A
character
is who the story is about. A
character may be a person, an animal,
or a thing.
Read the story
below about Dan, Carla, and Mike.
After you are done reading,
think about whether or not you ever had the problem Dan is having in
the story.
Dan is a second
grader. He is a very good student. He reads and writes
everyday. His friends, Carla and Mike, are great athletes.
They love to play kickball, soccer, and basketball. Dan isn't
very good at sports. Actually, he often gets picked on and
called names because he is so smart. In physical education
class, he is the last one chosen to play on a team. He would
love to play outside with Carla and Mike, but he is afraid of being
made fun of. One day, Mike was having a problem with his
reading assignment. Dan was happy to help him. Mike told
Dan that since he helped him with his homework, he would work with
Dan on kicking the ball so that he would be a better athlete.
Dan was so happy! The boys worked hard after-school everyday
for two weeks. The next time they had physical education
class, Dan was one of the first ones chosen for a team!
Have you ever been picked on by another student because you weren't
great at something? Do you know how Dan must have felt?
The author didn't tell us
how Dan felt in the beginning in the story. Answer the
following questions about the story. If this hasn't happened
to you, think about how you would feel if someone was picking on
you. If you need to, you may re-read the story.
How did you think Dan is
feeling in the beginning of the story?
How do you think Dan is
feeling about himself in the beginning of the story?
How do you think Dan is
feeling at the end of the story?
Have you ever been picked on by another student because you weren't
great at something? Do you know how Dan must have felt?
