Definition:

To be hopeful means to believe that something good can happen, even when it doesn’t look like it, or when it turns out differently than expected.

In short:

Believe that something good can happen.

Summary:
The narrator is a child who encounters “a chance.” The “chances” are unnamed throughout the story so it’s up to the reader to decide what that is. The child is frustrated when effort is made to go after a chance and it’s awkward, with no result. Chances are ignored until the child decides to be courageous and pursue new opportunities. New chances arise and are pursued with success. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Teacher leads students in a discussion about typical chances or opportunities children their age experience - what it feels like to take a chance and succeed, and what it feels like to take a chance and fail. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. What happened in the beginning of the story when the child in the story tried to take a chance?
2. Why did the child ignore chances that came along? 
3. Why do you think the chances stop coming for a while? 
4. What made the child decide to not give up on chances? 
5. After the child starts pursuing a chance, the excitement of the adventure becomes bigger than the fear experienced at first. What do you think this means? 
6. “When I hold back, I miss out” - has this ever happened to you? If so, share about an experience you had. 
7. The hero in the story finally succeeded. How do you feel when you take a chance and succeed? 
8. Do you think the child will take more chances now? Explain your answer. 
9. Why is it good to take a chance? 
10. Talk with a family member about taking chances, asking them to share about their own experience with this.