Several themes are present in the story. Students can pick a theme to explore and should support their choice with specific details or events from the text. One prominent theme is "bravery". To rescue the dragon, Elmer has to be brave, and throughout the story he shows many ways that he acted this way.
Example 1
A fisherman, shaking while talking, tells Elmer that people have tried to explore Wild Island but never returned. Elmer is brave because he did not let this bother him, and he kept on his journey to the dragon.
Example 2
Elmer gets surrounded by seven tigers. He is not scared, instead he uses his quick thinking and gives the tigers 'special' chewing gum. This distracts the tigers so Elmer can escape.
Other themes that can be examined are: cleverness, resourcefulness, and heroism.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies themes in My Father's Dragon. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.