Story lessons and morals · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Finding the lesson in a story

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 7-8
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What is another name for the lesson a story teaches?

    • The moral
    • The setting
    • The title

  2. You have read a fable and want to suggest its lesson. Which question would help most?

    • What colour was the fox's coat at the beginning?
    • How many animals were standing beside the tree?
    • What did the character learn by the end?

  3. A giraffe and a mouse gathered mangos. The giraffe reached the high branches. The mouse fitted under a fence to collect fallen mangos. They shared the pile they made together. What lesson fits?

    • Everyone on a team must do exactly the same job
    • Different skills can help a team
    • A team works best when only its tallest member helps

  4. Bumble was scared to sing for his friends. First he sang one line to his sister. Then he sang a verse to two friends. By Friday he sang the whole song to his group. What lesson fits?

    • Watching other people is all you need to learn
    • Trying small steps can help with fear
    • A new task will always feel too scary to try

  5. A lesson about sharing in a fable about mice can help you share crayons at school.

    Circle one:   True   False

  6. Which story best supports the lesson 'Kindness can lead to kindness in return'?

    • A cat watched birds from a fence every morning. After weeks of watching, she could name every bird in the garden.
    • A pony ran ahead of the others each morning. At the farm race, she reached the gate before any other pony did.
    • A dog shared food with a puppy. Later, the puppy helped the dog find a cool place to rest.

  7. Which detail from The Tortoise and the Hare best supports the lesson 'slow and steady wins the race'?

    • The hare ran quickly at the beginning of the race
    • The tortoise kept walking while the hare slept
    • The tortoise and the hare both entered the race

  8. Rosa lost her library book but kept it secret for a week. When she told Mum, they looked together and soon found it under the sofa. Which lesson fits the story and could help with other mistakes?

    • Telling someone about a mistake can help you fix it
    • Every lost library book can be found by looking under the nearest sofa
    • Keeping a lost book secret for a week will make it turn up on its own

  9. Kit the fox mocked a bird's plain feathers. During a storm, the bird knew where to find dry shelter and led Kit there. The lesson is 'Someone's looks do not tell you what they can do.' Which story supports the same lesson?

    • A boy mocked a girl's plain coat. Later, she knew how to fix his toy and showed him.
    • A girl planted seeds in a pot and watered them every day. After several weeks, small green shoots appeared.
    • A dog barked at the postman each morning. Its owner taught it to sit quietly, and the visits became calmer.

  10. Rex the rooster took every turn to sing. The hens asked for turns, but he refused. They moved to another barn so they could sing there. Rex kept singing alone and never changed his ways. What can the reader learn?

    • Being the loudest means others will always want to listen
    • Having a loud voice means you should sing before everyone
    • Taking every turn can push others away
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Finding the lesson in a story W1-mt_v33BwiyRnd-s1

  1. The moral · A story's lesson is called its moral.
  2. What did the character learn by the end? · What the character learns can suggest a lesson. You can then check that idea against story details.
  3. Different skills can help a team · The animals use different skills to gather a shared pile. Both contribute to the result.
  4. Trying small steps can help with fear · Bumble starts with one line and works towards a whole song. His small steps help him do something he feared.
  5. True · A lesson can apply to a similar situation outside its story. The characters do not have to be people.
  6. A dog shared food with a puppy. Later, the puppy helped the dog find a cool place to rest. · The dog helps the puppy, and the puppy later helps the dog. Those two actions fit the stated lesson.
  7. The tortoise kept walking while the hare slept · Keeping on while the hare sleeps shows the tortoise's steady effort. This directly supports the stated lesson.
  8. Telling someone about a mistake can help you fix it · Rosa gets help after explaining the problem. That advice can also fit mistakes involving things other than library books.
  9. A boy mocked a girl's plain coat. Later, she knew how to fix his toy and showed him. · Both the bird and the girl are judged by their looks, then show a useful skill. The other stories concern care or learning a calmer habit.
  10. Taking every turn can push others away · Rex does not learn, but the result still shows a lesson: refusing to share turns can make others leave.
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