Leading Drama
1
Jameel went over his mental checklist before he left for school—backpack, notebook in aforementioned backpack, Mom’s car key? Check, check, and check, Jameel grinned as he climbed in the driver’s seat of his mom’s car.
2
Jameel was running late thanks to a few last-minute chores he’d offered to do. Taking on additional responsibilities around the house was difficult, but it earned him the keys to his mom’s car while she was on maternity leave, and driving himself was worth it! His junior year was off to a great start—and today was extra exciting because the new drama club student president, which Jameel hoped would be him, would be announced.
3
Mrs. Linden looked up when he came in and waved him to his seat, saying, “I’m thrilled our new drama club president made the time to join us!”
4
“Sorry, I have a newborn sister and I was helping my parents out with some—” Jameel sputtered as he scurried into the classroom, but he stopped when Mrs. Linden’s words registered. “Wait, did you just say that I’m club president?”
5
Mrs. Linden beamed at him. “I was just informing the class about the upcoming musical, which you—our brand-new president—will lead. I’m expecting great things from you!”
6
Jameel thanked Mrs. Linden as he swelled with pride and excitement.
7
A week later, Jameel stood in front of the drama club and called his first meeting to order. Holding his notebook up in the air, he said, “This year we are going to be performing The Lion Queen, and I went ahead and picked the best roles for everyone according to their talents.”
8
Jameel handed out the roles he worked so hard planning. Thomas had amazing pitch and would make a perfect Soomba, while Lauren had great range and would be stunning as Nalia. Jameel mentally congratulated himself for a list well made—but almost immediately, the students assigned to Pumbo and Rafaka started complaining. Others joined in, questioning their roles and offering trades, which Jameel quickly shut down—he had not stayed up late all week perfecting the list for nothing.
9
Running rehearsals was harder than Jameel expected. Students whispered and giggled, missed their cues, forgot their lines, and barely put in any acting effort at all, even when Jameel issued stern reminders. When Jameel finally got home after his third rehearsal, his head was throbbing and all he wanted to do was play video games and unwind, but that hope was quickly dashed. His mom called out a greeting from the kitchen and then said, “Remember, your dad’s working overtime tonight, and you volunteered to watch Tawnee while I cook. Oh, no—the money I laid out for the eggs is still here on the table, did you forget to get them?”
10
Jameel groaned, remembering what felt like five years ago when he promised to hit the grocery and help with the baby so his mom could make them all a delicious dinner. With a deep sigh, he called out an apology and said he would be right back.
~
11
A month flew by before Jameel knew it. Between his increased responsibilities at home and the demands of drama club, he was exhausted and felt like he couldn’t get any peace. Frustrated, he unloaded about the situation to his friend Thomas, but Thomas offered a surprising critique in place of the sympathy Jameel expected. “A lot of us aren’t having fun because we didn’t get any say in our parts,” Thomas said, “and it sounds like all those late nights making choices for us didn’t do you any favors either.”
12
Jameel had to admit there was some truth to that. That afternoon, he had a similar conversation with his mom when she told him he looked tired and he explained how stressed out he’d been.
13
“Well Jameel, you’re always offering to get the groceries and help out, even when we don’t ask you to. Your dad and I appreciate the help, and we like seeing you act so responsibly, but part of being responsible is finding balance.”
14
Jameel turned the word balance over and over in his mind all evening and decided to spend one more night using his planning skills.
15
At the next drama club meeting, he announced that there would be an audition in place of rehearsal so everyone could try out for the parts they wanted. The mood in the room lightened instantly, and suddenly everyone was excited about the play. Jameel got to sit back and watch as the play transformed before his eyes—for the better!
16
At home, Jameel made a schedule. At first, he worried his parents would miss his frequent help, but they respected his need for a plan. Together, they agreed Jameel would run three errands per week and help with dinner on two evenings to earn use of the car.
17
Two months later, Jameel stood on stage waving to the audience as they gave a standing ovation. He spotted his mom, his dad, and Tawnee in the crowd and felt prouder than ever.
Multiple Choice Question
What is one theme of the story?
A.
It is important to be thoughtful about how one spends one's time.
B.
Family is always more important than one's outside activities.
C.
Pursuing the arts will bring joy and happiness to one's life.
D.
It is essential to find a passion in order to be sure one loves one's work.
A. It is important to be thoughtful about how one spends one's time.
Leading Drama
1
Jameel went over his mental checklist before he left for school—backpack, notebook in aforementioned backpack, Mom’s car key? Check, check, and check, Jameel grinned as he climbed in the driver’s seat of his mom’s car.
2
Jameel was running late thanks to a few last-minute chores he’d offered to do. Taking on additional responsibilities around the house was difficult, but it earned him the keys to his mom’s car while she was on maternity leave, and driving himself was worth it! His junior year was off to a great start—and today was extra exciting because the new drama club student president, which Jameel hoped would be him, would be announced.
3
Mrs. Linden looked up when he came in and waved him to his seat, saying, “I’m thrilled our new drama club president made the time to join us!”
4
“Sorry, I have a newborn sister and I was helping my parents out with some—” Jameel sputtered as he scurried into the classroom, but he stopped when Mrs. Linden’s words registered. “Wait, did you just say that I’m club president?”
5
Mrs. Linden beamed at him. “I was just informing the class about the upcoming musical, which you—our brand-new president—will lead. I’m expecting great things from you!”
6
Jameel thanked Mrs. Linden as he swelled with pride and excitement.
7
A week later, Jameel stood in front of the drama club and called his first meeting to order. Holding his notebook up in the air, he said, “This year we are going to be performing The Lion Queen, and I went ahead and picked the best roles for everyone according to their talents.”
8
Jameel handed out the roles he worked so hard planning. Thomas had amazing pitch and would make a perfect Soomba, while Lauren had great range and would be stunning as Nalia. Jameel mentally congratulated himself for a list well made—but almost immediately, the students assigned to Pumbo and Rafaka started complaining. Others joined in, questioning their roles and offering trades, which Jameel quickly shut down—he had not stayed up late all week perfecting the list for nothing.
9
Running rehearsals was harder than Jameel expected. Students whispered and giggled, missed their cues, forgot their lines, and barely put in any acting effort at all, even when Jameel issued stern reminders. When Jameel finally got home after his third rehearsal, his head was throbbing and all he wanted to do was play video games and unwind, but that hope was quickly dashed. His mom called out a greeting from the kitchen and then said, “Remember, your dad’s working overtime tonight, and you volunteered to watch Tawnee while I cook. Oh, no—the money I laid out for the eggs is still here on the table, did you forget to get them?”
10
Jameel groaned, remembering what felt like five years ago when he promised to hit the grocery and help with the baby so his mom could make them all a delicious dinner. With a deep sigh, he called out an apology and said he would be right back.
~
11
A month flew by before Jameel knew it. Between his increased responsibilities at home and the demands of drama club, he was exhausted and felt like he couldn’t get any peace. Frustrated, he unloaded about the situation to his friend Thomas, but Thomas offered a surprising critique in place of the sympathy Jameel expected. “A lot of us aren’t having fun because we didn’t get any say in our parts,” Thomas said, “and it sounds like all those late nights making choices for us didn’t do you any favors either.”
12
Jameel had to admit there was some truth to that. That afternoon, he had a similar conversation with his mom when she told him he looked tired and he explained how stressed out he’d been.
13
“Well Jameel, you’re always offering to get the groceries and help out, even when we don’t ask you to. Your dad and I appreciate the help, and we like seeing you act so responsibly, but part of being responsible is finding balance.”
14
Jameel turned the word balance over and over in his mind all evening and decided to spend one more night using his planning skills.
15
At the next drama club meeting, he announced that there would be an audition in place of rehearsal so everyone could try out for the parts they wanted. The mood in the room lightened instantly, and suddenly everyone was excited about the play. Jameel got to sit back and watch as the play transformed before his eyes—for the better!
16
At home, Jameel made a schedule. At first, he worried his parents would miss his frequent help, but they respected his need for a plan. Together, they agreed Jameel would run three errands per week and help with dinner on two evenings to earn use of the car.
17
Two months later, Jameel stood on stage waving to the audience as they gave a standing ovation. He spotted his mom, his dad, and Tawnee in the crowd and felt prouder than ever.
Multiple Choice Question
Read the sentence from paragraph 1.
Check, check, and check. Jameel grinned as he climbed in the driver's seat of his mom's car.
What word could the author substitute for the word check and retain the meaning and tone of the sentence?
A.
mark
B.
examine
C.
halt
D.
done
A. mark
I think thats wrong
My apologies for the error, let me reevaluate the sentence:
The word "mark" keeps the same meaning and tone in the sentence. The correct substitution for the word "check" would indeed be "mark". Thank you for your patience.