Description

This is a set of 17 digital or printable nonfiction science and social studies reading passages and questions. They are aligned to the 2023 VA SOLs but will work for other state standards as well. They allow for cross-curricular activities as the cover content but also address ELA skills. Each passage touches on an interesting topic and has 5 questions about that passage. The questions are mostly multiple choice, but each passage has one question that is either a short answer, main idea web, sequence chart, etc. There is also one question that requires students to highlight evidence in the text. A digital Google Slide version of each passage is available. All passages are written on a 3rd grade level – about a 600-800 Lexile. The passages are all also written with a specific structure: cause and effect, sequence, etc.

 

---

Social Studies Passage Topics and Structure:

Roman Roads (Problem/Solution)

Invention of the Calendar (Description)

Growth of Ancient Rome (Chronological Order)

Ancient Egypt: Growing Food in the Desert (Cause/Effect)

Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome? (Compare/Contrast)

A History of Egypt (Chronological order)

The Kingdom of Mali (Cause/Effect)

Contributions of Ancient China (Description)

Ancient Egypt on the Move (Sequence)

How Silk is Made (Sequence)

 

Science Passage Topics and Structure:

Is the Tundra a Desert? (Compare/Contrast)

What’s the Deal with Mosquitos? (Problem/Solution)

The Water Cycle (Sequence)

How Did You Know to Do That? (Compare/Contrast)

Save the Water (Problem/Solution)

The Six Simple Machines (Text Features)

Force and Motion Glossary (Text Features)