New
New
Year 4

Exploring themes in 'Arthur and the Golden Rope'

I can identify and justify the key themes in ‘Arthur and the Golden Rope’.

New
New
Year 4

Exploring themes in 'Arthur and the Golden Rope'

I can identify and justify the key themes in ‘Arthur and the Golden Rope’.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The themes of 'Arthur and the Golden Rope' include resilience, heroism, collaboration and courage.
  2. A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.
  3. Texts often have a theme, or big idea, which is repeated through the story.
  4. Readers can interpret their own big idea or message from a narrative.
  5. Different readers may interpret a text in different ways.

Keywords

  • Theme - A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.

  • Recurring - Recurring means something that appears repeatedly.

  • Convey - To convey means to communicate a message to the reader directly or indirectly.

  • Analyse - To analyse something means to examine it in detail in order to understand it.

  • Justify - To justify means to show or prove something using evidence.

Common misconception

Pupils might think that a text only has one theme or main idea.

Texts often contain multiple layers of meaning and can address various themes simultaneously. They will be personal to each reader.

Pupils might benefit from having a sequence of images reflecting the narrative, to support discussion of themes.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a hero?
Correct answer: a protagonist with noble qualities, often helping others
someone who is famous
someone with superpowers
Q2.
Which of the following are characteristics traditionally associated with a hero?
They are cowardly, refusing to confront adversity.
Correct answer: They go through some transformation or personal growth during the narrative.
They are lazy and have a lack of motivation.
Correct answer: They usually come from humble beginnings.
Q3.
What is characterisation?
how an author and illustrator draw the characters
Correct answer: how a character's personalities and traits are described and developed
how the characters talk
Q4.
Which character traits does Arthur show in 'Arthur and the Golden Rope'?
Correct answer: bravery
Correct answer: intelligence
physical strength
silliness
Correct answer: caution
Q5.
True or False? In ‘Arthur and the Golden Rope’, there are several characters who might fit the role of a hero.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q6.
True or False? All heroes in stories have the same characteristics.
Correct Answer: False, false

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a theme?
the title of a story
Correct answer: a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story
retelling the story
Q2.
Match the keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:convey ,to communicate a message to the reader directly/indirectly

to communicate a message to the reader directly/indirectly

Correct Answer:analyse ,to examine something in detail in order to understand it

to examine something in detail in order to understand it

Correct Answer:justify ,to show or prove something using evidence

to show or prove something using evidence

Q3.
Match the character to the actions they portray in the final section of the text.
Correct Answer:Arthur,beams full of pride

beams full of pride

Correct Answer:Atrix,reads the journal full of adventures and creatures

reads the journal full of adventures and creatures

Correct Answer:Thor,casts a bolt of lightning which reignites the great fire

casts a bolt of lightning which reignites the great fire

Correct Answer:Fenrir,tied up with the golden rope

tied up with the golden rope

Q4.
True or False? Themes are explicitly stated in the text.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q5.
Select all the themes which appear in 'Arthur and the Golden Rope'.
Correct answer: heroism
Correct answer: resilience
technology
Correct answer: courage
food
Q6.
Match the theme from 'Arthur and the Golden Rope' to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:collaboration,working together for a common goal

working together for a common goal

Correct Answer:determination,perseverance in the face of challenges

perseverance in the face of challenges

Correct Answer:mentoring,fostering growth in character

fostering growth in character