4.2 Strategy 1: Theme

A. Strategy 1: Theme

A mural is a visual story.  And just like a story, you can find a theme in a mural.  

B. Thinking about Theme

People paint murals when they want to share something they care about with the world. However, a mural is simply a large painting. Everything you want to say is in that ONE painting. Because murals are about something the artist cares about, they are usually about ONE topic or idea. 

You may have learned about theme before when discussing a story, but murals can also have a theme. The theme is the central idea of the story or mural.

The author doesn’t tell you the theme. They want you to figure it out. Muralists don’t tell you the theme either. They want you to look at their mural and figure it out. 

When you determine the theme, you also understand why the artist created the mural. You figure out the big idea they wanted to share. 

Here are some examples of themes:

Courage

Friendship

Fears

C. What's the Theme?

Click through the murals below, all painted by Eric.  Study the mural and try to think what the theme could be.  When you are ready, turn the card over to see a possible theme.  Note: There is no right or wrong answer; the given theme is just one possibility.

Mural 1

Honoring the fire department and its firefighters. This mural has pictures of firetrucks and firefighters, so we know it’s about the fire department. There are also images of firefighters. There is one large image of a firefighter in the middle. This makes it look like we’re talking about how important firefighters are. If possible, I think it would be great to put this explanation in audio so kids could listen to the answer.

Click Me

Maui Mural Na Wai eha

Native people in Hawaii have a local culture that's special to them and their families. This mural is about honoring people and nature living together as one.

When people see this image, they are meant to feel pride in their culture and in how they care for nature.

Click Me

D. Your Turn

Directions: Study this mural by Eric below.  After studying the mural, think about the following questions:

  • Why was this mural created?
  • What could be a possible theme?
  • What is the message you get from the mural?

Answer these questions in your mission log.  Just as in the activity above, there is no right or wrong answer!

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