Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Sir Gobble [Pdf]
"Sir Gobble" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a little girl who was given a young turkey to raise for Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey became her pet and she was upset about him becoming dinner. It is followed by questions...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Astronaut's Diary [Pdf]
"The Astronaut's Diary" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about astronauts traveling to the space station and the hard work they had to do. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Big Game [Pdf]
"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...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Hero [Pdf]
"The Hero" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a lady on a plane when a fire started causing them to have the make an emergency landing in a river. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Missing Money [Pdf]
"The Missing Money" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a customer who stole the waitress's tip, but came back the next day to appologize and give the waitress more money. It is followed by questions which require students to...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The New Family [Pdf]
"The New Family" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family who moved into a new neighborhood. The boys were playing ball in the street, breaking rules they didn't know about. It is followed by questions which require...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Quarterback [Pdf]
"The Quarterback" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about boy who played quarterback for his school, but when he moved to a new school, there was no room for him on the team. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: George Washington Carver [Pdf]
"George Washington Carver" is a one page, biographical passage about George Washington Carver, an African American professor who taught farmers and students better methods for farming, including planting peanuts to improve the soil. It...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The New Student [Pdf]
"The New Student" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a little girl who was nervous about starting a new school, but she makes friends the first day. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Chicago: Deval Patrick [Pdf]
"Chicago Is a City of Possibilities" is an inauguration speech by Deval Patrick given as he became governor of Massachusetts. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Harold Washington's Speech [Pdf]
"Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech" is a one page, excerpt from a speech given by Harold Washington after being elected as mayor of Chicago on April 12, 1983. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Soldier's Letter [Pdf]
"Soldier's Letter" is a one page, fictional, letter from a young soldier at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary explaining how hard conditions are there. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Boy Who Cried "Wolf!" [Pdf]
"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...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Turtle and the Ducks [Pdf]
"The Turtle and the Ducks" is a one page fairy tale/fable a turtle who wants to fly south with the ducks. They develop a plan, but the turtle will have to keep his mouth shut. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Native Americans Potawatomi [Pdf]
"Native Americans--Potawatomi" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about what the prairie looked like during each of the seasons when the Potawatomi lived there. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Graphic Organizer Spider Graphic
[Free Registration/Login Required] This graphic organizer provides a webbing framework for students to analyze the main idea/theme and supporting details of a reading passage or historical event. A template for students to follow is given.
Quia
Quia: Reading for Facts
This interactive quiz assesses students' reading comprehension skills of informational text passages. Students will read 30 short passages and answer question about a detail for each.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Classroom Strategies: Seed Discussion
A Seed Discussion is a two-part strategy used to teach students how to engage in discussions about assigned readings. In the first part, students read selected text and identify "seeds" or key concepts of a passage which may need...
Read Works
Read Works: Where Does Food Go?
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational text passage explains the process of food digestion. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes scaffolding...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: American Explorers [Pdf]
"American Explorers" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They traveled from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean with the help of Native Americans and made maps along the way. It is followed by...
Read Works
Read Works: Is It Time for a New Toothbrush?
[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes scaffolding for vocabulary learning. It contains questions and teacher guides and...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: The True Story of Christopher Columbus
In this lesson, 5th graders analyze two nonfiction passages on Christopher Columbus to determine facts and author's bias and its influence on the readers.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [Pdf]
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." is a one page, biographical passage about Martin Luther King, Jr. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining the author's...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Classroom Strategies: Summarizing
Summarizing teaches students how to take a large selection of text and reduce it to the main points for a more concise understanding. Upon reading a passage, summarizing helps students learn to determine essential ideas and consolidate...