Othello was a brave and thoughtful person who always tried his very best in everything.
 Many teachers trusted him because he worked hard and took responsibility seriously.
 He liked helping others and never bragged about his accomplishments and popularity.
 Othello was known to stay calm even when other people felt nervous .
 Everyone at school believed he was the kind of person you wanted to follow.
 When a big school trip needed a leader, Othello was the first person selected.

Desdemona and Cassio were two of Othello’s closest friends, and they always supported him.
 Desdemona was loyal and kind, and she believed deeply in Othello’s honesty and bravery.
 Cassio was polite, organized, and smart .
 Both of them were excited when Othello was chosen to lead the school trip and asked them to assist him during the trip.
 They promised to help him with whatever he needed so the trip would go smoothly.
 Othello felt blessed to have such loyal and dependable friends by his side.
 Together, the three of them made a  great team.

Iago, however, who was Othello's best friend before Cassio came to the school, felt jealous when he heard Cassio had been chosen to help Othello.
 He believed he should have been the helper and couldn’t understand why he wasn’t selected.
 Instead of being honest about his feelings, Iago let jealousy grow inside him.
   Iago’s jealousy made it hard for him to see the good that Othello did.
 He began to think of ways he could cause trouble for Othello and his other friends.

Roderigo was a classmate who didn't like Othello but really liked Desdemona so he often followed Iago everywhere.
 He didn’t always understand what Iago was planning, but he liked feeling included.
 Sometimes Roderigo committed bad deeds just to stay on Iago’s good side.
 When Iago complained about Cassio being chosen, Roderigo agreed without question.
 He didn’t stop to think about whether Iago might be unfair or wrong.
 He didn't want desdemona to be friends with Othello and Cassio; instead, he wanted her all to himself.

Iago decided he would try to ruin the trust between Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio.
 He shared his plan with Roderigo, who didn’t realize how harmful it would be.
 Iago believed that if he created enough confusion, he would get the attention he wanted.
 He didn’t think about how his lies would hurt innocent people.
 Iago felt powerful, even though he was planning something very wrong.

During the trip, Iago began spreading his first rumor.
 He told Othello that he saw Cassio talking closely with Desdemona earlier and that  maybe they’re planning things without him.
 Othello was surprised because Cassio and Desdemona never acted that way before.
 Still, the idea that his friends would leave him out planted a  seed of doubt in his mind.
 Because Othello considered Iago his good and trusted friend and Iago spoke with such confidence that Othello wasn’t sure what to believe.
 The rumor made Othello uneasy and unsure of his friends.

Later, Cassio tripped and dropped  his  clipboard.
 Desdemona quickly helped him stand and readjust and she picked up the papers he dropped.
 It was a simple act of kindness, but Iago twisted it into something suspicious.
 He whispered to Othello, "Look, she seems to care about Cassio more than you."
 Othello felt confused because he knew Desdemona  loved to help everyone and she was very kind.
 Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something might be wrong.

Emilia, Iago’s older sister, noticed her brother smiling in a sneaky and unusual way.
 She asked him what he was doing, but Iago claimed he was “just helping things along.”
 Emilia didn’t trust that answer because Iago only said that when he was up to no good.
 She watched him carefully, worried he might be hurting someone’s feelings.
 She didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of Iago’s naughtiness.
Emilia hoped that whatever Iago was planning would not ruin the field trip for everyone else

Iago felt he couldn't stop with just one rumor.
 He told Othello more lies and fabrications  whenever he found a chance.
 One time he told him that they were whispering to each other and another time he told him that they were hiding secrets from  Othello.
 Each lie made Othello more confused and upset at his friends.
 Iago took great pride in hurting Othello , even though he could  end up hurting everyone on the trip.

Bianca, Cassio's cousin, found a dropped piece of notepaper on the ground near the bathroom.
 When she read it,  turned out to actually be Cassio’s lost checklist for the trip.
 Before she could return it to Cassio, Iago snatched the paper and showed it to Othello.
 He said, “Look, Othello, Bianca found a secret message from Desdemona to Cassio.”
 Othello didn't even read the note but he felt even more worried because the note looked important.
 He didn’t know it was only a harmless list of activities for the trip.