The Courage of Clara
The Courage of Clara
The school bell rang, signaling the end of another long day at Northwood Elementary. Clara loved school, especially reading time, but today, a knot of worry tightened in her stomach. As she walked toward the bike racks, she noticed a group of older kids surrounding a smaller boy named Alex. Alex was known for his bright smile and even brighter collection of colorful socks.
Clara hesitated. She knew these kids. They were known for their teasing and unkind words. It looked like they were making fun of Alex's dinosaur socks. Clara’s heart pounded in her chest. She never liked confrontation. What if they turned on her? What if they laughed at her too? These thoughts raced through her mind like squirrels chasing each other in the park.
But then, she remembered what her grandfather always said: "Sometimes, Clara, the bravest thing you can do is stand up for what's right, even when it's scary.” She took a deep breath and started walking towards the group.
“Hey!” Clara called out, her voice a little shaky. The older kids turned around, surprised. “Leave him alone.”
The leader of the group, a boy named Mark, scoffed. “Mind your own business, Clara. This doesn’t concern you.”
- Confrontation:
- A face-to-face argument or challenge.
- Gratitude:
- The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
- hesitated:
- Paused for a short time before acting or speaking because of feeling uncertain.
- commotion:
- A noisy disturbance or state of confused excitement.
- dispersed:
- Broke up and moved away in different directions.
- muster:
- To gather, collect, or summon up as much strength or courage as possible.
One passage, many ways to practice
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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.
Point of View
Identify who presents the text and analyze how perspective shapes what the reader receives.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Language & Tone
Interpret nonliteral language and analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning.
Writing Prompts
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why was Clara worried at the beginning of the story?
- 2Describe what Clara saw at the bike racks.
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About this fiction passage for Upper Elementary
“The Courage of Clara” is a fiction reading passage about Courage and Intervention, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (382 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.