The Floating Shark Project
Thursday, October 12
Dear Diary,
Today in art class, Mr. Chen gave everyone a big challenge. We had to work in pairs to build a 3D ocean habitat using recycled trash. Each pair received a flat gray cardboard base, scissors, bottles of tacky glue, and a cardboard bin filled with egg cartons, plastic bottle caps, and cardboard tubes.
As soon as Mr. Chen said go, I knew exactly what to build. During morning recess, I had already drawn a giant hammerhead shark in my notebook. It had jagged teeth, wide side fins, and a long tail. My plan was simple and perfect: we would draw the shark directly on the big flat cardboard, paint it dark gray, and glue bottle caps around it like little air bubbles. The shark would take up the whole board.
Then my partner, Mateo, walked over from the supply table. He was not carrying gray paint. Instead, he was balancing a tall stack of empty egg cartons, fuzzy orange yarn, and three plastic strawberry baskets.
"Look at these!" Mateo said, his eyes bright. "If we cut the egg cups apart, they look just like sea anemones. We can build a whole rocky coral reef across the bottom."
- habitat:
- The natural home or environment where an animal or plant lives.
- anemones:
- Soft-bodied sea creatures with colorful, waving tentacles that attach to rocks or coral.
- tentacles:
- Flexible, arm-like body parts on certain animals used for feeling, grasping, or moving.
- hover:
- To remain floating or suspended in one place in the air.
- combine:
- To join or mix two or more things together to make a single whole.
- anchored:
- Held firmly in place so something does not drift or fall.
- depth:
- The distance from front to back, giving artwork a realistic, three-dimensional look.
Educational example text · Diary Entry
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What assignment did Mr. Chen give to the students in art class?
- 2Why did the narrator's ears feel warm and stomach knot up when Mateo shared his reef idea?
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About this diary entry passage for 3rd Grade
“The Floating Shark Project” is a diary entry reading passage about collaboration and teamwork, written for 3rd Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (643 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.