Worksheet

The Lopsided Bowl: Writing a Strong Ending

Read a story about a lopsided clay bowl that is missing its ending, then choose and write endings that give a story a sense of closure.

Grade 3ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toW.3.3.d

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What’s included

Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
9 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students choose an ending that solves a story's problem and gives it a sense of closure.
Students tell apart sentences that wrap up a story from sentences that start something new.
Students write an ending that shows how the problem is solved and how the character feels.

How to use

Read the story aloud and ask students how they think it should end, then have them answer the questions and write their own ending.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

W.3.3.d

Give a narrative a sense of closure.

Preview

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The Lopsided Bowl: Writing a Strong Ending

Choose and write endings that wrap up a story.

Read the story

This story is missing its ending. Read it carefully.

The Lopsided Bowl

1Every Thursday after school, Leo took a pottery class at the community center. This week, the students were making bowls on the pottery wheel. Leo wanted his bowl to be perfect, because it was a birthday present for his grandma.

2Leo pressed his wet hands against the clay as the wheel spun around and around. At first, the clay rose into a smooth, round shape. Then his thumb slipped. One side of the bowl sagged and leaned like a tired flower.

3Leo's shoulders drooped. "It's ruined," he said. "Grandma will think it looks silly." His teacher, Ms. Adeyemi, came over and looked closely. "It isn't ruined," she said. "It's different. Every bowl made by hand is a little bit special."

4The next week, the bowls had been fired in a kiln, a very hot oven, and now they were hard. Leo painted his bowl bright blue with yellow dots. When he finished, the leaning side didn't look like a mistake anymore. It looked like the bowl was waving hello.

5On Saturday, Leo carried the bowl to Grandma's birthday party in a box tied with a ribbon. His hands shook a little as he handed it to her.

Think about the ending

A strong ending gives a story a sense of closure. It solves the problem and shows how the character feels.

What is Leo worried about in paragraph 3?

A. that his bowl will crack inside the hot kiln
B. that he will be late for his pottery class
C. that Ms. Adeyemi will not let him paint it
D. that Grandma will think his bowl looks silly

Which ending gives "The Lopsided Bowl" the best sense of closure?

A. Grandma opened the box. Just then, the lights went out, and the whole room went dark.
B. Grandma lifted out the bowl and smiled. "It's special, just like you," she said, and Leo felt proud.
C. Grandma opened the box. Leo wondered what flavor the birthday cake was going to be.
D. Leo set the box down on a table. Then he ran off to play tag with his cousins.

Leo's classmates wrote some last sentences for the story. Sort each sentence.

Suddenly, a puppy ran in and grabbed the box.From then on, Grandma kept her keys in Leo's blue bowl.Leo smiled, because his bowl was not ruined after all.Then Leo noticed a strange map taped under the table.Just then, someone knocked loudly at the back door.Leo felt proud that he had made something one of a kind.

Wraps up the story	Starts something new

Read the ending of Nia's story about her first running race. Underline the sentence that tells how Nia feels at the end.

Nia crossed the finish line last.Her friends ran over and gave her a big hug.Nia was tired, but she felt proud of herself for finishing.Then they all walked home together.

Match each story problem to the ending that solves it.

Rafi is scared to read his poem in front of the class.
Ana cannot find her lucky soccer sock before the big game.
Jun and his sister both want the last slice of pizza.
Zara's new neighbor, Lily, is too shy to say hello.

A. They cut it into two equal pieces and ate together.
B. By Friday, the two new friends were drawing chalk pictures together.
C. The sock was in her own backpack the whole time.
D. When he finished, the whole class clapped, and he smiled.

More endings and your turn

Read each short story. Then choose or write an ending.

Read Ben's story.
Ben wanted to build a birdhouse all by himself. He would not let his dad help, even when the boards kept slipping apart. At last, Ben asked his dad for help, and together they finished the birdhouse.
Which closing sentence tells what Ben learned?

A. Ben learned that asking for help can make a hard job easier.
B. Ben painted the birdhouse green and hung it on a low branch.
C. The next morning, a little brown bird peeked inside the house.
D. Ben's dad had a hammer, a saw and a big box of nails.

Read the start of Carmen's story.
Carmen practiced her piano song every day for weeks. At the recital, she missed a note in the middle. Her face felt hot, but she took a deep breath and kept playing.
Which sentence would give Carmen's story the best sense of closure?

A. The piano on the stage was big, black and very shiny.
B. Carmen's teacher had been giving piano lessons for many years.
C. Carmen finished the song and bowed, happy that she kept going.
D. Suddenly, Carmen remembered she had left her jacket on the bus.

Write an ending for "The Lopsided Bowl." Tell what Grandma does and how Leo feels at the end.

Read the start of Isha's story.
Isha's family moved to a new town. On her first day at the new school, she did not know anyone. At lunch, a girl named Grace waved and asked Isha to sit with her.
Write one or two sentences that give Isha's story a sense of closure.