What the Challenge Was is a free printable Grade 2 English worksheet on linking a character's action to the problem they faced, aligned to Common Core standard RL.2.3. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions, 24 of them with different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 5 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

One paper per pupil

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. 24 of these 25 sets ask different questions — this skill does not have 25 questions to give. The rest reorder them, so no two pupils have the same paper in front of them.

What the Challenge Was

RL.2.3

NameDate

Read the story, then answer the questions.

1.Read the text, then answer the questions.

Rain on the Roof

Rain on the roof, rain on the road, rain on the back of a slow brown toad. Rain on the window, rain on the pane, rain on the roses, rain, rain, rain. Rain in the gutter, rain in the drain, rain till the puddle is deep as a lane. Rain on the roof, rain on the road — and out comes the sun for the slow brown toad.

1. How long has it been raining, do you think? How can you tell?
2. What is the toad doing through the poem?

2.Read the text, then answer the questions.

What the Tide Left

Every low tide, Grandad and Tess walked out to the rock pools. Tess wanted to take a starfish home. Grandad said no. "It would die in a bucket," he said. "Look at it here instead." Tess crouched for a long time. She saw the starfish move — slowly, on hundreds of tiny feet she had not known it had. She did not ask again. On the way back she said, "It's better in the pool anyway."

1. How does Tess respond when Grandad says no?
2. Why did Tess stop asking?
3. What does Grandad do instead of just refusing?

LessonPrint · RL.2.3 · Set 5 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — What the Challenge Was

Set 5. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. A long time — the puddle has grown as deep as a lane. 2. Sitting out in the rain, slow and brown, until the sun comes out.
2.1. She crouches and watches the starfish for a long time instead of arguing. 2. Because watching the starfish move showed her it belonged in the pool. 3. He gives a reason and tells her to look at it where it is.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.2.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.