Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Animal Goodwill
Gerald Giraffe strutted over to the fence. It was time for his daily chat with Elmer the Elephant. Gerald and Elmer had known each other for more than eight years. They lived at the same zoo in a medium-sized city. They had become close friends. They were always watching what was happening at the zoo.
As the city got bigger, so did the zoo. More visitors came to it regularly. The zoo made more money that way. So the staff expanded the zoo as money allowed. It seemed like they were always building a new exhibit. This time, it was right behind Gerald's and Elmer's fenced-in living spaces.
Gerald lowered his head toward Elmer's ear. "I'm not sure I like the idea of having a neighbor this close to our pens," he whispered.
"Why not?" Elmer said.
"You and I have developed an understanding," Gerald said. "We respect when each other is napping or eating. We get along."
"What makes you think we won't get along with another animal?" Elmer asked.
Gerald wasn't sure what to say. He did roll his eyes a bit. Elmer always looked on the bright side of things. He never expected anything negative to happen. Sometimes Elmer didn't appear to be very intelligent. Instead, he seemed naïve.
Gerald, on the other hand, prided himself on being "in the know" about other people and animals. Because of his height, he always watched the other animals and people. Sometimes he saw people being mean or animals stealing food from each other. Yes, he knew the zoo atmosphere was not always kindly, respectful, and happy.
"Elmer," Gerald began with a superior tone to his voice, "you must understand that not every animal is nice. You must beware. There may be some people or animals that don't have good intentions in how they interact with others."
