Hom ess

e w o r k Robert glanced at his backpack where he’d

flung it earlier. “Ummm, not yet,” he said.

Str
“Well, we’re leaving for your sister’s concert
in about thirty minutes,” his dad said.
“Oh, man, I completely forgot about the
concert,” groaned Robert. His sister Tasha played
“ Hey, Robert, want to shoot hoops?” called Antonio. the drums in the high school band, and the family
Robert sighed and turned around, shouldering never missed a concert.
his heavy backpack. School had just ended, and He rushed off to take a quick shower, and then
Robert was already feeling stress about his massive the family headed to the concert. Although Robert
amount of math homework. Yet here came Antonio, usually enjoyed watching his sister’s concerts, this
Manuel, and Camila with their carefree, smiling faces. time it was almost unbearable. All he could think
“I can’t,” he said with regret, watching the faces about was his homework. Across the crowded
of all three friends fall. auditorium, Robert saw Manuel and his family sitting
in the bleachers watching Manuel’s older brother
“Awww, come on!” Manuel wheedled. “You said
play the saxophone. Manuel was laughing at
you’d hang out with us today, and we need a fourth
something his younger brother said. Manuel
player.”
was in the same math class at school, so Robert
“Yeah, come on and play with us, Robert!” knew he had the same homework waiting for him.
added Camila.
Robert thought about his waiting homework.
Why shouldn’t I play some basketball? he mused.
My homework isn’t that big a deal — it can wait.
Two hours later, a sweaty Robert was gulping
down water in the kitchen when his dad walked in.
“Looks like you’ve been playing some ball,” his dad
said, adding, “Did you already do your homework?”

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1
 If he feels anything like I feel right now, Robert In fact, his teacher had told Robert that he was
thought, he’d want to sprint out of this auditorium too. a natural at geometry.
After the concert, Robert grabbed his math After class Mr. Sullivan called Robert up to his
homework as soon as he walked through the door. desk. “What happened here?” he asked Robert,
Thirty minutes later, Robert’s mom called out, “Robert, pointing to his homework with a quizzical look.
time for bed!” Robert looked up, shocked at how When Robert explained what happened,
quickly the time had flown. Mr. Sullivan grimaced. “You know, it’s okay to stand
“Mom, I’ve got to finish this homework,” up to your friends and say no,” he said, “especially
he begged. if they want you to do something that won’t let you
“Why didn’t you do it after school?” she asked get your homework done.”
with a knowing look. Robert thought about Manuel’s attitude toward
Robert knew the answer to that question. He’d math and school in general. He knew that he never
decided to play basketball even though he knew it wanted to have that same attitude. After school,
wasn’t the best decision, and he let his friends talk him Robert heard some familiar voices calling
into it. As he got ready for bed, Robert worried about to him as he walked home.
tomorrow and the blank pages of homework that “Hey, Robert,” called Antonio,
he would have to submit to his teacher. “are we meeting at your house?”
The next day in class, Robert asked Manuel, “Did “Yeah, it’s hoop time,” added Manuel.
you finish your homework?” Robert steeled himself and then
DID YOU
KNOW? “No, I didn’t get to it,” turned around to face his friends.
Physical activity such Manuel said, “but who needs “Guys, I can’t,” he said firmly, adding, “Mr. Sullivan
as playing basketball math when we all have gave me another chance to finish that homework,
can actually help relieve calculators anyway?” and I’m going to do it right now.” Robert realized it
stress, although it’s a
Robert disagreed with felt good to be strong and say no, despite his friends’
good idea to make sure
you have time for school that. He actually liked math. glum faces. “But,” he added with a grin, “I can play
responsibilities as well. basketball after I finish my homework.”

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2

Ty knew immediately that this new kid was going
to encounter some problems. There he stood in
the doorway of Ty’s homeroom class, looking brave
and yet apprehensive at the same time. His huge
backpack was slung over his bony shoulder, looking
like it was going to take him down to the floor
any minute. Is this kid really in sixth grade?
Ty wondered to himself, thinking he looked
like he should be in fourth.
“Why, hello there,” Mrs. Jumper beamed
at the boy, adding, “you must be Thomas.”
“Tiny Tom is more like it,” snickered Ben under
his breath, right next to Ty. Ty rolled his eyes in
exasperation. Ben was always the first to start
trouble and yet the first to suddenly disappear
when things got too hot to handle.
Thomas nodded at Mrs. Jumper and
headed to the empty desk on the other side
of Ty. Oh great, thought Ty with a grimace,
I get the new guy next to me. But as
Thomas sat down, Ty glanced up at him
and saw the pained look in the boy’s eyes.
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I know that look, Ty realized, recalling his own first
day at Hillcrest one year ago. Although he had hit
his growth spurt this past year, when he first
started at Hillcrest he was what other kids might
call a shrimp. Ben was the one who teased him
the most . . . until Ty started growing like a weed
during the spring semester. Now, Ty practically
towered over everyone.
Later, Ty was standing outside the cafeteria
with his friends, Will and John, discussing the latest
Undercover Ops video game. All of a sudden,
Thomas came crashing out of the cafeteria door,
his face bright red as laughter followed him.
“Looks like the shrimp’s getting eaten by the
sharks in there,” said Will with a smirk. John let
out a short laugh, but Ty didn’t feel like laughing
at Thomas’s expense. He
felt bad for the guy,
but what could
he do about it?
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1
 Over the next few days the new guy’s Yet now it was as if his legs knew what was right
circumstances seemed to get even worse, Ty noticed. before his brain did. Ty stood up and walked
After the cafeteria incident, Thomas refused to talk purposefully over toward Ben, looking him straight
to anyone. Ben and his friends were sneaky enough in the eye.“You will stop bullying Thomas right now,”
to save their insults and jabs for those times when Ty stated calmly, but with an edge of steel.
no teachers or adults were around. Other students A shocked Ben stared back, his mouth gaping
just looked the other way when this happened. open and a half-eaten roll in his hand. The cafeteria
One day at lunch, Ben and his cronies started was suddenly silent as everyone turned to watch.
flicking food crumbs at Thomas, laughing as the bits Then, from a back table, someone began to clap.
stuck onto his back. Thomas just hunched over his Soon everyone was clapping and cheering for Ty.
tray and tried to ignore them. But as Ty sat there Ben’s face turned red and he nodded slightly. Then
eating his own lunch and watching the events unfold, he picked up his tray and slipped out of the cafeteria.
he made a decision. I’ve never done this before in After that, Thomas started to talk to other
my life, he thought with a sliver of fear for what kids, especially Ty. The two became good friends,
might happen. Ty usually earning the nicknames “Big T” and “Little T.” Thomas
avoided confronting people didn’t seem to mind. As for Ben, he never bullied
when he had a problem with another student at Hillcrest again.
them; he hated the drama
that always seemed to follow.
DID YOU
KNOW?
There are three different types of bullying, according to the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Verbal bullying
is saying or writing mean things, such as name-calling and
taunting. Social bullying is hurting someone’s reputation or
relationships, such as leaving someone out or spreading rumors.
Physical bullying is hurting a person’s body or belongings, such
as hitting, tripping, or breaking someone’s things.

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2
 C yber “Who’s that?” asked Rashawn as she read
the comment.

P roblems
“Oh, that’s the new girl, Hallie,” said Maddie.
“She asked to be my friend today, and I said yes.”
“I met her, too,” said Eva. “I think she’s weird.”
“Well, it looks like this new girl wants in on our
Maddie squealed as she saw Eva carrying her fun,” said Katelynn, looking annoyed.
overnight bag up the stairs. Soon, Rashawn and “All she said was that it looked like we were
Katelynn would be here, too. All three girls were having a blast,” said Maddie.
spending the night, and Maddie was thrilled.
Eva began typing. “Watch this,” she said, giggling,
“Did you bring your cell phone?” she asked Eva. as she typed in her comment:
“Of course,” Eva laughed. Only cool people are allowed to comment on our pics.
Maddie smiled. “Good. We’re going to need Maddie gasped, “I can’t believe you just did that!”
our cell phones tonight because I can’t wait The other girls rolled on the floor laughing, but
to take pictures of us!” not Maddie. These are my best friends, she thought
The girls heard two more squeals from with dismay. I can’t say anything or they might leave
downstairs as Rashawn and Katelynn came bounding and never talk to me again.
in with their own bags. Later, the four girls were
sitting in Maddie’s room, listening to music. Katelynn
pulled out her cell phone and said, “Let’s take
a picture.” Seconds later, she was uploading the
photo to a social media site and tagging everyone
in it. As usual, the other three girls checked their
phones for the photo. Suddenly, all four girls’
phones dinged. Someone had already
commented on the photo!

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1
 Rashawn held up her phone and said, “I added “Last year,” Eva said quietly, “an older girl did
another comment—you guys add your own, too.” something like this to me, and it did hurt a lot. I
Maddie sighed and looked at her friends as they don’t know why I thought doing the same thing
busily typed on their phones, adding more would be funny.”
comments to exclude the new girl. “Can we delete our comments?” asked Katelynn.
“Come on, Maddie, add a comment,” “I feel awful now.”
urged Katelynn. After some discussion, the girls decided they
Maddie knew she couldn’t go along with this would delete the photo and their comments and
bullying. Their school counselor had talked about then apologize to Hallie. Then, they agreed, they
cyberbullying just last week to all the sixth graders. would eat lunch with Hallie tomorrow.
She had explained that this type of bullying was too Later, as the girls watched a movie, Maddie
easy for some people to do because they couldn’t breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t realized how
see the pain it caused. Maddie stood up and took stressed the situation had made her. I’m glad I
a deep breath. spoke up, she thought. She wondered what she
“You are my best friends, but I can’t go along would have done if they hadn’t listened to her,
with this. What if you were a new girl at a school, or decided to leave. Then Maddie realized
and someone did this to you? It’s bullying, and it something about herself. She was strong enough
hurts people. If you want to be that kind of person, to handle that, too.
then you don’t need
DID YOU
KNOW? me around.”
The three girls stared
Cyberbullying is
defined as tormenting, at Maddie, shocked, their
threatening, harassing, phones lying in their hands.
or embarrassing another Finally, Rashawn spoke,
person using the Internet “I guess I didn’t think about
or other technologies, like
how I would feel if I were
cell phones.
in Hallie’s place.”

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2
 Eight Blocks Away
September had arrived, and the weather was
gorgeous when Lucy walked out her front door
Monday morning. As she stood waiting on the
sidewalk for her mom to drive her the eight blocks
to school, somebody called her name.
“Yo, Lucy!”
She peered down the street. Two cyclists
approached, both waving wildly at her. Lucy
didn’t recognize them at first because of their
helmets, but soon she saw they were Sofia and
Josey. Lucy knew her friends often rode their
bikes to school, because they passed her house
on their way or else she and her mom passed
them on the street. There was always lots of
waving, but they had never stopped, until today.
“Hey, hey!” cried Sofia, braking at the curb.
Josey grinned and pulled a small bottle of
water out of her backpack.
“You should ride with us,” Sofia said.
Lucy shook her head and smiled. “I can’t bike
in my flip-flops,” she said.
“Change your shoes when you get to school,”
Sofia said, pointing down at her sneakers. “I keep
a pair of flip-flops in my locker.”
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“What about my books?”
Josey raised her eyebrows, then she raised
her thumb and pointed toward the backpack she
was wearing.
Lucy rolled her eyes. “It’s like, a mile,” she
groaned. “And uphill.”
“Yeah, but the ride home is downhill,” Josey said.
“So is the car ride,” Lucy muttered. She glanced
over her shoulder at the front door. What was
holding up her mom this morning? “Anyway,” she
said, “what happens when it gets cold out?”
“We’ll carpool,” Josey said.
“Either that or take the bus,” Sofia said.
“Or your parents could just drive you,” Lucy said,
“like mine does.”
Sofia and Josey exchanged a look. “Remember
Earth Day last April?” Josey asked.
Credit: Amanda Erb/© Learning A–Z
1
 Lucy tried not to DID YOU Josey frowned at her but said nothing more.
squirm. “Yes,” she said KNOW? They watched in awkward silence as Sofia snagged
reluctantly. There are two different kinds the bag, came running back with it, and stuffed it in
“Remember we all of peer pressure: positive and a side pocket of her backpack.
negative. Positive peer pressure
pledged to help the At long last, Lucy’s mom came out of the house.
is also called peer support. This
planet?” Sofia asked. happens when your friends The girls waved at her, rolled their bikes off the
“Yes, and we support you by: making good sidewalk, and set out again. A minute later, Lucy
did. The whole choices; working hard in passed them in the car. She ducked down in her
school; accepting each other’s seat until the car was safely past.
class picked up differences; being involved in
garbage, remember? positive activities such as sports
Including me.” or music groups; and by not On Tuesday, Lucy and her mom approached her
gossiping about or bullying others.
“But we live friends again, and Lucy noticed them laughing and
on Earth every day,” shouting to each other over the sounds of traffic.
Sofia said gently. “One day out of 365 just doesn’t They were so busy having fun, she didn’t even have
cut it.” to duck down this time when the car passed them.
Lucy pointed to a plastic bag twisting and turning
as it floated down the street. “Well, you’re in luck,” she On Wednesday, Lucy rolled down her window
said. “There goes some garbage now.” and waved at her friends. When they waved back,
Sofia climbed off her bike, put down her kickstand she turned to look at her mom.
and dashed after the bag. “Hey,” she said,
“My work here is done,” Lucy said, laughing, then “can I ride my bike
glanced back over her shoulder at the house again. to school tomorrow
“We’re talking about global warming,” Josey said. with Josey and Sofia?”
“Using less fossil fuels.” Her mom smiled at
Lucy crossed her arms. “I know what global her. “I thought you’d
warming is.” never ask,” she said.

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2
 All About
F O OT B A L L
club was presenting a popular musical
and was looking for singers. Tryouts for the
musical were Friday afternoon. Jermaine
groaned. Football practice is Friday, he thought.

J ermaine wearily pried his football helmet off of his

sweaty head, grateful that practice was finally over.
All day, Jermaine thought about the musical.
After school, he decided he would run the idea past
his best friend, Sam. As they walked to the football
Suddenly, he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder field, Jermaine said, “Hey, I saw where the drama
pad. He looked up to see Coach Timms’s stern face. club is putting on that musical.”
“Jermaine,” the coach said, “I want you to bring “Yeah, so?” Sam asked, adding, “We’ve got to
a lot more enthusiasm to the next practice.” work on our defense today or we’ll get creamed
“Yes, sir,” Jermaine replied, secretly wishing the by South Hill this weekend.”
coach would just kick him off the team. The truth “Okay,” Jermaine said. “Well, I’m thinking about
was that Jermaine didn’t like football. He was okay trying out for that musical. I think I’d be pretty
at the game, but he certainly wasn’t the star player. good at it.”
However, all of his friends were on the team, and he
Sam stopped in his tracks and turned around to
knew they would give him a hard time if he quit.
look at Jermaine. “What?” he asked with a shocked
As Jermaine headed toward the locker room, look on his face. “You want to be in a musical?
he thought about what he really wanted to do. Can you even sing?”
He wanted to sing. Jermaine sighed as he thought
about how his friends would react to the news that
he wanted to be up on a stage. He could hear them
now: You want to what?
The next morning, Jermaine was walking to class
when a flyer on the auditorium door caught his
eye. “Can you sing?” the flyer asked in bold letters.
Jermaine stopped to read it. The school’s drama

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Connecting Passage
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1
 “Well, yeah, I can sing,” said Jermaine. The next day, Jermaine told Coach Timms he
Sam rolled his eyes and said, “That’s just crazy. was quitting football. “You’re right. I’m not enthusiastic
What about football? You’d miss a ton of practices.” about it because I just don’t enjoy it,” he explained.
He added that he planned to try out for the musical,
“Well, that’s the thing,” Jermaine said carefully,
and even if he didn’t get a part, he was going to
“I would have to quit football.”
start singing lessons to help him get a part the next
“No way,” Sam said, shaking his head. “We time. Jermaine was surprised to learn that Coach
need you!” Timms understood. In fact, the coach sang in his
After practice, Jermaine found himself church choir.
surrounded by his friends, asking him if what they Friday after school, Jermaine watched his friends
heard was true. Apparently, Sam had talked everyone head toward the football field. Jermaine hadn’t
into trying to convince Jermaine to stick with football talked to Trent and Juan since Wednesday’s football
and forget about singing. practice, but he had told Sam about Coach Timms’s
“Singing and dancing? Come on,” scoffed Trent, reaction. Just then, Sam turned around and gave
adding, “You really don’t like that stuff, do you?”At Jermaine a thumbs-up. “Hey, Jermaine,” he called
first, Jermaine just laughed along with his friends. But out with a wide grin, “Good luck!”
DID YOU
later, he thought Jermaine laughed and waved back, “You, too!”
KNOW? about how his He turned and headed toward the auditorium.
There are two different kinds of friends pressured
peer pressure: positive and negative. him to give up his
Positive peer pressure is also called true talent. They
peer support. This happens when shouldn’t have done
your friends support you by: making
that, he realized,
good choices; working hard in
school; accepting each other’s because real
differences; being involved in positive friends would
activities such as sports or music have respected
groups; and by not gossiping about my decision.
or bullying others.

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2
 Student Response Sheet Individual Reading

Name
Key Question
How does peer pressure influence people’s actions?

On Your Own
1. R
 ead the Key Question. Then read the story. Look for details that help you
answer the Key Question. Circle these words and sentences in the story.
2. N
 ow look back at the story. Write the details you circled or underlined in
the chart below.

How does peer pressure influence people’s actions?

Character’s Problem:

Story Events:

Character’s Actions:

3. T
 hink about the Key Question. Write your answer to the Key Question
using the information you found in the story you read.

My First Answer

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 Student Response Sheet Team Discussion

Name
Key Question
How does peer pressure influence people’s actions?

Share Your Ideas

Meet with your team. Talk about each story your team read.
1. T
 ell the team what happens in the story you read. Show the chart
you made.
2. L
 ook at all the charts your team made and compare the details in each of
your stories.
• How does the character experience peer pressure?
• How does the character respond to the peer pressure?
 ext, write the ideas that answer the Key Question in the chart below. Write
N
only the ideas that are in every story your team read.

How does peer pressure influence people’s actions?

Character’s Problem:

Story Events:

Character’s Actions:

Answer the Key Question

Review the ideas on your team’s chart. As a team, write an answer to the Key
Question. Use the information from the stories to support your answer.

How does peer pressure influence people’s actions?

Our Team’s Answer

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