Problem: Article: Cleaning a sunfish, or any fish, can get messy. Put newspaper down in the area where you will be cleaning the fish. The natural slime of the fish sticks to the newspaper, which helps it stay in place as you clean. Be absolutely sure that the sunfish is dead before you begin cleaning. You can buy a fish scaler to remove the scales. If you don't have a fish scaler, find a sharp knife with a serrated edge. You can use a knife to remove the scales and carry out the rest of the cleaning process. You can find a fish scaler at places like Bass Pro Shop, or at many supermarkets, like Walmart. Use your tool to begin removing the scales. Hold the fish with the hand you won't be cutting with. Work from the tail to the head as you remove the scales. Slide the knife back and forth repeatedly, from the tail to head. You do not have to cut deeply. Continue to remove the scales until the skin is smooth.
Summary: Prepare the area. Choose a tool. Remove the scales.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The set up establishes the premise of the story by providing your audience with the necessary background information and details. Your set up should be as tight and to the point as possible. It should focus on one theme or idea, as you want the story to be brief, but entertaining and easy to understand. The punchline or laugh line is the heart of the story. It should lead the audience in one direction and then surprise them by suddenly escalating into a more interesting climax or going off into a completely different direction than was suggested by the set up. A twist in the story, or element of surprise, usually makes for a good punchline. Determining your punchline will help you pair down any extra details and tailor the set up so it works up to a big laugh. Read your first draft of the story out loud to determine which points are funny and which points in the set up could be tightened or edited out. Remove any extraneous words and only use adjectives when necessary. If you do use adjectives, make them interesting and attention grabbing; don't use "big" when you could use "hulking" "gigantic" or "astronomical". Watch your body language as you tell the story. You should be relaxed, friendly, and appear confident. If you are telling a story with different characters, alter and vary your voice to match a character as they talk. Avoid being monotone or mumbling in a low voice. Try to tell the story like you are telling it to a good friend. Don't be too formal or stiff. It's important to appear like you believe in the story you are telling. Make it your own and make it believable to your listener. Pause before the punchline to signal to the listener that they should pay attention. This will ensure they hear the punchline and hopefully, be ready for a big laugh. Once you have practiced the story a few times, you may start to get comfortable with the material and start to add tags, or additional punchlines. Your tags may build on the original punchline, or they may twist the punchline further into a new, funnier direction. Tags will help you capitalize on the momentum of the original punchline and extend the laugh or create an even bigger laugh so don't be afraid to use them.

SUMMARY: Determine your set up. Figure out your punchline. Write the story down. Practice telling the story in the mirror. Add tags to the story.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: The more anxious or uncertain you seem, the more likely you are to attract negative attention. Be positive! Freshmen are more likely to worry about how they're perceived, so if you hold yourself like you don't have a care in the world it will become much harder and less rewarding to try to pick on you. Don't let unkind remarks phase you. After all, they're just words. Wake up every day with the goal of making a new friend, learning something useful or finding a way to succeed. Going to school shouldn't have to be something you dread. Take this opportunity to make the most of your new circumstances. Remember: no one has the final say on the way you feel but you. Feeling out of place as a new student in high school can be discouraging, but it doesn't have to be. You're the only one in charge of your attitude. Despite the age gap that exists between you and students of other grades, you all actually have a lot in common: you go to the same school, you're forced to take the same kinds of classes and you all have your own individual interests. Be mindful of this kinship when trying to form friendships with new people. It shouldn't matter what grade you're in if you find joy in the same things. Take note of the things the other students around you like and play up on these similarities. If you notice that another student has a certain band sticker on his or her notebook, for example, strike up a conversation about music and your favorite bands. Everyone feels more or less on their own in high school. Highlighting the things you have in common with your classmates will help break down the walls that keep people from becoming friends. While it's true that you have a lot to learn when you first start high school, being a freshman shouldn't be an ingrained part of your identity. You're an individual first. Be comfortable being yourself and you'll attract other comfortable people who want to get to know you. They may not even realize you're a freshman if you don't feel obligated to play the meek "new kid on the block" role. Figure out solutions to novel problems yourself rather than always asking for help. Becoming more capable will give you a confidence boost, as well as keep you from looking like a helpless freshman. Why not? Become friends with anyone who you like that interests you, no matter what grade they might be in. If you make friends with older students as an underclassman, they might introduce you to their own friends, which will help you develop a reputation as a "cool" freshman. After that, being a couple grades younger won't seem like such an issue anymore. If you have an older sibling that attends the same school, see if they'd be willing to introduce you to some of the upperclassmen friends. That way, you'll have someone to help you find your way around, show you the ropes and shield you from ridicule from the older kids. Students of different grade levels often wind up taking the same classes together in high school. Get to know some these older students so that you don't feel confined to only being friends with other freshmen.
Summary:
Keep an upbeat attitude. Try to relate to your classmates. Don't advertise that you're a freshman. Make older friends.