*Narrators 1, 2, 3 (N1, N2, N3)
Mr. Rossi, Lia’s father
*Lia Rossi, a fifth-grader
*Mrs. Chan, Lia’s teacher
*Mayor Tuttle
Characters
Choose the character you will play. *Starred characters have large speaking roles.
Shutterstock.com (All Images)
Play,
Team Rattlesnake
Can Lia and her friends help protect this misunderstood creature?
By Elise Broach
From the February 2025 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will synthesize information from two texts about students advocating for animals in need of protection. A play about a fictional class trying to protect timber rattlesnakes is paired with an article about a real class that set out to make a tiny shrimp its state crustacean.
Complexity Factors
Lexile (Pairing): 800L-900L
Featured Skill:
Connecting Texts,
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, fluency, character, key details, key idea, inference, text features, how characters interact, compare and contrast, theme, problem and solution, summarizing, author’s purpose, explanatory and opinion writing
Topics:
Animals,
Standards
Scene 1
Lia’s house in Hidden Woods, a small town in northern Wisconsin
N1: Lia is leaving for school.
Mr. Rossi: Don’t forget your lunch, honey!
N2: Lia grabs her lunch bag, looking glum.
Mr. Rossi: Aw, come on, my tuna sandwich isn’t that bad.
Lia: I don’t have any friends since we moved.
Mr. Rossi: You’ll make new friends, Lia.
Lia: It’s hard to find friends who really get me.
N3: Lia’s father gives her a comforting hug.
Mr. Rossi: Time for the bus.
N1: Lia races down the porch steps.
N2: She is running over the gravel driveway when she almost steps on . . .
N3: . . . a timber rattlesnake!
Lia: Oh!
N1: The snake’s tail rattles.
Mr. Rossi: A rattlesnake! We’d better get rid of it.
Lia: It’s not bothering anyone.
Mr. Rossi: If you step on it, it’ll bite you.
Lia: We should call the snake scientist. Remember that flyer we got, Dad? He’ll take it away without hurting it.
Mr. Rossi: I’ll call. Try to have a good day, Lia.
N2: Lia climbs onto the school bus, looking doubtful.
Scene 2
Mrs. Chan’s classroom, that morning
N3: Lia sits next to a girl named Scarlett, feeling shy.
Mrs. Chan: Hello, class! Today, we have a special guest—Mayor Tuttle.
N1: The class murmurs excitedly.
Mayor Tuttle (smiling): I need your help, kids. Our town turns 150 this year. To celebrate, I want to announce a town mascot.
Owen: You mean an animal?
Mayor: Yes! Our town is small, but it has a big spirit. A mascot will capture that.
Ava: Where will it live?
Diego: Who’ll feed it?
Mayor: It’s not a pet—it’s a symbol of Hidden Woods, a local animal. We’ll put its picture on town buildings, signs, and T-shirts.
Alex: Cool!
Mrs. Chan: Mayor Tuttle wants our class to come up with two mascots for a town vote.
Mayor: By next week—can you do it?
Class: YES!
N2: Mrs. Chan divides the class into two teams.
N3: Owen, Alex, and others are on Team 1.
N1: Lia, Scarlett, Ava, Diego, and others are on Team 2.
Scarlett: Hey, Lia, won’t this be fun?
N2: Lia looks around nervously.
Scene 3
Lia’s yard, after school
N3: Stepping off the school bus, Lia spots the rattlesnake, resting in the sun.
Lia (softly): You’re all alone too.
N1: Her father calls out from the porch.
Mr. Rossi: Lia, meet Dr. Greene.
Lia: The snake scientist?
Dr. Greene: Yep! I’m taking this fellow away.
Lia: You won’t hurt it, right?
Dr. Greene: Oh, no. I’ll just release it in the woods, far from people’s homes. It’s terrible when people kill rattlesnakes.
Mr. Rossi: Well . . . they’re dangerous.
Dr. Greene: Not these guys. They’ll only bite if they’re threatened.
N2: Lia notices the zigzag pattern on the snake’s scaly skin.
Lia: They’re beautiful.
Dr. Greene: Important too. They keep down the number of rodents, like mice and rats.
Lia: Why does that matter?
Dr. Greene: Rodents carry germs—and ticks, which can spread Lyme disease to people. When rattlesnakes eat rodents, they reduce the tick population.
Lia: So rattlesnakes help prevent Lyme disease!
Mr. Rossi: Then I’m glad I didn’t kill this one.
Dr. Greene: Me too. Timber rattlesnakes are not endangered in Wisconsin yet, but they are in other states.
Lia: Why?
Dr. Greene: People are scared of them. And humans have a history of killing animals that scare them.
N3: Dr. Greene grabs a bucket and a pair of tongs from his truck.
Dr. Greene: Stand back.
N1: He gently lifts the snake with the tongs.
N2: It twists, tail thrashing.
N3: He lowers the snake into the bucket and covers it with a lid.
Dr. Greene: I wish there were a way to make people realize how important these rattlesnakes are.
Lia (thoughtful): Maybe there is . . .
JOHN CANCALOSI/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (RATTLESNAKE); JG PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (TICK)
Timber rattlesnakes live throughout much of the United States. By eating tick-carrying mice and rats, the snakes help keep tick populations under control. That’s important because bloodsucking ticks can spread diseases to people. One study found that a single rattlesnake could remove up to 4,500 ticks from the environment every year.
Rattlesnakes make a rattling noise by shaking the tip of their tail to scare predators— including humans—away.
Scene 4
Mrs. Chan’s classroom, the next day
Mrs. Chan: OK, teams, back to work choosing mascots.
Scarlett: Lia, wouldn’t a black bear be cute on a T-shirt?
Lia: Or maybe—
Diego: A fox would be even better!
Lia: What about—
Ava: A bobcat!
Scarlett: That’ll look like a regular cat. We need something really cool and different.
Lia: How about . . . a timber rattlesnake?
N1: Her teammates look at her blankly.
Ava: Ewww. Nobody likes snakes.
Scarlett: They’re scary!
Diego: And if they bite, you could die from their venom.
N2: Lia sinks back in her chair, while the rest of the group goes on discussing other ideas.
Scene 5
After school, in the bus line
N3: Scarlett walks over to Lia.
Scarlett: Are you OK?
Lia (sighing): I miss my old school.
Scarlett: Yeah, it’s hard to be new. Hey, wouldn’t it be great if our team’s mascot wins?
Lia: I guess. I feel like nobody was listening to me today.
Scarlett (surprised): About the rattlesnakes?
Lia: I never got to explain how misunderstood they are.
Scarlett: Tell me about them . . .
Scene 6
The school library, the next day
N1: Each team huddles around a table, discussing mascots.
Scarlett: Lia, tell the others about rattlesnakes.
Lia: Really? OK!
N2: Lia explains everything she learned.
Diego: Wow, I didn’t know all that.
Scarlett: It’d be great to worry less about ticks.
Ava: And people are killing the snakes? That’s sad.
Lia: I know! Rattlesnakes really need us.
Scarlett: And we need them. Let’s vote. Bear, fox, bobcat, or rattlesnake?
N3: To Lia’s amazement, everyone on Team 2 votes for the rattlesnake.
Mrs. Chan: OK, class. Has each team chosen?
Alex: Team 1 has the best mascot!
Owen: A moose! It’s so big and strong, it will look great on signs.
Mrs. Chan: Excellent. Team 2?
N1: Team 2 turns to Lia, but she is too shy to speak.
Scarlett: We chose an animal that could benefit from being the town mascot.
Mrs. Chan: Interesting idea.
Scarlett: It’s Lia’s idea, not mine. Our mascot is . . .
N2: Scarlett nudges Lia.
Lia: A timber rattlesnake!
N3: The rest of the class stares at Team 2, shocked.
Scene 7
Town Hall, the following week
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
A moose seen in the wild
N1: It’s moose vs. timber rattlesnake.
N2: The teams have spent all week researching their animals and making posters about them.
N3: Now the students wait on the stage of the big meeting room, as dozens of people start streaming in.
N1: Lia paces, worried.
N2: Mayor Tuttle takes the microphone.
Mayor: Welcome, everyone! Our wonderful fifth-graders will present two mascot options for our vote.
N3: She hands the microphone to Owen.
Owen: Team 1’s idea for town mascot is . . .
N1: He points at his team’s poster.
Owen: A MOOSE!
N2: The townspeople clap.
Owen: Moose are the biggest animals in the deer family. They can run fast and they’re good swimmers too! They can dive 20 feet underwater.
Mayor: Wow! Comments?
Citizen 1: Moose are majestic.
Citizen 2: Just like our town.
Citizen 3: I’ve only seen a moose once. I’ll never forget it.
Mayor: Team 2?
N3: Lia gazes at the sea of faces. Her mouth feels dry.
Lia (softly): Our idea for a mascot is the timber rattlesnake.
N1: Team 2 raises their poster.
N2: The crowd gasps.
Mayor (taken aback): Rattlesnakes are pests. People are always complaining about them.
Citizen 1: They’re dangerous.
Citizen 2: I had to kill one in my kitchen.
Scarlett (whispering): Tell them, Lia.
Lia: Timber rattlesnakes are key to the environment.
N3: The crowd quiets down.
Lia: They eat mice and rats, and that helps control the tick population.
Mayor: Ticks are a real problem here. We’ve had many cases of Lyme disease.
Lia: If we make rattlesnakes our mascot, people will see how important they are and keep them safe.
Citizen 3: But they bite.
Scarlett: They won’t if you leave them alone.
N1: Lia smiles at Scarlett.
Mayor: Comments?
Citizen 1: My brother had Lyme disease. He still gets headaches.
Citizen 2: Moose are doing OK and we hardly ever see them around Hidden Woods anyway. The rattlesnakes are a better town symbol.
N2: The townspeople spend time looking at the posters and asking the students questions.
Mayor: Now we must vote! Write your choice on your paper ballot.
N3: The room is quiet as people scribble away.
N1: Then Mrs. Chan and the mayor collect the ballots.
Mayor: Kids, sort these into two piles.
N2: Lia quickly realizes the piles are about the same size. Her heart is pounding.
N3: Mrs. Chan and the mayor count the votes.
Mrs. Chan: For the rattlesnake, 63 votes.
N1: Lia holds her breath.
Mayor: And for the moose . . . 64.
Scarlett: Oh no!
Diego: We lost.
Lia: Wait! Mrs. Chan, did you vote?
Mrs. Chan (surprised): No, I didn’t. I vote for the rattlesnake.
Mayor: That makes it a tie.
N2: The room is tense, waiting.
Mayor: Which means I cast the deciding vote. The new Hidden Woods mascot is . . . the timber rattlesnake!
Lia: HOORAY!
Scene 8
Town Hall, a month later
N3: Mrs. Chan’s class stands in front of a large object covered by a blanket.
Mayor: Here’s a surprise for you . . .
N1: Dr. Greene yanks off the blanket to reveal a big wooden sign with a carving of a rattlesnake.
N2: Gleaming gold letters read . . .
Lia: Hidden Woods—A Little Town to Watch Out For.
Mayor: I must admit, I wasn’t wild about a snake mascot. But you students reminded me, it’s good to be open to ideas we don’t like at first.
N3: Lia thinks how sad she’d feel if the moose had won.
N1: She walks over to Owen.
Lia: Your team had a great idea, Owen. You made us work even harder for the rattlesnakes.
Owen: Really?
Lia: Definitely.
Dr. Greene: This new mascot will really help rattlesnake conservation.
Mayor: We’re setting up a snake hotline to remove and protect the rattlesnakes.
Class: Yay!
Scarlett: Can kids help with the hotline?
Dr. Greene: Sure. The more help we have, the more snakes we save.
Owen: Want to all volunteer together?
Lia: Let’s do it!
Write to Win
Research an animal that’s important to the environment in your town, city, or state. Write a letter to a government leader explaining why the animal is important and why it should be a local mascot. Entries must be submitted to “Mascot Contest” by a teacher, parent, or legal guardian.* Three winners will each receive a $25 gift card for the online Scholastic Store Online. Visit the Storyworks Contests page for more information.
*Entries must be written by a student in grades 2-8 and submitted by their teacher, parent, or legal guardian, who will be the entrant and must be a legal resident of the U.S. age 18 or older. See the Digital Resource Guide or visit storyworks.scholastic.com/contests for details.
This play was originally published in the February 2025 issue.
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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Click here for great ideas for using Storyworks as a whole class, in small groups, or independently!
Click here for great ideas for using Storyworks as a whole class, in small groups, or independently!
1. Preparing to Read
Build Background, Preview Vocabulary, and Set a Purpose for Reading
- Distribute the Anticipation Guide, in which students will think about some of the big ideas they will encounter in the texts they are going to read. Discuss answers as a class. You can return to the guide after reading for students to see whether their ideas have changed.
- Preview challenging vocabulary with our Vocabulary Slideshow, then let students play our new online vocabulary game, Know the Words. Follow up before or after reading with our Vocabulary Skill Builder. Highlighted words: ballot, bill, conservation, crustacean, endangered, mascot, petition, population, symbol, undaunted.
- Call on a volunteer to read the Up Close box on page 21.
2. Reading the Play
- Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class.
- Click here for great ideas for reading as a whole class, in small groups, or independently! Students can also listen to our Author Read-Aloud with Elise Broach.
Close-Reading Questions
“Team Rattlesnake”
- Read Scene 1. What is Lia struggling with, and why? (character) Lia is struggling with feeling lonely and misunderstood after moving to a new town.
- Explain how Dr. Greene helps snakes in Hidden Woods. (key details) Dr. Greene puts out flyers telling citizens of Hidden Woods that timber rattlesnakes are harmless and offers to help people get rid of these snakes safely without harming the creatures. He also talks about why timber rattlesnakes help people and the environment.
- Read Scene 3. What does Lia think she has in common with timber rattlesnakes? Why does she believe this? (key idea) Lia points out that she and the timber rattlesnake on her property are lonely. She thinks so because, like the timber rattlesnake, there aren’t many people who understand and appreciate her.
- At the end of Scene 3, what can we infer about Lia’s idea to help timber rattlesnakes? Explain why her plan might be difficult to achieve. (inference) We can infer that Lia plans to suggest that the timber rattlesnake be the town mascot so it can be understood and protected. Her plan will probably be difficult to achieve because many people are afraid of the snakes and wrongly believe these animals are dangerous pests.
- Look at the photo and caption on page 23. What problem do timber rattlesnakes help solve? (text features) Timber rattlesnakes lower the tick population, which helps protect people from Lyme disease, a serious illness spread by ticks.
- Read Scene 5. Describe how Lia changes after Scarlett listens to her idea and asks her to share. (how characters interact) After Scarlett listens to Lia’s idea and encourages her to share with their group, Lia opens up. Before that, she was feeling discouraged and didn’t expect to be heard. Scarlett helps her feel excited and confident about taking the risk of speaking up for rattlesnakes.
- Read Scene 7. Compare and contrast how the citizens of Hidden Woods respond to each mascot idea. (compare and contrast) Citizens who like the idea of a moose mascot want the town to be represented by a majestic animal that inspires awe. Those who like the idea of a timber rattlesnake mascot want to choose an animal that could benefit from being selected. Both groups want the chosen mascot to represent their town in a meaningful way.
- Describe one theme, or big idea, of the play and explain why it’s important. (theme) Answers will vary. Sample answer: One theme of the play is that we should give full consideration to ideas we might not like at first. This is important because good ideas aren’t always immediately popular. Staying open to all ideas means that we won’t miss out on changes that might help. Sample answer: A theme is that persistence is sometimes needed to prove that misunderstood animals (and people) deserve to be heard, considered, and protected.
“This Tiny Shrimp Made State History”
- Why did Josh Craner’s students decide that raising awareness about brine shrimp would be the best way to help the Great Salt Lake? (problem and solution) Craner’s students decided that raising awareness about brine shrimp would be the best way to help the Great Salt Lake because these shrimp are important for business and the natural world. The brine shrimp eggs are part of a $60 million business, and the shrimp provide a key food for birds. The students believed that people would be more likely to protect the brine shrimp’s home—the lake—if they knew and cared about these crustaceans.
- Describe the steps Craner’s students took to make the brine shrimp a Utah state symbol. (summarizing) Craner’s students first created a petition to gather the support of other people for their idea. A state lawmaker liked the idea and turned it into a bill. Several of the students gave speeches to state lawmakers about why their idea was important. It took two tries until a law was passed by the Utah House and Senate, making brine shrimp the official state crustacean.
Critical-Thinking Questions
- What motivated students in the play and the article to suggest their specific animals as local symbols? How were their motivations similar or different? (connecting texts) Lia’s group and the group of Utah students both chose animals that would benefit from local awareness so the animals could continue living and thriving in their natural homes. Owen’s group chose an animal that would inspire awe and respect for their town. Each group of students wanted their mascots to be meaningful representatives of their homes.
- Explain what the authors of the play and the article want us to learn from the students they feature. (author’s purpose) The authors of the play and article probably want us to learn that it’s possible to create meaningful change by listening to other people’s ideas, being persistent about the ideas we believe in, and getting the support we need by working with our peers, neighbors, and local governments. The authors also want us to know that it is important to act when we learn that animals and environments need protection.
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Connecting Texts
- Distribute or digitally assign the Connecting Texts, available on two levels, which will guide students to respond to the writing prompt on page 27.
- After students complete their letters, you can send their work to our writing contest (see our contest page for details).
Differentiate and Customize
For Small Group Intervention
Read aloud the play and paired article (or play the audio versions), pausing at the end of each scene and section to check for understanding. Afterward, guide students in making connections between the fictional play and the nonfiction article by having them complete the lower-level Connecting Texts Skill Builder as a group.
For Advanced Readers
Ask students to respond to the writing prompt at the end of the play. Then have students present their ideas and vote on one animal for the class to advocate for as a local or state symbol. In addition to writing letters to lawmakers, encourage students to find other ways to advocate for their ideas.
For Multilingual Learners
Before reading, ask students what they know about how laws are made in the U.S. and what local, state, or national symbols they know. Use the Vocabulary Slideshow and resources from the Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras to provide background knowledge about government processes and the roles of local symbols, as needed.
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Explore the Storyworks Archive
Read other fascinating stories about young people who persevered in their efforts to convince lawmakers to do the right thing: “The Lost Ship,” “These Kids Are Changing the World,” “The Children’s March,” and “The Fight for What’s Right.”
Check Out State and National Symbols
Visit the website of State Symbols USA to learn about the myriad of state symbols across the country. (Texas has more than 70 different state symbols!) There’s a section on national symbols as well. (Note: This website has ads.) This article from Stateline gives a brief history of state symbols and describes various state symbol initiatives spearheaded by students.
Watch a Video
This 3-minute video from PBS Kids explains how national laws are made. Each state differs in the details of its lawmaking process but tends to have the same basic structure as the national one.
Literature Connection
Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks
The Campaign by Leila Sales
Act by Kayla Miller (graphic novel)
Squirm by Carl Hiaasen
Text-to-Speech