The bus left without Maya at 6:40. She looked at the two miles of road, tightened her straps, and walked. Her feet ached by the first mile, but she never slowed. She reached the science fair before judging began. What does Maya's choice show about her?

Devon found his name on the speaker list. What if I forget the second paragraph? he thought. What if my voice shakes? He read his note cards again, and then again, though he knew every line by heart. What do Devon's thoughts and rereading show about him?

Ruben saved eight weeks of allowance for a skateboard. Then he visited a dog shelter. The shelter had run out of blankets for the dogs. Ruben counted his money twice. He spent all of it on fleece blankets. What best shows that Ruben is generous?

Fog pressed against the cabin windows. The lamp flickered twice and went out. Under the floorboards something scratched slowly, then stopped. Nina pulled the blanket to her chin and counted her breaths. What mood do these setting details create?

Clara filled the oil lamp before dark, because the house had no electric lights. Her father hitched the horses to the wagon for the trip to the trading post, two days away. What does the setting tell the reader about when this story happens?

Toby left the gate open when he ran inside for his glove. The puppy slipped out and dashed away. Toby chased her three blocks and missed the start of the game. His coach put him in during the second inning. What started this chain of events?

Priya noticed the class garden drying out just before spring break. She emailed the principal to ask for a way to water it. The principal gave her a key for two mornings. The bean plants grew tallest in school. What happened because of Priya's email?

Every afternoon Jonah rode his bike past the empty lot. He filled two notebooks with drawings of a garden there, then knocked on twelve doors asking neighbors to sign his letter to the city. What motivates Jonah to collect his neighbors' signatures?

When both tent poles snapped in the wind, Ana looked around camp. She lashed two canoe paddles together with a jump rope, propped the tent up, and tied the corners to a log. The tent held until morning. What does Ana's fix show about her?

After the game, a reporter asked Marcus about his four goals. 'I got lucky today,' he said. 'Ellie made every one of those passes. You should ask her.' What do Marcus's words show about him?

The river froze a foot thick by January. Instead of rowing the mail across, Sam strapped on his skates and carried the bag over the ice in half the usual time. How does the setting change what Sam does?

Before the class hiked the ridge, Nadia checked the weather twice, packed extra water for everyone, and tested each knot in the rope. She would not start up the trail until every hiker showed her their boots. Which trait do Nadia's actions best show?

Maya tightened her backpack straps and stepped onto the noisy school bus on Monday morning. Who is the character in this sentence?

The story says, "At sunset, the campers gathered beside the lake to toast marshmallows." What is the setting?

Read the sentence: "Mia won the spelling bee." True or false: Winning the spelling bee is an event in the story.

Read the sentence: "Leo dropped the glass jar, and marbles rolled across the kitchen floor." Which answer names the event?

Read the short passage: "Grandma Rosa hummed as she painted a blue birdhouse in her sunny garden." Who is a character?

Read the short passage: "During recess, Andre and Priya raced across the playground to the swings." What is the setting?

True or false: The setting of a story tells who the characters are.

Read the sentence: "The dragon sneezed a puff of smoke over the castle wall and the old bridge." Which word or phrase names a character?