Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer

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1 Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer By Vinnie Rotondaro Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer The arcade was full of little kids, and they were all playing different games racing games, basketball games, pinball games. Beeps and buzzers and game over sounds were ringing out all over the place. Davey was over at a basketball game called Hoop Fever. He took a quarter out of his pocket and stuck it in the machine. A scoreboard with big red numbers lit up five, four, three, two, one: Go! Five rubber basketballs rolled down. Davey had 50 seconds to shoot as many buckets as possible. He really wanted to beat his all time record of 10 buckets, and was feeling a little nervous. Davey picked up a ball and took his first shot, using all his might. The ball sailed out of his hands, slammed into the backboard and came bouncing back. Davey knew he shot the ball too hard. He quickly picked up another ball and shot it with a little less power. This time the ball clanged off the back of the hoop. Still a little too hard. He picked up another ball and shot it with even less strength. It was just right. The ball bounced on the rim and fell through the net. Davey kept shooting just like that, and ended up getting 12 buckets. He beat his all time record!

2 Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer Across the way, Samantha was playing her brother Harry in a game of air hockey. Samantha was smaller than Harry and wasn t as strong, but she knew how to outsmart him. Every time Harry hit the puck with his hand mallet, he would hit it as hard as he could and it would go flying sometimes right off the table! Samantha knew this about Harry. So she would keep her mallet right in front of her goal, and Harry s shot always bounced right off it. When Samantha got the puck, she would shoot just hard enough to keep it moving, but not too hard. The puck would go back and forth, back and forth not too fast, and not too slow and Harry would let his guard down. When this happened Samantha would strike. She would smack the puck as hard as she could and it would shoot right into Harry s goal. Score!

3 Questions: Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer Name: Date: 1. What game is Davey playing? A air hockey B a pinball game C a racing game called Monster Truck Madness D a basketball game called Hoop Fever 2. What is the setting of this story? A an arcade B a basketball court C a hockey rink D a racecar track 3. Every time Harry hits the air hockey puck, he hits it as hard as he can. Samantha does not always hit the puck as hard as she can. Harry does not score on Samantha, but Samantha scores on Harry. What can be concluded from this information? A Harry is a better air hockey player than Samantha. B Davey is a better air hockey player than Samantha. C Always hitting the puck as hard as possible is the best way to play air hockey. D Always hitting the puck as hard as possible is not the best way to play air hockey. 4. How does Davey probably feel after finishing his game of Hoop Fever? A happy and proud B sad and disappointed C nervous and scared D tired and confused 5. What is this passage mainly about? A a boy who loses a game of air hockey to his sister B a girl who wants to play basketball but plays hockey instead C two people playing different games at an arcade D a game of basketball in gym class that results in a fight 1

4 Questions: Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer 6. Read the following sentence: Every time Harry hit the puck with his hand mallet, he would hit it as hard as he could and it would go flying sometimes right off the table! What does the word puck mean in the sentence above? A an object hit by people in a game B a person who plays against someone else C a racing game found in many arcades D a machine that lights up and beeps 7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Although Davey misses his shots at first, he starts making them. A specifically B initially C previously D soon 8. How does Davey change the way he shoots to start making buckets? 2

5 Questions: Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer 9. How does Samantha shoot in order to score on Harry? 10. Compare or contrast the way Davey shoots basketballs with the way Samantha shoots the air hockey puck. 3

6 Teacher Guide & Answers: Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer Teacher Guide & Answers Passage Reading Level: Lexile What game is Davey playing? A air hockey B a pinball game C a racing game called Monster Truck Madness D a basketball game called Hoop Fever 2. What is the setting of this story? A an arcade B a basketball court C a hockey rink D a racecar track 3. Every time Harry hits the air hockey puck, he hits it as hard as he can. Samantha does not always hit the puck as hard as she can. Harry does not score on Samantha, but Samantha scores on Harry. What can be concluded from this information? A Harry is a better air hockey player than Samantha. B Davey is a better air hockey player than Samantha. C Always hitting the puck as hard as possible is the best way to play air hockey. D Always hitting the puck as hard as possible is not the best way to play air hockey. 4. How does Davey probably feel after finishing his game of Hoop Fever? A happy and proud B sad and disappointed C nervous and scared D tired and confused 5. What is this passage mainly about? A a boy who loses a game of air hockey to his sister B a girl who wants to play basketball but plays hockey instead C two people playing different games at an arcade D a game of basketball in gym class that results in a fight 1

7 Teacher Guide & Answers: Shoot It Harder, Shoot It Softer 6. Read the following sentence: Every time Harry hit the puck with his hand mallet, he would hit it as hard as he could and it would go flying sometimes right off the table! What does the word puck mean in the sentence above? A an object hit by people in a game B a person who plays against someone else C a racing game found in many arcades D a machine that lights up and beeps 7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Although Davey misses his shots at first, he starts making them. A specifically B initially C previously D soon 8. How does Davey change the way he shoots to start making buckets? Suggested answer: Answers may vary in wording but should all recognize that Davey starts shooting with less strength. 9. How does Samantha shoot in order to score on Harry? Suggested answer: Answers may vary in degree of detail but should be consistent with the passage. Students may respond that Samantha hits the puck as hard as she can when Harry lets his guard down. They may add that Samantha hits the puck hard enough to keep it moving but not too hard, so Harry lets his guard down. 10. Compare or contrast the way Davey shoots basketballs with the way Samantha shoots the air hockey puck. Suggested answer: Answers may vary, as long as they are supported by the passage. For example, students may respond that Davey does not use all his strength to shoot the basketball into the net, while Samantha does use all her strength to shoot the puck into Harry s goal. Alternatively, students may respond that sometimes Samantha does not shoot the puck with all her strength but just hard enough to keep it moving. This restraint is similar to that exercised by Davey shooting the basketball after his first miss. 2

Self-Acceptance. A Frog Thing by E. Drachman (2005) California: Kidwick Books LLC. ISBN 0-9703809-3-3. Grade Level: Third grade

Self-Acceptance. A Frog Thing by E. Drachman (2005) California: Kidwick Books LLC. ISBN 0-9703809-3-3. Grade Level: Third grade Self-Acceptance A Frog Thing by E. Drachman (2005) California: Kidwick Books LLC. ISBN 0-9703809-3-3 This Book Kit was planned by Lindsay N. Graham Grade Level: Third grade Characteristic Trait: Self Acceptance