Character Detectives
A character notices that a classmate dropped all of her supplies. He stops what he is doing and helps pick them up. Which trait BEST describes him?
A. Helpful
B. Impatient
C. Careless
D. Shy
A. Helpful
The puppy darted across the yard and reached the ball before anyone else.
What does darted mean?
A. moved quickly
B. slept
C. barked
D. walked slowly
A. moved quickly
Which belongs in a good summary?
A. Every tiny detail
B. Only the most important events
C. Your opinion about the story
D. A description of every character
B. Only the most important events
What is a theme?
A. Where the story happens
B. The lesson or message of the story
C. The main character's name
D. The first event
B. The lesson or message of the story
Choose the correct sentence.
A. The dog run across the yard.
B. The dog runs across the yard.
B. The dog runs across the yard.
Lena is supposed to clean her room, but she decides to watch TV instead. What does this reveal about Lena?
A. She enjoys cleaning.
B. She is putting fun before her responsibility.
C. She doesn't understand her chore.
D. She is afraid of her room.
B. She is putting fun before her responsibility.
The enormous elephant towered over the tiny zookeeper.
What does towered most likely mean?
A. hid from
B. stood much taller than
C. ran around
D. listened to
B. stood much taller than
What strategy can help you summarize a fictional story?
Answers may vary.
(Ex: Somebody, wanted, but, so, then- SWBST)
Which is a theme rather than just a topic?
A. Responsibility
B. Friendship
C. It is important to complete your responsibilities before having fun.
D. Hard work
C. It is important to complete your responsibilities before having fun.
Yesterday, Marcus ___ his dad rake leaves.
A. helps
B. helped
C. helping
D. will help
B. helped
Part A: Jordan practices his spelling words every night, even after he gets most of them correct. Which trait describes Jordan?
A. Determined
B. Selfish
C. Forgetful
D. Impatient
A. Determined
The exhausted runner collapsed into the chair after crossing the finish line.
Which phrase BEST helps you understand collapsed?
A. runner
B. crossing the finish line
C. exhausted runner
D. into the chair
C. exhausted runner
Which is the BEST summary?
Carlos forgot his science project at home. His grandmother brought it to school before his presentation. Carlos thanked her and promised to be more responsible.
A. Carlos goes to school and talks to his grandmother.
B. Carlos forgets his project, but his grandmother brings it to school, and Carlos realizes he needs to be more responsible.
C. Carlos has a science project. His grandmother has a car.
D. Carlos likes science presentations.
B. Carlos forgets his project, but his grandmother brings it to school, and Carlos realizes he needs to be more responsible.
Marcus watches a squirrel work hard before deciding to rake leaves. Ava watches an ant work hard before deciding to put away towels.
What similarity do these events show?
Both characters learn about responsibility by watching another creature work hard.
Choose the correct word:
The squirrel stored ___ food for winter.
A. its
B. it's
A. its
Part A: Jordan practices his spelling words every night, even after he gets most of them correct. Which trait describes Jordan? (Answer: Determined)
Part B: Which detail BEST supports the answer?
A. Jordan has spelling homework.
B. Jordan practices every night even after getting most words correct.
C. Jordan uses a pencil.
D. Jordan likes school.
B. Jordan practices every night even after getting most words correct.
An ant carries food back to its colony, where hundreds of other ants live and work together.
What does colony mean?
A group of ants living together.
Max walked to the park with his brand-new red kite. The wind felt strong and cool. He tied the long string to his wrist and let the kite fly high into the bright blue sky.
Suddenly, a heavy gust of wind pulled the string right out of Max's hand. The red kite flew up and got stuck high in the branches of a tall oak tree. Max felt sad and almost wanted to cry.
A) Max flew his red kite in the park, but it got stuck in a tree until his friend Leo helped him get it down.
B) Leo rode his bicycle to the park and brought a long wooden pole to play in the grass.
C) Max bought a new red kite and tied the long string tightly to his wrist so it would not fly away.
A) Max flew his red kite in the park, but it got stuck in a tree until his friend Leo helped him get it down.
How are Marcus and Ava different?
A. Marcus has an outdoor chore, while Ava has an indoor chore.
B. Only Marcus learns a lesson.
C. Only Ava talks to an animal.
D. Marcus completes a chore, but Ava does not.
A. Marcus has an outdoor chore, while Ava has an indoor chore.
Which sentence is correct?
A. The students finished his assignment.
B. The students finished their assignment.
C. The students finishes their assignment.
D. The students finishing their assignment.
B. The students finished their assignment.
At the beginning of a story, Maya refuses to help her sister. At the end, she offers to help without being asked. How has Maya changed?
She has become more helpful/responsible/caring.
The word appalled is defined as feeling very shocked, disgusted, or displeased by something.
Create a sentence using the word appalled correctly.
Answers will vary.
(Example: She was appalled by the messy and dirty condition of the restaurant kitchen. )
Read the following story and create a summary. You have 60 seconds:
Marcus and the Busy Squirrel
Marcus sat on the front steps bouncing a tennis ball against the sidewalk. He was supposed to be helping his dad rake the leaves in the backyard, but Marcus had decided that could wait. The leaves weren't going anywhere. Suddenly, Marcus heard scratching near the large oak tree. A small gray squirrel raced across the grass carrying an acorn almost as big as its head. It dropped the acorn, hurried after it, and picked it up again.
"Why are you working so hard?" Marcus jokingly asked. To Marcus's surprise, the squirrel stopped and stared at him. "Winter is coming," the squirrel replied. "I have a lot of food to gather before then." Marcus nearly dropped his tennis ball. "You can talk?" "Of course I can talk," the squirrel answered. "But I don't have much time for it. There is work to be done!"
The squirrel hurried toward the tree and tucked the acorn into a small hole. Then it raced across the yard to search for another one. Marcus watched as the squirrel worked. It didn't complain or stop to play. It simply kept gathering food. Marcus thought about the backyard. His dad had already been working for nearly an hour while Marcus had been playing. Suddenly, leaving all the work for his dad didn't seem fair.
Marcus tucked the tennis ball into his pocket. "I guess I'm not the only one with work to do," he said. The squirrel flicked its tail. "Work first. Play later!" Marcus hurried into the backyard and grabbed a rake. His dad looked surprised when Marcus began gathering leaves without being asked again.
When they finally finished, Marcus pulled the tennis ball from his pocket. Now he could enjoy playing without worrying about the job he had left unfinished.
Answers will vary.
(Example: Marcus wanted to avoid raking leaves so he could sit on the front steps and play with his tennis ball. But, he met a talking squirrel who explained that it had to work hard gathering food for the winter without stopping to play. So, Marcus realized it wasn't fair to leave all the chores for his dad, so he put his ball away and went to help rake. Then, they finished the yard work together, and Marcus was finally able to enjoy playing without feeling guilty.)
The Fast Clock
The theme in this story is "It is better to be a kind friend than to brag about winning."
What is one specific action Sam did in the story that proves the theme?
Sam stopped running to help Leo up and offered to walk with him instead of caring about winning.
Fix all three errors:
Yesterday, ava put away the towels and return to it's backyard.
Yesterday, Ava put away the towels and returned to her backyard.