mokopane english combined school – a school of choice ......sick, and she was missing a lot of...

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Character

Stories


Name _______________________________________ Comprehension

by Andrew Frinkle

Dean was friends with everyone in his class.

He was even friends with Scott, who was

really shy. No one else even talked to Scott,

but Dean always asked him what he thought.

He made sure to include him, too. After a

while, people started to see that Scott was a

really nice kid. It was all because Dean cared

about Scott.

Susan was friends with Joan. Joan was really

sick, and she was missing a lot of school.

Every day in class, Susan wrote an extra set

of notes for Joan. She visited Joan twice a

week to bring homework and notes to her.

Joan was so happy. When she got better, she

wasn’t behind in school, because Susan cared

about her.

How do you show caring?


Read the story and answer the questions:

I. Who is the shy boy in class?

a) Dean b) Scott c) Joan d) Susan

2. Who helps the sick girl?

a) Dean b) Scott c) Joan d) Susan

3. Scott was really …

a) mean b) angry c) shy d) tired

4. Joan doesn’t like being helped by Susan.

a) True b) False

5. Caring is… (Name 3 things)



by Andrew Frinkle



I. Whose family volunteers on weekends?

a) Sam b) Rob c) Chris d) Rachel

2. Who gets badges for helping out people?

a) Sam b) Rob c) Chris d) Rachel

3. Sam was a good …

a) boy b) citizen c) player d) student

4. Chris feels good about helping in his community.

[True / False]

5. Citizenship is… (Name 3 things)



Cleanliness by Andrew Frinkle

Cleanliness is keeping yourself and your

surroundings clean and organized. There are many

ways to be clean.



I. Who helps clean the desks in class?

a) Shelly b) Casey c) Chris d) Thomas

2. Who makes sure the lunch tables are clean?

a) Shelly b) Casey c) Chris d) Thomas

3. Thomas liked things nice and …

a) dirty b) filthy c) ugly d) clean

4. Casey often got sick.

[True / False]

5. Cleanliness is…



by Andrew Frinkle

Tommy liked to help people when they needed it.

He opened doors if someone’s hands were full.

If you dropped your stuff, he’d be the one to help

you pick it up. He didn’t laugh at people, because he

knew how it felt to be laughed at. Tommy was

great at showing kindness.



I. Who helps cheer up sad people?

a) Beth b) Joan c) Heather d) Jane

2. Who helps people when they need it?

a) Tommy b) Bobby c) Jimmy d) Ryan

3. Tommy was great at showing …

a) greed b) anger c) bitterness d) kindness

4. Compassion is being mean to other kids.

[True / False]

5. Compassion is…



by Andrew Frinkle



1) Cooperation is about ____________________

_______________________, __________________ _______________,

and being a _____________ __________________.

2) What did Nell do? Circle the correct answer:

a) She laughed at people.

b) She always cheers people on.

3) Nell helped children to work together.

[True / False]

4) Ricky was not a very funny kid. [Yes / No]

5) When Ricky’s friends argued he _____________________

___________________________________________________________.

6) Ricky is a good sport.

[True / False]



by Andrew Frinkle

There was one boy in Karl’s class that picked

on people when teachers weren’t around.

Sometimes it was at the bus stop or in the

hall. One day, Karl had heard too much. Karl

asked him to stop. No one had ever said that

to the boy before. The boy was embarrassed

and stopped picking on people. Karl showed

courage when he asked the boy to stop.

Kelly’s friend took things from other kids.

Sometimes it was just little stuff, but it

started to get worse! Kelly decided to give

her friend a choice: she had to stop stealing,

or stop being her friend. Her friend didn’t like

it at first, but she chose friendship

in the end. Kelly showed courage when

she talked to her friend about stealing.

How do you show courage?



1) Courage is being _______________ and _______________. 2) It takes courage to do the right thing.

[True / False]

3) Karl showed courage when he asked the boy

to stop picking on other. [True / False]

4) Give a synonym from the text for the word:

ashamed: ____________________

5) What was Kelly’s friend doing wrong?

6) What did Kelly do about her friend’s bad

behavior?

____________________________________________________________



by Andrew Frinkle

Rita was a real stickler for the rules. Some

people complained about it, but she liked a

fair game. If she lost a game, she lost

because she didn’t play as well, not because

of cheating. The other kids called her “the

umpire” because she was so fair.

Ken was the classroom’s snack helper. He was

the best at making sure everyone got their

fair share. No one ever complained about not

getting as much as someone else. He was

very careful to give everyone the same

amount. Everyone liked that about Ken.

How do you show fairness?



1) Fairness is making things _____________ for

everyone. It is also about _____________ and

____________________________________ .

2) When you are a stickler for rules it means…

a) you like to follow rules.

b) you do not like to follow rules.

3) The other kids called Rita “the umpire” because

she was so unfair. [True / False]

4) To be fair you must give everybody the

________________ amount.

5) Who gave everyone a fair amount of snacks?

____________________

6) Give the antonym for unfairness.

____________________



by Andrew Frinkle

Andy always lent Seth money around lunch

time. His friend always forgot to repay him.

Andy knew that Seth’s family didn’t have that

much money, so Andy forgave Seth for not

paying back the money. Their friendship was

worth a LOT more than a few rand. Andy was

forgiving.

Joe ran into Sarah by accident in the hallway.

Sarah dropped her art supplies all over the

place. Sarah could have yelled or even gotten

in a fight about it. Joe helped Sarah pick up

her supplies, so Sara forgave her.

How do you show forgiveness?



1) When you show forgiveness you are showing

___________________ and ___________________.

2) It is important to forgive other. [True/False]

3) In what way did Andy showed his friend

mercy and kindness? ______________________________

__________________________________________________________

4) Give a synonym from the text for mishap.

_____________________

5) What did Sarah drop in the hallway?

_________________________

6) Who helped Sarah to pick up her art

supplies? ___________________

7) Sarah yelled at Joe for bumping into her.

[Yes / No]

8) Seth’s friendship was worth more to

Andy than money. [True / False]



by Andrew Frinkle

The bus was coming soon, and Ron didn’t have

his stuff packed up. He was having a hard

day. Tim and Dan helped Ron pack his stuff up

quickly, so he could make it to the bus on

time. They were showing their friendship for

Ron.

Karen’s best friend, Tara, was in the hospital.

She had all of her class make Tara get well

cards. Then she visited her friend in the

hospital. Tara’s other friends were scared to

see her when she was sick, but Karen cared

about Tara and stuck with her

no matter what! Karen was

a good friend.

How do you show friendship?



1) Friendship is ___________________ , ___________________ ,

and __________________________________

2) What was coming soon?

a) the bus b) the taxi c) the car

3) Why didn’t Ron have his stuff packed?

_________________________________________________________

4) How did Tim and Dan showed their friendship to

Ron? ___________________________________________________

5) Karen was a good …

a) student b) friend c) player d) athlete

6) Friendship is leaving your friends when they need

you. [True / False]



by Andrew Frinkle

Ronnie was the classroom’s money collector

for special events. Whenever the classroom

did a collection and gathered money, the class

trusted Ronnie to do it. If he found some

money on the floor, he tried to find the

owner. He wouldn’t take a cent that wasn’t

his! Ronnie was very honest.

Gretchen always told the truth, no matter

what. Gretchen wouldn’t even lie when a bully

wanted her to lie about what she’d seen her

do! All of Gretchen’s friends wouldn’t let

anything happen to her, either.

They all loved Gretchen for being

so honest.

How do you show honesty?



1) Honesty is telling the truth sometimes. [Yes / No]

2) Honesty is about being loyal? [Yes / No]

3) To be trust worthy means that you can be

trusted. [Yes / No]

4) Ronnie was the classroom’s ……………….

5) A money collector is somebody that ……………….

6) They all love Gretchen for being so …

a) clean b) pretty c) honest d) funny

7) People trust Ronnie because he’s honest.

[True / False]



by Andrew Frinkle

Kids started talking bad about John. Peter

was John’s friend. He could have laughed. He

could have joked along, because John wasn’t

there to hear it. He didn’t do that. Peter told

the people to stop talking about John,

because it wasn’t a nice thing to do. Peter

had integrity.

Jen liked to gossip. Candice was her best

friend. Candace didn’t like how Jen gossiped.

One time, the gossip was actually about Jen!

Jen saw how gossip hurt people’s feelings.

Candice helped her to stop gossiping. Jen

doesn’t gossip anymore, because

it’s not right.

How do you show integrity?



1) Integrity is being ………………………….……….., …………………….…….………..

and ………………………………………………….. .

2) Integrity is about doing the right thing when

someone is looking. [True / False]

3) There are a few ways to show integrity.

[True / False]

4) Is it a nice thing to do talk about other kids

behind their backs? [Yes/No] Why?

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

5) What does it mean to gossip?

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

6) What does gossip do to others?

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

7) Do you sometimes gossip about your friends?

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………



by Andrew Frinkle

Mrs. Sanders did not play favourites. She did

not always call on the same students for help

or to answer questions. She had sticks with

names on them. If she needed an answer or

help, she picked a stick. Using sticks was fair.

Everyone got to take a turn that way.

Gary got angry at his team in class, because

he got a question wrong. However, it was his

fault for not studying enough or listening to

others. It was not right to blame others.

Gary got a bad grade. He finally admitted

that it was his fault. The next time, Gary

let his teammates help him, and he

did much better.

How do you show justice?



1) Justice is being …………………………………………………..

2) Justice is making ………………………………… that everything is

done ………………………………………………….. and …………………………………………………..

3) Mrs. Sanders did not play favourites?

[Yes /No]

4) How did Mrs. Sanders showed fairness in the

class? …………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

5) Why did Gary get angry?………………………………..……………..……………………

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..………………………………………… 6) Why did he get the answer wrong? …..….…………………………………………

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

7) Is it right to blame others for your mistakes?

[Yes / No] Why not? …..…………………………………………..…………..…………………

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………



by Andrew Frinkle

Lauren loved her class. She especially loved

her classroom pet, Benny the Hamster. Every

day Lauren said hello to Benny. She was the

classroom pet helper. She fed Benny, cleaned

his cage, and gave him water. Lauren loved

and cared for Benny the Hamster.

John loved his class. He loved his teacher,

because she taught him so much. He loved his

classroom, because it had lots of cool stuff

in it. He loved his classmates, because they

were kind, helpful, and fun. John always did his

best to keep his class happy

and clean. That was how he

showed his love for his class.

How do you show love?



1) Love is … [Circle the correct answer]

a) caring and patience

b) taking care of things

c) being polite

d) all the above

2) Who is Benny the hamster? ………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

3) Make a list of Lauren’s daily chores:

i ………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..………………………………………… ii ……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..………………………………………… iii ……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

4) Why did John loved his teacher?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

5) Why did John love his classroom?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

6) Why did John love his classmates?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

7) How do you show love?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………


by Andrew Frinkle

Carol was starving. She was so hungry that

she thought she would actually faint. She

really wanted to run in front of everyone and

get her lunch first. She knew that other

people were probably hungry, too. So, she

waited, and she was just fine. She didn’t faint

from hunger after all. Carol was patient.

No one wanted to work with Norm in math

class. Norman took the longest on every

problem, test, and quiz. Everyone tried to be

patient, but it was hard. Greg was patient.

He waited for Norman. He showed him

shortcuts and tricks to get

done faster. Norman was so happy!

How do you show patience?




1) Patience is ………………..……………… and taking ………………..……………….

2) Patience is trying ………………..…………………….…… and

………………….…………..……………… until you get it right.

3) When you are starving, you are very

………………..…………….………

4) Carol showed patience by pushing everyone

out of the way to get to her lunch fast.

[Yes / No]

5) Why didn’t anyone wanted to work with

Norman in math class? ………………..……..…………………………………………

……………..…………………………..………………………………….…………………..…………………………………………

6) How did Greg help Norman?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

7) How do you show patience in your class?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………


by Andrew Frinkle

Dean really liked Mr. Mathews’ math class.

Mr. Mathews knew a LOT about math. Dean

showed Mr. Matthews respect by listening

attentively and paying attention in his class!

He would keep trying. He really appreciated

how Mr. Mathews answered his questions,

even after class.

Gina loved figure skating. Part of it was

because she had the best coach ever!

Gina’s coach was great at skating,

so she understood exactly what

Gina went through as she learned.

Gina respected her coach’s abilities

and advice.

How do you show respect?




1) ………………..…………………………..……… is showing appreciation.

2) When you listen to other you show ………………..……………………..

3) Showing respect is not really important.

[True / False]

4) Mr. Matthew taught …

i) Science ii) English iii) Mathematics

5) How did Dean show Mr. Mathews respect?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

6) Gina loved ………………..………..…………………..………

7) How do you show respect to your parents?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………


by Andrew Frinkle

Jackie had a temper. Little things made her

angry. She tried really hard to control it.

Her teacher showed her how to count to 10

before saying something when she got angry.

It saved her from saying a lot of unkind

things that she really didn’t mean!

Jackie was learning self-control.

Henry loved to eat sweet stuff. His mom

didn’t let him have too much, though.

He only got to eat cookies and cake on rare

occasions, so when he got some, he ate it

slowly. He saved some for the next

day and the next. He didn’t want

to eat it all at once, or it’d be gone.

Henry had self-control.

How do you show self-control?




1) Self-control is ………………..………..……………………..………..………………………..………..

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

2) What does it mean when we say someone

has a temper ………………..………..……………………..………..………………………..………..

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

3) What can Jackie do to help her control her

temper? ………………………….…..………..……………………..………..………………………..………..

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

4) When you lose your self-control it is easy to

say unkind things to your friends.

[True / False]

5) Henry loved to eat …………….………..…………………………..…………………………

6) Eating a lot of sweet stuff is healthy.

[Yes / No]

7) Do you show self-control? How?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………


by Andrew Frinkle

Helen trusted her friends. She didn't keep

secrets from them. She shared her things

with her friends. She knew they would do the

right thing and not betray her trust. She

tried hard to be the kind of friend that they

could trust, too. Trust works both ways, and

Helen was trust worthy.

Nick let his friends borrow his stuff all the

time. He didn't even remember who had what.

Whenever he needed something back, he just

asked all of his friends who had his game or

his book. They always gave it back, because

they liked how nicely he shared.

He could always borrow his friends'

games and books, too.

Nick trusted his friends.

How do you show trust?




1) Trust is showing ……..……………………………….…………, ……..……………………………

and ……..…………………………………. .

2) Trusting someone means to keep secrets from

them. [True / False]

3) When you betray someone’s trust…

a) you hurt their feelings.

b) you are trustworthy.

4) Helen could be trusted because she was

……..……………………………………………..… .

5) When you borrow stuff from your friends you

must always remember to ……..…………………..………………………………..…

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

6) Are you trustworthy? Why?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………


by Andrew Frinkle

Pete knew that he didn't know everything.

He liked to get advice from his grandpa,

especially when he was having a hard time

getting along with people. Even then, he had

to take that advice and make good choices.

Part of being wise is learning when to listen

and when to act.

Naomi had a big project to get done. She also

wanted to play with her friends. She had to

plan her time wisely, or she couldn't do both.

She knew that too much playing would mean

she'd get a bad grade. She managed her time

wisely, so she could get a good

grade and still play.

Naomi was being wise.

How do you show wisdom?




1) When you apply what you know to your daily life,

you are being wise. [Yes / No]

2) Wisdom helps you make [good / bad] choices.

3) Pete got advice from his…

a) teacher b) uncle c) grandfather

4) Part of being wise is learning when to

………………..……………..……………… and when to ……..…………………………………… .

5) Why did Naomi have to plan her time wisely?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

6) Too much playing would mean…

a) she get a good grade b) she get a bad grade.

7) How can you show wisdom?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………


by Andrew Frinkle

Brent was a hard worker. He always tried to

get his work done before he got home. He

always got his assignments done on time, too.

He also liked doing his part to keep the

classroom clean. Brent was great with a

broom! He was the leader of the classroom

cleaning crew.

Rhonda was very organized. She was very

helpful, too. It only made sense then when Mrs.

Francis made her the classroom librarian. She

was great at putting all the books back just

right and keeping them in the right

categories. Rhonda had a great

work ethic.

How do you show

work ethic?




1) Work ethic is pitching sometimes in to help.

[True / False]

2) Work ethic is …………………………………..…………………………………………..…………………

and ………………………..……………..……………..……… and ………………………..……………..……

………………………..……………..……………..……… .

3) Brent always tried to get his ………………………..…………..……… before done before he got ………………………..……………. .

4) Brent was the leader of the classroom …

a) cleaning crew b) art crew c) book crew

5) A librarian works with …

a) art supplies b) books c) stationary

6) How do you show work ethic at school?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

7) How do you show work ethic at home?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

mokopane english combined school – a school of choice ......sick, and she was missing a lot of...

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