Name ______Date ______
Making Meaning Grade 3
Unit 6
Exploring Important Ideas
Directions: Read the story and answer the questions.
THE HOLE IN THE DIKE
Retold by Norma Green
Illustrated by Eric Carle
A long time ago, a boy named Peter lived in Holland. He lived with his mother and father in a cottage next to a tulip field.
Peter loved to look at the old windmills turning slowly. He loved to look at the sea.
In Holland, the land is very low, and the sea is very high. The land is kept safe and dry by high, strong walls called dikes.
Peter wheeled his bike to the road on top of the dike. It had rained for several days, and the water looked higher than usual.
Peter thought, “It’s lucky that the dikes are high and strong. Without these dikes, the land would be flooded and everything would be washed away.”
Suddenly he heard a soft, gurgling noise. He saw a small stream of water trickling through a hole in the dike below.
Peter got off his bike to see what was wrong.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. There in the big strong dike was a leak!
Peter slid down to the bottom of the dike. He put his finger in the hole to keep the water from coming through.
He looked around for help, but he could not see anyone on the road. He shouted. Maybe someone in the nearby field would hear him, he thought.
Only his echo answered. Everyone had gone home.
Peter knew that if he let the water leak through the hole in the dike, the hole would get bigger and bigger. Then the sea would come gushing through. The fields and the houses and the windmills would all be flooded.
Peter looked around for something to plug up the leak so he could go to the village for help.
He put a stone in the hole, then a stick. But the stone and the stick were washed away by the water.
Peter had to stay there alone. He had to use all his strength to keep the water out.
From time to time he called for help. But no one heard him.
All night long Peter kept his finger in the dike.
His fingers grew cold and numb. He wanted to sleep but he couldn’t give up.
At last, early in the morning, Peter heard a welcome sound. Someone was coming! It was the milk cart rumbling down the road. Peter shouted for help. The milkman was surprised to hear someone near that road so early in the morning. He stopped and looked around.
“Help!!” Peter shouted. “Here I am, at the bottom of the dike. There’s a leak in the dike, Help! Help!”
The man saw Peter and hurried down to him. Peter showed him the leak and the little stream of water coming through.
Peter asked the milkman to hurry to the village. “Tell the people. Ask them to send some men to repair the dike right away!”
The milkman went as fast as he could. Peter had to stay with his finger in the dike.
At last the men from the village came. They set to work to repair the leak.
All the people thanked Peter. They carried him on their shoulders, shouting, “Make way for the hero of Holland! The brave boy who saved our land!”
But Peter did not think of himself as a hero. He had done what he thought was right. He was glad that he could do something for the country he loved so much.
Name ______Date ______
1. Which sentence best states the main message of the story The Hole in the Dike?
a. It is important to plug a hole in a dike.
b. It is important to be a hero for your country.
c. It is important to help others even if it is something that is hard to do.
2. Any of these words could be used to describe Peter in the story. Choose the word you think best describes Peter.
Responsible patient brave
Use two details from the story to support your choice.
3. What is the meaning of the word “gushing” in the sentence, “Then the sea would come gushing through.”?
a. Pouring
b. Dripping
c. Trickling
4. In your own words, write a summary of the story. Include three main events from the story in your summary.
5. According to the story, which event happens first?
a. Peter hears a soft gurgling noise.
b. Peter rides his bike on the dike.
c. Peter looks around for help.
6. What do you think would be the best part of being Peter in the story? Include information from the story in your answer.
What do you think would be the worst part of being Peter in the story. Include information from the story in your answer.
Making Meaning Grade 3
Unit 6
Exploring Important Ideas Rubric
The Hole in the Dike 2004 Reading Released Item
1. Which sentence best states the main message of the story The Hole in the Dike? (GLE 2.1.3)1 points / Answer is c.
2. Any of these words could be used to describe Peter in the story. Choose the word you think best describes Peter. (GLE 2.2.3)
0 points / No answer or circles a word but gives no details
1 point / Circles a word and gives one text-based detail to support the choice
2 points / Circles the word and writes two text-based details to support the choice
3. What is the meaning of the word “gushing” in the sentence, “Then the sea would come gushing through.”? (GLE 1.2.2)
1 points / Answer is a.
**Summarizing is not explicitly taught in Making Meaning at Grade 3; however, it is a tested GLE at Grade 3. Unit 6 would be an appropriate place to include summarizing in the Making Meaning lessons. Item number four was added to help teachers assess whether the students understand this GLE before the MSP is given.**
4. In your own words, write a summary of the story. Include three main events from the story in your summary. (GLE 2.1.7)
0 points / No answer
1 point / Partially summarizes the story by including one or two main events from the story
OR
Provides a summarizing statement and one main event from the story
OR
Provides a summarizing statement
OR
Provides one main event from the story
2 points / Accurately summarizes the story by including three main events from the story
OR
Provides a summarizing statement and two main events from the story
5. According to the story, which event happens first? (GLE 2.2.1)
1 points / Answer is b.
6. A 2-point response provides text-based information to identify the best part of being a Peter and the worst part of being Peter. (GLE 2.4.1, 2.4.5)
0 points / No answer, not related to the question, or does not give text-based answers
1 point / Provides text-based information to identify the best part of being Peter
OR
Provides text-based information to identify the worst part of being Peter
2 points / Provides text-based information to identify the best part of being Peter and the worst part of being Peter.
Example:
The best part of being Peter is he gets to save the town from flooding. The worst part of being Peter is having to spend the night holding the leak with his finger.
Other text-based information may include, but is not limited to:
A. He is the hero of the town.
B. His hand gets cold and numb/ he was tired
C. No one else may have seen the leak.
D. He has to be there alone / no one heard him
E. He will feel bad if it floods because he lets go.
F. He was brave and did what was right.
G. Everyone thanked him.