To review character traits, click on the video below.

What are some other common character traits? Click on the link below for a list.

An Aesop's Fable Retold

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow

(1) Crow landed high in a tree, holding in her beak a bit of meat she'd found nearby. Below the tree walked Fox, who looked up when he heard a flutter of leaves. He saw Crow and the meat dangling from her beak.

(2) Fox wanted the meat, so he deceitfully said to no one at all, "How handsome is that Crow! So beautiful and shiny are her feathers! Ah, if only her voice were equal to her beauty, she would be considered the Queen of Birds!"

(3) Now Crow, being very vain, heard Fox's flattery of her appearance and was pleased. But she was also anxious to prove him wrong about her voice. So she opened her beak and let out a loud CAW, CAW, dropping the meat as she did. Fox quickly picked it up and ate it. Then he looked up and laughed, "My good Crow, your voice is alright . . . it's your brain that's lacking!" And with that, he walked away, leaving the hungry Crow to feel sorry for herself.

Fox gets the meat from Crow because one of his character traits is being

a. helpful.

b. dishonest.

c. sad.

d. a good cook.

Which is NOT one of Crow's character traits?

a. having feathers

b. being vain

c. having a loud voice

d. being smart

An Open Door

Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.

(1) "Oh, well," I sighed as I plopped down at the kitchen table. "There goes a great chapter in my life!"

(2) Mom looked up from the batter she was mixing. "What's the matter? Why are you so down in the dumps?" she asked.

(3) "That was Mrs. Barberi on the phone. I didn't make the debate team this year!" I grumbled. "I don't know why I didn't do better!"

(4) "Come on, Sam, don't be so hard on yourself!" Mom replied. "You know there are money problems everywhere. The school had to limit funds for some programs and the debate team was cut in half this year."

(5) "I know . . . ," I sighed. "But I still wanted to make it. I like debating, and getting to go to other schools around the state to compete is a lot of fun! I met a lot of new kids that way!"

(6) Mom smiled. "I know you did, but like people say, When life shuts a door in your face, another door opens"!

(7) "I think it's a window, Mom," I said. "If a door closes a window opens."

(8) "Whatever," Mom laughed. "The point is that something else will come along . .

. maybe even better, 'cause you don't know what lies beyond that door . . . I mean, window!"

(9) We were interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing in the living room. "I'll get it," I said. "It's probably Chris wanting to tell me about all the fun stuff the rest of the debate team will do without me this year!"

(10) I picked up the phone, expecting to hear Chris's voice. But it was someone else. I listened attentively, thanked the caller, and went into the kitchen again.

(11) "You look funny . . . who was it . . . is something wrong?" asked Mom, and she jumped up from the table.

(12) "Not wrong, just strange!" I replied. "That was Mr. Diaz, from school."

(13) "So? What did he want?" Mom asked anxiously.

(14) "Me," I replied with a smile. "He wants me to take the lead in the school play! He said I was awesome at the auditions! I'd almost forgotten I tried out this year . . . it was way before the holidays! Mom . . . I got the lead!"

(15) "You see, Sam," Mom said as she grabbed me and we whirled in a circle. "Another door opened and you'll start a whole new chapter of your life!"

(16) "Window, Mom," I sighed, "window!"

Which best describes Sam at the beginning of the story?

a. excited about getting on the debate team

b. depressed about not getting a part in the play

c. excited about trying out for the play

d. depressed about not getting on the debate team

Which is NOT a character trait of Sam's mother?

a. concerned

b. annoyed

c. sympathetic

d. encouraging

Which best describes a trait both characters have?

a. sense of humor

b. distrust

c. disgust

d. jealousy

b. dishonest.
d. being vain.

d. depressed about not getting on the debate team
b. annoyed
a. sense of humor

Read the passage below.
Once long ago a tiger lived in the forest. The tiger scared the people who lived nearby. One day the people decided to trap the tiger. They dug a hole and covered it with leaves and branches. Before long, the tiger fell into the hole.

"Help! Help!" tiger cried to a man passing by. The man was afraid to help the tiger, but the tiger said he would not eat the man. So the man placed a long log into the hole. The tiger climbed out of the hole. "Thank you," said the tiger. Then he growled and came closer to the man.

"You said that you would be nice!" cried the man. "You cannot eat me! Let's ask three others what you should do."

First they asked a cow. "Humans make animals work," said the cow. "Humans are not nice."

Next, the man and the tiger asked a tree. "Humans cut tree's down," said the tree. "Humans are very unkind." The hungry tiger licked his lips. Then the man and the tiger met a rabbit.

"I don't know how you fell into the hole," said the rabbit. The three of them went back to the hole. The tiger jumped in. "See?" he asked. "This is how I fell in."

Grinning, the rabbit hopped away. The man hurried back home. The tiger roared in anger at being tricked.

Use a sheet of notebook paper to make a chart of the following characters: the tiger, man, cow, tree, and rabbit. Name a character trait that describes each character. Include in your answer what each character did or said that made you select this trait for the character.