The Shaky Start

Lexile: 800 | Grade: 5

Passage

Maya tapped her pencil nervously against her notebook. It was the first day of the school science fair, and her project sat on the table in front of her: a working model of a wind turbine made from recycled materials.

All week, Maya had worried something would go wrong. What if it didn’t spin? What if the light bulb didn’t turn on? She glanced at the other projects around her—volcanoes bubbling, robots moving, even one that made cotton candy. Hers looked simple in comparison.

As the judges walked closer, Maya’s heart pounded. She flipped the switch. The small fan blades turned slowly, then faster. The light bulb flickered... and stayed off.

Maya’s face turned red. She tried again. Nothing. One of the judges smiled kindly. 'Can you explain how it’s supposed to work?'

Maya took a deep breath. She explained how wind turns the blades, which spin a small motor to make electricity. She described the steps she took and the problems she faced while building it.

When she finished, the judges nodded and moved on. Maya slumped in her chair. She felt like she had failed.

Later that day, the principal took the microphone. 'This year, we’re adding a special award for creativity and effort,' he said. 'It goes to Maya, for her thoughtful design and problem-solving.'

Maya’s eyes widened. As she walked to the front of the gym, she smiled—not because everything went perfectly, but because she had tried her best, even when things didn’t work the way she planned.