Illustration of kids sneaking into an abandoned yard
Art By Teresa Martinez
Fiction,

Our Spot

When five friends stumble on some empty land, they turn it into their own secret park. But will it stay a secret?

By Monique D. Hall | Art by Teresa Martinez
From the December 2022/January 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify the parts of a story’s plot in order to understand how the story’s events affect the characters.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose & Levels of Meaning
    The story is about a group of friends who turn an empty lot into their own secret park. On another level, it’s about making sacrifices to help others.
  • Structure
    Written in the past tense, the story is in the first person and is chronological.
  • Language
    The language is mostly conversational and includes a lot of dialogue.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is needed. Food banks and community gardens are mentioned.
Lexiles: 500L-600L
Guided Reading Level: M
DRA Level: 20-24
Featured Skill: Plot,
Other Key Skills: text features, vocabulary, key detail, character, figurative language, setting, inference, interpreting text, visual literacy, main idea, summarizing, connecting to the text, narrative writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.1, RL.2, RL.3, RL.4, RL.6, RL.7, W.3, SL.1, L.1
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 6a, 6c, 6d, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7f, 7g, 8b, 8c, 8d, 10c, 10d, 12a

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Think and Read: Plot

The plot of a story is what happens in it. As you read, look for events in the beginning, middle, and end that show what the kids do with the lot.

I first saw Our Spot out of the corner of my eye. I was walking home from school with my friends. Georgie was telling us about the new playground that had just opened on the other side of the city.

“It was packed with kids,” he said. “I had to wait forever to get on the swings!” 

Living in a city was exciting. But all the best places to play were always crowded—especially the outdoor spots.

“Hey! What’s through there?” I asked, pointing to a broken board in the fence. We had taken this shortcut home a million times, but this was the first time I had noticed the broken board. 

Before they knew what I was talking about, I was halfway through the gap in the fence. I needed to get a closer look.

PAUSE AND THINK: What does the narrator notice on the walk home?

Art by Teresa Martinez

"It will be our own secret park!"

A Secret Park

On the other side, I stood up and smiled. My friends squeezed through with confused looks on their faces.

“Look!” I said to them, pointing to the grassy lot in front of us.

“There’s nothing here, Nico,” Kiana said, folding her arms. 

“It’s just a vacant yard,” Eric agreed.

“I climbed in here to look at a bunch of garbage?” Lucia huffed.

Sure, the lot was covered in trash, and the grass was full of weeds. But you know what I saw when I looked at it? Potential. I saw what this lot could become, with a little work.

“Guys! This lot doesn’t belong to anyone,” I explained. “That means it could belong to us.” They all stopped and looked around. Then their confusion turned to joy.

“So if we clean this lot up . . .” Kiana began.

“. . . and pull out the weeds . . .” Eric added, catching on.

“. . . and tell NOT EVEN ONE other person about it . . .” whispered Georgie.

“This could be ours?!” Lucia asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Exactly! It will be our own secret park!” I said. We all put our hands in and promised to meet back there the next day, ready to make our secret park look beautiful.

PAUSE AND THINK: What do the kids decide to do with the vacant lot?

Art by Teresa Martinez

"So its name will be Our Spot!"

A Special Name

The next morning, we met at the lot bright and early. I brought five huge garbage bags and a box of gloves. Then we got to work collecting the trash and pulling the weeds.

It took almost three hours to clean the park, but we worked as a team and got it done. We cheered when Lucia tied a knot in the last garbage bag.

“This lot looks much better now!” said Georgie.

“It looks bigger too,” Kiana said. 

They were both right. I looked around, shocked at how much space there was for us to run and play. 

“Now, we just need to give our secret park a special name,” Kiana said. 

“Nico should name it! He was the one who saw it first,” Lucia said matter-of-factly. Everyone agreed. So I thought and thought. I paced in a circle, trying to come up with a good name.

“C’mon, Nico, it’s almost lunchtime!” Georgie groaned.

Then BOOM! The idea hit me like a water balloon. “I’ve got it! This secret spot belongs to us. So its name will be Our Spot!” Everyone agreed.

“Our Spot it is!” said Eric.

PAUSE AND THINK:  Why is Nico chosen to name the lot?

Art by Teresa Martinez

"Hi, Mr. Perry. Why is everybody in line?"

Our Spot?

Over the next few weeks, we played at Our Spot every day after school. We raced, we kicked my soccer ball around, and we lay in the grass looking at shapes in the clouds. Our Spot was the most perfect place on Earth. 

During our school break, we spent even more time at Our Spot. Kiana brought her jump ropes, Georgie and Lucia brought snacks, and Eric brought his comic books to share.

One morning on my way to Our Spot, I saw a long line of people at the community center. My neighbor Mr. Perry was outside directing the line. I was curious, so I went up to talk to him.

“Hi, Mr. Perry. Why is everybody in line?” I asked. 

“They’re waiting to get food from our community food bank,” Mr. Perry explained. “Groceries can cost a lot of money. So the food bank gives food to people who need a little help.” 

I was surprised that so many people in our city needed the food bank’s help. “What kind of food does the food bank give out?” I wondered out loud.

“Mostly pasta, canned foods, and other things that don’t expire right away. But I wish we could give away more fresh fruits and veggies,” Mr. Perry sighed. 

He said he was trying to start a community garden with some of the volunteers. “Then we could grow fruits and vegetables for the food bank,” he said. “I just wish I could find the right piece of land.”

PAUSE AND THINK: Why does Mr. Perry want to start a community garden?

Art by Teresa Martinez

"I think Our Spot would be the perfect spot."

The Perfect Spot

“The right piece of land,” I thought as I walked to Our Spot. My friends were already there, in the middle of a game of tag. I sat at the edge of the lot, running my fingers through the grass. 

When Georgie decided he was too tired to be “it” anymore, the group came over to say hi. Georgie plopped down in the grass beside me. “What’s wrong, Nico? Why aren’t you playing?”

I took a deep breath and explained what Mr. Perry had told me. I talked about the food bank and the volunteers’ goal of starting a community garden.

 “All the food bank needs is land to be able to grow fruits and vegetables for all the people who need them,” I said. “And I think . . . I think Our Spot would be the perfect spot.”

PAUSE AND THINK: What does Nico want to do with Our Spot?

A Great Idea

Georgie, Kiana, Lucia, and Eric listened quietly. I waited for someone to complain or argue with me. Are they mad at me? I wondered.

But then Eric stood up. “I think . . . that’s a great idea, Nico!” 

“Yeah, a community garden could help so many people,” Lucia agreed. 

“I’m just a little sad that this won’t be Our Spot anymore,” Georgie admitted.

“I’m gonna miss it too,” I said. “But we can always come to visit and help out with the garden!”

“That’s true!” Kiana said. “Let’s go talk to Mr. Perry.”

“It’s time to share our special spot,” Georgie agreed. “But can we play one last round of tag first?” 

“Only if you’re still ‘it,’ Georgie!” Lucia shouted. 

“Aw, man!” Georgie said, jumping to his feet. 

As my friends ran off, I imagined what Our Spot would look like as a garden. I pictured the juicy red tomatoes and the crisp green lettuce. Maybe we could even add some decorations. 

I realized it would always be Our Spot. But now, it would belong to the whole community too. 

PAUSE AND THINK: Why do the kids decide to tell Mr. Perry about the land? 

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine the story doesn't end here. Write a paragraph describing what you think happens next.

Slideshows (1)
Audio ()
Activities (8)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Slideshows (1)
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Activities (8) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Saruni, the main character of another Storyworks 3 story, also decides to make a selfless choice in “My Rows and Piles of Coins.” Ask your students how he and Nico are alike.

For another story that has plot as its featured skill, have students read “The Days the Worms Moved In.”

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Close Reading

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Differentiate and Customize

Striving Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers

1. Preparing to Read

Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features

  • Ask students to predict what this story will be about based on the title, subtitle, and images on pages 10-11. Review the predictions after reading.
  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 11 and the Think and Write box on page 15. 

Introduce Vocabulary

  • Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words. Then assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder before or after reading.

2. Close Reading

  • Read the story as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the Read-Aloud. Use the Pause and Think questions at the end of each section for a quick comprehension check.

  • Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, use all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read the first section. What is the problem with the new playground that just opened on the other side of the city? (key detail) The problem with the new playground is that it’s crowded. Some kids, like Georgie, had to wait a long time for a turn to use the swings.
  • Read “A Secret Park.” How do Kiana’s, Eric’s, and Lucia’s feelings about the vacant yard change in this section of the story? (character) At first, the three friends are confused. They don’t understand why Nico asked them to check out a yard with trash and weeds. Later, they become excited when they realize the lot could be cleaned up and turned into their own secret park.
  • Read “A Special Name.” When Nico suddenly decides on a name for the lot, he says, “Then BOOM! The idea hit me like a water balloon.” Why do you think he compares coming up with a name to being hit with a water balloon? (figurative language) Nico probably makes this comparison to say that the idea came to him suddenly and forcefully. He means that it felt similar to when a water balloon slams into you without warning.
  • Read “Our Spot?” Why does Nico call Our Spot “the most perfect place on Earth”?(setting, inference) Nico calls Our Spot “the most perfect place on Earth” because it makes him feel relaxed and happy to play there with his friends or just lie in the grass and look at the clouds.
  • Why is the next section called “The Perfect Spot”? What would be another good title for this part of the story? (interpreting text, text features) This section is called “The Perfect Spot” because Nico decides their secret park would be the perfect spot for a community garden. Answers to the second question will vary.
  • Read “A Great Idea.” How does the picture on page 15 show what happens in this part of the story? (visual literacy) The picture shows what Nico imagines Our Spot will look like as a community garden. The illustration includes the plants and decorations Nico pictures being there.
  • In your own words, explain what Nico realizes at the end of the story. (main idea) Nico realizes that their secret park would still be an important part of their lives but in a different way. Instead of just the five of them playing there together, he and his friends would be sharing it with the whole community.

Critical-Thinking Questions

  • Explain what makes Our Spot so special to Nico and his friends. Include details from the story in your answer. (inference, summarizing) Answers will vary but may be similar to: Our Spot is special to Nico and his friends because it is their own secret park. There’s always room there for them to play and hang out. Other outdoor play spaces in their city are always crowded. The space is also special because the five friends worked hard to clean it up and make it a nice place to be. They enjoy meeting in Our Spot and having fun together.
  • If you were one of Nico’s friends, what would you have said when Nico suggested Our Spot should be used for a community garden? Explain your answer. (connecting to the text) Answers will vary.

Class Discussion: Seeing Potential

  • In the story, Nico sees the potential of the vacant lot to become something wonderful, although his friends at first do not. Go over the meaning of potential with your students and explain that many people and things have the potential to be better. Then lead a discussion about the importance of seeing the potential or possibility in things and people, including oneself.

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Plot

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Plot Skill Builder.

  • Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on
    page 15. 

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

To help striving readers understand the plot, play the audio of the story as students follow along in their magazines. Pause at the end of each section to discuss what happened, and together write a one- or two-sentence summary. Afterward, have students work in pairs on one of the questions in the Plot Skill Builder. Gather the pairs to discuss their work and complete the skill builder as a group.

For Multilingual Learners

The story includes words and phrases related to play (playground, swings, tag, “it,” water balloon, jump ropes, etc.). Go over any of these activities or terms that may be less familiar to your multilingual learners. Ask students to share what outdoor games and activities they enjoy doing and what these are called in their first languages.

For Advanced Readers

Have students work in a group to respond to the writing prompt on page 15. Instruct the students to use a play format for this assignment and to write dialogue for a narrator (or narrators) and the characters. Invite groups to perform their new scene for the rest of the class.

Text-to-Speech