flyingA Kite Named Sam
Amber can't ignore Sam pounding on her door.

"Stop it, Sam."

"Where is my kite?" Samuel demands.
"Who knows," said Amber.

"You had it last," accuses Samuel.

"Not true," Amber shouts!'
"You two might as well help each other," calls out Mom from downstairs. "We don't leave until everyone is packed up and ready."
"The kite is in the attic, where Mom put it away last fall."

"I can't reach the latch, Amber."
Sighing, Amber leaves her room and unlatches the attic door. "You need to learn to do things for yourself."

Sam ignores her and clambers up the attic steps with the puppy in hot pursuit.
It's the first Saturday of summer vacation, and it's high time for a picnic.

It was Dad's idea, but just as they open the door to leave, Dad's cell phone rings. "I'll catch up."
Warm summer days and picnic plans cannot stop phones from ringing or people from answering. Samuel runs ahead with the puppy pulling on the leash. "Who is walking whom?" wonders Amber. Amber and her mother follow at a pace warm days invite.
One unclaimed picnic table remains at the park, and they quickly grab it. Amber complains that Samuel isn't helping to set the table. Before Mom answers, Samuel runs off with the kite. Amber's complaints continue, but fall on deaf ears.
Dad shows up, offering Samuel help. Samuel refuses. He tries to send the kite up, but cannot catch the breeze. Eventually, Sam gives up. He flings the kite down and sulks at the table. Now Amber will have her revenge.
Amber picks up the kite and takes a turn. She deftly sends the kite up into the blue sky. It feels good to put Samuel in his place. She worked hard learning to fly a kite, but Samuel gives up too soon.
Yesterday, Amber saw Samuel at the top of their backyard tree, clinging to the branches with only his knees. He stretched out his arms like a bird and pretended to fly. Flying is all Sam thinks about. Why can he climb so high without effort but struggles to master kite flying?
As the light breeze sends the kite even higher, Amber remembers when she learned to fly it. Dad showed her how. She remembers getting too frustrated just one time: she even cried. (Samuel doesn't need to know that.) Amber cried, but she was young. Why, she was just Sam's age.
Amber slows. "Well, why doesn't he just let Dad help him," she wonders?

But now her own advice comes back to her. "You have to learn to do things for yourself, Samuel." Amber pauses.
Now Sam demands another turn and he tugs at Amber's arm like the wind. Amber hesitates for just a moment, then carefully passes the flying kite to Sam.

"Look at Sam fly," she shouts. "Keep it up, Sam!"
flying That night at home, Amber makes a note in her diary.

Sam climbs high up the tree. Up. Up. He climbs the tallest tree. Up. Up. He climbs until the only thing above him is the clear blue sky. He clasps the branches with his knees, spreads his arms like a bird, and dreams of flying.

Lesson Plan & Exercises: "A Kite Named Sam"

Grammar Focus: Plural Nouns

Activity 1: Categorize the Plurals

Look at the nouns in the story[cite: 1]. Practise forming their plurals and group them by spelling rule:

Spelling Rule Base Word (Singular) Plural Form
Standard (-s) kite, door, park, day kites, doors, parks, days[cite: 1]
Ends in -ch / -sh (-es) latch, branch latches, branches[cite: 1]
Consonant + Y (-ies) puppy puppies[cite: 1]
Irregular / Vowel Shift person, knee people, knees[cite: 1]

Activity 2: Proofreading Practice

Read the sentences below. Find and correct the plural spelling errors:

  1. Amber unlatches the attic door and finds two puppys waiting.
  2. Sam tried to climb through the branchs of the big tree.
  3. It took several trys before the kite caught the wind.

Theme Focus: Family Trees & Connections

Activity 3: Relationship Mapping

Using the story as a guide, map out the character connections[cite: 1]:

  • Siblings: Amber and Samuel (Sam)[cite: 1]
  • Parents: Mom and Dad[cite: 1]

Discussion Prompt: Amber notices how her own past feelings match Sam's current experience[cite: 1]. How do older siblings often act as teachers or guides for younger ones?

Activity 4: Metaphor & Vocabulary

Sam loves climbing the tall tree in the backyard[cite: 1]. Trees are often used to describe family history.

Complete the sentences using these family tree terms: branches, roots, generations, lineage.

  1. The deepest parts of a family tree that hold everything grounded are the ________.
  2. Different members spreading out into new families are like ________.
  3. Grandparents, parents, and children represent three different ________.

Reading & Vocabulary Check

  • Vocabulary in Context: What do the words clambers, sulks, and deftly tell us about how the characters act[cite: 1]?
  • Character Choice: Why does Amber decide to hand the kite string to Sam instead of keeping it to prove she can fly it better[cite: 1]?