The Big Cheese: Saving Chicago from the Rat King
NARRATOR: Deep beneath the streets of Chicago, a massive, furry shadow is growing. A radioactive rat monster, the size of a city bus, is terrorizing the Loop! The government has called in three unlikely heroes to lead the mission.
JAKE: (Looking at a map) Okay, team, listen up. The General says the creature is heading straight for the Willis Tower. We are the only ones with the tactical knowledge to stop him. Are we ready?
LUCY: (Checking her tablet) Ready? Jake, I’ve been ready since breakfast. I’ve cross-referenced the creature's migratory patterns with local wind speeds. My data shows he’s hungry for something more than just trash. He’s looking for a lair.
BOBBY: (Flexing his muscles) I don’t need data. I just need to know which way to point my muscles. Can I throw a car at it? The General said I could help with the heavy lifting!
JAKE: Not yet, Bobby. We need to be smart. We know the monster’s one weakness: Swiss cheese. But not just any cheese—it has to be the government-grade Swiss laced with the special rat-stopping formula.
NARRATOR: The kids stand on the deck of a high-tech government helicopter hovering over the Chicago River. Below them, the giant rat monster lets out a deafening squeak that shakes the skyscrapers.
- Migratory:
- Relating to the movement of animals from one region or habitat to another.
- Lair:
- A wild animal's resting place or a secret hideout.
- Coordinates:
- A group of numbers used to indicate the exact position of a point or place.
- Stabilizing:
- To become unlikely to change, fail, or decline; returning to a steady state.
- Tactical:
- Relating to actions carefully planned to gain a specific end or advantage.
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Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
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Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What is the specific location the Rat King is heading toward at the beginning of the play?
- 2Which character is responsible for analyzing data and migratory patterns?
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About this reader's theater passage for 5th Grade
“The Big Cheese: Saving Chicago from the Rat King” is a reader's theater reading passage about Heroism, written for 5th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (552 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.