Character Traits
Instead of getting started on his work right away, Joey stares out the window, drops his pencil on the floor, and asks his friend to pick it up.
What kind of person is Joey?
Lazy
Which of the following phrases is an idiom?
a) Cool as a cucumber
b) Break the Ice
c) Busy as a bee
d) Eats like a pig
b) Break the Ice
________ go at the beginning of the word and ________ go at the end of the word.
Word bank: affix, prefix, suffix, root word
Prefixes go at the beginning of the word and suffixes go at the end of the word.
No one at school could explain the strange things going on in the cafeteria. Not the cooks, not the principal, not even the head custodian. But no case is too tough for Willard P. Duncan, boy detective. My first stop was the office of the head cook, Mrs. Gasparra. I noticed right away that she had flour on both arms. Mrs. Gasparra claimed that the flour came from the big mixer she had used that morning. She also told me that seven oatmeal cookies had gone missing just the day before. From there, I went to head custodian Ralph McGinty. I asked him about the torn up trash bags and the garbage scattered all over the cafeteria hallway. Instead of giving me answers, Mr. Ralph walked me back to my classroom. His behavior was very strange. On the way, I made a deal with him. If he didn't tell my teacher where I'd been, I wouldn't tell the principal about the pet mutt he kept in his office. He accepted my deal. Next, I got a chance to question Principal West when I was sent to his office for a simple mix-up. After promising that I would stop trying to record the cafeteria,I got Principal West to share a new clue. He told me someone had smeared mud all over the cafeteria counters. I just had to take one more look. After school, I snuck past the custodian's office to the kitchen. No one saw me except for Mr. Ralph's pesky mutt. I did spot some muddy pawprints leading to and from the kitchen. The prints didn't look like any shoe I recognized. It just didn't add up. Missing cookies, torn up garbage, and smeared mud didn't seem like a crime any person would commit. Just then, I heard a low growl from the custodian's office, and it clicked. I think I had caught the cookie thief.
Which of these details is most important to include in a summary of the text?
a) Mrs. Gasparra had flour on her arms.
b) The missing cookies were oatmeal.
c) Willard tried to record the cafeteria.
d) There was a dog in the custodian's office.
d) There was a dog in the custodian's office.
What is the setting?
The place or places where a story takes place.
Mary says, “I want to play that game! If you don’t play with me, I won’t be your friend. And you can’t play with anyone else!”
What kind of person is Mary?
Bossy
Which of the following phrases is an idiom?
a) Heart of a lion
b) Poor as dirt
c) Angry as a grizzly bear
d) Going bananas
d) Going bananas
What does the prefix un mean in the word uncomfortable?
a) not
b) less
c) without
d) before
a) not
No one at school could explain the strange things going on in the cafeteria. Not the cooks, not the principal, not even the head custodian. But no case is too tough for Willard P. Duncan, boy detective. My first stop was the office of the head cook, Mrs. Gasparra. I noticed right away that she had flour on both arms. Mrs. Gasparra claimed that the flour came from the big mixer she had used that morning. She also told me that seven oatmeal cookies had gone missing just the day before. From there, I went to head custodian Ralph McGinty. I asked him about the torn up trash bags and the garbage scattered all over the cafeteria hallway. Instead of giving me answers, Mr. Ralph walked me back to my classroom. His behavior was very strange. On the way, I made a deal with him. If he didn't tell my teacher where I'd been, I wouldn't tell the principal about the pet mutt he kept in his office. He accepted my deal. Next, I got a chance to question Principal West when I was sent to his office for a simple mix-up. After promising that I would stop trying to record the cafeteria,I got Principal West to share a new clue. He told me someone had smeared mud all over the cafeteria counters. I just had to take one more look. After school, I snuck past the custodian's office to the kitchen. No one saw me except for Mr. Ralph's pesky mutt. I did spot some muddy pawprints leading to and from the kitchen. The prints didn't look like any shoe I recognized. It just didn't add up. Missing cookies, torn up garbage, and smeared mud didn't seem like a crime any person would commit. Just then, I heard a low growl from the custodian's office, and it clicked. I think I had caught the cookie thief.
What is the summary of the beginning of the story?
Willard P. Duncan, a boy detective, is investigating strange happenings in the cafeteria to solve the case of the missing cookies.
When are characters usually introduced in a story?
a) beginning of the story
b) middle of the story
c) end of the story
a) beginning of the story
Tom says, “Ms. Smith, can I help pass out the papers? Also, would you like me to take the books back to the library?”
What kind of person is Tom?
Helpful
Which of the following phrases is an idiom?
a) Don't judge a book by its cover
b) Fast as lightning
c) Sick as a dog
d) Red like a red tomato
a) Don't judge a book by its cover
What does the prefix re mean in the word repeat?
a) not
b) less
c) again
d) before
c) again
No one at school could explain the strange things going on in the cafeteria. Not the cooks, not the principal, not even the head custodian. But no case is too tough for Willard P. Duncan, boy detective. My first stop was the office of the head cook, Mrs. Gasparra. I noticed right away that she had flour on both arms. Mrs. Gasparra claimed that the flour came from the big mixer she had used that morning. She also told me that seven oatmeal cookies had gone missing just the day before. From there, I went to head custodian Ralph McGinty. I asked him about the torn up trash bags and the garbage scattered all over the cafeteria hallway. Instead of giving me answers, Mr. Ralph walked me back to my classroom. His behavior was very strange. On the way, I made a deal with him. If he didn't tell my teacher where I'd been, I wouldn't tell the principal about the pet mutt he kept in his office. He accepted my deal. Next, I got a chance to question Principal West when I was sent to his office for a simple mix-up. After promising that I would stop trying to record the cafeteria,I got Principal West to share a new clue. He told me someone had smeared mud all over the cafeteria counters. I just had to take one more look. After school, I snuck past the custodian's office to the kitchen. No one saw me except for Mr. Ralph's pesky mutt. I did spot some muddy pawprints leading to and from the kitchen. The prints didn't look like any shoe I recognized. It just didn't add up. Missing cookies, torn up garbage, and smeared mud didn't seem like a crime any person would commit. Just then, I heard a low growl from the custodian's office, and it clicked. I think I had caught the cookie thief.
What is the summary of the middle of the story?
Willard first spoke to the head cook to find that the cookies were missing, then the head custodian about torn up garbage, then the principal about mud smeared on the cafeteria counters.
When is the problem in a fiction story usually solved?
a) beginning of the story
b) middle of the story
c) end of the story
c) end of the story
When the teacher looks in her direction, Marta begins tapping her fingers on her desk, and after only a few seconds calls out, “What? Why are you looking at me? I didn’t do anything!”
What kind of person is Marta?
Guilty or paranoid
Which of the following phrases is an idiom?
a) Stubborn as a mule
b) Blind as a bat
c) Have your head in the clouds
d) She is a chicken
c) Have your head in the clouds
What does the suffix ous mean in the word joyous?
a) a little
b) full of
c) similar to
d) without
b) full of
No one at school could explain the strange things going on in the cafeteria. Not the cooks, not the principal, not even the head custodian. But no case is too tough for Willard P. Duncan, boy detective. My first stop was the office of the head cook, Mrs. Gasparra. I noticed right away that she had flour on both arms. Mrs. Gasparra claimed that the flour came from the big mixer she had used that morning. She also told me that seven oatmeal cookies had gone missing just the day before. From there, I went to head custodian Ralph McGinty. I asked him about the torn up trash bags and the garbage scattered all over the cafeteria hallway. Instead of giving me answers, Mr. Ralph walked me back to my classroom. His behavior was very strange. On the way, I made a deal with him. If he didn't tell my teacher where I'd been, I wouldn't tell the principal about the pet mutt he kept in his office. He accepted my deal. Next, I got a chance to question Principal West when I was sent to his office for a simple mix-up. After promising that I would stop trying to record the cafeteria,I got Principal West to share a new clue. He told me someone had smeared mud all over the cafeteria counters. I just had to take one more look. After school, I snuck past the custodian's office to the kitchen. No one saw me except for Mr. Ralph's pesky mutt. I did spot some muddy pawprints leading to and from the kitchen. The prints didn't look like any shoe I recognized. It just didn't add up. Missing cookies, torn up garbage, and smeared mud didn't seem like a crime any person would commit. Just then, I heard a low growl from the custodian's office, and it clicked. I think I had caught the cookie thief.
What is the summary of the end of the story?
When Willard went back to investigate the mud, a dog growled in the custodian's office giving Willard the culprit to the missing cookies.
When is the problem in a fiction story usually introduced?
a) beginning of the story
b) middle of the story
c) end of the story
a) beginning of the story
What is the difference between feelings/emotions versus character traits?
Feelings describe how a character feels at a certain time. (How does the character feel right now?)
Character traits describe the character's personality. (How does the character usually behave?)
What is the true meaning of this idiom?
Spill the beans
Reveal a secret
What does the suffix less mean in the word careless?
a) a little
b) full of
c) similar to
d) without
d) without
Home Sweet Gnome
At 8:00 each evening, Miss Monica turns off the lights and locks the door of her boutique. In the quiet, empty store, the garden gnomes came to life and gather for a meeting. "Good evening," their leader, Lefty, begins. "We've had a new shipment of gnomes today, so let's welcome our new members." After introducing the new gnomes, Lefty starts the announcements. "I have some great news," Lefty proclaims. "Grumbles and Pinky have been purchased by customers!" All the gnomes give a cheer. They all silently hope they'll be next. As the gnome who has been at Miss Monica's boutique the longest, Lefty has been the leader for eleven months. Most garden gnomes don't stay for more than a few weeks, but Lefty is different. When he was shipped to the store, the delivery person dropped the box Lefty was in. This caused the gemstone that forms Lefty'd right eye to fall off. Miss Monica didn't notice his eye and put Lefty on the shelf with the other gnomes. Without the gemstone, Lefty patiently waits for a family to choose him. Many customers have picked him up. They admire his long beard and the butterfly on his shoulder. However they always set him back down once they notice his missing eye. The next day, after Miss Monica opens her boutique, a young girl plays with the garden gnomes. She lines them up and gives them words to say to one another. When she picks up Lefty, she gasps. "Mama," she calls, "you have to come see this! I found a garden gnome with only one eye, just like Grandpa's cat!" The mother comes over to inspect Lefty. She checks out his missing eye and then his price tag. She agrees that Lefty would make a perfect birthday gift for her grandpa. As the girl carries Lefty to the cash register, he looks over her shoulder. Seeing his fellow gnomes, Lefty winks his good eye.
Summarize the story "Home Sweet Gnome."
Every night, the gnomes at Miss Monica's Boutique come to life and have a meeting led by Lefty since he has been there the longest. He wants to be purchased, but lost his right eye during shipping so no one wants him. One day a little girl plays with Lefty and convinces her mom to buy him for her grandpa because Lefty reminds them of the grandpa's cat who is also missing an eye.
True or false: The main character in a fictional story usually learns a life lesson and changes throughout the story.
True, most main characters change from the beginning to the end of the story.