Central Message

The Fox and the Crow

One warm day, a crow was sitting in a tree, holding a bit of cheese in his beak. A fox walked by just then. The smell of the cheese made his mouth water.

"Why, Master Crow, how pretty you look!" said the sly fox. "If your voice is as fine as your feathers, you must be the grandest bird in all these woods!"

Now the crow was an ugly bird, with messy feathers and a harsh voice. The fox's praise thrilled him. He was proud of his feathers and voice. He opened his beak to sing, and the cheese fell out.

"Ha, ha!" laughed the fox, snapping up the cheese. "That will teach you!"

What is the moral of the story?

• A. Sharing is the right thing to do

• B. Don't believe everything you hear

• C. Be confident

• Always do your best

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.K.5

The Fox and the Stork

One day, a fox invited a stork for supper. He started making some soup. It smelled so good that he wished could eat it all himself.

When the stork arrived, the mean fox served the soup in flat bowls. Poor Stork! She tried to sip the soup with her long beak, but the bowl was too shallow. The fox lapped up all his broth in a minute. The stork couldn't eat at all!

A few days later, the stork invited the fox to supper. He hurried over to her house, sniffing at the smell of tasty stew in the air.

"Here you are!" said the stork. With a little smile, she served the stew in tall glass jars. The fox couldn't eat any, but the stork easily ate all of hers with her long beak.

The fox realized that the stork was teaching him a lesson. He hung his head. He was ashamed of how greedy and mean he had been. He knew that if he had been nice, Stork would have been nice to him.

What is the moral of the story?

• A. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

• B. Foxes and storks shouldn't eat together.

• C. Never give up.

• D. Take your time.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.K.5

The Hen Who Laid Golden Eggs

Once upon a time, a man had a wonderful hen that laid a golden egg every day. But he wasn't happy with this. He thought that the hen must have a treasure inside her.

He killed the hen and cut her open, only to find that she was just like other chickens inside. Now he was very unhappy.

What is the moral of the story?

• A. Chickens are all alike.

• B. Be happy with what you have.

• C. Big problems can be solved.

• D. Good farmers take care of their hens.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.K.5

This is the heart of the story, it is what the author wants you to learn from reading.

• A. topic

• B. details

• C. main idea

• D. central message

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

What is a short story with animals as characters and was created to teach a lesson?

• A. fable

• B. fiction

• C. fairy tale

• D. informational text

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.K.5

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant,“ and I advise you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work. When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without supper,” and he closed the door.

What is the central message?

• share with your neighbor

• work before you play

• be respectful

• don't be greedy

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.K.5

It was a special day in Yosemite Elementary. Devon, a famous basketball player, was visiting the school and speaking to the third-grade students. Devon was also going to pick some kids for a weeklong basketball camp. That day, all the third graders behaved the best they could. Even the kids who never liked basketball, like Ty, tried to play. Ty wanted to look cool in front of his friends. Although he knew nothing about the game, he tried it. When Ty fell and nearly broke his arm, his teacher Mrs. Ramirez pulled him aside. "What are you doing, Ty?" Mrs. Ramirez asked kindly as she checked on his arm. "Oh, I was—trying—," Ty replied. He knew chess was his thing not basketball. "Ty, other famous people will visit your class," his teacher said. "Maybe we will have a chess player here one day. Don't try to be what you are not just to look cool." Ty knew that his teacher was right. From that day, Ty just wanted to be himself.

What is the lesson of this selection?

• It is best to always be yourself.

• Chess is not for everybody.

• Anyone can play basketball.

• You should not break your arm.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

Tara and Millie wanted to have a snack after school. "I want chocolate ice cream!" Tara said. "Me, too!" Millie said. Both girls raced to the kitchen. Tara got the ice cream out of the freezer. Millie got the bowls, spoons, and ice cream scoop. When Tara looked into the ice cream container, she saw that there was only enough for one serving of ice cream. She really wanted the chocolate ice cream. It was her absolute favorite snack in the world. "You know, I think I would rather have cookies," Tara told Millie. She gave the ice cream container to Millie and got some cookies out of the cupboard for herself.

What is the moral of this story?

• Cookies are better than chocolate ice cream.

• Snacking before dinner will ruin your appetite.

• Think of others before you think of yourself.

• Do not give in if you want something badly.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

One way you could figure out the central message is to...

• Skim through the story

• Just read the beginning of the story

• Think about what the character has learned

• Read the ending of the story

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

What is the main difference between CENTRAL MESSAGE and MAIN IDEA?

• Theme is a universal lesson, and main idea is what a story is about.

• Theme is what a story is about, and main idea is the universal lesson it teaches.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.9

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9