Illustration of student taking a seat next to their partner
Art by Sebatià Serra
Fiction,

The Popsicle-Stick Bridge

Will Cassandra’s class project be a total disaster?

By Marlane Kennedy
From the September 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will read a story about a girl who changes her feelings about a boy she’s partnered with for a Popsicle-stick bridge contest.

Complexity Factors
  • Purpose & Levels of Meaning
    Students will read this fiction story and analyze how a character changes from the beginning of the story to the end
  • Structure
    The story is in the first person and is chronological.
  • Language
    The language is mostly conversational and includes a lot of dialogue.
  • Knowledge Demands
    No prior knowledge is required.
Lexile: 500L-600L
Featured Skill: How a Character Changes,
Other Key Skills: key details, compare and contrast, plot, character, author’s purpose, inference, text features, cause and effect, vocabulary, expressing an opinion, connecting to the text, theme
Standards
  • Common Core
    RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3, RL.3.4, RL.3.7, W.3.1, W.3.3, SL.3.1, SL.3.2, L.3.6
  • TEKS Grade 3
    1a, 1c, 3a, 3b, 4, 6a, 6c, 6e, 6f, 6i, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7g, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 10a, 10c, 10d, 10e, 12b

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Think and Read: How a Character Changes

As you read, think about how Cassandra changes throughout the story.

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Miss Juniper has an announcement. “Everyone pair up! We’re going to build bridges out of Popsicle sticks!”

Last year, I would have run over to Mackenzie Martin. We were a good fit. She liked to talk, and I like to listen. But she moved away. Now I’m stuck. 

I want to ask Marcy Gomez to be my partner. But April Lee rushes over to Marcy and practically tackles her. April gives everyone the evil eye, like, “Don’t even try to get Marcy, ’cause she’s mine, all mine.”

I stay in my seat. Everyone else whirls around. There’s a new girl in our class, Veronica Roy. Maybe I’ll end up with her. But Janice Dell gets to her first. Janice wears clothes with sparkles. 

Within minutes, everyone is paired up. Except for Robert McCowski and me. 

Miss Juniper says, “Cassandra, Robert needs a partner. Pull a chair up to his desk.”

Robert has something crusty on his mouth. Yuck. It’s purple. Probably grape jelly from his breakfast. 

Miss Juniper passes out a pile of Popsicle sticks and a bottle of glue to each team.

“Try to make the strongest bridge,” she says. “Tomorrow we will have a contest to see which bridge can hold the most weight without breaking.”  

Robert shoves some Popsicle sticks my way. “Glue them together like this.” He uses seven of his sticks, making two triangles with the point up and one in the middle with the point down. “These will be the sides of our bridge,” he says.

Later we connect my set of triangles to his, using a few sticks along the bottom. That leaves four sticks for the top. We glue them on, leaving gaps between the sticks. 

I check out Marcy and April’s bridge. Theirs is tall, topped by six sticks. I look over at Veronica and Janice’s bridge. They have 1 stick at each corner and 18 sticks across. 

I decide that Robert is the worst Popsicle-stick partner in the world. 

PAUSE AND THINK: How does Cassandra feel about having Robert as a partner?

The Boys’ Table

At lunch, my usual seat is taken. I always sit at the end of the girls’ table, beside sparkly Janice. But the new girl is there today. I was last in the lunch line, so there are no seats left. 

A space is open at the boys’ table though. Crusty-faced Robert sees me standing here and looks sadly over at the full girls’ table. He scoots over to make room for me. 

I slink over and sit down. I can’t believe I’m sitting at the boys’ table. All at once, the boys go quiet. They can’t believe I’m sitting with them either.

I hear April shout, “Knock, knock!”

“Who’s there?” Marcy asks.

“Banana.”

“Banana who?”

“Knock, knock!”

“Who’s there?” Marcy asks.

“Banana.” 

The banana stuff goes on for a while until April finally says, “Orange.”

“Orange who?” Marcy asks.

“Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?” asks April.

April laughs hysterically, like she is the funniest person in the world.

“Knock, knock,” I whisper.

“Who’s there?” Robert asks.

“Orange,” I say.

“Orange who?”

“Orange you glad you’re not sitting next to April Lee?” I answer.

Robert smiles a purple-crusted grin.

PAUSE AND THINK: Why does Cassandra sit at the boys’ table with Robert?

The Worm Rescue

Last year, Mackenzie and I would sit on a ledge and talk during recess. Now I am all alone, so I walk around, keeping my head down. 

It rained earlier, and worms are wiggling all over the gray asphalt. It’s sunny now. If the worms stay on the playground, they will dry up and die. 

I gently pick one up and take it to the grass. I let it go. 

I do this again and again.    

Suddenly, Robert is beside me. 

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Rescuing worms,” I say.

Robert leans down and starts to rescue worms too. I smile. We don’t talk, but it’s nice not to be alone. 

When I get home from school, I catch a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. I see that there is a crusty brown patch beside my mouth. 

It’s chocolate pudding. From lunch.

PAUSE AND THINK: How does Cassandra feel about Robert rescuing worms?

A Perfect Partner

The next morning, I expect to watch Robert’s and my Popsicle-stick bridge get decimated.

Miss Juniper starts with April and Marcy’s bridge. She sets a small tray on the top of their bridge. She puts one silver weight on it. The weight is small but heavy. Nothing happens. Then she puts a second weight on their bridge. April smiles like she’s already won.

Miss Juniper puts a third weight on. Crack! Snap! Crash! April’s face falls along with the bridge.

Miss Juniper tests other bridges. The best holds 11 silver weights. 

Robert and I are last. Miss Juniper places the tray on top of our bridge. She puts one weight on. Our bridge is still standing. She puts on another weight. 

Still standing! I’m feeling hopeful.

After 11 weights, I cover my eyes. If our bridge can hold one more, Robert and I will break the record.

Everyone gathers around. I’m not courageous enough to peek between my fingers. But then I hear clapping. My hands fly away from my eyes. 

We broke the class record! 

Robert holds up his hand. I slap it. 

“Congratulations!” Miss Juniper says. She says that our bridge has a good base.

“It was Robert’s idea,” I say.

“But Cassandra was a great gluer,” Robert says. 

I realize that I don’t just have the best Popsicle-stick partner in the world. I also have the nicest.

PAUSE AND THINK: What happens with Cassandra and Robert’s bridge?

Knock, Knock

Right before lunch, one of the girls in my class throws up and has to go home. I feel bad for her, but it means there is room for me at the girls’ table. 

As I walk toward the girls’ table, my eyes meet Robert’s. He smiles.

I stand frozen, then I take a deep breath. I go over to where he is sitting. “Knock, knock.” 

“Who’s there?” he asks.

“Ima,” I say.

“Ima who?”

“Ima sit here if you don’t mind.”

Robert scrunches his face up, like he is thinking really hard. 

I feel my cheeks get red, totally mortified. I made a mistake. What if he tells me to go away? 

“Knock, knock,” he finally says.

“Who’s there?” I ask.

“Doughnut,” he says.

“Doughnut who?”

“Doughnut mind if you do.”

THINK AND WRITE

How do Cassandra’s feelings about Robert change from the beginning of the story to the end? What happens that causes her feelings to change? Answer in a paragraph, using details from the story to support your answer.

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Answer Key (1)
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Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Continue exploring the theme of teamwork in “The Zebra and the Oxpecker,” a story about unexpected partners who discover they are more alike than they thought.

To meet another pair of students who work together, read the fiction stories “Mystery at the Museum” and “Jewel of the Sand Dragon.”

We learned from Cassandra that first impressions aren’t always correct. Explore this theme further in “Susie the Soccer Star,” a fiction story about a girl who doesn’t like a new player on her soccer team.

Keeping an open mind is important—as Cassandra learned in this story! For another fiction piece with this theme, read “Those Shoes,” a story that will help students understand the importance of keeping an open mind about other people.

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

Introduce the Text and Preview Text Features

  • Ask students to predict what this article will be about based on the headline and subhead on page 11 and the illustration on page 10. Review the predictions after reading.

Set a Purpose for Reading

  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 11 and the Think and Write box on page 15. 

  • Remind students to keep these prompts in mind while reading the story.

Introduce the Featured Skill

  • Build on the Think and Read prompt by explaining this story’s featured skill: How a Character Changes. Encourage students to think about any details that show how Cassandra changes her thoughts and feelings throughout the story.

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

Reading and Unpacking the Text

  • Read the story as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the Read-Aloud. 

  • Stop and use the Pause and Think questions at the end of each section for a comprehension check. Encourage students to go back to the text to support their answers. 

  • 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. What is the Popsicle-stick bridge contest? The Popsicle-stick bridge contest is a class contest to see which bridge can hold the most weight without breaking. (key detail)
  • In the first section, what does Cassandra notice about her classmates’ bridges? How does she feel about her and Robert’s Popsicle-stick bridge? Cassandra looks at Marcy and April’s bridge, which is tall. Then she looks at Veronica and Janice’s bridge, which is very wide. She thinks their bridges are so much better than hers and Robert’s. She decides that Robert is the worst Popsicle-stick partner in the world. (compare and contrast, plot)
  • Read “The Boys’ Table.” What does Robert do at lunch? What does this tell you about him? Robert sees that Cassandra doesn’t have a place to sit down, so he moves over to make room for her. This tells you that he is thoughtful. (character) 
  • Read “The Worm Rescue.” Why do you think the author includes the detail that  Cassandra sees a crusty brown patch beside her mouth? Answers will vary. Sample response: I think the author chose to include this detail to show that Cassandra and Robert are similar. They both had food on their mouths at different points in the story. (author’s purpose, inference)
  • Read “A Perfect Partner.” Why does Cassandra realize “I don’t just have the best Popsicle-stick partner in the world. I also have the nicest”? Cassandra realizes that she has the nicest and best Popsicle-stick partner in the world because she thinks she and Robert made a good team. It was his idea to make a bridge with a good base. But he still gives Cassandra credit when he says she was “a great gluer.” She sees that he is a kind person and a good friend. (inference)
  • Look at the illustration on page 15. What are Robert and Cassandra doing? What does this help you understand about this scene? Robert is celebrating that their bridge is still standing after all the weight is added to it. Cassandra looks nervous and is just starting to move her hands away from her eyes. This helps me understand that their bridge was the strongest and will win the contest. (text features)
  • Read “Knock, Knock.” Why does Cassandra feel embarrassed after she asks Robert if she can sit next to him? How does Robert respond? Cassandra feels embarrassed because she’s worried she made a mistake. She’s worried Robert will tell her to go away and won’t want to be her friend. Robert responds by making a knock-knock joke back to her, making her feel like they’re friends. (cause and effect)

Critical-Thinking Question

  • Do you think Cassandra and Robert will always be friends? Explain your answer with two details from the story. Answers may vary. Sample response: I think Cassandra and Robert will always be friends because they made great partners for the Popsicle-stick bridge contest. They like each other’s company and have things in common. They save worms together at recess and they tell jokes together at lunch. (expressing an opinion)
  • At the beginning of the story, Cassandra didn’t have a friend to be partnered with. She was partnered with Robert and had to be flexible. It worked out great! Have you ever experienced something like Cassandra did where you had to be flexible? How did it turn out? Answers will vary. (connecting to the text)

Class Discussion: Not Judging Others

In this story, Cassandra learns a lesson about judging people before you get to know them. At first, Cassandra didn’t want to be partnered with Robert for the Popsicle-stick bridge contest. She judged him for having something purple crusted on his mouth. She also judged him for wanting to build their bridge differently from their other classmates. She thought he was the worst partner in the world, without getting to know him first. But at the end of the story, Cassandra realized that Robert was a nice friend and a great partner. Ask students to think of a time when they judged someone before they got to know them. Did they realize they were wrong, like Cassandra, and change their opinion? Have a conversation about how to not judge others before getting to know them. (connecting to the text, theme)

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Setting

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Setting Skill Builder.  
  • Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 15.

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

To help striving readers, play the audio of the story as students follow along in their magazines. Pause at the end of each section to discuss what happened, and together write answers to each of the Pause and Think questions.

For Multilingual Learners

This story has many contractions, providing a good opportunity for multilingual learners to get familiar with them in context. Guide a small group on a scavenger hunt for contractions, and ask students to figure out the two words that make up each one. As a bonus, have students find two words in the story that could become a contraction, and have them write out the new word.

For Advanced Readers

Invite students to retell the ending of this story, imagining what would happen if Cassandra hadn’t gone up to Robert at lunch to tell him a knock-knock joke. How would this change the story? Have students either write their alternate ending or prepare a presentation.

Text-to-Speech