Roller Coaster Emotions
Roller Coaster Emotions
Maya slumped into her chair, the slam echoing in the otherwise quiet kitchen. Her mom, stirring a pot on the stove, turned with a sigh. “Rough day, sweetie?”
“Rough life,” Maya mumbled, burying her face in her hands. One minute she was ecstatic because she aced her history test; the next, she was in tears because her best friend, Chloe, wore the same sweater she had planned to wear. It felt like her emotions were a runaway train, and she was just a passenger along for the ride.
Her mom pulled up a chair and gently rubbed Maya's back. "I remember those days," she said. "It feels intense, doesn't it? Like everything is a huge deal."
Maya just groaned. "You don't understand! It's like I can't control anything. One wrong look from someone, and I'm ready to explode!"
The next day at school, Ms. Evans, the science teacher, started a new unit: The Teenage Brain. Maya wasn't particularly thrilled; science wasn’t her favorite subject. But as Ms. Evans began explaining the incredible changes happening inside their heads, Maya started to pay attention.
- Prefrontal Cortex:
- The part of the brain that helps with decision-making and reasoning.
- Amygdala:
- The part of the brain that processes emotions.
- Neurotransmitters:
- Chemicals in the brain that transmit signals between nerve cells.
- ecstatic:
- Feeling or showing overwhelming happiness and excitement.
- adolescence:
- The period of time when a young person transitions from a child into a teenager and young adult.
- amplified:
- Made stronger, greater, or more intense.
- regulate:
- To control, manage, or direct something so that it stays balanced and works properly.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why does Maya feel like her emotions are on a roller coaster?
- 2What part of the brain is responsible for reasoning and decision-making?
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About this fiction passage for Middle School
“Roller Coaster Emotions” is a fiction reading passage about Teen Brain, written for Middle School. It takes about 3 minutes to read (487 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.