The Great Gum Caper
The Great Gum Caper
Mr. Grumbles was not a fan of gum. In fact, he loathed it. He believed it was a sticky, distracting menace to his fourth-grade classroom. So, he had a strict, unwavering rule: no gum, ever.
One Tuesday morning, a peculiar scent wafted through the air â a sweet, bubblegum aroma. Mr. Grumbles' nose twitched. He scanned the room, his eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he spotted it: a small, pink bulge in Timmy's cheek.
"Timmy!" Mr. Grumbles boomed, his voice echoing through the room. "Are you chewing⊠gum?"
Timmy's eyes widened. He shook his head vigorously, the pink bulge jiggling with the motion. "No, Mr. Grumbles! I would never!" he squeaked.
Mr. Grumbles, unconvinced, marched toward Timmy's desk. "Open your mouth, Timmy!"
Timmy hesitated, then slowly opened his mouth. It was empty.
"Ha!" Timmy exclaimed, "I told you I didn't have gum!"
Mr. Grumbles, confused, scratched his head. The gum smell, however, persisted. He peered under Timmy's desk. Nothing. He checked Timmy's pockets. Empty. Where was the gum?
Suddenly, a giggle erupted from the back of the room. It was Lily. She pointed at Mr. Grumbles' hair. There, stuck to the top of his head, was a large, pink wad of bubblegum.
- Loathed:
- To hate something very much.
- Menace:
- Something that causes trouble or is likely to cause harm.
- Peculiar:
- Strange or odd.
- unwavering:
- Strong, steady, and not changing or stopping.
- vigorously:
- Done with a lot of energy, force, or enthusiasm.
- culprit:
- A person who is responsible for doing something wrong or causing a problem.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts â all built from this text.
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
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
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did Mr. Grumbles not like gum?
- 2What scent did Mr. Grumbles smell in the classroom?
Where this passage belongs
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About this fiction passage for Upper Elementary
âThe Great Gum Caperâ is a fiction reading passage about Humor, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (247 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.