Lesson Focus: Vocabulary
There are 20 words/phrases that this lesson focuses on. It’s a story of a few friends at a skate park, with most words relating to the weather, skateboarding, and emotions. To get the most from this lesson:
(1) Look up the new words.
(2) Read the story.
(3) Do the practice activities.
(4) Use the new words in new sentences.
Jake was drinking his fourth bottle of water. It was hot! They were having a big heatwave, so temperatures had been high for days, and they were going to stay high. He was at a skate park.
Just an hour earlier, he and his friends were sitting around in the AC with nothing to do. The temperature was cooler with the AC on. They were bored. They had been bored since three days ago when the heatwave came because it was just too hot to do anything outside. But they couldn’t take it anymore. Hanging out at home during summer vacation was just too big of a waste!
“How about we play mini golf?” Jake asked. Stacy and Tim both rejected the idea.
“Nope. Hate it.”
“I’d rather chase a cat around a jungle gym.”
“A movie?” Jake asked.
“Nope. Boring,” they rejected again.
“Swimming on the beach?” asked Jake.
“Nope. The sand gets everywhere,” Stacy rejected.
“Come on! We have to do something! How about we try out that new skate park by the beach? I’ve been wanting to learn that trick from you,” Jake suggested.
“It’s way to hot! There’s no AC out there!” rejected Tim.
“Well, it’s die of boredom in here or die of heat out there. I’d rather die having fun!” Jake was determined to do something, anything!
“I’d laugh, but it’s too true to be funny.”
“I’m going. If you want to come with me, you’d better hurry up,” he said.
Jake headed out, and with that, Stacy and Tim were out the door with him, backpacks full of water bottles.
Stacy had promised before school was out to teach Jake a new trick on a skateboard. It wasn’t a difficult one, but he wasn’t exactly a natural, so he needed some help. She was pretty good at doing tricks.
They had all finished their first water bottle by the time they got to the skate park. It was ridiculous, and the temperature was still rising today! They were surprised at how many people were there. I guess they were all sick of staying home.
They started by warming up. Skating up and down some ramps, doing a few easy jumps, kicking around the park. It was fun to explore the new park which had a great view of the ocean, the beach, and the beautiful white seagulls that flew around. They finished their second bottles of water.
Jake always had mixed feelings about skating with Tim and Stacy. They were both naturals. He wasn’t. He had to try things again and again, messing up over and over, before he learned new tricks. They picked up new things so well. They made it look easy! So being around them helped him learn a lot, but it often felt frustrating because he had to try so hard and failed so often, and humiliating because he didn’t do anything as good as them.
They were great friends, though, and they never made him feel bad about it. They just encouraged him to keep trying, and he did. He was perseverant. He didn’t give up easy. SO even though he wasn’t a natural skater, he was pretty good at it.
“You ready?” Stacy asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jake answered.
Stacy started to explain how the trick worked. Tim was actually learning it, too. You had to have the right speed, hit the ramp at the right angle, jump at the right time, and more. After explaining it all she showed him. Off she went, did the trick like it was nothing, and came back. Then Tim gave it a try. He didn’t get it right, but it wasn’t too bad. Then it was Jake’s turn. “Here we go!” he thought.
He went and did his best to do everything exactly like she said and showed. But, as you probably guessed, Bam! Jake did the jump well but instead of landing it he ended up on the ground with his skateboard rolling away at top speed. The seagulls circled overhead as if to tell everyone where he fell. Stacy and Tim, expecting it, were nearby. Tim helped him up and Stacy went after his board. It was embarrasing as usual.
“Not bad!” Tim encouraged, “Give it another go!”
The same thing happened about twenty times. Somehow Jake never actually got hurt, but it often looked like he did. He had his third bottle of water while he took a break and watched his two friends fly around the skate park.
The thought of giving up crossed his mind. Would he be able to learn it? Is this the trick that was just too hard for him? On a level that he couldn’t reach? He had to think hard for a while, but his personality won again. No! This is not above his level. “It’s only above my level if I give up! But if I do it, I do it.”
He was drinking his fourth bottle of water.
He got back on his skateboard and tried to look as determined as he could. That way, he’d give himself more confidence. He wasn’t a natural skater, but he was a natural “try-again-er”. He set of on the way to the perfect ramp, he picked up speed, he focused on the feeling on his feet, and….
He flew into the air! He reached down and grabbed his board while flying high above the heads of his friends who were now watching him, and completed the trick. Down he came, which was the most difficult part. They watched with curiosity. Would he land it?
Bam. This time, he wasn’t laying on the ground. He was comfortably on his board, with the biggest smile on his face. He did it. Stacy and Tim cheered the whole way over and gave him satisfying high fives. Even the seagulls seemed to cheer for him with their calls! He felt awesome!
His perseverance, determination, and no fear of humiliation had gotten him this success. This is the feeling that motivates him to continue no matter how frustrating his failures got. That’s why he never gives up, even in a heatwave!