or central idea is developed across a literary text.
- Character: analyze how a character's qualities and responses change and shape the plot.
- Author's craft: analyze how word choice and structure contribute to meaning and tone.
Provisional — pending educator verification against the current official TAC source.
(Standards are paraphrased here, not quoted. Please confirm codes and wording against your official source.)
Setup Before class (5 min)
- Count and hand out one student packet per student.
- Confirm each student has a pencil. No devices or other materials are needed.
- Write the date on the board and remind students to fill in the name line.
- Keep the answer key with you — it is a separate file and is not in the student packet.
Materials What's needed
- Printed student packet (4–6 pages) per student.
- Pencil per student.
- This guide and the separate answer key (teacher only).
- No technology, no calculator, no special materials.
Timing Suggested pacing (~45–60 min)
| Segment | Time | What students do |
|---|---|---|
| Start — Notice & Predict | 5 min | Q1–Q2 warm-up |
| Build — Read the story | 10 min | Read "The Last Row," word bank; Q3 |
| Apply — Read closely | 20 min | Q4–Q8 (comprehension, inference, character change, craft, evidence) |
| Explain — Theme response | 5–10 min | Q9 theme + two pieces of evidence |
| Close — ACE | 5 min | Articulate / Connect / Extend |
| Continue — early finishers | optional ~15 min | Rewrite the ending to change the theme |
Script Read aloud to start
"Today's assignment is a reading and writing activity called Theme and Character in a Short Story. You will work by yourself with just a pencil — no computers. First read the short story called The Last Row. Every question can be answered from the story, so if you're unsure, go back and reread. Answer the questions in order; if one is tricky, skip it and come back. Write in complete sentences where it asks you to explain. You may quietly read the story aloud to yourself. Put your name, class period, and date at the top now. You have about 45 minutes; raise your hand if you need a word read to you or explained."
Support When students ask for help
- You may read any part aloud — the story or any question — to a student or the class.
- If they are stuck, point them to the paragraph numbers [1]–[6]; every answer is in the story.
- Remind them a theme is a full sentence about life (a lesson), not a single topic word — the packet gives an example.
- Encourage the printed sentence stems and the word bank for Q9 and ACE.
- Do not give answers; prompt with "Which paragraph shows that?" or "How is Maya different at the end?"
- It is fine if a student cannot finish the optional early-finisher task.
Access Accommodations & language support
- Read-aloud of the story or any question is allowed for all students.
- Point students to the sentence stems and the word bank (definitions provided).
- Extended time is fine; the core can stop after Q9 if time runs short.
- Students may answer in phrases if writing full sentences is a barrier, as long as the idea is clear.
- The packet is grayscale-safe — it prints and reads clearly in black and white.
Tools Allowed & not allowed
Allowed: pencil, the printed packet, quiet self-read-aloud. Not needed / not allowed: phones, computers, outside sources (everything is in the story).
Teacher follow-up (for the returning teacher)
Watch for the common mix-ups of summary vs. theme (retelling the plot instead of stating a lesson) and topic vs. theme (writing "courage" instead of a full sentence about courage). A quick next-day mini-lesson turning topic words into theme sentences would reinforce this well. The character-change chart (Q6) and the evidence item (Q8) quickly show who can locate and use text evidence; the Q9 responses show who can state a defensible theme and support it.