Moral/Theme/lesson R1

Grace and her brother William fought all the time. They were not nice and never helped each other.

One day, a boy was mean to Grace at the park. He pulled her braid and laughed at her. William ran over quickly.

“Be nice to my sister,” he said. “She was not mean to you.”

The boy said he was sorry and walked away. Grace and William never fought again. They helped each other from then on.

• It is a lot of fun to pull on a girl's braids.

• Brothers and sisters should not help each other.

• It is better to help each other than to fight.

• Kids should not play together at parks.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

How the Porcupine Got Quills

The Menominee Indians say that the first porcupine had no quills. Porcupine was a gift from the Great Spirit. He had a smooth coat of fur.

The other animals wanted Porcupine's perfect fur. Every day, they told Porcupine that they wanted to look like him.

One day, Porcupine decided to find out what he looked like.

Porcupine stopped by a pond. Using the water as a mirror, he looked at his fur. Porcupine thought his fur was beautiful. He sat by the pond to look at his fur for 10 moons.

The Great Spirit had been watching Porcupine. He felt that Porcupine spent too much time looking at his nice fur. He decided to teach Porcupine a lesson.

The Great Spirit covered Porcupine's body with ugly, sharp quills. Porcupine did not want to look at himself anymore. Porcupine now hides during the day. He comes out only at night.

What is the lesson of the story?

• Believing everything said by others is foolish.

• Wanting what others have leads to trouble.

• Nothing is ever perfect.

• Beauty is not everything.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

The Smart Math Kid

Every day, Sam sat quietly at the back of the class. Then one day, Mr. Harold wrote a hard math problem on the board. One by one, the students went up and tried to solve it, but no one could. Then Sam went to the board! Everyone was quiet as he wrote his answer. The teacher nodded. Sam had figured it out! He was good at math!

What is this story's lesson?

• Sometimes people will surprise you.

• Quiet kids are sometimes lonely.

• It is important to wait your turn.

• Doing math is harder than writing.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Kasey the dog loved digging holes. Each morning, Kasey looked outside his doghouse.

“It’s a great day for digging!” he thought as he found the place for another hole.

Kasey’s owner Dave wanted a nice yard. Each morning, Dave saw the holes outside his window and was sad.

Then, Dave had an idea.

“Kasey, you can dig holes only behind the doghouse,” he said.

They were both happy. Kasey dug holes that Dave never saw.

• Dave does not like holes in his yard.

• Digging holes is fun.

• A good idea can make everyone happy.

• Having a nice lawn is important.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Helping Brad

Brad and his friends Manuel and Carl were kicking a soccer ball in the garage. Suddenly, Brad kicked over a can of white paint. It spilled everywhere! "Oh, no!" he cried. "Will you guys help clean this up?"

"Sorry, Brad, I have to go!" Carl said as he took off.

"Sure, I will help," said Manuel. "Where do you keep your mop?"

"Thanks!" Brad said. He was glad he could count on Manuel.

What is the story's moral?

• Cleaning takes a lot of time.

• Kicking a soccer ball is fun.

• It is important to be honest.

• Friends help each other out.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Aisha always wanted to live in a desert. One day, Aisha was playing in the park when she saw a tall, strange tree. The tree waved its branches at Aisha, and she went to the tree.

"Is there something you want?" the tree asked Aisha.

Aisha was surprised that the tree could talk. "Yes, I want to live in a desert," she replied.

"Are you sure, child?" the tree asked again. "You cannot go back."

"Yes," Aisha said with a smile.

Then, the tree asked Aisha to close her eyes. When she opened her eyes, Aisha found herself in the middle of a desert. The desert was hot and windy. Aisha was thirsty all the time. She felt sorry about her wish. As she walked in the desert, she saw a tree in the middle of nowhere. It was the same tree she had seen in the park.

"Now that you have learned your lesson, you can go back to your city," the tree said to Aisha, and suddenly, Aisha was back in her beautiful city by the sea.

• Be careful what you wish for.

• Never trust a tree that can talk.

• Some people really love deserts.

• A sea is different from a desert.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Jelle Belle always thought that she was a special kid. She could dance really well and jump very high. When Jelle turned five, she started going to school. She was excited to be the most special kid in Tootie Frootie Elementary. She looked pretty and happy in her yellow skirt and red shirt.

Jelle packed her backpack and left for school. She met many new kids in school. She met a little boy who could bend his arm backwards. Then, she met a girl who could count up to 100. Everybody Jelle met could do something special. Her new friend, Susie, knew two languages.

After an exciting day at school, Jelle went home to her mother.

"What did you learn in school today?" the mother asked as she kissed Jelle.

"Oh, I learned that everybody is special," Jelle replied. She told her mother about all the cool kids she met at school.

What is the lesson of this selection?

• People should not think badly about others.

• Many kids today cannot count up to 100.

• If you work hard, you will get a nice reward.

• There is something special about everybody.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Eagle Eyes' grandmother was very ill and fell into a deep sleep. The shaman, or medicine man, told her that only a white buffalo could save the grandmother. A white buffalo was a sign of renewed life.

Day after day, Eagle Eyes sat atop the hill and watched the brown buffaloes below. Day after day, she went home without seeing a white one.

One day, Eagle Eyes decided to look more closely among the herds. Suddenly, she noticed a white spot in the distance.

Eagle Eyes became excited when she saw the small animal. A small calf stood up and wobbled a few moments before falling down. Eagle Eyes rushed home and hurried inside her grandmother's tent. For the first time in weeks, her grandmother's eyes were open.

"Grandmother, there was a white buffalo born today! I looked and looked, and I finally found him. I only wish I could bring him here to visit you."

Eagle Eyes' grandmother smiled and gazed into her granddaughter's eyes. "You have brought the miracle with you. You have carried his hope in your eyes."

What is the theme of this passage?

• There is safety in a large group.

• Never give up.

• Help others.

• There is a special time for everything.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9