Matching Stories To Morals

1. Ben always waited until the last minute to start his projects. One day he had a big science project due. He started it the night before and didn't have time to finish. His grade was low, and he felt embarrassed presenting a messy project. Which moral fits BEST?

Last-minute work can lead to poor results.

Science is too hard.

Teachers grade too harshly.

Projects are not important.

Ben’s trouble comes from waiting too long to start.

Explanation

Ben’s trouble comes from waiting too long to start.

2. A girl helps clean the classroom even though no one will see her do it. Which moral fits best?

Only do good things if people are watching.

Doing the right thing matters even when no one sees.

Cleaning is not important.

Teachers should do all the cleaning.

The girl acts kindly without needing attention.

Explanation

The girl acts kindly without needing attention.

3. True or False: One way to match a moral to a story is to ask, “What did the main character learn?”

True

False

The character’s learning often points to the moral.

Explanation

The character’s learning often points to the moral.

4. A rabbit loved to show off how fast he could run. He made fun of a turtle for being slow. The turtle challenged him to a race. The rabbit rushed ahead, then took a nap. The turtle kept going and won. Which moral matches the story?

Speed always wins.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Never race animals.

Turtles are stronger than rabbits.

The careful turtle wins because he keeps going steadily.

Explanation

The careful turtle wins because he keeps going steadily.

5. Which moral would MOST likely match a story where a character loses friends because they never keep their promises?

Promises are not important.

Breaking promises can damage relationships.

Friends should expect disappointment.

Being late is always okay.

The story would show consequences of broken promises.

Explanation

The story would show consequences of broken promises.

6. Noah wanted to win the spelling bee so badly that he refused to help his little sister practice for her class spelling test. After he won, he found out his sister had done poorly and felt sad. He realized that winning didn't feel as good as helping his sister would have. Which moral fits best?

Winning is everything.

Family doesn’t matter.

Helping others can be more important than winning.

Spelling is not important.

The story would show consequences of broken promises.

Explanation

The story would show consequences of broken promises.

7. Which story idea fits the moral “Be content with what you have”?

A child keeps wishing for more toys and never enjoys the ones they have.

A child reads a book.

A child eats dinner.

A child plays basketball.

Wanting more and more is the opposite of being content.

Explanation

Wanting more and more is the opposite of being content.

8. The moral should be supported by more than one detail in the story.

True

False

Several events usually support the same message.

Explanation

Several events usually support the same message.

9. A little bird was too scared to fly. She watched her brothers and sisters jump from the nest and soar. Finally, she took a deep breath and tried. Her wings were shaky, but she flew. Which moral fits best?

Fear means you should never try.

You should always stay where you are.

Being brave means trying, even when you’re afraid.

Birds can’t fly.

The bird overcomes fear by trying.

Explanation

The bird overcomes fear by trying.

10. Which moral MOST closely fits a story about someone who wins a contest by cheating and feels guilty instead of happy?

Winning by cheating feels great.

Winning is always the goal.

Cheating can take away the joy of success.

Contests are not fair.

The guilt shows cheating ruins the victory.

Explanation

The guilt shows cheating ruins the victory.

11. Lily always took the biggest piece of cake at parties. One day, she arrived late and got only a tiny slice. She felt upset and suddenly understood how her friends must have felt when she grabbed the biggest piece. Which moral fits best?

Always arrive early.

Greed can hurt others and yourself.

Cake is not healthy.

Parties are boring.

She learns how greedy behavior affects people.

Explanation

She learns how greedy behavior affects people.

12. Which story idea fits the moral “Think before you act”?

A boy jumps into a game without listening to rules and gets hurt.

A girl reads a book.

A boy finishes homework.

A girl eats lunch.

Not thinking first leads directly to a problem.

Explanation

Not thinking first leads directly to a problem.

13. If a moral doesn't match the story details, it's probably not the right one.

True

False

The moral must fit events and choices.

Explanation

The moral must fit events and choices.

14. Two friends both wanted to be team captain. Instead of fighting, they decided to take turns leading. They found that sharing leadership actually made their team stronger. Which moral fits best?

Sharing power can help everyone.

One person should always be in charge.

Teams never need leaders.

Friends should not play together.

Sharing leadership benefits the whole team.

Explanation

Sharing leadership benefits the whole team.

15. What is the BEST way to check if a moral matches a story?

Is this a big idea about life that fits what the characters did and learned?

Is this the longest sentence?

Is this what I like best?

Does this sound fancy?

Morals should be big ideas that match story details.

Explanation

Morals should be big ideas that match story details.

Matching Stories to Morals

1. Ben always waited until the last minute to start his projects. One day he had a big science project due. He started it the night before and didn't have time to finish. His grade was low, and he felt embarrassed presenting a messy project. Which moral fits BEST?

2. A girl helps clean the classroom even though no one will see her do it. Which moral fits best?

3. True or False: One way to match a moral to a story is to ask, “What did the main character learn?”

4. A rabbit loved to show off how fast he could run. He made fun of a turtle for being slow. The turtle challenged him to a race. The rabbit rushed ahead, then took a nap. The turtle kept going and won. Which moral matches the story?

5. Which moral would MOST likely match a story where a character loses friends because they never keep their promises?

6. Noah wanted to win the spelling bee so badly that he refused to help his little sister practice for her class spelling test. After he won, he found out his sister had done poorly and felt sad. He realized that winning didn't feel as good as helping his sister would have. Which moral fits best?

7. Which story idea fits the moral “Be content with what you have”?

8. The moral should be supported by more than one detail in the story.

9. A little bird was too scared to fly. She watched her brothers and sisters jump from the nest and soar. Finally, she took a deep breath and tried. Her wings were shaky, but she flew. Which moral fits best?

10. Which moral MOST closely fits a story about someone who wins a contest by cheating and feels guilty instead of happy?

11. Lily always took the biggest piece of cake at parties. One day, she arrived late and got only a tiny slice. She felt upset and suddenly understood how her friends must have felt when she grabbed the biggest piece. Which moral fits best?

12. Which story idea fits the moral “Think before you act”?

13. If a moral doesn't match the story details, it's probably not the right one.

14. Two friends both wanted to be team captain. Instead of fighting, they decided to take turns leading. They found that sharing leadership actually made their team stronger. Which moral fits best?

15. What is the BEST way to check if a moral matches a story?