Worksheet

Measure Twice: Fixing a Weak Story Ending

Read a story about helping a carpenter build a ramp, find why its ending is weak, and choose and write a conclusion that follows from the events.

Grade 4ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toW.4.3.e

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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 4
Subject: ELA
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students explain why a narrative ending does not follow from the events.
Students choose ending sentences that connect to a story's problem and lesson.
Students revise a narrative with a conclusion that follows from its events.

How to use

Read the story aloud and pause at paragraph 6 so students can react to the ending. Have them answer the questions, then share their revised endings.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

W.4.3.e

Write a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Preview

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Name Date

Measure Twice: Fixing a Weak Story Ending

Revise a story conclusion so it follows from what happened.

Read the story

Dev wrote this story. Read it, and pay close attention to his ending in paragraph 6.

The Ramp at the Community Center

1Every Tuesday, Mr. Bell runs the checkers club at our community center. Last month, the club moved to the art room, which has a side door with three concrete steps. Mr. Bell uses a wheelchair, so he could not get in. That is when my neighbor, Ms. Reyes, said, "Let's build a ramp." Ms. Reyes is a carpenter, and she asked me to be her helper.

2On Saturday, we unloaded long boards from her truck and stacked them on the grass beside the steps. Ms. Reyes showed me how to hold a tape measure flat against the wood and mark it with a thick pencil. "Carpenters have a saying," she told me. "Measure twice, cut once."

3I was in a hurry, so I measured only once. Ms. Reyes cut the board where I had marked it. When we set it in place, it was two inches too short! My face turned hot. "Everyone makes mistakes," Ms. Reyes said. "Now you know why we measure twice."

4We measured the next board two times, and it fit perfectly. For the rest of the day, I held boards steady while Ms. Reyes cut and drilled. Then I sanded the railing until it felt as smooth as a creek pebble, so no one would get a splinter.

5On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Bell rolled slowly up the new ramp and through the side door. At the top, he grinned and gave us a thumbs-up. "Now, who wants to lose a game of checkers?" he joked.

6Then I went home and ate dinner. The end.

Look at the ending

Use the story to answer each question.

What is the biggest problem with Dev's ending in paragraph 6?

A. It uses too many words that appeal to the senses.
B. It does not connect to the ramp or what Dev learned.
C. It brings in a new character the reader never met.
D. It is told by Ms. Reyes instead of by Dev himself.

A strong ending comes back to the story's problem. Underline the sentence in paragraph 1 that tells why Mr. Bell could not get into the art room.

Every Tuesday, Mr. Bell runs the checkers club at our community center.Mr. Bell uses a wheelchair, so he could not get in.That is when my neighbor, Ms. Reyes, said, "Let's build a ramp."Ms. Reyes is a carpenter, and she asked me to be her helper.

Dev is planning a new ending. Match each part of his story to the detail from the story that goes with it.

the problem
Dev's mistake
the lesson Dev learned
how things turned out

A. Mr. Bell rolled up the ramp and through the door.
B. Measure twice, cut once.
C. Mr. Bell could not get up the three steps.
D. A board was cut two inches too short.

Circle the two sentences that would make the strongest ending for Dev's story.

My cousin has a red scooter with a silver bell.As Mr. Bell set up the checkers, I ran my hand along the smooth railing and smiled.The next week, I started taking drum lessons after school.Now, whenever I build anything, I measure twice before I cut.Ms. Reyes's truck is the biggest one on our whole street.

Build a better ending

Choose and write sentences for Dev's new conclusion.

Which ending sentence shows what Dev learned?

A. Ms. Reyes keeps all of her tools in a big metal box.
B. The community center has a blue door and a tall flag.
C. Now I know why carpenters measure twice and cut once.
D. Mr. Bell's favorite game is checkers, and mine is chess.

Complete Dev's new conclusion with words from the word bank. Use each word once.

Word bank: twice · sawdust · ramp · carpenter

When Mr. Bell rolled up the new , I felt proud. My sneakers were still dusty with from Saturday. From now on, I will always measure before anyone cuts. Maybe someday I will be a like Ms. Reyes.