A theme is a central idea, subject, or message in a story. Many stories have more than one important theme. For this activity, students will identify and illustrate the themes in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Teachers may want the students to identify and illustrate 2 themes, one for each cell, or identify one theme, and show two examples of it, one example per cell.
Teachers may also increase the amount of themes they want students to illustrate as a way to differentiate.Sadako contracts leukemia when she is just two years old, as a result of war. Sadako’s story is almost like a plea for peace and anti-violence.
Sadako’s family is by her side throughout everything. They have a strong sense of togetherness, tradition, and respect.
Sadako continues to hope for recovery, even as she gets sicker and sicker. She continues to fold the cranes until she is physically unable to do so.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that identifies 2 recurring themes in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Student Instructions:
Introduce the concept of themes to students and simple words with the help of examples and ask them to identify some common themes present in the story. Students can look for central ideas that drive the narrative such as peace, hope, and optimism are some common central ideas present in the story and these ideas interact with the characters and the setting.
Peace and hope are two of the major themes present in the story. Despite being a victim of the bombing that occurred long ago, Sadako remained hopeful and made the readers realize everyone’s longing for peace. Students can discuss the importance of these themes generally in their lives as well as Sadako’s life and how it impacted the people around her.
Talk about the ways in which the concepts of the story are informed and reinforced by the post-World War II history of Japan. This can entail looking at the war's larger sociopolitical effects. Students can understand a bit more about themes after looking into the setting of the story and finding out more about the impact of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Examine how the experiences and development of certain characters affect the way the topics are developed. Think about how the themes are reflected and reinforced by Sadako's trip as well as the experiences of her family and friends.
Engage the students in group discussions to foster a collaborative learning environment. Students can discuss these topics generally and in the context of the story. They can take note of each other’s views and perspectives, and learn from each other’s personal experiences and stories.
The book's key themes include peace, resiliency, family and friendship, the effects of war, optimism, and the strength of perseverance. Students can reflect on these themes to gain a deeper understanding of the characters.
Sadako's passionate desire to fold a thousand paper cranes in an effort to bring about peace and healing is clear evidence of the subject of peace. The overall idea of the story also entails messages about the importance of peace in order to save many other lives like that of Sadako.