"The Challenge" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy who is careless and loses or breaks things. When he broke his drum by using knives on it, his mother gave him a challenge to learn responsibility. It is followed by...

"The Different Bird" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a bird that is teases because he can't sing, but finds out he can talk. It's okay to be different. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...

"The Difficult Journey" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the hardships of a family of early settlers moving West in a wagon train. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...

"The Election" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the Republican Convention during which Abraham Lincoln was nominated for President. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...

"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 History Mystery" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a teacher who made history more interesting by treating it like a mystery. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...

"The Little Red Hen" is a one page fable about a crafty fox who wanted to eat the little red hen. One day, he caught her, but she tricked him. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence...

"The Difficult Journey" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the hardships of a family moving west in a wagon train. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story;...

"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...

"The Gulls of Salt Lake" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a group of early settlers who had endured the hardships of traveling west and planted crops in the fertile soid, only to be invaded by swarms of crickets. Just when...

"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 Prairie Project" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about students who learn about the prairie, take a field trip to see one, and then plant one on the school grounds. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...

"The Gulls of Salt Lake" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a group of early settlers who had endured the hardships of traveling west and planted crops in the fertile soid, only to be invaded by swarms of crickets. Just when...

"The Technology Trip" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about children who planned a trip to the museum using the Internet to find the bus schedule. On the way, the bus was hit by a car so another bus had to take them. It is...

"Changing the Ecosystem: Q & A" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about how the loss of the prairie to farming and population growth impacts the ecosystem. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...

"Columbus and the Egg" is a one page, historical fictional passage about Christopher Columbus's return to Spain after discovering America. Some people said anyone could sail the seas. Columbus used an egg to make a point. It is followed...

"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 learners to provide evidence...

"Training for the Presidency" is a one-page, fictional, reading passage about Abraham Lincoln as a child. He does chores for a farmer because the book he had borrowed from him had gotten wet when rain came through the cabin walls. It is...

Today we are picking apart this story and discussing it in great detail so that we can set the foundation for our comparing and contrasting activity on our Day 3 lesson.

"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 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...

"The Food Change" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a girl who went to the doctor because she was tired. The doctor told her to eat healthy foods and not candy or cookies. It is followed by constructed-response questions...