Blake and Jade had a big plan. They wanted to win the class contest. "We can construct a wild forest," Blake said. "It will show a real home in the woods," Jade told him. They started to work right away.
Jade found a big box to use as a base. "I will paint the grass and rocks," she said. Blake went to look for some natural things to put in it. He found real pine cones, sticks, and moss in the yard. He placed them on the painted rocks. Soon, the shape of a wild forest was visible.
Next, they had to write a long paragraph to explain their work. Blake was good at writing, so Jade began to dictate the words to him. She told him all about the wild forest. They also taped a photograph of a famous brown bear on the side.
Just as they finished, Blake's dog, Gus, ran into the room. Gus was excited and did not look where he was going. "Stop, Gus!" Blake yelled. He tried to predict the dog's path, but he was too late. Gus bumped the table. The box tipped over, and a few sticks snapped.
"Oh no!" Jade said. "Our hard work!" Blake felt sad, but he showed kindness to Gus. He did not yell. He felt it was a simple mistake. "It is ok," Blake told the dog. "Just go outside."
They had to transfer the snapped pieces off the floor and fix them. Jade used sticky tape to hold the sticks back into place. Blake smoothed out the curled edges of the photograph. With a little more time, their vision for a perfect forest was whole again.
The next morning, they were careful as they transported the box to class. When it was their turn, Blake spoke into the microphone. The class clapped for their amazing work. Mister Smith smiled at a job well done!
