RL 8.1-3

Sam had wanted to be a writer for as long as he could remember. He was always writing stories. In fifth grade his school had a short story contest. Sam worked on his entry for weeks. When he won first prize, which came with a check for $100, his classmates kept saying how lucky he was.

Sam continued to write through middle school. In high school he took every English and writing class that he could. He even took a special writing class over the summer. Sam applied for three writing scholarships for college and got two of them! His brother, who had not applied for any scholarships, said that he was really lucky.

Sam worked hard in college. He became the editor of the college newspaper and started posting his stories on the internet. Toward the end of his senior year, one of his writing instructors told his class about well-known magazine that was looking to hire a junior writer.

Hundreds of students applied for the job, including Sam. Sam worked for hours on his application letter. When he was selected for an interview, he spent days getting ready.

Sam impressed the editors and got the job. "Man, how did you get so lucky?" asked one of his classmates.

"Luck has nothing to do with it." replied Sam.

• Sam got the job because he worked hard.

• Some people are lucky and others aren't.

• You make your own luck through hard work.

• Believe in yourself and you can do anything.

Cody had not studied for the big math test. When he got his test, he quickly realized that he had no idea how to solve the problems. Luckily, Cody sat right behind Emily.

Emily was the best math student in the class and he could see her paper. Cody copied all of Emily's answers.

The next day when Mrs. Jenkins passed back the graded tests, she told that class that only two students had gotten A's. Since these two students had done so well, she would have them explain some of the more challenging problems to the class.

Emily was first. Mrs. Jenkins wrote a problem on the board. Emily solved it easily and explained each step to the class. Then it was Cody's turn. Again, Mrs. Jenkins wrote a problem on the board. Of course, Cody did not know how to solve the problem. A long moment passed as Cody stood in front of the board trying to figure out what to do. Some of his classmates started to whisper and snicker.

"Can you solve this problem?" Mrs. Jenkins finally asked. Humiliated, Cody just shook his head. Now everyone knew he had cheated and he was in big trouble.

• Teachers shouldn't humiliate kids.

• Cheating doesn't pay off in the end.

• It is important to study for tests.

• Cody got in trouble for cheating.

Maria had never been so bored in all her life. Staying at her cousin Carina’s house in the country was not her idea of a good time. She missed the big city with its shopping malls, movie theaters, and restaurants.

“Nothing ever happens here,” Maria complained. “You can’t even get cell phone service!”

Carina smiled. “Life in the country can be exciting, I promise,” she said.

The two girls took a walk through the forest next to Carina’s house. They stopped beside a rushing stream where a beaver was building a dam.

Maria was impressed. “The only dams I’ve seen are the man-made ones,” she said.

A second later, Maria turned at the sound of branches cracking. No more than ten feet away was a bear cub.

Maria screamed. The bear cub turned and fled.

Maria was trembling with fear, but when she turned to look at her cousin, Carina started laughing hysterically. “You should have seen your face!” Carina said.

“Very funny,” Maria said smiling. “I guess maybe it’s a little too exciting out here for me!”

• trust your family and friends to know what's best

• be prepared for the unexpected

• do not laugh at people who are different

• do not judge something before you experience it

Marcy wanted to ride the Jet Ski, but her father insisted on taking the canoe instead. "It's a more peaceful way to travel," he said.

There was no breeze, and the surface of the lake was so calm it looked like a mirror of the sky. Marcy noticed how their canoe skimmed the surface, almost like they were floating above the water.

After fifteen minutes of paddling, the rough wood of the paddle handle started to give her a blister on her thumb. Fortunately, her father was prepared. He had a bandage in his pocket. Marcy accepted it from him gratefully and unwrapped it. Without thinking, she dropped the paper packaging into the lake.

"Marcy!" her father scolded. "What have I always told you? You should leave nature cleaner than it was when you arrived."

He fished the package from the lake with the end of his paddle. As he did this, Marcy noticed a water bug using its thin legs to move itself across the water. The bug was so lightweight that it left no mark on the water. Watching the bug, she realized why her father preferred the canoe to the Jet Ski.

• peace and quiet in nature is the best medicine for loneliness

• learning how to appreciate nature is always difficult for kids

• people should make as little impact on nature as possible

• survival in nature depends on having the right kind of tools

Rabbit’s Big Dinner

Characters

BEAVER

RABBIT

OTHER ANIMALS

[Inside an underground rabbit hole, the places at the dining table are set for a large party. Rabbit sits alone, crying. There is a knock on the door and Beaver enters. He is holding something behind his back, just out of view.]

BEAVER: Rabbit? Are you all right?

RABBIT: (drying his eyes) No! The big dinner is off. My entire family cannot come due to the bad weather.

BEAVER: Well, I warned you not to plan a dinner in the dead of winter, didn’t I? Perhaps I can stay and keep you company?

RABBIT: I’m afraid I would rather be alone. Oh, I miss my family terribly! My mother was going to bring her famous apple pie!

BEAVER: (revealing the bottle that was concealed behind his back) Perhaps this apple cider will cheer you up?

RABBIT: Gee, Beaver. That is awfully kind . . .

BEAVER: What are friends for?

RABBIT: I suppose I will have to reschedule my dinner for spring.

BEAVER: (uncorking the apple cider) Not so fast! Wait until you see what’s outside!

[Suddenly, Rabbit’s door bursts open and all the animals of the forest enter with steaming plates of food and beverages.]

RABBIT: My goodness!

BEAVER: Don’t look so surprised! Didn’t you know you could count on your friends?

[Curtain.]

• True friends are there when you need them.

• It is unwise to depend on your family members.

• A good meal can cure loneliness.

• Making plans never seems to pay off.