"Mama's Happy Christmas" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about children creating a play for their sick mother on Christmas day. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...

"My Sister, the Soldier" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy and his mother who are worried about his sister who was a soldier in Iraq. [Contains some mechanical errors; students could find and correct.] It is followed...

"Our Lemons" is a one page, fictional reading passage about lemons and a family in California who grow them. It is followed by open-ended questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining the...

"Potawatomi Prairie" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the Potawatomi tribe and how they may have spent the different seasons of the year. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...

"The Big Game" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a teen who gets his wish to be quarterback for his high school team. His mother is so worried he will get hurt that she can't go to his games. It is followed by questions...

"The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf!'" is a one page, folktale about a boy who got bored while watching his sheep. He cried, "Wolf" and when the village people came to help him, he laughed. He repeated this a few days later, but then when he really...

"Why Did Mamma Change Her Mind?" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a party. Mom said her son and daughter could each have 5 friends (5 boys and 5 girls). The girl wanted all girls so the party was cancelled. It is followed...

"Block Clubs" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about block clubs, which are groups of neighbors who work together to make rules and solve problems in their neighborhoods. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...

"Learn about Ghana" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the African country of Ghana including a discription and its history. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...

"Natural Gas: An Energy Resource" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about how natural gas is located, drilled for, and sent through pipelines throughout the country to people's homes. It is followed by questions which require...

"Saving Your Family's Energy Dollar" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about ways to save energy and money by sealing windows and using insulation. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...

"Settlement" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the hardships of the early settlers in Illinois. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...

"Transportation Changes" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the history of transportation across both land and sea. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...

"Letter to the Mayor" is a one page, nonfiction letter written to the mayor by 2000 school children in Chicago. In the letters, the children addressed issues such as trash, gangs, computers, playgrounds, and safer streets. After reading...

"Pioneer Families" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about pioneers who traveled west in wagon trains, the hardships they faced, and how they worked together to build communities. It is followed by questions which require...

"The Captain's Job" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about a captain safely landing his plane in the Hudson River after birds had flown into the engines causing them to stop. It is followed by questions which require students...