20 POINTS
A Change of Plans
Rasheida Gomez

1 The day of Josephine and Cora's campout had finally arrived. The two friends had been planning the campout for more than two weeks. They picked out a spot for the tent in Josephine's backyard. They chose the games they wanted to play. Now they were at the store with Josephine's dad buying camping food. "This campout is going to be perfect," Cora said as she dropped a bag of marshmallows into the cart. "We have the perfect tent, the perfect games, and the perfect food!"

2 Just then a loud clap of thunder sounded outside. The wind whipped as a bright flash filled the dark sky.

3 "But not the perfect weather," Cora moaned.

4 "That was thunder and that means rain. Rain means no camping," Josephine groaned.

5 "I guess we can stop shopping!" Cora snapped. She began taking food out of the cart.

6 As Josephine's father placed the food back in the cart, he told the girls not to give up on their campout. They paid for the food and went back to Josephine's house to wait out the storm.

7 At dinnertime the sky remained dark gray as the rain continued to pour down outside. The girls sat in silence while they ate. Cora looked out the window and said sadly, "I can't believe it's still raining. Our campout was supposed to be perfect."

8 Josephine nodded as she looked from her plate to the window. Josephine's father told the girls that just because something seems impossible doesn't mean it can't happen. He told them to finish eating, go upstairs, and get ready for the campout.

9 They looked out the window and wondered how they could still have a campout. How would they stay dry? How would Josephine's father build a fire with wet wood? It was not possible that they could camp in the backyard. Josephine and Cora gathered their sleeping bags and games anyway. They walked slowly down the stairs.

10 When the girls got to the bottom of the steps, they smiled. Josephine's living room looked like a forest. The chairs and tables were gone, and potted plants took their place. A fire crackled in the fireplace. Strings of tiny lights glittered like fireflies on the walls. Best of all, the tent was set up in the middle of the room. Josephine and Cora were going to camp after all!

11 Josephine and Cora learned that the rain didn't have to spoil their fun. They didn't need to be outside to camp. They didn't need a real campfire to cook hot dogs or marshmallows. Josephine and Cora's indoor campout was perfect because they didn't give up on it.
Question:

Characters can be described by their traits, motivations, actions, feelings, and other information given by authors. Think about the characters in A Change of Plans and how their actions contribute to the events in the story. Use COMPLETE sentences to respond to the following:

1. Discuss how Cora felt when she heard the thunder and how she continued to feel until the moment she walked downstairs. Describe her actions that show she felt this way.
2. Describe the actions of Josephine's father during the story showing his positive attitude.