"The Elves and the Shoemaker" is a one page, fairy tale about elves who worked all night making shoes to help the poor shoemaker. The shoemaker and his wife made clothes for the elves to thank them. It is followed by constructed-response...

"The First Flag" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the making of the first American flag in time for the first Independence Day. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...

"The First Flag" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the making of the first American flag in time for the first Independence Day. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...

"My The Gift" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a little girl who wanted to buy an apple for her sick mother, but they had no money. A man gave her a dollar when she returned the wallet he had dropped. The storekeeper saw...

"The Lion and the Spider" is a one page fable about a lion who tried to get a spider to make a web for him big enough to catch his food. The spider said that was not possible, the lion tore down its web, and the spider bit him on the...

"The Lost Dog" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy who let his dog out alone instead of walking him. The dog ran away with another dog, and he spent the day hunting for the dog in the cold. It is followed by...

"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...

"The Train" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a child's first train trip to Grandma's for the summer. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...

"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...

"Animal Studies" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about studying the behaviors of animals including the sawfly and the poppy-bee. They learn about animals by observing them. It is followed by constructed-response questions...

"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...

"Prairie Ecology" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and how it works using three animals: the skipper butterfly, ground squirrel, and the bison It is followed by an open-ended question which requires...

"Staying in Phoenix" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about how settlers solved the water shortage problem for growing crops. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...

"Early Chicago Environment & People" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the Native Americans who lived in what is now Chicago. It explains how they lived and how Chicago got its name. It is followed by constructed-response...

"American Explorers" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way they drew maps for future travels. It is followed by constructed-response questions...

"Before Chicago" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about Native Americans who lived in what is now Chicago. It describes what life was like for them and tells how Chicago got its name. It is followed by constructed-response...

"Traveling West" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the difficult journey west for pioneers traveling in wagon trains and how the railroad made traveling west much easier and faster. It is followed by questions which...

"Bold Plans, Big Dreams, City Progress" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage celebrating the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham's plan for Chicago. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...

"Why is Community Service Important?" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage is part of a report that the Obama-Biden campaign prepared about service and volunteering. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...

"Chicago High Schools" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about high schools in Chicago including specialty high schools and the basic requirements for all high schools. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...

"What is Your Own Big Plan?" contains excerpts from a speech by President Barack Obama, Arlington, Virginia, September 8, 2009, concerning the need for a good education regardless of vocational plans. It is followed by a writing...

This PDF is a Common Core teacher resource that provides a list of questions for students to use with fiction works. It includes questions for before, during, after reading, and determining author's purpose, viewpoint, and techniques.

"A Great Digger: A North American Fable" is a one-page fable about Benny the Badger who dug holes for all the other animals in the plains. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from...

"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...