Special Collection: Stories of Gratitude 

We delved into the Storyworks archive to bring you some of our most beloved stories about gratitude—from a fiction story about a family who welcomes an adopted brother home to a play about a king who learns to appreciate more than gold. We hope these stories spark conversations with your students about what gratitude is and how to express it in their own lives.

King Midas

King Midas loves his gold more than anything on Earth­—
until he loses everything else.

Read the Play
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this play
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Vocabulary Slideshow
Unlock challenging vocabulary words with visual and audio support
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Dig Deeper Slideshow
Learn about figures of speech that come from myths like King Midas
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Trapped In a Cave

When a youth soccer team got stranded in a flooded cave in Thailand, thousands of people raced against the clock to save them.

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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Watch a Video
Author Christina Soontornvat discusses how she researched and wrote her article
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Text Evidence
Search for text evidence in the article
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Home

When her family welcomes a new brother, Aleena’s life turns upside down. Will things ever be the same?

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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this story
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Inference
Look for clues in the story
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Collaboration Choice Board
Choose a group project related to the story
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Dear Sky

Naomi Shihab Nye's poem of gratitude to the world’s roof

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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this poem
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Poetry Kit
Use this kit to teach the poem
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Poetry Read Aloud
Listen to the poem read aloud
Listen to the Poem

Should You Handwrite Thank-You Notes?

Isaac thinks texting a thank-you is enough, 
but his parents disagree. Who’s right?

Read the Debate
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this debate
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Write an Opinion Essay
Follow these steps to write an opinion essay
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Opinion Essay Toolkit
Tips to help students write a powerful opinion essay
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Grammar Bot's World of Thanks

Learn to use capital letters correctly as you discover some 
fascinating ways people say thank you in other countries.

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Grammar Scavenger Hunt
Go on a whole issue scavenger hunt for capitalization
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Remember

Joy Harjo's poem reminds us to think about our roots in the world

Read the Poem
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this poem
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PDF
Poetry Kit
Use this kit to understand the poem
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Poetry Read Aloud
Listen to the poem read aloud
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Art Credits: King Midas: Illustration by Sebastià Serra; Trapped In a Cave: Illustration by Shane Rebenschied; Home: Illustration by Anne Lambelet; Dear Sky: Photo Illustration by Gary Hanna; detchana wangkheeree/Shutterstock.com (Sky); GEN UMEKITA/Getty Images (Child); Should You Hand-Write Thank You Notes: Shutterstock.com; Grammar Bot's World of Thanks: Lori Adamski Peek/Getty Images; Remember: Art by Raphael Lopez