The Moon Journal
The Moon Journal
Photo Credit: NASA JPL
One night, Amir saw the moon. It was just
a sliver. Last week, the moon looked bigger.
Amir wanted to start a journal. He would
draw the moon each night. The next night,
Amir did not see the moon. He colored the
page in his journal black. The next night, the
sliver returned.
Amir drew the moon every night for three
months. He noticed a pattern. He noticed that
on some nights there was no moon. Then it
would get bigger. Next it would be a bright
circle in the sky. Then it would get smaller
again. The moon was always changing.
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The Moon Journal
Name:
Date:
Directions: For questions 1-4, circle the correct answer.
1. What does Amir draw every night in his journal?
a) the sun
b) the stars
c) the moon
2. How long does Amir draw the moon in his journal?
a) a few days
b) three months
c) all year long
3. In this passage, Amir makes a journal of the moon. What does
Amir notice at the beginning of the passage that makes him want
to start a journal?
a) a man on the moon
b) the shape of the moon was changing
c) he just thought that the moon looked very beautiful
4. What is “The Moon Journal” mainly about?
a) how to keep a journal
b) how the moon changes
c) what Amir does before he goes to bed
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The Moon Journal
5. A) If you look at the moon and it is a bright circle in the sky,
how will the moon look next?
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________.
B) Draw the pattern that Amir noticed after drawing the moon in
his journal.
4
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The Moon Journal
6. What did you learn from “The Moon Journal”?
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________
7. Class Discussion Question: Will the moon ever look the same
for two nights in a row?
5
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Moon Journal
Teacher Guide & Answers
Note to Teacher: Read each question out loud to your students and have each student
complete the worksheet independently. For questions 5 A) and 6, you can have students draw
their answers, answer orally, or write their answers depending on your students’ progress. If you
have them write their answers, you may want to write the word(s) on the board for them to
copy. Question 7 is a class discussion question.
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 320
Directions: For questions 1-4, circle the correct answer.
1. What does Amir draw every night in his journal?
a) the sun
b) the stars
c) the moon
2. How long does Amir draw the moon in his journal?
a) a few days
b) three months
c) all year long
3. In this passage, Amir makes a journal of the moon. What does Amir notice at the beginning of
the passage that makes him want to start a journal?
a) a man on the moon
b) the shape of the moon was changing
c) he just thought that the moon looked very beautiful
4. What is “The Moon Journal” mainly about?
a) how to keep a journal
b) how the moon changes
c) what Amir does before he goes to bed
1
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Moon Journal
5.
A) Note to Teacher: See note at the top of the first page.
If you look at the moon and it is a bright circle in the sky, how will the moon look next?
Suggested answer: smaller
B) Draw the pattern that Amir noticed after drawing the moon in his journal.
Suggested answer: Students’ pictures may vary but should include at least 4 circles that
indicate the following cycle: new moon (dark circle), waxing moon (moon getting bigger),
full moon (bright circle), waning moon (moon getting smaller). Please note, your students
will probably not know the formal terms for the phases of the moon. They are only written
in this description for clarity’s sake.
6. Note to Teacher: See note at the top of the first page.
What did you learn from “The Moon Journal”?
Suggested answer: Answers may vary and should be supported by the passage.
7. Note to Teacher: See note at the top of the first page.
Class Discussion Question: Will the moon ever look the same for two nights in a row?
Suggested answer: Answers may vary but students should explain that the moon is
always changing so it will never look exactly the same for two nights in a row. Amir
noticed this at the beginning of the passage when he observed that the moon was a
sliver, then it was gone, and then he saw the sliver again. Advanced students might
mention that as the moon gets bigger or smaller, it can be difficult to tell the difference
between the shape from one night to the next, but we still know that the moon is always
changing, therefore, even if we can’t describe the difference, there is one.
2
© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.