Illustration of excited students in their classroom but one is upset
Art By Parvati Pillai
Fiction,

Veena and the Variety Show

Veena is not excited about her school’s upcoming show. Can she find the courage to be herself onstage? 

By Rekha S. Rajan | Art by Parvati Pillai
From the May/June 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will identify the theme of a realistic fiction story.

Complexity Factors
  • Levels of Meaning
    The story is about a girl who struggles to come up with an idea for her class variety show. On another level, the story is about the importance of doing what you love, even if it’s different from what everyone loves.
  • Structure
    The story is in the third person and is chronological.
  • Language
    The language is mostly conversational and includes a lot of dialogue.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is required. The story mentions Bollywood and references bhangra dancing, a style of Indian folk dancing.
Lexile: 500L-600L
Guided Reading Level: P
DRA Level: 34-38
Featured Skill: Theme,
Other Key Skills: character, cause and effect, visual literacy, text features, inference, plot, compare and contrast, how a character changes, connecting to the text, narrative writing
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RL.3.4, RL.3.7, W.3.3, SL.3.1, SL.3.2, L.3.6
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6c, 6e, 6f, 6i, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7f, 8a, 8b, 8c, 10e, 12a

Presentation View
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Think and Read: Big Idea

As you read, think about what Veena learns about herself.

Veena liked quiet time.

During free choice, she liked to read by herself in the corner of Mrs. Jones’s classroom. At recess, she liked to sit on the playground bench and watch the other kids jumping and sliding and swinging. After school, she liked to draw pictures of puppies and kittens in her sketchbook.

Veena wasn’t like the other kids in her class who always raised their hands or wore glittery clothes. She didn’t have fancy shoes or stripes of color in her hair. Veena didn’t talk loudly or shout out of turn.

Veena didn’t like people looking at her. She didn’t like attention. Veena was shy.

BRRIIIING!

“Class!” Mrs. Jones called out one morning as the school bell rang. “I have a surprise.”

Two kids high-fived excitedly. Someone threw a paper airplane. 

Sometimes school was boring. But when Mrs. Jones said there was a surprise, Veena got excited.

Veena loved surprises. 

“We have one month of school left, and we are going to have . . . a VARIETY SHOW!”

HOORAY!

Everyone around Veena cheered. But Veena felt nervous. 

Mrs. Jones smiled and continued. “Everyone in our class will perform onstage. You can sing, dance, play guitar . . . whatever you want to do. It will be a celebration of all your talents!”

As the other children stood up and started talking about what they would do, Veena slumped down in her seat. She felt her heart thumping in her chest. A variety show meant everyone would be performing onstage. A variety show meant everyone would be watching her.

Veena decided she didn’t like surprises anymore.

PAUSE AND THINK: How is Veena different from the other students in her class?

Art by Parvati Pillai

What Could She Do?

The next day at recess, everyone was planning their performance. Veena sat on a bench and took out her sketchbook. She drew pictures of puppies and kittens on skateboards.

When she looked up, she saw a group of friends dancing together, holding hands and twirling in a circle. Other kids were doing flips and spins on the grass. Another group was creating a rock band. They were making music by drumming on the trees and stomping on the blacktop.

“Come on, Veena,” Adrian called out. “Join our dance group!” 

Veena shook her head. She did not want to dance. She remembered when she had tried bhangra dancing, a popular type of Indian folk dancing. She tripped and fell on the floor. 

Veena looked down at her sketchbook. If everyone had to participate in the variety show, what could she do?

PAUSE AND THINK: How are Veena’s classmates preparing for the show?

Art by Parvati Pillai

Dance, Dance, Dance

That evening, Veena’s family was watching a Bollywood movie. Veena’s family loved these Indian films, especially the music and dancing. 

When the music started, everyone jumped up and started to dance. Bells jingled and sticks clicked. Veena’s mom laughed and smiled. Veena’s little sister, Chottu, twirled around the room. Veena sat on the sofa with her sketchbook. Then she heard Chottu call out, “Dance, Veena, dance!”

Veena didn’t want to dance, but Chottu pulled her off the sofa. They held hands as Chottu twirled Veena around. 

TURN TURN TURN

Veena started to get dizzy. “Stop, Chottu!” she called out.

“Dancing is fun!” Chottu said happily, but Veena kept tripping. She didn’t want to dance. Veena pulled away from Chottu and stomped up to her room.

PAUSE AND THINK: Why does Veena get upset when she’s dancing with Chottu?

Art by Parvati Pillai

Something Different

There was a knock on Veena’s bedroom door, then it opened. 

“Hi, Amma,” Veena grumbled as her mom entered the room. 

“Are you all right?” Amma asked.

Veena lay in bed with her arms crossed. “I don’t like singing and dancing. I like doing things alone. I like being quiet.”

“That’s OK. You don’t have to dance with us,” Amma said gently. 

“But the variety show is in one week, and everyone is working on a song or a dance!” Veena burst out. 

“A variety show isn’t just for singing and dancing,” Amma said.

“But I don’t have anything to do. I don’t have any talent to show!” Veena said as tears bubbled in her eyes. 

Amma hugged her. “You have so many talents. It takes courage to do something different and show who you are. You should do something you love, whatever that is.” 

Suddenly, Veena got an idea.

PAUSE AND THINK: What advice does Amma give Veena?

Art by Parvati Pillai

The Winner

On the day of the variety show, the auditorium was packed. Everyone was sitting excitedly in their seats. Veena waited anxiously backstage. 

“Are you ready to go?” Adrian asked as she lined up to dance.

Veena nodded. Her performance was a surprise. 

Each group of singers, dancers, and gymnasts performed onstage. The audience cheered.

HOORAY! 

As the show went on, Veena couldn’t help but notice how similar each act was to the next. 

Finally, it was Veena’s turn. She walked onto the stage with a big poster board and rested it on an easel.

“My performance is a little different,” she said nervously. “I drew my classmates practicing for the variety show. Here’s Adrian and her friends twirling and dancing at recess,” she explained. “And here’s Jagan and Jacqui jumping and flipping in their gymnastics routine. And here’s another group rocking out in their band.”

For a moment, the audience was silent. Then they burst into the loudest cheers yet! 

When everyone was seated, Mrs. Jones walked onto the stage.

“There were many amazing performances today, but one was the most creative,” she said. “This student not only showed her unique talent but found a way to show her classmates’ talents too. And the winner is . . . Veena!”

Veena’s classmates cheered together. Veena smiled proudly. 

“Congrats, Veena!” Adrian said, giving Veena a high five. “I love the picture you drew! Can I have a copy?”

“Sure!” Veena said with a smile.

“You know, I wanted to do a juggling act,” Adrian admitted. “But I was too nervous to do something different.” 

Veena nodded. “I was scared too, but it’s pretty cool doing something that no one else does.”

Adrian pulled three juggling balls out of her pocket. “Want to see a few tricks now?”

Veena smiled. “You bet!” 

Art by Parvati Pillai

PAUSE AND THINK: Why does Veena win the talent show?

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine you’re Veena. Write a journal entry about what you learned after performing in the variety show.

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Activities (8)
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
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Slideshows (2)
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Activities (8) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras

This story is the perfect pairing for The Name Jar, a fiction story about a girl who has to decide whether or not to embrace her culture—and her name—at her new school. 

After reading about Veena, read “Veronica’s Pack,” a similar story about a shy girl who finds her voice.

Have students read “Carla’s Sandwich,” a spunky story about embracing your differences. Then students can analyze character traits, learn new vocabulary words, and take a quiz. 

For another story on the importance of family, have students read “A Message From Space.” 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Close Reading

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Differentiate and Customize

Striving Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers

1. Preparing to Read

Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features

  • Ask students to predict what this story will be about based on the title and subtitle on page 10 and the illustration on page 11. Review the predictions after reading.
  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 10 and the Think and Write box on page 15. 

Introduce Vocabulary

  • Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words. Then assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder before or after reading.

2. Close Reading

  • Read the story as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the Read-Aloud. Use the Pause and Think questions at the end of each section for a quick comprehension check.

  • Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, use all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read the first section. Why is Veena upset after Mrs. Jones announces the class variety show? Veena is upset after Mrs. Jones’s announcement because she will have to perform onstage and she doesn’t like people watching her. (character)
  • Read “What Could She Do?” Why does Veena turn down Adrian’s invitation to join her dance group? Veena turns down Adrian’s invitation because she once tripped and fell when she tried dancing a type of popular Indian folk dance. (cause and effect)
  • Read “Dance, Dance, Dance.” How does the picture on page 13 show what happens when Veena’s little sister, Chottu, dances with her? The picture on page 13 shows Chottu having a wonderful time dancing and Veena pulling away from her because she doesn’t want to dance. (visual literacy, text features)
  • Read “Something Different.” Veena tells Amma she doesn’t want to take part in the variety show because ‘I don’t have any talent to show!’ Why do you think she feels this way? Veena doesn’t like dancing or singing like her classmates. She doesn’t realize that her drawing is a talent that is just as special as the musical talents of her classmates. (inference) 
  • Read “The Winner.” What does Veena do when it’s her turn to perform in the class variety show? Veena walks onstage with a poster board and rests it on a big easel. She explains how she drew her classmates practicing for the variety show. (plot) 
  • How were Veena’s and Adrian’s feelings about doing something different in the variety show similar? How were they different? Both Veena and Adrian were worried about doing something different in the variety show. Because Adrian was too nervous to do a juggling act, she danced with a group instead. Although Veena felt scared too, she did something different and drew pictures of her classmates practicing for the show. (compare and contrast)

Critical-Thinking Questions

  • How do Veena’s feelings about taking part in the variety show change from the beginning to the end of the story? At the beginning of the story, Veena is worried about taking part in the variety show. Because she’s shy, she doesn’t like attention. Also, she didn’t think she had any special talent. At the end of the story, Veena’s feelings change. She realizes that she does have a talent—her drawing ability. She understands that it’s OK if her performance is different from her classmates’ performances. She’s doing something that she loves. (how a character changes)

Class Discussion: Individuality 

  • In this story, Veena learns that it’s more important to do what you love, even if it’s different from what everyone else does. Talk to your class about the importance of individuality and being proud of who you are. Ask students to share a time they felt different from a group and how that felt. Was it difficult to stand out? What was something positive about it? (connecting to the text, theme) 

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Theme

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Theme Skill Builder.

  • Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on
    page 15. 

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

For a first read, play our read-aloud version of the story as students follow along in their magazines. Then have students read it again in small groups, stopping to discuss the Pause and Think questions.

For Multilingual Learners

Review the performances at the variety show (dancing, singing, gymnastics, and Veena's artwork). Then ask your students to think of their own talents and special qualities that they would use in a performance. The class could brainstorm a list of words that describe a person’s talents, or you could provide some appropriate words for students to choose from. Invite students to share their talents and special qualities with the rest of the class.

For Advanced Readers

Invite students to retell this story from another character’s point of view. For example, what story would Adrian tell about what happened to Veena before and during the variety show? What did you learn from Veena?

Text-to-Speech