"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...

"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...

"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...

"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...

"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...

"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...

"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 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...

"The Cloud" is a one-page, folktale about a cloud who moved closer to the earth, despite warnings that it would die, to save the drought-stricken plants and animals. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence...

In this lesson plan, students will examine the ways in which a magazine cover's headlines and graphics express the main ideas of its articles. They will then use an interactive tool to create covers that summarize chapters of...

"The Little Red Hen" is a one page fable about the other animals not helping the little red hen plant wheat, harvest it, or bake the bread, so they did not get to eat it either. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...

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...

Summarizing is a key skill needed in reading comprehension. This page describes how to summarize main ideas in a text. Click on Model button for a model with explanation and then click on Practice (Bottom Right)

Students can count on using the 3-2-1 strategy to help them successfully comprehend and write about an informational text.

"Learn about Egypt" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about Egypt including its history and it's problems. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes:...

"Changing Our Street" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about how the problem of people driving too fast in a neighborhood was solved. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...

"I Like Plants" is a one page, realistic fiction, reading passage about a person who loves plants and became a botanist; now she teaches her college students about plants and ecology. It is followed by constructed-response questions...

"Making Progress" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students clearing the trash from a vacant lot near the school and planting a garden to beautify the neighborhood and show they care. It is followed by constructed-response...

"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...

"My First Baseball Game" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy going to his first baseball game and learning what it means to be a Chicago Cubs fan. It is followed by open-ended questions which require students to provide...

"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...

"Honest Abe" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about Abraham Lincoln's honesty; it tells stories of him walking miles to correct an accidental mistake. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from...

"Maintaining Cultural Continuity" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about Fidelis Umeh, a Nigerian businessman in Chicago, who founded Nigerians in Chicago, a support group to help Nigerians fit into American society and still...

"City Government" is a one-page, nonfiction, reading passage about Chicago's city government system. It explains that Chicago is divided into 50 wards, and each ward elects an Alderman to represent them. It is followed by...