Historic Text - Harriet Tubman€¦ · meters) long and can weigh over 150 tons. It has speckled blue-gray and white skin; small, thin ﬂippers; and a large, strong tail. The blue

Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

DIRECTIONS: Use your keys to Historic Text to comprehend the passage below, and answer the questions that follow.

Underground Railroad was a system that helped slaves in the southern United States escape to the northern United States, Canada, and other places that didn’t allow slavery during the mid-1800’s. The system was neither underground nor a railroad. Americans called it the Underground Railroad because of the secret way in which the slaves escaped. Thousands of slaves used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom; however, many were not successful.

Many white people, and free black people, provided runaways with food, clothing, directions, and places to hide. The Underground Railroad got its name around 1830, and helped slaves for the next 30 years.

A few people became famous for their contributions to the Underground Railroad. Levi Coffin and Thomas Garrett, who were members of the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, helped at least 5,000 slaves escape. William Still was known as the “father of the Underground Railroad.” He sheltered hundreds of fugitives in his Philadelphia home. One of the most famous was Harriet Tubman. A runaway slave herself, Tubman returned to the South 19 times and helped about 300 people escape to freedom.

The underground railroad showed the determination of a small group of Americans to end slavery. Its success angered many people. It also added to the problems between North and South that led to the American Civil War (1861-1865).

1. Using this selection, what happened during this period of history and why?

A) Harriet Tubman helped about 300 people.

B) The Underground Railroad was a secret route from the South to the North.

C) Many slaves escaped north to freedom using the Underground Railroad.

Historic Text - Harriet Tubman

Created by Mary Dressel 2014 - Teachers Pay Teachers

Harriet Tubman

2. Who helped at least 5,000 slaves escape?

A) Levi Coffin and Thomas Garrett

B) Harriet Tubman

C) William Still

3. Who used the Underground Railroad, and why?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. The people in the South were upset with the success of the Underground Railroad. What was a result of this?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

5. Why did the slaves escape to the Northern United States and Canada?

A) They wanted to get far away from their slave owners.

B) Those were places that didn’t allow slavery during that time.

C) That was the direction the Underground Railroad traveled.



Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

DIRECTIONS: Use your keys to Scientific Text to comprehend the passage below, and answer the questions that follow.

Blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived. The blue whale reaches nearly 100 feet (30 meters) long and can weigh over 150 tons. It has speckled blue-gray and white skin; small, thin flippers; and a large, strong tail.

The blue whale strains food from the water using 320 pairs of plates, called baleen, hanging from each side of its mouth. The whale eats primarily krill, a shrimp-like animal. It lunges through masses of krill, taking in tons of water and food. It then closes its mouth and squirts the water out through the baleen, trapping the krill inside. Blue whales usually dive no deeper than about 300 feet (90 meters) because krill tend to live at shallow depths. Because whales are mammals, they need to come to the surface to breathe, then dive for several minutes. When surfacing, they exhale sharply through their blowholes, producing a loud sound.

Blue whales live in all the oceans. They feed in waters near the polar regions, and travel in groups of two or more. They make a low moan sound to communicate with each other. This moan is the loudest sound made by any animal on Earth, and can be heard for hundreds of miles underwater.

During the early and mid-1900's, blue whales were hunted nearly to extinction. But their numbers have steadily increased since the 1960's, when many countries agreed to stop, or severely limit, the hunting of blue whales. In the early 2000’s, an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales survived.

1. According to the selection, why aren’t blue whales found deep in the ocean?

A) They need to come to the surface and breathe.

B) Their food source, krill, lives in shallow waters.

C) The polar waters they live in are not very deep.

Scientific Text - Blue Whale


2. What is the main concept in the last paragraph?

A) In the mid 1900’s, blue whales were hunted nearly to extinction.

B) In the early 2000’s, an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales survived.

C) Blue whales were almost extinct at one time, but people are now trying to protect them.

3. Name two reasons why the sound a blue whale makes is very unique.

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. What do you call the small fin at the back of a blue whale?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

5. The purpose of a blue whale’s baleen is:

A) to help them swim.

B) to help them strain their food.

C) to help them breathe.



Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

DIRECTIONS: Use your keys to Technical Text to comprehend the passage below, and answer the questions on the back.

Technical Text - Making a Paper Airplane


Use the instructions on the front to answer the questions in complete sentences.

1. How can you make sure that you have a sharp crease when you fold?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the “nose” of the airplane?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

3. What could you do if your plane dives straight down when you fly it?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you think that the illustrations are needed for these instructions? Why or why not?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________



Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

DIRECTIONS: Use your keys to Historic Text to comprehend the passage below, and answer the questions that follow.

Underground Railroad was a system that helped slaves in the southern United States escape to the northern United States, Canada, and other places that didn’t allow slavery during the mid-1800’s. The system was neither underground nor a railroad. Americans called it the Underground Railroad because of the secret way in which the slaves escaped. Thousands of slaves used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom; however, many were not successful.

Many white people, and free black people, provided runaways with food, clothing, directions, and places to hide. The Underground Railroad got its name around 1830, and helped slaves for the next 30 years.

A few people became famous for their contributions to the Underground Railroad. Levi Coffin and Thomas Garrett, who were members of the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, helped at least 5,000 slaves escape. William Still was known as the “father of the Underground Railroad.” He sheltered hundreds of fugitives in his Philadelphia home. One of the most famous was Harriet Tubman. A runaway slave herself, Tubman returned to the South 19 times and helped about 300 people escape to freedom.

The underground railroad showed the determination of a small group of Americans to end slavery. Its success angered many people. It also added to the problems between North and South that led to the American Civil War (1861-1865).

1. Using this selection, what happened during this period of history and why?

A) Harriet Tubman helped about 300 people.

B) The Underground Railroad was a secret route from the South to the North.

C) Many slaves escaped north to freedom using the Underground Railroad.



Harriet Tubman

2. Who helped at least 5,000 slaves escape?

A) Levi Coffin and Thomas Garrett

B) Harriet Tubman

C) William Still

3. Who used the Underground Railroad, and why?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. The people in the South were upset with the success of the Underground Railroad. What was a result of this?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

5. Why did the slaves escape to the Northern United States and Canada?

A) They wanted to get far away from their slave owners.

B) Those were places that didn’t allow slavery during that time.

C) That was the direction the Underground Railroad traveled.



Slaves used the Underground Railroad because they wanted to escape to freedom.

A result of this led up to the Civil War.

Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

DIRECTIONS: Use your keys to Scientific Text to comprehend the passage below, and answer the questions that follow.

A cave, also called cavern, is a naturally hollow area in the earth that is large enough for a person to enter. Some caves are only a few yards or meters deep, while others are vast networks of passages and chambers. The longest known cave is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge cave system in Kentucky. This cave has about 340 miles (550 kilometers) of explored and mapped passageways, but geologists think that it extends even farther.

Most caves are formed in limestone, or in a similar type of rock. These caves form as underground water slowly dissolves the rock. This process takes thousands of years. Water flowing above and below the water table dissolves some of the rock, forming passages, chambers, and pits. Eventually, the water level may drop below the level of the cave. Most of the water then drains out, and air fills the cave. A surface stream may enter the cave and flow through it.

Wall paintings, stone tools, and skeletal remains found in caves show that people lived there thousands of years ago. Today, many kinds of animals use caves as permanent shelters. Animals that live in caves include birds, crickets, lizards, raccoons, rats, salamanders, and spiders. Large numbers of bats roost in caves during the day and fly out at night to hunt for insects. Green plants, such as ferns and mosses, may grow in the outer parts of caves. Only fungi and other organisms that do not require light can live in the dark areas.

Some of the most spectacular caves are popular tourist attractions. These caves have been equipped with pathways and electric lights. However, thousands of caves remain in their natural state, and many new caves and passages are discovered each year.

1. What is the main concept explained in the second paragraph?

A) Most caves are found in limestone.

B) It takes thousands of years to form a cave.

C) How caves are formed when underground water dissolves limestone.

Scientific Text - Caves


2. What is a cavern?

A) another name for a cave

B) a passageway inside of a cave

C) a large cave found in Kentucky

3. Why aren’t plants found inside of caves?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. How do we know that people used to live in caves?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

5. What is another name for a “change in elevation”?

A) fracture

B) relief

C) underground

Scientific Text - Caves


Plants aren’t found inside of caves because they need life to grow.

We know people used to live in caves because of wall paintings, stone tools, and

skeletal remains found in caves.

2. What is the main concept in the last paragraph?

A) In the mid 1900’s, blue whales were hunted nearly to extinction.

B) In the early 2000’s, an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales survived.

C) Blue whales were almost extinct at one time, but people are now trying to protect them.

3. Name two reasons why the sound a blue whale makes is very unique.

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. What do you call the small fin at the back of a blue whale?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

5. The purpose of a blue whale’s baleen is:

A) to help them swim.

B) to help them strain their food.

C) to help them breathe.



The blue whale’s sound is unique because it is the loudest of any animal, and it can

be heard from hundred of miles underwater.

The small fin at the back of a blue whale is called a dorsal fin.

Use the instructions on the front to answer the questions in complete sentences.

1. How can you make sure that you have a sharp crease when you fold?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the “nose” of the airplane?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

3. What could you do if your plane dives straight down when you fly it?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

4. Do you think that the illustrations are needed for these instructions? Why or why not?

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________

! __________________________________________________________________________



You can make sure that you have a sharp crease by running your thumbnail along

the fold.

The nose is the front of the airplane.

You can bending the tailing edge of the wings for lift if it has a tendency to nose-dive.

Answer will vary. Likely answer will be that illustrations are needed because they

help you to visualize the steps.

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Historic Text - Harriet Tubman€¦ · meters) long and can weigh over 150 tons. It has speckled blue-gray and white skin; small, thin ﬂippers; and a large, strong tail. The blue