Latin Root -struct- Worksheets

Thad and his pal Tom stood by the wide river. Tom wanted to cross to the other side to get some fresh green leaves. But the fast river was too much for the little turtle to swim all the way across. "I will help you," said Thad. "I can construct a safe path for us. I like to build things."

Thad went to work. He dragged a long, thick log to the edge of the water. He pushed it in. He hoped to construct a quick bridge. But the fast water hit the wood. The log did not stay put.

The log just floated away down the river. Thad tried again with another thick log. He hoped the big log would be heavy enough to stay put. But the water was too strong. The rushing river made his plan fail. The log drifted away. Thad felt sad. "The river is too strong for my bridge," he sighed.

Tom swam out into the cool water. He swam to the middle where the water was slower. "Do not be sad, Thad," said Tom. "We can fix this. I have a good plan. Let me help you."

Tom swam deep down in the river. He found some huge, heavy stones. He pushed the huge stones into the middle of the river. He made a strong base for their bridge. The rocks stuck up above the water.

Then, Tom stayed by the rocks in the middle. He was the boss of the job. He began to instruct Thad. "Push a log out to me," Tom told him. "I will rest it on the big rocks in the middle." Thad was careful to follow each instruction. He was glad to have a good instructor.

Thad pushed the logs out, one by one. They worked together to build the bridge. With the heavy stones holding the wood in place, the logs did not float away. They fit together just right. The water could not wash them away.

At last, they had made a strong structure. The bridge went all the way across the river. Tom was safe as he walked over the new structure. Thad smiled and walked right behind him. They were a grand team.