QUARTER 1: WEEK 8 WORKSHEET

Name:____________________________________________________
Grade level:________________________________________________
Section:___________________________________________________
Date:_____________________________________________________
Objective: identify the elements of a story.
 “THE CRACKED POT”
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on
the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had
a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full
portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the
house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went
on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of
water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But
the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable
that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke

to the woman one day by the stream. ‘I am ashamed of myself, because
this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your
house.’ The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on
your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?’ That’s because I
have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your
side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.’

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers
to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there
would not be this beauty to grace the house.’

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and
flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting
and rewarding.

You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look
for the good in them.
 Learning Task 1

Directions: Fill out the chart after reading the story.

 “The Lion and the Mouse”
Once, as a lion lay sleeping in his den, a naughty little mouse ran up his tail, and onto his
back and up his mane and danced and jumped on his head …
…so that the lion woke up.
The lion grabbed the mouse and, holding him in his large
claws, roared in anger. ‘How dare you wake me up! Don’t
you know that I am King of the Beasts? Anyone who
disturbs my rest deserves to die! I shall kill you and eat
you!’
The terrified mouse, shaking and trembling, begged the lion
to let him go. ‘Please don’t eat me Your Majesty! I did not
mean to wake you, it was a mistake. I was only playing.
Please let me go – and I promise I will be your friend
forever. Who knows but one day I could save your life?’
The lion looked at the tiny mouse and laughed. ‘You save my life? What an absurd idea!’ he said
scornfully. ‘But you have made me laugh, and put me into a good mood again, so I shall let you
go.’ And the lion opened his claws and let the mouse go free.
‘Oh thank you, your majesty,’ squeaked the mouse, and scurried away as fast as he could.
A few days later the lion was caught in a hunter’s snare.
Struggle as he might, he couldn’t break free and became
even more entangled in the net of ropes. He let out a roar
of anger that shook the forest. Every animal heard it,
including the tiny mouse.
‘My friend the lion is in trouble,’ cried the mouse. He ran
as fast as he could in the direction of the lion’s roar, and
soon found the lion trapped in the hunter’s snare. ‘Hold
still, Your Majesty,’ squeaked the mouse. ‘I’ll have you out
of there in a jiffy!’ And without further delay, the mouse
began nibbling through the ropes with his sharp little teeth. Very soon the lion was free.
‘I did not believe that you could be of use to
me, little mouse, but today you saved my
life,’ said the lion humbly.
‘It was my turn to help you, Sire,’ answered
the mouse.

Even the weak and small may be of help to those much mightier than themselves.
 Learning Task 1

Directions: Fill out the chart after reading the story.

Title:

Characters:

Setting:

Problem:
ELEMENTS OF A STORY
Rubrics for checking.
Below Average Average Above Average
Includes none of Includes some of Includes all of the
the components of the components of components of a
a simple sentence. a simple sentence. simple sentence.

0 pts 1 pts 2 pts

Capitalization
The sentences do One sentence Both sentences
not begin with begins with a begin with a capital
Do the sentences
capital letters. capital letter. letter.
begin with capital
letters?
Complete thought Both sentences are
The sentences are One sentence is
readable,
not readable, readable,
understandable,
understandable, or understandable and
Do the sentences and express a
do not express a expresses a
express a complete complete thought.
complete thought. complete thought.
thought?
Punctuation

The sentences One sentence

Do the sentences contain no ending contains no ending Both sentences
contain the punctuation. punctuation. contain correct
appropriate ending ending punctuation.
punctuation?
Spelling Most words in the
Solution:The sentences
Few words are
sentences are
spelled correctly. contain spelling
spelled correctly.
How many words The spelling words mistakes, but the
The spelling words
are spelled in sentences are not spelling words are
are spelled
correctly? spelled incorrectly. spelled correctly.
correctly.