Text Time: Teacher Information
1
These Text Time passages were created for comprehension and close reading practice. There are 60 passages,
each presented at two reading levels (grades 3-4 and 4-5) for a total of 120 passages. The passages are a mix of
high-interest and curriculum-based topics and include informational text, literature, and poetry. The included textdependent questions address a variety of close reading skills. Please read the following points carefully so that you
will know how best to use these passages with your students.
• 
The easier passages (grades 3-4) are marked with a single u in the lower left. All of the odd numbered pages
are these easier selections. The harder passages (grades 4-5) are marked with a double uu, and are on the
even pages. Set your printer to print only odd or only even pages if you would only like to print just one level.
Please note that both levels are identified with the same Text Time number in the upper right hand corner.
• 
The Show What You Know questions on the right are identical for both reading levels. This allows you to discuss
the passages all together, even if you have students using different levels.
• 
The passages are sequenced in cycles of six as follows:
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
IT:
L:
IT:
L:
IT:
P:
Informational Text (nonfiction)
Literature (fiction)
Informational Text (nonfiction) with an illustration such as a map, chart, graph, diagram etc.
Literature (fiction)
Informational Text (nonfiction)
Poetry
Breakdown by type: 1/2 Informational Text, 1/3 Literature, and 1/6 Poetry.
• 
All of the poems except the first one were curated from the Public Domain. The poem pages are identical at
both reading levels (because a poem cannot be altered to make it more or less challenging). Including a
duplicate copy allows the odd/even pattern to remain intact for easy printing.
• 
Within the 60 passages, there are five sets of paired passages. The paired passages appear adjacent to each
other and address a similar topic for comparing and contrasting. Three additional printables are included to use
with these paired passages. These passages will also work as stand alone activities if you do not want to use
them together.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
Text Time: Teacher Information (continued)
2
•
The skills addressed in each passage are written in small print at the bottom on the left hand side. The skills
address most of the RI and RL Common Core Standards and include: reading for details, main idea,
summarizing, inference, predicting, genre setting/character/plot, theme, context clues/vocabulary, figurative
language, author’s style, author’s purpose, point of view, mood/tone, text structure, comparing and contrasting,
interpreting an illustration (map, chart, diagram, table, or photo), analysis, and evaluation. They are also listed in
the Table of Contents.
•
Most of the passages can be used at any time during the school year. A few of them are themed around a
season. I have tried to place them chronologically; however, school years and teacher usage vary.
•
Answer keys for teacher use are provided. In many cases, answers will vary by student and sample answers
are given.
Suggestions for Use
•
If you would like consistent practice all year long, use two Text Time pages per week, perhaps on Tuesdays and
Thursdays. Another option is to use them three times a week, possibly Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which
will get you through most of the school year. A third possibility is to go ala carte, selecting passages for their
subjects or the skills addressed as needed.
•
Depending on the age and abilities of your students, you may need to work through the first few together. As
skills improve, students should be able to complete the questions independently. Another option is to allow
students to work in partners. You may also want to use sticky-notes for annotating.
•
Because the skills addressed go much deeper than simple comprehension, and are more aligned with close
reading, students may need to read the passage more than once. You may want to model that practice.
•
Students will benefit more if there is time to discuss the questions and answers. Because answers will
sometimes vary, this is an excellent opportunity for students to justify their responses. This will also help
struggling students as the skills repeat throughout the resource.
•
These passages could be used for bell work, at a center or station, as part of a reading packet, with a small
group, as homework, as enrichment for younger, highly capable students, as remediation for struggling
students, or as test prep.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
About…
3
About the Author:
With the exception of the poems, all of these passages were written by me, Rachel Lynette. I am a published
author of over 120 nonfiction books for children on a variety of subjects. I have written for publishers such as
Harcourt, Thompson-Gale, Rosen, Children’s Press, Evan-Moor, and several others. You can find my books on
Amazon here (I also write under the names: Lynette Robbins and Tori Miller). These passages are no different than
those you might find in any nonfiction book written for the school and library market.
About Lexile Levels:
These passages are not leveled for two reasons: First, publishing Lexile results obtained from the Lexile site is a
violation of the Lexile site’s terms of use. Doing so is not only illegal, but can result in an inaccurate score. Obtaining
official Lexile scores is both cost prohibitive and time-consuming. Second, I have found that a Lexile score can be
really thrown off by a few good vocabulary words. I use challenging words to help kids practice using context clues
(so important!). I also think it is exciting and motivating for kids to learn to read and understand difficult words. If
a student cannot figure out a word, then it is the perfect time for some real-life dictionary practice! Being able to
use a more varied vocabulary also keeps the passages interesting.
About the Common Core:
Most of the Common Core Standards for Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational Text (RI) for grades
3-5 are addressed multiple times in this resource. There are a few standards that are beyond the reach of this
kind of practice that could not be included. In addition, the Fluency standards for Reading Foundations (RF) are also
covered. I chose not to include the specific standards because many schools, both inside and outside of the US do
not use Common Core. Instead, I have listed the skills themselves in hopes that you know your grade level
standards well enough to align them appropriately.
Terms of Use:
Everything included in this resource is licensed for single classroom use only. It may be photocopied by the original
purchaser for his or her classroom only. It may not be put on the internet, sold, or distributed in any form. If you
would like to share with your colleagues, please honor the time and energy put into it by purchasing multiple licenses
on the product page on Teachers Pay Teachers. Thank you for respecting the copyright. J
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
TRY THESE!
Thank you so much for
purchasing Text Time! If you
would like to do more with close
reading using your own selections,
please considering adding one or
both of these Close Reading
Toolkits to your resource
collection. They include, posters,
discussion prompt cards, graphic
organizers, and dozens of textdependent questions. There are
also plenty of tips and suggestions!
Font and Image Credits
Table of Contents (1 of 3) passages are on odd pages and the more challenging passages are on even pages.
Use this Table of contents as a printing guide. Remember all of the easier
TT#
Title
Type
IT
Type and Skills Addressed
u
uu
inference, vocabulary, understanding quotes
9
10
inference, sequence, summary, theme
11
12
main idea, inference, interpreting an illustration
13
14
genre, cause and effect, making connections
15
16
1
A Real Life Batman
2
At the Amusement Park
3
Be a Tree Detective
4
California Bound!
5
So Many Satellites!
IT
vocabulary, main idea, author’s purpose
17
18
6
Victory
P
inference, author’s style, point of view
19
20
7
Insects for Dinner
IT
vocabulary, author’s purpose, evaluation
21
22
8
The Gorilla and the Monkey
genre, summary, main idea, moral (theme)
23
24
9
Alligator or Crocodile?
compare and contrast, interpreting an illustration
25
26
L
point of view, figurative language, inference
27
28
L
IT
L
L
IT
10
Why I am Afraid of Balloons
11
Author Louis Sachar
IT
genre, main idea/supporting details, analysis
29
30
12
A Boy’s Summer Song
P
setting, figurative language, mood, analysis
31
32
13
The Pony Express
IT
reading for detail, summary, inference, context
33
34
14
My Brother the Rider
L
point of view, reading for detail, inference, genre
35
36
15
One Country or Four?
interpreting an illustration, evaluation
37
38
16
The Case of the Missing Poodle
L
genre, characters, figurative language, inference
39
40
17
A Quarterback Who Gives Back
IT
main idea, understanding quotes, author’s purpose
41
42
18
Little-Girl-Two-Little-Girls
P
rhyming pattern, style, inference, character
43
44
19
Mission to Mars
IT
summarizing, reading for detail, evaluation
45
46
20
A New Life on Mars
genre, figurative language, character, inference.
47
48
Paired
Texts
IT
Paired
Texts
L
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
Table of Contents (2 of 3) passages are on odd pages and the more challenging passages are on even pages.
Use this Table of contents as a printing guide. Remember all of the easier
TT#
Title
Type
Type and Skills Addressed
u
uu
details, text structure, interpreting an illustration
49
50
L
character trait, genre, moral/theme, evaluation
51
52
21
The Layers of the Earth
IT
22
Pandora’s Box
23
Coniferous and Deciduous Trees
IT
text structure, context clue, reading for details
53
54
24
Brother and Sister
P
context clues, plot, mood/style, analysis
55
56
25
The Invention of Earmuffs
IT
text structure, reading for details, inference
57
58
26
Hamster Adventures
inference, evaluation, point of view
59
60
27
Too Much Sugar!
author’s purpose, interpreting an illustration, text structure
61
62
28
Kirla’s Quest
genre, context clues, predicting
63
64
29
Mountain Food Chains
IT
reading for details, context clues, predicting
65
66
30
Which are You?
P
compare and contrast, context clues, theme, evaluation
67
68
31
Sojourner Truth
IT
genre, sequence, context clues
69
70
32
Snow Day
figurative language, inference, summary, predicting
71
72
33
Animal Bedtimes
IT
interpreting an illustration, main idea, evaluation
73
74
34
The Best Day Ever
L
point of view, sequence, inference, characterization
75
76
35
Our Incredible Sun
IT
main idea, vocabulary, author’s purpose
77
78
36
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
P
rhyme, inference, setting, prediction
79
80
37
Amazing Anacondas
IT
context clues, reading for details, questioning
81
82
38
I Saw an Anaconda
setting, inference, character, summary, text structure
83
84
39
The Population of Australia
context clues, interpreting an illustration
85
86
40
Sam and the Swim Team
setting, visualization, character traits, theme
87
88
L
IT
L
L
Paired
Texts
L
IT
L
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
Use this Table of contents as a printing guide. Remember all of the easier
Table of Contents (3 of 3) passages are on odd pages and the more challenging passages are on even pages.
TT#
Title
Type
Type and Skills Addressed
u
uu
41
The Early Life of Benjamin Franklin
IT
genre, context clues, fact and opinion
89
90
42
Chicago Poet
P
inference, figurative language, tone and mood
91
92
43
Conductors and Insulators
IT
analysis, inference
93
94
44
Safety First
setting, sequence, evaluation
95
96
45
Hurricanes
main idea, inference, interpreting an illustration
97
98
46
Jamie and the Bear
genre, figurative language, style/tone
99
100
47
Staying Safe in the Sun
IT
main idea, reading for detail, text structure
101
102
48
The Wind
P
figurative language, poetic device, tone
103
104
49
Reading to Rover
IT
inference, understanding quotes, reading for detail
105
106
50
Super Cheese Man to the Rescue!
inference,, summary, visualization, tone/style
107
108
51
China’s Terracotta Soldiers
interpreting an illustration, author’s purpose, questioning
109
110
52
An Ancient Soldier
Inference, analysis, figurative language
111
112
53
Ice Cream in a Baggie
IT
interpreting a text feature, sequence, genre
113
114
54
The Grass So Little Has to Do
P
reading for detail, style, main idea, evaluation
115
116
55
Machu Picchu
IT
author’s purpose, reading for detail, summarizing
117
118
56
Lizzy’s Lemonade Stand
character traits, inference, problem-solution
119
120
57
Wind Power
sequence, main idea, vocabulary, interpreting an illustration
121
122
58
The Wind and the Sun
figurative language, cause and effect, theme
123
124
59
Hooray for Peanut Butter!
IT
author’s purpose, main idea, context clues, details
125
126
60
The Fisherman
P
figurative language, inference
127
128
Paired
Texts
L
IT
L
L
Paired
Texts
IT
L
L
IT
L
“Mark it Up!” half-page Student Annotation Guide
129
Compare and Contrast Printables (Chart, Graphic Organizer, Written Response)
130-132
Answer Keys
133-142
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
A Real Life Batman
Daniel Kish is blind, yet he can hike,
play basketball, and even ride a bicycle!
Just like a bat, Kish uses echolocation to
move without bumping into things. As he
moves, Kish makes a clicking noise with
his tongue. The noise bounces off the
objects around him and he uses his ears
to “see” them in his mind.
Echolocation is not just like having
sight. He can’t see colors or see objects
that are smaller than a softball. “It’s
like seeing with dim flashes of light,”
Kish says.
Kish believes that any blind person
can learn to echolocate. He started a an
organization called World Access for
the Blind to teach children to
echolocate. “It isn’t that difficult to
teach. It really isn’t,” Kish says. “I
believe that the brain is already partly
wired to do this.” Kish thinks every blind
person should have the chance to learn
echolocation. He says that not allowing
it would be, “very shortsighted.”
u
IT: inference, vocabulary, understanding quotes
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
1
1.  How is Daniel Kish like a real life batman?_______________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. 
Could Daniel use echolocation to make sure that his
clothes match?
Why or why not?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
How does Daniel describe what seeing by echolocation
is like?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
At the end of paragraph 3, the word, “shortsighted”
means:
a) not being able to see things that are far away
b) helping blind people to see.
c) not planning well for the future
d) being too short to see something in a crowd
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
A Real Life Batman
Daniel Kish has been completely blind since
he was a toddler, yet he can hike, play
basketball, and even ride a bicycle! Just like
a bat, Kish uses echolocation to navigate his
environment. As he moves, Kish makes a
clicking noise with his tongue. The noise
bounces off the objects around him and he
uses his ears to “see” them in his mind.
The clicking makes it much easier for Kish
to get around and live independently, but the
method does have limitations. He still can’t
see colors and while a bat can detect an
object as small as a gnat, Kish says
something needs to be at least as big as a
softball for him to know it is there. “It’s like
seeing with dim flashes of light,” Kish says.
Kish believes that any blind person can
learn to echolocate, although it is easier for
children. He has founded a nonprofit
organization called World Access for the
Blind to teach children to echolocate. “It
isn’t that difficult to teach. It really isn’t,”
Kish says. “I believe that the brain is
already partly wired to do this.” Kish
believes that echolocation is a life-changing
skill and that every blind person should have
the opportunity to learn it. He says that not
allowing it would be, “very shortsighted.”
uu IT: inference, vocabulary, understanding quotes
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
1
1.  How is Daniel Kish like a real life batman?_______________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. 
Could Daniel use echolocation to make sure that his
clothes match?
Why or why not?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
How does Daniel describe what seeing by echolocation
is like?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
At the end of paragraph 3, the word, “shortsighted”
means:
a) not being able to see things that are far away
b) helping blind people to see.
c) not planning well for the future.
d) being too short to see something in a crowd
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
At the Amusement Park
Justin and his little brother, Lucas, were
waiting in line to ride the roller coaster at
the amusement park. Justin was in charge
since he was older. So far things had gone
well. They had ridden the bumper cars,
the Ferris wheel, and the tea cups. The
line was long and Justin was bored. He
started texting with his best friend Carlos.
When he was done, Justin realized that
Lucas wasn’t there! Justin looked all
around. Lucas was no where to be seen.
Justin started searching for his brother.
He looked at the other lines. He looked at
the snack bar. Where had Lucas gone?
There were so many people. It was hard
to see. Justin was starting to get really
scared. Then he spotted Lucas by the
roller coaster line. He ran to Lucas and
hugged him hard. “Where were you?” he
asked.
“I told you, I was going to the
bathroom,” Lucas replied. “You must not
have heard me because you were busy
texting, and now we’ve lost our place in
line.” The boys made their way to the end
of the line. This time Justin kept his cell
phone in his pocket!
u
L: inference, sequence, summary, theme
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME
2
What are two things you can infer about Justin?
1)_____________________________________________________
because_____________________________________________
2)____________________________________________________ because_____________________________________________ 2. 
Number the events in the order that they happened.
Justin leaves the roller coaster line.
Justin and Lucas go to the end of the line.
Justin and Lucas ride the bumper cars.
Justin texts his friend Carlos
Justin hugs Lucas. 3. 
Write a one-sentence summary of this story:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. 
Which of these is the theme of the story?
a) You should not text at an amusement park.
b) Justin is not very responsible.
c) Getting lost is no fun.
d) It is important to take responsibilities seriously.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
At the Amusement Park
Justin and his little brother, Lucas, were
waiting in line to ride the roller coaster at
the amusement park. Justin was in charge
since he was older, and so far things had
gone pretty well. They had ridden the
bumper cars, the Ferris wheel, and the tea
cups. The line was long and Justin was
restless. He decided to check his phone to
see if he had any texts. Soon he was texting
with his best friend Carlos.
When he was done texting, Justin started
to say something to Lucas, but Lucas wasn’t
there! Justin looked all around, but Lucas
was no where to be seen. Justin left the line
and started searching for his brother. He
looked around the other lines and at the
snack bar. Where had he gone?
There were so many people! It was hard
to see. Justin was starting to get really
scared when he suddenly spotted Lucas
wandering around by the roller coaster line.
He ran to Lucas and hugged him hard.
“Where were you?” he asked.
“I told you, I was going to the bathroom,”
Lucas replied. “You must not have heard me
because you were busy texting, and now
we’ve lost our place in line.” The boys made
their way to the end of the line and this
time Justin kept his cell phone in his pocket!
uu L: inference, sequence, summary, theme
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME
2
What are two things you can infer about Justin?
1)_____________________________________________________
because_____________________________________________
2)____________________________________________________ because_____________________________________________ 2. 
Number the events in the order that they happened.
Justin leaves the roller coaster line.
Justin and Lucas go to the end of the line.
Justin and Lucas ride the bumper cars.
Justin texts his friend Carlos
Justin hugs Lucas. 3. 
Write a one-sentence summary of this story:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. 
Which of these is the theme of the story?
a) You should not text at an amusement park.
b) Justin is not very responsible.
c) Getting lost is no fun.
d) It is important to take responsibilities seriously
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Be a Tree Detective
Look at the rings in the part of a tree
trunk below. What can they tell you
about the tree it came from?
Every spring and summer, a tree
grows a new layer of wood. The wood
that grows at the end of the summer is
darker. Counting the dark rings will tell
you the age of the tree.
You can tell other things too. If a ring
is wide, it was a good year for the tree.
The tree had enough water and sunlight.
If a ring is thin, then the tree had a
bad year, so it did not grow very much.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
3
1.  What is the main idea of this passage?
a) A tree grows a new layer of wood every year.
2. 
b)
You can tell things about a tree by looking at a
cross-section of the trunk.
c)
You can tell the age of the tree by counting the rings.
d)
If the rings are wide, the tree has had a good year. Can you count the rings to tell how old a living tree is? ___________ why or why not?_________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. 
What will cause a tree to have thin rings?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
About how old was the tree in the picture?
a) Less than 20 years old
b) Between 30 and 50 years old
c) More than 50 years old u IT: main idea, inference, interpreting an illustration
d) You can’t tell from the picture
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Be a Tree Detective
Look at the rings in the cross-section of
the tree trunk below. What can they tell you
about the tree it came from?
Every spring and summer, a tree grows a
new layer of wood. Toward the end of the
summer, the cells that make up the wood
are smaller, which makes them darker too.
Counting the dark rings will tell you the age
of the tree.
You can tell other things too. For example,
if a ring is wide, that means it was a good
year for the tree – plenty of nutrients,
water, and sunshine. If a ring is thinner, then
the tree had a bad year and did not grow
very much.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
3
1.  What is the main idea of this passage?
a) A tree grows a new layer of wood every year.
2. 
b)
You can tell things about a tree by looking at a
slice of the trunk.
c)
You can tell the age of the tree by counting the rings.
d)
If the rings are wide, the tree has had a good year.
Can you count the rings to tell how old a living tree is?
___________ why or why not?_________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. 
What will cause a tree to have thin rings?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
About how old was the tree in the picture?
a) Less than 20 years old
b) Between 30 and 50 years old
c) More than 50 years old
d) You can’t tell from the picture
uu IT: main idea, inference, interpreting an illustration
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
California Bound!
Clara pulled her bonnet up further
over her head to shade her eyes from
the sun. The trail was hot and dusty. She
wondered what life would be like in
California.
Her family had left Missouri two
months ago with 26 other wagons. Heavy
rain had slowed them down. The rain had
made the trail muddy. The wagon wheels
kept getting stuck. Then they’d had to
cross a river that had grown bigger
because of all the rain. It was cold and
scary, but they all made it across safely.
Clara knew Pa was worried. She’d
heard him talking to Ma when they
thought she was asleep. If their wagon
train didn’t reach the mountains by late
fall, it would be too dangerous to cross.
The wagons all stopped. It was time
for the mid-day meal. Clara was glad for
the rest. She would help Ma get the food
ready. Maybe when they got going again,
Pa would let her ride with him on the
wagon for awhile.
u
L: genre, cause and effect, making connections
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME
4
What genre is this passage?
a) biography
b) historical fiction
c) fantasy
d) contemporary fiction
How do you know?______________________________________
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What are two effects the rain had on the wagon
train?
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why is Pa worried?___________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
4. 
Make a connection between this passage and another
text. __________________________How are they similar?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
California Bound!
Clara pulled her bonnet up further over
her head to shade her eyes from the sun. It
was so hot and the trail was so dusty. As she
and her two younger brothers trudged behind
their wagon, Clara wondered what life would
be like in California
Her family had left Missouri nearly two
months ago with 26 other wagons.
Unfortunately, their wagon train had been
delayed by heavy rain. The rain had made the
trail muddy and the wheels kept getting stuck.
Then they’d had to ford a river, swollen over
it’s banks from all the rain. It was cold and
scary, and it took some prodding to get the
horses to cross, but they’d all made it.
Pa said they were making good time now.
Still, Clara knew Pa was worried. She’d heard
him talking to Ma when they thought she was
asleep. If their wagon train didn’t reach the
mountains by late fall, it would be too
dangerous to cross.
The wagons all stopped. It was time for
the mid-day meal. Clara was glad for the
rest. She would help Ma prepare the food and
maybe when they got going again, Pa would let
her ride with him on the wagon for awhile.
uu L: genre, cause and effect, making connections
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
4
1. 
What genre is this passage?
a) biography
b) historical fiction
c) fantasy
d) contemporary fiction
How do you know?______________________________________
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What are two effects the rain had on the wagon
train?
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why is Pa worried?___________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. 
Make a connection between this passage and another
text. __________________________How are they similar?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
So Many Satellites!
Right now, there are more than 2,400
artificial satellites orbiting the earth! A
satellite is any object that circles a
planet. The moon is a natural satellite.
Machines that people make and send into
space are artificial satellites.
There are many different kinds of
satellites. There are weather satellites,
TV satellites, and satellites that help
people talk to each other. There are also
satellites that help us learn more about
space. You can use GPS satellites to keep
you from getting lost. GPS stands for
Global Positioning Systems.
Some satellites orbit close to the Earth.
A close-orbiting satellite can circle the
earth in about 90 minutes. Other
satellites orbit far above the Earth. Some
high-orbiting satellites move at the same
rate as the Earth. It takes these
satellites exactly 24 hours to circle our
planet. This is called a geostationary
orbit. Weather and communications
satellites use this kind of orbit.
u
IT: vocabulary, main idea, author’s purpose
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
5
1.  What is an artificial satellite?___________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
What is a geostationary orbit?_______________________
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
So Many Satellites!
At this moment, there are more than
2,400 artificial satellites orbiting the earth!
A satellite is any object that circles a planet.
The moon is a natural satellite. Machines
that people make and send into space are
artificial satellites.
There are many different kinds of
satellites. Weather satellites are used not
only to predict the weather, but also to
monitor the effect of storms and other
natural events. Communication satellites
connect people on airplanes, ships, and rural
areas. There are TV satellites and satellites
for space research. If you use a GPS to
keep from getting lost, you are using a
network of 20 satellites. GPS stands for
Global Positioning Systems.
Some satellites orbit close to the Earth.
They are only about 180 miles (300 km)
above us. A close-orbiting satellite can circle
the earth in about 90 minutes. Other
satellites orbit far above the Earth. A
satellite that is 22,187 miles (35,786 km)
above the Earth has an orbit of exactly 24
hours. If the satellite orbits above the
equator, it will always stay in the same place
relative to the Earth. Weather and
communications satellites use this type of
geostationary orbit.
uu IT: vocabulary, main idea, author’s purpose
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
5
1.  What is an artificial satellite?___________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
What is a geostationary orbit?_______________________
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Victory
Meg Anderson
She gritted her teeth
and took a breath as she
crouched at the line.
She paused,
the sound of her own heart
beating beating beating
A quick glance to the right
and to the left was all it took.
No one would pass her this time.
This time would be different.
This time she would
feel the rush
hear the cheers
be at the finish first.
She would finally feel the heavy weight
lifted from her heart
and draped around her neck instead.
Joy would fill places
where before only worry lived.
This time,
victory was
hers.
u
P: inference, author’s style, point of view
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME
Show What You Know
6
1.  What is this poem about?
How do you know?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. 
Why do you think the poet repeats the word
“beating” three times in the second stanza?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
Explain the first three lines of the last stanza in your
own words.
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. 
From which point of view is this poem written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
How do you know?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Victory
Meg Anderson
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME
Show What You Know
6
She gritted her teeth
and took a breath as she
crouched at the line.
1.  What is this poem about?
She paused,
the sound of her own heart
beating beating beating
________________________________________________________ A quick glance to the right
and to the left was all it took.
No one would pass her this time.
This time would be different.
This time she would
feel the rush
hear the cheers
be at the finish first.
She would finally feel the heavy weight
lifted from her heart
and draped around her neck instead.
Joy would fill places
where before only worry lived.
This time,
victory was
hers.
How do you know?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. 
Why do you think the poet repeats the word
“beating” three times in the second stanza?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
Explain the first three lines of the last stanza in your
own words.
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  From which point of view is this poem written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person How do you know?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ uu P: inference, author’s style, point of view
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Insects for Dinner
Would you eat crickets for dinner? It
might not sound good to you, but around
2 billion people worldwide eat insects!
Eating insects is called entomophagy and
there are many good reasons to do it.
First off, insects are really good for
you! They are packed with protein. By
weight, crickets and termites have more
protein than beef.
Second, raising insects cost less and is
better for the earth than raising cows
and other livestock. Insects take up
much less space and need much less
food and water than cows. Also, you can
eat more parts of an insect than other
animals. Insects also reach their adult
size quickly. It does not take much time
to raise insects to eat.
Third, insects taste good! Many types
of insects taste a little nutty. Some
kinds of bugs taste like bacon, while
others may taste like fish, or even fruit.
Some insects, such as meal worms, don’t
have much of a taste at all. They pick up
the flavors of whatever they are
cooked with. So, what are you waiting
for? Why not try a beetle today?
u
IT: vocabulary, author’s purpose, evaluation
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME
Show What You Know
7
1.  What is entomophagy?
_______________________________________________________
2. 
Give three reasons why raising insects is better than
raising livestock.
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. Would you try eating insects?_________________________
Why or why not? ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
Insects for Dinner
Imagine eating a plateful of crickets for
dinner with chocolate-covered ants for
dessert. It might not sound too appetizing to
you, but around 2 billion people worldwide
eat insects regularly as a part of their diet.
Eating insects is called entomophagy and
there are many good reasons to do it.
First off, insects are really good for you!
They are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins
and minerals. By weight, crickets and
termites contain more protein than beef.
Second, raising insects is less expensive
and better for the earth than raising
livestock. Insects take up much less space
and need much less food and water than
cows. Also, more parts of an insect is edible
than a cow or a chicken. In addition, insects
have a much shorter lifespan, so the time
spent raising them is much less than other
edible animals.
Third, believe it or not, if prepared well,
insects actually taste good! Many types of
insects taste a little nutty, especially if they
are roasted. Some kinds of bugs taste like
bacon, while others may taste like fish, or
even fruit. Some insects, such as meal
worms, don’t have much of a taste at all and
pick up the flavors of whatever they are
cooked with. So, what are you waiting for?
Why not try a beetle today?
uu IT: vocabulary, author’s purpose, evaluation
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME
7
1.  What is entomophagy?
_______________________________________________________
2. 
Give three reasons why raising insects is better than
raising livestock.
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. Would you try eating insects?_________________________
Why or why not? ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Gorilla and the Monkey
Gorilla sat under a tree eating bananas.
Gorilla was thirsty. He wanted to go to
the river to get a drink, but then
someone might steal his bananas. Baboon
came and sat beside him. “May I have
one of your bananas?” asked Baboon.
“No, you may not!” replied Gorilla. “I
picked all these bananas myself. If you
want some bananas, go get your own.”
“But the bananas are all gone. You have
picked them all and they are all there in
your big pile,” said Baboon.
“That is not my problem,” Gorilla said
grumpily. “Now go away and leave me
alone.”
A few minutes later, Monkey came to
sit beside Gorilla. “I won’t give you a
banana,” said Gorilla. “So don’t even ask.”
“Oh no,” said Monkey. “I just thought
you might like some cool water from the
river.” Monkey gave Gorilla a coconut
shell full of water.
Gorilla took the shell and drank it all.
He felt much better. “Thank you,” he said
to Monkey. “Please, take one of my
bananas for your trouble.” Monkey gladly
accepted.
u
L: genre, summary, main idea, moral (theme)
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME
Show What You Know
8
1.  What kind of story is this?
a) fable
b) fairytale
c) tall tale
d) myth
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
Why did Gorilla give Monkey a banana? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
3.  Summarize the story: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
4. 
What is the moral (or lesson) of this story?
a) You should always share.
b) Monkeys are smarter than baboons.
c) Give something to get something.
d) You can trade water for bananas.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Gorilla and the Monkey
Gorilla sat beneath a tree eating bananas.
It was hot, and Gorilla was thirsty. Gorilla
wanted to go down to the river to get a drink,
but if he did, someone was sure to steal his
bananas. Gorilla was thinking about his
dilemma when Baboon swung down from the
tree and sat beside him. “May I have one of
your bananas?” asked Baboon.
“No, you may not!” replied Gorilla. “I spent
all morning picking these bananas. If you want
some bananas, go get your own.”
“But the bananas are all gone. You have
picked them all and they are all there in your
big pile,” complained Baboon.
“That is not my problem,” Gorilla said
grumpily. “Now go away and leave me in
peace.”
A few minutes later, Monkey came to sit
beside Gorilla. “I suppose you want my
bananas too,” said Gorilla. “Well you can’t
have any.”
“Oh no,” said Monkey. “I was only thinking
that you might enjoy some cool water from
the river.” Monkey offered Gorilla a coconut
shell full of water.
Gorilla took the shell and drank greedily.
He felt much better when he was done.
“Thank you,” he said to Monkey. “Please, take
one of my bananas for your trouble.”
Monkey gladly accepted.
uu L: genre, summary, main idea, moral (theme)
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME
Show What You Know
8
1.  What kind of story is this?
a) fable
b) fairytale
c) tall tale
d) myth
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
Why did Gorilla give Monkey a banana?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
3.  Summarize the story:
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
4. 
What is the moral (or lesson) of this story?
a) You should always share.
b) Monkeys are smarter than baboons.
c) Give something to get something.
d) You can trade water for bananas.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Alligator or Crocodile?
People often confuse alligators and
crocodiles. Alligators and crocodiles are
both reptiles. They both live in the water
and they both have sharp teeth.
Crocodiles live in salt water. They have
special glands on their tongues to get rid
of the extra salt. Alligators don’t have
these glands, so they live in fresh water.
Alligators have wide, U-shaped snouts.
A crocodile’s snout is longer and more
pointed, like a V. Also, crocodiles have
teeth on their lower jaws that stick out.
You can see them even when the
crocodile’s mouth is closed. Alligators do
not have any teeth that stick out.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME
9
What do alligators and crocodiles have in common? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. 
How are alligators and crocodiles different? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
Which text structure did the author use?
a) description
c) problem and solution
b) cause and effect
d) compare and contrast
4. 
Is the animal closest to the bottom of the page an
alligator or a crocodile?_____________________________
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ The easiest way to tell an alligator from
a crocodile is by looking at the snout.
u IT: compare and contrast, interpreting an illustration
__________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Alligator or a Crocodile?
It’s a reptile. It lives in the water and it
has big, sharp teeth. Can you guess the
animal? It’s an alligator, of course…or is it a
crocodile? Let’s find out:
If it lives in salt water, such as an estuary
or mangrove swamp, it is a crocodile.
Crocodiles have special glands on their
tongues to get rid of extra salt. Alligators
don’t have these glands, so they live in fresh
water.
Alligators also have wider, U-shaped snouts,
while a crocodile’s snout is longer and more
pointed, like a V. Also, crocodiles have teeth
on their lower jaws that stick out. You can
see them even when the crocodile’s mouth is
closed. Alligators do not have any teeth that
stick out.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME
9
What do alligators and crocodiles have in common? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. 
How are alligators and crocodiles different? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
Which text structure did the author use?
a) description
c) problem and solution
b) cause and effect
d) compare and contrast
4. 
Is the animal closest to the bottom of the page an
alligator or a crocodile?_____________________________
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ The easiest way to tell an alligator from
a crocodile is by looking at the snout.
uuIT: compare and contrast, interpreting an illustration
__________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Why I am Afraid of Balloons
Some people are scared of spiders,
or snakes, or high places. But, me, I’m
afraid of balloons. I am not the only
person who is afraid of them. I read
about it on the internet. It’s called
globophobia.
It started when I was little. My mom
gave me a balloon to play with. I was so
little, I didn’t know what it was. It was
bright red. I thought it might be good to
eat, like cotton candy. It popped when I
tried to take a bite. After that, I
wanted nothing to do with balloons.
It’s not usually a problem. But
sometimes it’s embarrassing. Last week
I went to my friend Lila’s 10th birthday
party. Of course, there were balloons. I
was so nervous! I covered my ears
whenever I thought one might pop. I
pretended I had to go to the bathroom
so I could leave the room. The other
girls probably thought I was bananas,
but I just couldn’t help it!
Maybe when I grow up, I will invent a
kind of balloon that does not make noise
when it pops. Then I will have balloons
at my parties too!
u L: point of view, figurative language, inference
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME10
Show What You Know
1.  From which point of view is this passage written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
Give evidence from passage the to support your choice:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What caused the narrator have globophobia? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
What does the word, “bananas” mean at the end of
paragraph 3? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4.  Besides being afraid of balloons, what are two other
things you can infer about the narrator of this
passage? Explain how you know.
1)_____________________________________________________ because_____________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ because_____________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Why I am Afraid of Balloons
Some people are scared of spiders, or
snakes, or high places, or even of being in
stuck in a crowd. But, me, I’m afraid of
balloons. How crazy is that? Most people love
balloons. Still, I am not the only person who
is afraid of them. I read about it on the
internet. It’s called globophobia.
I’m pretty sure I know how it started. I
remember when I was little my mom gave
me a balloon to play with. I was so little, I
didn’t even know what it was. It was bright
red, so I thought it might be good to eat, like
cotton candy. Well, you can guess what
happened next. The loud popping noise so
close to my face scared the daylights out of
me and I started to cry. After that, I
wanted nothing to do with balloons.
Normally, it isn’t a problem. Balloons are
not a part of my everyday life. But it can
get embarrassing. Last week I was invited to
my friend Lila’s 10th birthday party. Of
course, there were balloons. I was a nervous
wreck! kept covering my ears whenever I
thought one might pop and pretending to go
to the bathroom so I could get out of there.
The other girls probably thought I was
bananas, but I just can’t help it!
Maybe when I grow up, I will invent a
type of balloon that pops silently. Then I too,
could have a party with balloons.
uu L: point of view, figurative language, inference
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME10
Show What You Know
1.  From which point of view is this passage written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
Give evidence from passage the to support your choice:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What caused the narrator have globophobia? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
What does the word, “bananas” mean at the end of
paragraph 3? ________________________________________________________ 4.  Besides being afraid of balloons, what are two other
things you can infer about the narrator of this
passage? Explain how you know.
1)_____________________________________________________ because_____________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ because_____________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Author Louis Sachar
Authors often get story ideas from
people they meet in real life. Children’s
author Louis Sachar says that his first
book, Sideways Stories from Wayside
School, was based on students he met
at Hillside Elementary.
Sachar was going to school at the
University of California when he found
out that he could earn college credits
by working as an aid at a nearby
elementary school. He helped out in the
classroom and supervised lunch recess.
“It became my favorite college class
and a life changing experience,” said
Sachar.
Sachar graduated in 1976 and decided
to write a children’s book using his
experience at Hillside. “All the kids at
Wayside School were based on kids I
knew at Hillside,” Sachar said. The book
was published two years later in 1978.
Later, Sachar married an elementary
school counselor named Carla. Carla was
the inspiration for the school counselor
in Sachar’s fifth book (1987), There’s a
Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom.
u
IT: genre, main idea/supporting details, analysis
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 11
1.  What genre is this passage?
2. 
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) science fiction
What is the main idea of this passage? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Give two details from the text to support your choice.
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why does Sachar describe working at Hillside
Elementary as a “life changing experience”? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4.  Write a question you have after reading this passage.
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Author Louis Sachar
Even though fictional stories are made
up, they are often inspired by real life
people and experiences. According to
children’s author Louis Sachar, his first
book, Sideways Stories from Wayside
School, was based on students he met at
Hillside Elementary in Berkeley, California.
Sachar was attending school at the
University of California when he heard
about an opportunity to earn college
credits by working as an aid at a local
elementary school. Sachar soon discovered
that he loved working with children. He not
only helped out in the classroom, but he
also supervised lunch recess. “It became
my favorite college class and a life changing
experience,” said Sachar.
Sachar graduated in 1976 and decided to
write a children’s book using his experience
at Hillside. “All the kids at Wayside School
were based on kids I knew at Hillside,”
Sachar said. It took Sachar nine months to
write the book, which was published in 1978.
A few years later, Sachar met an
elementary school counselor named Carla
and the two eventually married. The
dedicated and compassionate school
counselor in his fifth book (1987), There’s
a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, was based on
Carla.
uu IT: genre, main idea/supporting details, analysis
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 11
1.  What genre is this passage?
2. 
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) science fiction
What is the main idea of this passage? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Give two details from the text to support your choice.
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why does Sachar describe working at Hillside
Elementary as a “life changing experience”? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4.  Write a question you have after reading this passage.
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
A Boy’s Summer Song
Paul Laurence Dunbar
'Tis fine to play
In the fragrant hay,
And romp on the golden load;
To ride old Jack
To the barn and back,
Or tramp by a shady road.
To pause and drink,
At a mossy brink;
Ah, that is the best of joy,
And so I say
On a summer's day,
What's so fine as being a boy?
Ha, Ha!
With line and hook
By a babbling brook,
The fisherman's sport we ply;
And list the song
Of the feathered throng
That flit in the branches nigh.
At last we strip
For a quiet dip;
Ah, that is the best of joy.
For this I say
On a summer's day,
What's so fine as being a boy?
Ha, Ha!
u
P: setting, figurative language, mood, analysis
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 12
1.  Where does this poem take place?
__________________________________________________ What makes you think so? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
2. 
3. 
Which two types of figurative language are used in
the second line of the second stanza? a) alliteration, simile
b) onomatopoeia, idiom
c) metaphor, idiom
d) onomatopoeia, alliteration
What is the mood of this poem?
What are some of the words and phrases the poet uses
to convey this mood?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
4. 
Would this poem have to be different if it were called
A Girl’s Summer Song?
Why or why not? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
A Boy’s Summer Song
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
'Tis fine to play
In the fragrant hay,
And romp on the golden load;
To ride old Jack
To the barn and back,
Or tramp by a shady road.
To pause and drink,
At a mossy brink;
Ah, that is the best of joy,
And so I say
On a summer's day,
What's so fine as being a boy?
Ha, Ha!
With line and hook
By a babbling brook,
The fisherman's sport we ply;
And list the song
Of the feathered throng
That flit in the branches nigh.
At last we strip
For a quiet dip;
Ah, that is the best of joy.
For this I say
On a summer's day,
What's so fine as being a boy?
Ha, Ha!
uu P: setting, figurative language, mood, analysis
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 12
1.  Where does this poem take place?
__________________________________________________ What makes you think so? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
2. 
Which two types of figurative language are used in
the second line of the second stanza? a) alliteration, simile nb) onomatopoeia, idiom
c) metaphor, idiom
3. 
d) onomatopoeia, alliteration
What is the mood of this poem?
What are some of the words and phrases the poet uses
to convey this mood?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
4. 
Would this poem have to be different if it were called
A Girl’s Summer Song?
Why or why not? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Pony Express
In the early 1800s, letters were
carried in covered wagons or stage
coaches or sometimes by ship. It took
weeks or even months for mail get to
one end of the country to the other.
That changed on April 3, 1860 with the
the Pony Express.
The Pony Express was made up of 184
stations about ten miles (16 km) apart
along the route from St. Joseph,
Missouri to Sacramento, California.
Riders would gallop from one station to
another. At each station, the rider would
trade his tired horse for a fresh one. A
new rider would take over every 75
miles (121 km) or so.
Letters were carried 1,966 miles
(3,100 km) in about ten days. The riders
travelled across the Great Plains and
over both the Rocky Mountains and the
Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The Pony Express lasted for just 18
months. By October 1861, telegraph wires
crossed the country. The much faster
telegraph made the Pony Express
obsolete. The Pony Express had carried
over 34,700 pieces of mail.
u IT: reading for detail, summary, inference, context
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 13
Show What You Know
1.  Write the correct number in each blank.
a)
The year the Pony Express began.
b)
The distance of the Pony Express route.
c)
The number of pieces of mail carried.
d)
The number of stations along the route.
2. Summarize the second paragraph in one sentence:
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
3. 
Why was the Pony Express faster than a stage
coach or covered wagons?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
What does the word “obsolete” in the last paragraph
mean? a) too expensive
b) not as useful
c) very helpful
d) more dangerous
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Pony Express
Today people use email to send messages
across the country, but there was no email
200 years ago or even airplanes and trucks
to deliver letters. Back then, letters and
packages were carried in covered wagons or
stage coaches, or sometimes by ship. It
took weeks or even months for mail to travel
from one end of the country to the other.
That changed on April 3, 1860 with the
founding of the Pony Express.
The Pony Express consisted of 184 stations
positioned about ten miles (16 km) apart
along the route from St. Joseph, Missouri to
Sacramento, California. Riders rode at a
gallop from one station to another. At each
station, the rider would trade his tired horse
for a fresh one. A new rider would take over
every 75 miles (121 km) or so.
Using this relay system, letters were
carried the entire 1,966 miles (3,100 km) in
about ten days. The riders travelled both
ways on the route; across the Great Plains
and over both the Rocky Mountains and the
Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The Pony Express lasted for just 18 months.
By October 1861, telegraph wires spanned the
country. The much faster telegraph made
the Pony Express obsolete. However, during
its short, yet important life, the Pony
Express carried over 34,700 pieces of mail.
uu IT: reading for detail, summary, inference, context
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 13
Show What You Know
1.  Write the correct number from the text in each blank.
a)
The year the Pony Express began.
b)
The distance of the Pony Express route.
c)
The number of pieces of mail carried.
d)
The number of stations along the route.
2. Summarize the second paragraph in one sentence:
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________
3. 
Why was the Pony Express faster than a stage
coach or covered wagon?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
What does the word “obsolete” in the last paragraph
mean? a) too expensive
b) not as useful
c) very helpful
d) more dangerous
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
My Brother the Rider
“Sure wish I was goin’ with you,” I said
to my brother James.
“I know, Will, but don’t you worry, two
years is not very long. Just don’t grow
too much. You can’t weigh more than 125
pounds to ride for the Pony Express. You
have to be fast on the horse.”
Unlike James, I still had the body of a
boy, but I was growing bigger near
everyday. I was near as tall as James
already and he being two years older
than me. “You know I’m fast,” I replied.
“Can’t help the growin’ part.”
“Well it’s just as well. I know you want
to ride, Will, but it’s dangerous, more so
than I let on to Pa and Ma. A few
months back I got caught in a blizzard. I
was near frozen when I finally made it
to the station. Nearly lost three fingers
to frostbite. There’s bandits on the trail,
and Indians too, and they aren’t always
friendly. I’ve seen more than I care to
remember.”
“Well, I’m not scared!” I said.
“No little brother, I reckon you ain’t,”
James replied. “And I hope you never
have cause to be.”
uu L: point of view, reading for detail, inference, genre
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 14
Show What You Know
1.  From which Point of view was this passage written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
Who is the narrator?
2. 
What three reasons being a rider is dangerous? 1)_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ 3.  Why does James change his mind about wanting Will to
become a rider for the Pony Express?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
From what genre is this passage?
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) contemporary fiction
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
My Brother the Rider
“Sure wish I was goin’ with you,” I said
as I watched my brother James put the last
of his clothes into his bag.
“I know, Will, but don’t you worry, two
years isn’t all that long, then we’ll both be
Pony Express riders, Just don’t grow too
much. You gotta be light to ride – not more
than 125 pounds. Gotta be fast on the horse.”
I looked down at my long legs. Unlike James,
I still had the body of a boy, but I was
growing bigger near everyday, it seemed. I
was near as tall as James already and he
being two years older than me. “You know I’m
fast,” I replied. “Can’t help the growin’ part.”
“Well it’s just as well, perhaps. I know you
want to ride, Will, but it’s dangerous, more so
than I let on to Pa and Ma. A few months
back I got caught in a blizzard. Didn’t think
I’d make it through the night. I was near
frozen when I finally made it to the station.
Nearly lost three fingers to frostbite.” James
curled the fingers of his right hand into a fist,
as if to remind himself that his fingers were
still there. “There’s bandits on the trail, and
Indians too, and they aren’t always friendly.
I’ve seen more than I care to remember.”
“Well, I’m not scared!” I said defiantly.
“No little brother, I reckon you ain’t,”
James replied. “And I hope you never have
cause to be.”
u L: point of view, reading for detail, inference, genre
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 14
Show What You Know
1.  From which Point of view was this passage written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
Who is the narrator?
2. 
What three reasons being a rider is dangerous? 1)_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ 3.  Why does James change his mind about wanting Will to
become a rider for the Pony Express?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
From what genre is this passage?
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) contemporary fiction
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
One Country or Four?
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland are often thought of as
countries. If you asked a person who
lives there, he or she would likely say,
“Yes, of course!” However, the United
Nations and the United States say that
these four areas are not countries at
all. Instead, the United Kingdom is the
country and these four areas are
regions within it.
People often refer to this area as
Great Britain and think of it as a
country. Great Britain is the island, not a
country. The island of Great Britain is
made up of England, Scotland, and
Wales.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 15
According the the United Nations, what is the name
of the country shown on the map?
________________________ 2. 
Do you agree with this statement:
“England is not a country”? ______________________ Use evidence from the text to support your answer _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
According to the text, what is Great Britain? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
What are two things you can learn from the map?
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ u
IT: interpreting an illustration, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
One Country or Four?
There are four countries in the United
Kingdom, but are they really countries?
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland are generally thought of as
countries. If you asked a local resident, he
or she would likely say, “Yes, of course!”.
However, according to the United Nations
and the United States these four areas are
not independent countries. Instead, the
United Kingdom is recognized as a country
and these four areas are regions within this
larger country.
To make matters even more confusing,
people often refer to this area as Great
Britain and think of it as a country. Great
Britain actually names the island, not a
country. The island of Great Britain is made
up of England, Scotland, and Wales.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 15
According the the United Nations, what is the name
of the country shown on the map?
________________________ 2. 
Do you agree with this statement:
“England is not a country”? ______________________ Use evidence from the text to support your answer _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
According to the text, what is Great Britain? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
What are two things you can learn from the map?
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ uu IT: interpreting an illustration, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Case of the Missing Poodle
“Please Inspector, you must help me!”
“What is wrong, Mrs. Lawson?” asked
Inspector Ambrose as he hung up his
wet raincoat.
“It’s my sweet Pricilla, the love of my
life! She is missing!”
“Your daughter?”
“No, my poodle! She has been dognapped.”
“Are you sure?” asked the inspector.
“Look at this!” Mrs. Lawson pulled a
small, pink dog leash from her bag. The
end of the leash had been cut off.
Inspector Ambrose looked at the
leash. “You may be right,” he said. “When
did this happen?”
“Not more than 20 minutes ago!
Pricilla and I were on our morning walk
when we ran into my friend, Sarah
Wellington. We stopped to chat. Sarah
was showing me her new hat. She said it
cost an arm and a leg. We were only
talking for a few minutes, but when I
looked down, Pricilla was gone!”
“An interesting story, Mrs. Lawson,”
Inspector Ambrose replied. “But I do
not believe you are telling me the truth.”
u L: genre, characters, figurative language, inference
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 16
1.  What genre is is this passage?
2. 
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) contemporary fiction
How is each character important to the story? Inspector Ambrose:
Mrs. Lawson:
Pricilla:
Sarah Wellington:
3. 
What “costs and arm an a leg”?
What does this idiom mean?
_______________________________________________________ 4.  Why doesn’t Inspector Ambrose believe Mrs. Lawson?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Case of the Missing Poodle
“Please Inspector, you must help me!”
“What seems to be the problem, Mrs.
Lawson?” Inspector Ambrose replied as he
hung up his dripping raincoat.
“It’s my precious Pricilla, the love of my
life! She is missing!”
“Your daughter?”
“No, my poodle! She has been dog-napped.”
“Are you sure? Perhaps she has just gone
out for a walk or has gotten lost.”
“No, no, it cannot be. My darling Pricilla
would never run away from me. And besides,
I still have this!” Mrs. Lawson pulled a small,
pink dog leash from her bag. The end of the
leash was missing and had clearly been cut.
Inspector Ambrose examined the leash.
“You may be right,” he said thoughtfully.
“When did this happen?”
“Just now, not 20 minutes ago! Pricilla and
I were on our morning walk when we ran
into my friend, Sarah Wellington. We stopped
to chat, of course. Sarah was showing me
her new hat. She said it cost an arm and a
leg, but it’s simply adorable! We were only
talking for a few minutes, but when I looked
down, my sweet Pricilla was gone!”
“An interesting story, Mrs. Lawson,”
Inspector Ambrose replied. “But not one I
am inclined to believe.”
uu L: genre, characters, figurative language, inference
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 16
1.  What genre is is this passage?
2. 
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) contemporary fiction
How is each character important to the story? Inspector Ambrose:
Mrs. Lawson:
Pricilla:
Sarah Wellington:
3. 
What “costs and arm an a leg”?
What does this idiom mean?
_______________________________________________________ 4.  Why doesn’t Inspector Ambrose believe Mrs. Lawson?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
A Quarterback Who Gives Back
If you are a football fan then you know
that Russell Wilson is the quarterback
for the Seattle Seahawks. What you may
not know is that every Tuesday, Wilson
visits sick children at Seattle Children’s
Hospital. He even came two days after
the Seahawks lost the Super Bowl
championship 2015. “All the amazing
opportunities I’ve had on the field can’t
compare to helping kids whose lives are
on the line,” says Wilson.
Wilson is no stranger to hospitals. His
own father died of diabetes in 2010.
Wilson spent long hours at the hospital
with his father. “It’s just amazing the
people that you can affect in a positive
way and that’s the thing I try never to
forget,” says Wilson.
Wilson doesn’t limit his charitable work
to Children’s hospital. He also hosts the
Russell Wilson Passing Academy, a
summer football camp for kids whose
families don’t have much money. The
camp takes place at several places
around the United States and Canada.
“It’s just really important to be here
with these kids,” says Wilson.
u IT: main idea, understanding quotes, author’s purpose
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 17
Show What You Know
1. 
What is the main idea of this passage?
a) Russell Wilson is a quarterback for the Seahawks.
b) Russell Wilson does charity work with children.
c) Russell Wilson visits Children’s Hospital every week..
d) Russell Wilson hosts a football camp for kids.
2.  What does Wilson say he never tries to forget? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
3. 
Find two examples from the text to support this
statement: Russell Wilson feels it is important to help
kids. 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know?
_______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
A Quarterback Who Gives Back
If you are a football fan then you know
that Russell Wilson is the quarterback for
the Seattle Seahawks. What you may not
know is that every Tuesday, Wilson visits
sick children at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Wilson is serious about his commitment to
these kids. He even came two days after
the Seahawks lost the Super Bowl
championship to the New England Patriots in
2015. “All the amazing opportunities I’ve had
on the field can’t compare to helping kids
whose lives are on the line,” says Wilson.
Wilson is no stranger to hospitals. His own
father died of diabetes in 2010. Wilson spent
long hours at the hospital with his father, so
he knows how important and comforting a
visit can be. “It’s just amazing the people
that you can affect in a positive way and
that’s the thing I try never to forget,” says
Wilson.
Wilson doesn’t limit his charitable work to
Children’s hospital. During the off season, he
hosts the Russell Wilson Passing Academy, a
summer football camp for inner city and
underprivileged youth. The camp takes place
at several locations around the United
States and Canada. When asked why he
doesn’t take a break during the off season,
Wilson replies, “It’s just really important to
be here with these kids,”
uu IT: main idea, understanding quotes, author’s purpose
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 17
Show What You Know
1. 
What is the main idea of this passage?
a) Russell Wilson is a quarterback for the Seahawks.
b) Russell Wilson does charity work with children.
c) Russell Wilson visits Children’s Hospital every week..
d) Russell Wilson hosts a football camp for kids.
2.  What does Wilson say he never tries to forget? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
3. 
Find two examples from the text to support this
statement: Russell Wilson feels it is important to help
kids. 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know?
_______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Little-Girl-Two-Little-Girls
James Whitcomb Riley
I'm twins, I guess, ‘cause my Ma say
I'm two little girls. An' one o' me
Is Good little girl; an' th'other ‘n' she
Is Bad little girl as she can be!
An' Ma say so, ‘most ever' day.
An' she's the funniest Ma! ‘Cause when
My Doll won't mind, an' I ist cry,
W'y, nen my Ma she sob an' sigh,
An' say, “Dear Good little girl, good-bye! Bad little girl's comed here again!"
Last time 'at Ma act' thataway,
I cried all to myse'f awhile
Out on the steps, an' nen I smile,
An' git my Doll all fix' in style,
An' go in where Ma's at, an' say:
“Morning to you, Mommy dear!
Where's that Bad little girl wuz here?
Bad little girl's goned clean away,
An' Good little girl's comed back to stay."
u P: rhyming pattern, style, inference, character
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 18
Show What You Know
1.  Why does the narrator say that she is twins?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 2. 
What is the rhyming pattern of the first three
stanzas?
a) ABBBA
b) ABABA
c) ABBAA
d) AABAA
What is the rhyming pattern of the last stanza?
3. 
Why do you think the poet used so many
apostrophes and misspelled words?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What are three things you can infer about the
narrator? 1)_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
Little-Girl-Two-Little-Girls
James Whitcomb Riley
I'm twins, I guess, ‘cause my Ma say
I'm two little girls. An' one o' me
Is Good little girl; an' th'other ‘n' she
Is Bad little girl as she can be!
An' Ma say so, ‘most ever' day.
An' she's the funniest Ma! ‘Cause when
My Doll won't mind, an' I ist cry,
W'y, nen my Ma she sob an' sigh,
An' say, “Dear Good little girl, good-bye! Bad little girl's comed here again!"
Last time 'at Ma act' thataway,
I cried all to myse'f awhile
Out on the steps, an' nen I smile,
An' git my Doll all fix' in style,
An' go in where Ma's at, an' say:
“Morning to you, Mommy dear!
Where's that Bad little girl wuz here?
Bad little girl's goned clean away,
An' Good little girl's comed back to stay."
uu P: rhyming pattern, style, inference, character
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 18
Show What You Know
1.  Why does the narrator say that she is twins?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 2. 
What is the rhyming pattern of the first three
stanzas?
a) ABBBA
b) ABABA
c) ABBAA
d) AABAA
What is the rhyming pattern of the last stanza?
3. 
Why do you think the poet used so many
apostrophes and misspelled words?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What are three things you can infer about the
narrator? 1)_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Mission to Mars
By the year 2027, there could be
humans living on Mars! That is the
mission of Mars One, a group that
wants to make a settlement on Mars.
Living on Mars will not be easy. It is
very cold on Mars, even colder than
Antarctica. There is also not much
oxygen. Humans need oxygen to live.
Also, there is a great deal of radiation
on Mars. Radiation is very dangerous for
humans. If a human was on Mars
without a special suit, he or she would
be dead within seconds.
The settlers would have to spend
almost all their time inside the
settlement. Homes would be connected
by tunnels. Settlers would need to get
water, grow food, make air they could
breathe, and make energy. They would
also need people on Earth to send them
things they cannot make themselves like
computers and medicines.
It would take the settlers about
seven months to travel to Mars. It is a
one-way trip. There are no plans for a
way to launch a space craft from Mars
to get back to Earth.
u IT: summarizing, reading for detail, evaluation
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 19
1.  Summarize this passage in one sentence:
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2.  What are 3 challenges the settlers would face? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why can’t the settlers ever come back to Earth? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
After reading this passage, do you think that Mars
One will succeed in it’s mission?
Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Mission to Mars
By the year 2027, there could be humans
living on Mars! That is the mission of Mars
One, an organization with the goal of
creating a settlement on the red planet.
Living on Mars presents several challenges.
First, it is very cold on Mars, even colder
than Antarctica. Second, there is very little
oxygen in the atmosphere on Mars. Humans
need oxygen to live. Third, there is also a
great deal of radiation on Mars, which is
poisonous to humans. In fact, if a human
were exposed the atmosphere without a
special Mars suit, he or she would be dead
within seconds. Even a leak in the suit can be
fatal.
Because people living on Mars could not
go outside without a special Mars suit, they
would spend the vast majority of their time
inside the settlement. Homes would be
connected by tunnels. Settlers would need to
grow their own food, find ways to access
frozen water on Mars, create energy, and
make breathable air. They would also be
dependent on Earth to supply them with
things they cannot make themselves such as
computers and medicines.
It would take the settlers about seven
months to travel to Mars. It is a one-way
trip. There will not be a way to launch a
space craft from Mars for a return trip.
uu IT: summarizing, reading for detail, evaluation
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 19
1.  Summarize this passage in one sentence:
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2.  What are 3 challenges the settlers would face? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why can’t the settlers ever come back to Earth? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
After reading this passage, do you think that Mars
One will succeed in it’s mission?
Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
A New Life on Mars
“Just one more night, Brandon,” my
dad said as he turned out the light.
“Tomorrow we’ll take our first steps on
Mars, our new home.
“It’s about time! We’ve been in this
tin can forever!,” I replied. We’d been
cooped up in the transport ship for two
long months, which I guess is better
than the seven months it used to take.
I didn’t want to go to Mars. I liked
my life back on Earth. But my parents
are both engineers and they got really
good jobs at the Colony.
Here’s the thing. It’s a one way trip.
They can take people back to Earth, but
they don’t. They want the people who
go to Mars to stay. Once you get on the
transport ship, there’s no turning back.
My little sister is so excited. She wants
to be a engineer like our parents. I’m
more into sports. I love baseball, sky
tennis, hyperboarding – you name it. But
you can’t even go outside on Mars with
out wearing a big, heavy Mars suit. It’s
too cold and you can’t breathe the air.
So no more sports for me. Maybe I’ll
take up knitting.
u L: genre, figurative language, character, inference.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 20
Show What You Know
1.  What genre is is this passage?
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) science fiction
How do you know? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
2. 
Which two types of figurative language does Brandon
use in his answer to his father?
a) metaphor and alliteration
b) simile and hyperbole
c) metaphor and hyperbole
d) idiom and simile
What is the “tin can?”
3. 
.
Why is Brandon‘s family going to Mars?______________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. 
How does Brandon feel about going to Mars?________ ______________________________________________________ Why does he feel this way?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
A New Life on Mars
“Just one more night, Brandon,” my dad
said as he turned out the light. “Tomorrow
we arrive at our new home,”
“It’s about time! We’ve been in this tin can
forever!,” I replied. We’d been cooped up in
the transport ship for two long months and
I couldn’t wait to get out. I guess I
should’ve been grateful. In the olden days it
took seven months to get to Mars.
The thing is, I didn’t even want to go! I
liked my life back on Earth. But my parents
are both engineers and they were offered
really good positions at the Colony. All my
friends were jealous. It’s way too expensive
for most people to go unless you have a job
waiting for you.
Here’s the thing. It’s a one way trip. It’s
not that they can’t take people back to
Earth, it’s that they won’t. They want the
people who go to Mars to stay, so once you
get on the transport ship, there’s no turning
back. My little sister is super psyched. She
can’t wait. But she wants to be a engineer
like our parents. Me, I’m more into sports. I
love baseball, sky tennis, hyperboarding – you
name it. But here’s the thing, you can’t even
go outside on Mars with out wearing this
big, heavy Mars suit. It’s too cold and you
can’t breathe the air. So no more sports for
me. Maybe I’ll take up knitting.
uu L: genre, figurative language, character, inference.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 20
Show What You Know
1.  What genre is is this passage?
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) science fiction
How do you know? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
2. 
Which two types of figurative language does Brandon
use in his answer to his father?
a) metaphor and alliteration
b) simile and hyperbole
c) metaphor and hyperbole
d) idiom and simile
What is the “tin can?”
3. 
.
Why is Brandon‘s family going to Mars?______________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4. 
How does Brandon feel about going to Mars?________ ______________________________________________________ Why does he feel this way?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Layers of the Earth
Our Earth is made up of four layers.
The top layer is the crust. That is the
layer we live on. It is the thinnest layer.
The next layer is the mantle. It is
about 1,800 miles (2.897 K) thick. The
mantle is made of very hot, moving rock.
The mantle is about 1,600° Fahrenheit
(871° C) near the top and 4,000° F
(2,204° C) at the bottom.
The outer core is even hotter than the
mantle. It can reach temperatures of
9,000° F (4,982° C). This layer is
made from liquid metal.
The inner core is at the center of the
Earth. The inner core is very hot and
made of solid metal. The inner core is
4,000 miles (6,437 K) from the crust
of the Earth.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 21
Show What You Know
1.  Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
2. 
a)
The crust is the thinnest layer of the Earth.
b)
The mantle is made from liquid metal.
c)
The outer core is hotter than the mantle
d)
The inner core is made from solid metal.
Which text structure was used to write this
passage? a) cause and effect
c) compare and contrast
b) problem and solution
d) sequence
Use evidence from the text to support your answer _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
In what 2 ways a are the outer core and the inner
core the same?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  How does the diagram support the text?
Layers of the Earth u IT: details, text structure, interpreting an illustration
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Layers of the Earth
Our Earth is made up of four layers. The
outermost layer is the crust. That is the
layer we live on. It is very thin compared to
the other layers, like the skin of an apple.
The next layer is the mantle. It is about
1,800 miles (2.897 K) thick. The mantle is
composed of very hot, moving rock. The
mantle is about 1,600° Fahrenheit (871° C)
near the top and 4,000° F (2,204° C) at
the bottom.
The outer core is even hotter than the
mantle reaching temperatures of up to
9,000° F (4,982° C). This layer is made
from liquid iron and nickel.
The inner core is at the center of the
Earth. Like the outer core, the inner core is
also very hot and composed of metal, but at
this level, it is so compact that the metal is
solid. The inner core is 4,000 miles (6,437 K)
from the surface of the Earth.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 21
Show What You Know
1.  Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
2. 
a)
The crust is the thinnest layer of the Earth.
b)
The mantle is made from liquid metal.
c)
The outer core is hotter than the mantle
d)
The inner core is made from solid metal.
Which text structure was used to write this
passage? a) cause and effect
c) compare and contrast
b) problem and solution
d) sequence
Use evidence from the text to support your answer _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
In what 2 ways a are the outer core and the inner
core the same?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  How does the diagram support the text?
Layers of the Earth uu IT: details, text structure, interpreting an illustration
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Pandora’ s Box
This is the story of Pandora. In Greek
myths, Pandora was the first woman on
Earth.
The gods made Pandora out of clay.
Then they sent her to Earth to marry
Epimetheus. Pandora was very beautiful
and also very curious. The gods also
sent a wedding gift. It was a box. The
couple was told never to open the box.
Pandora wanted to open the box. She
wondered what was inside. Epimetheus
would not let her open it. One day she
opened the box when Epimetheus was
not looking. As soon as the box was
opened, bad spirits began to pour out
of it: Sickness, Hate, Envy, Suffering,
and many others. Pandora shut the lid
quickly, but it was too late. All the things
that would make trouble for people had
already come out.
When Epimetheus found out what
Pandora had done he was very unhappy.
He decided to open the box one more
time. This time, just one spirit flew out.
The name of that spirit was Hope.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 22
Show What You Know
1.  Which of these words best describes Pandora?
a) curious
b) silly
c) careless
d) greedy
Use evidence from the text to support your answer __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
A myth often explains how something came to exist.
What does this myth explain?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
What do you think is the moral or lesson of this
myth?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  Why do you think the gods put Hope into the box?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ u L: character trait, genre, moral/theme, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Pandora’s Box
This is the story of Pandora. According to
Greek mythology, Pandora was the first
woman on Earth.
The gods made Pandora out of clay and
sent her to Earth as a bride for Epimetheus.
Pandora was very beautiful and also very
curious. Along with Pandora, the gods also
sent a wedding gift – a sealed box. The
couple was instructed never to open the box.
Pandora wanted to open the box because
she wondered what was inside, but
Epimetheus would not let her. One day,
Pandora could no longer resist the
temptation to open the box. When
Epimetheus was not looking, she opened the
lid just a tiny crack and peeked inside.
As soon as the box was opened bad spirits
began to pour out of it – Sickness, Hate,
Envy, Suffering, and many others. She
slammed the lid shut, but it was too late. All
the things that would trouble people for
thousands of years to come had been
released from the box.
When Epimetheus found out what Pandora
had done he was very unhappy; however, he
decided to open the box one more time. This
time just one spirit flew out. The name of
that spirit was Hope.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 22
Show What You Know
1.  Which of these words best describes Pandora?
a) curious
b) silly
c) careless
d) greedy
Use evidence from the text to support your answer _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
A myth often explains how something came to exist.
What does this myth explain?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
What do you think is the moral or lesson of this
myth?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  Why do you think the gods put Hope into the box?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ uu L: character trait, genre, moral/theme, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Coniferous and Deciduous Trees
Trees can be divided into two types.
Coniferous trees are shaped like
triangles. They are sometimes called
evergreens because they stay green all
year. They have leaves that are either
needle-like or that look like a flat,
narrow scales. These needles or scales
fall off gradually, not all at once during
autumn. Coniferous trees are never
bare. The seeds of a coniferous tree
grow in cones, as the cones open the
seeds fall out and new trees can grow.
Deciduous trees have a rounder shape.
They have broad, flat leaves that collect
sun and water during the warmer
months. The leaves of deciduous trees
cannot survive in cold temperatures.
That is why they fall off in autumn.
Deciduous trees do not grow in the
winter when they have no leaves. When
spring arrives, the Deciduous trees
sprout buds and new leaves grow. The
seeds of these trees are inside of nuts
or fruits that grow on the trees. The
seeds are eaten by animals and then
pass through their systems as droppings,
allowing new trees to grow.
u
IT: text structure, context clue, reading for details
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 23
Show What You Know
1. 
Which text structure was used to write this
passage? a) sequence
c) compare and contrast
b) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
What does the word gradually in the first paragraph
mean?
a) a little bit at a time
c) hardly ever
b) all at once
d) frequently
3.  Why don’t deciduous trees grow in winter? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
Answer C (coniferous) or D (deciduous) for each
statement:
a)
Loses it’s leaves in autumn
b)
c)
d)
Has broad, flat leaves
Has a triangular shape
Has seeds that grow in cones
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Coniferous and Deciduous Trees
You have probably seen both coniferous and
deciduous trees. Coniferous trees are easy
to spot because they are bigger at the base
and smaller at the top, forming a triangular
shape. They are sometimes called evergreens
because they stay green all year. They have
leaves that are either needle-like or that look
like a flat, narrow scales. These needles or
scales fall off gradually, not all at once during
autumn. So the tree is never bare. The seeds
of a coniferous tree grow in cones, as the
cones open the seeds fall out and new trees
can grow. Pines, Spruces and Fir trees are all
examples of coniferous trees.
Deciduous trees are a bit different from
conifers. Deciduous trees have a rounder
shape. They have broad, flat leaves that
collect sun and water during the warmer
months. The leaves of deciduous trees cannot
survive in cold temperatures. That is why
they fall off the tree in autumn. Deciduous
trees do not grow in the winter when they
have no leaves. When spring arrives, the
Deciduous trees sprout buds and new leaves
grow. The seeds of these trees are inside of
nuts or fruits that grow on the trees. The
seeds are eaten by animals and then pass
through their system as droppings, allowing
new trees to grow. Common deciduous trees
include maples, oaks, and fruit trees.
uu IT: text structure, context clue, reading for details
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 23
Show What You Know
1. 
Which text structure was used to write this
passage? a) sequence
c) compare and contrast
b) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
What does the word gradually in the first paragraph
mean?
a) a little bit at a time
c) hardly ever
b) all at once
d) frequently
3.  Why don’t deciduous trees grow in winter? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
Answer C (coniferous) or D (deciduous) for each
statement:
a)
Loses it’s leaves in autumn
b)
c)
d)
Has broad, flat leaves
Has a triangular shape
Has seeds that grow in cones
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Brother and Sister
Lewis Carroll
“Sister, sister, go to bed!
Go and rest your weary head."
Thus the prudent brother said.
Name
The sister raised her beaming eye
And looked on him indignantly
And sternly answered, “Only try!"
Off to the cook he quickly ran.
“Dear Cook, please lend a frying-pan
To me as quickly as you can."
And wherefore should I lend it you?"
“The reason, Cook, is plain to view.
I wish to make an Irish stew."
“What meat is in that stew to go?"
“My sister'll be the contents!"
“Oh"
“You'll lend the pan to me, Cook?"
“No!"
TEXT
TIME 24
Show What You Know
1.  Write the correct letter to match each word to it’s
meaning.
“Do you want a battered hide,
Or scratches to your face applied?"
Thus his sister calm replied.
“Sister, do not raise my wrath.
I'd make you into mutton broth
As easily as kill a moth"
Date
2. 
1)
weary
a. beat
2)
prudent
b. tired
3)
battered
c. angrily
4)
indignantly
d. sensible
What is the main conflict of this poem?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. 
Why does the brother ask the cook for a frying pan?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4.  Circle the word you think best describes this poem.
Then support your answer with evidence from the
text.
tense
funny
violent
peaceful _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Moral: Never stew your sister.
u
P: context clues, plot, mood/style, analysis
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Brother and Sister
Lewis Carroll
“Sister, sister, go to bed!
Go and rest your weary head."
Thus the prudent brother said.
Name
The sister raised her beaming eye
And looked on him indignantly
And sternly answered, “Only try!"
Off to the cook he quickly ran.
“Dear Cook, please lend a frying-pan
To me as quickly as you can."
And wherefore should I lend it you?"
“The reason, Cook, is plain to view.
I wish to make an Irish stew."
“What meat is in that stew to go?"
“My sister'll be the contents!"
“Oh"
“You'll lend the pan to me, Cook?"
“No!"
TEXT
TIME 24
Show What You Know
1.  Write the correct letter to match each word to it’s
meaning.
“Do you want a battered hide,
Or scratches to your face applied?"
Thus his sister calm replied.
“Sister, do not raise my wrath.
I'd make you into mutton broth
As easily as kill a moth"
Date
2. 
1)
weary
a. beat
2)
prudent
b. tired
3)
battered
c. angrily
4)
indignantly
d. sensible
What is the main conflict of this poem?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. 
Why does the brother ask the cook for a frying pan?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4.  Circle the word you think best describes this poem.
Then support your answer with evidence from the
text.
tense
funny
violent
peaceful _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Moral: Never stew your sister.
uu P: context clues, plot, mood/style, analysis
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
The Invention of Earmuffs
Chester Greenwood was just 15 years
old when he invented earmuffs. In
March 1873, Chester went to a frozen
pond near his home in Farmington, Maine.
He wanted to try out a new pair of
skates. It was a cold day and Chester’s
ears were freezing! He tried wrapping a
scarf around his head, but the wool
made him itch. Chester wanted to solve
this problem, so he invented earmuffs!
To make the first pair of earmuffs,
Chester shaped wire to go over his head.
He got his grandmother to sew beaver
fur and velvet to the wire to make the
parts that would cover his ears. Chester
called his invention the Greenwood
Champion Ear Protector.
When he grew up, Greenwood opened
a factory. By 1883, his factory was
making 30,000 ear protectors a year.
The factory continued to grow.
Earmuffs were given to soldiers during
WWI. By the time he died at age 79 in
1937, his factory was making over
400,000 pairs of earmuffs a year.
Farmington still celebrates Greenwood’s
invention with a yearly earmuff parade!
u
IT: text structure, reading for details, inference
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 25
Show What You Know
1. 
Which text structure was used in the first
paragraph?
a) compare and contrast
b) description
c) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What materials did Chester use for his first ear
protector? ________________________________________________________ 3. 
How did Chester’s invention change his life? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
Which text structure was used in the last
paragraph?
a) compare and contrast
c) problem and solution
b) description
d) sequence
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Invention of Earmuffs
Chester Greenwood was just 15 years
old when he invented earmuffs in 1873.
Chester had gone to a frozen pond near his
home in Farmington, Maine to try out a new
pair of skates. It was a bitterly cold day
and Chester’s ears were freezing! He tried
wrapping a scarf around his head, but the
wool made him itch. Chester wanted to solve
this problem, so he invented earmuffs!
To make the first pair of earmuffs,
Chester shaped wire to go over his head. He
got his grandmother to sew beaver fur and
velvet to the wire to make the parts that
would cover his ears. Chester called his
invention the Greenwood Champion Ear
Protector. Over the years, Greenwood
improved the design by replacing the wire
with a steel band and adding tiny hinges so
that it would fit snugly against the ears.
Greenwood went on to open a factory in
Farmington. By 1883 his factory was
producing 30,000 ear protectors a year.
They were popular not just with children,
but also with adults. They were given to
soldiers during WWI. By the time he died
at age 79 in 1937, his factory was making
over 400,000 pairs of earmuffs a year.
Farmington still celebrates Greenwood’s
invention with a yearly earmuff parade!
uu IT: text structure, reading for details, inference
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 25
Show What You Know
1. 
Which text structure was used in the first
paragraph?
a) compare and contrast
b) description
c) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What materials did Chester use for his first ear
protector? ________________________________________________________ 3. 
How did Chester’s invention change his life? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
Which text structure was used in the last
paragraph?
a) compare and contrast
b) description
c) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Hamster Adventures
Alex had been chosen to take care of
the class hamster, Nibbles, over winter
break! He had always wanted a pet, but
his parents said he was not responsible
enough. This was his chance to show
them that he was!
Everything was going fine until the
night of his parent’s big Christmas
party. The house was full of people. Alex
decided to check on Nibbles. He knew
something was wrong when he saw that
his bedroom door was wide open. Then
he saw that the cage door was open
too! He searched his room, but Nibbles
was nowhere to be found.
Alex started to panic. Then he
remembered that hamsters like dark,
warm places. He went into the hall and
saw that the door to the linen closet
was open just a crack. He opened the
door wider. There was Nibbles curled up
in the corner!
The next day was Christmas. After all
the presents were opened, Alex’s
parents said they had one more present
for him. Then his dad brought out the
cutest puppy Alex had every seen!
u L: inference, evaluation, point of view
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 26
Show What You Know
1.  Why was Alex excited about taking care of Nibbles?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. 
3. 
If this story was a children’s picture book, which of
these would make a good illustration for the cover
of the book?
a) a Christmas tree.
b) an empty cage.
c) Alex holding Nibbles.
d) a puppy.
Why did Alex’s parents give him a puppy for
Christmas?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
From which Point of view was this story written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
How do you know?
_____________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Hamster Adventures
Alex was so excited! He had been chosen to
take Nibbles, the class hamster, home for
winter break! He had always wanted a pet,
but his parents said he was not responsible
enough. This was his chance to show them
that he was! Alex made sure Nibbles had
clean bedding and enough food and water. He
played with Nibbles every day and always
made sure to latch the cage door.
Everything was going fine until the night of
his parent’s big Christmas party. The house
was full of people. Alex decided to check on
Nibbles. He knew something was wrong when
he saw that his bedroom door was wide
open. Then he saw that the cage door was
open too! Alex searched his room, but
Nibbles was nowhere to be found!
Alex started to panic. There were so many
people in the house. What if Nibbles got
stepped on? Then he remembered that
hamsters like dark, warm places. He went
into the hall and saw that the door to the
linen closet was open just a crack. He opened
the door carefully and there was Nibbles
curled up in the corner.
The next day was Christmas. After all the
presents were opened, Alex’s parents said
they had one more present for him. Then his
dad brought out the cutest puppy Alex had
every seen!
uu L: inference, evaluation, point of view
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 26
Show What You Know
1.  Why was Alex excited about taking care of Nibbles?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. 
3. 
If this story was a children’s picture book, which of
these would make a good illustration for the cover
of the book?
a) a Christmas tree.
b) an empty cage.
c) Alex holding Nibbles.
d) a puppy.
Why did Alex’s parents give him a puppy for
Christmas?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
From which Point of view was this story written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
How do you know?
_____________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Too Much Sugar!
How much
sugar
are you
drinking?
Date
Name
TEXT
TIME 27
Show What You Know
1.  What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ A 12 ounce (454 g) can of Coke contains a whopping ten teaspoons of sugar. __________________________________________________________
2. 
How does the picture relate to the text?
_______________________________________________________ A single can of cola has the same amount
of sugar as ten sugar packets. Drinks such
as Hawaiian Punch, Capri Sun, Kool Aid, and
even fruit juice are also high in sugar. Too
much sugar can lead to serious health
problems like diabetes, heart disease and
tooth decay. It can also cause people to
gain weight.
Cutting back on sugary drinks is not all
that hard. Instead of drinking them every
day, save them for special times like
parties. Read labels to find out how much
sugar is in your drink. If there is a lot of
sugar, drink just half of it. Better yet, skip
the sugary drink and choose water
instead!
uIT: author’s purpose, interpreting an illustration, text structure
_______________________________________________________
3. 
Give two reasons why you should eat less sugar.
1)_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
Which text structure was to write this passage?
a) compare and contrast
b) description
c) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Too Much Sugar!
How much
sugar
are you
drinking?
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 27
Show What You Know
1.  What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ A 12 ounce (454 g) can of Coke contains a whopping ten teaspoons of sugar. You probably wouldn’t eat 10 packets of
sugar, but that is exactly what you are doing
every time you drink a can of cola. In fact
some types of soda have even more sugar than
that! Drinks such Hawaiian Punch, Kool Aid,
Capri Sun, and even fruit juice are also high in
sugar. Too much sugar can lead to serious
health problems such as diabetes, heart disease
and tooth decay. It can also cause unwanted
weight gain. In addition, many scientists believe
that eating or drinking too much sugar can
make it harder to pay attention in school.
Cutting back on sugary drinks is not all that
hard. Instead of drinking them every day, save
them for special occasions like parties. Read
labels to find out how much sugar is in your
drink, if there is a lot of sugar, drink just half
of it. Better yet, skip the sugary drink
altogether and choose water instead.
uu IT: author’s purpose, interpreting an illustration, text structure
__________________________________________________________
2. 
How does the picture relate to the text?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
3. 
Give two reasons why you should eat less sugar.
1)_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
Which text structure was to write this passage?
a) compare and contrast
b) description
c) problem and solution
d) sequence
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Kirla’s Quest
Kirla stood in the corner of the
doorway. The large room before her
must have been used as a ballroom a
long time ago. The castle had once been
home to the royal family. The land
around the castle had once been rich
and green. Now there was just bare
earth and burned villages.
Moonlight streamed through the
windows, giving the ballroom a soft,
eerie glow. The room was filled with
treasure. There were mountains of gold
coins, jewelry of all kinds, gold cups,
candle holders, and many precious gems.
And there was the dragon; sound asleep
on top of the biggest pile.
Everyone knew the story. Craull, the
terrible and merciless dragon, had come
from the east to destroy the Kingdom
of Anslor. The dragon was much bigger
than she had imagined. Luckily, he was
still deep in sleep.
Kirla drew her sword. The enchanted
blade shimmered in the moonlight. The
Sword of Anslor: thought to be the only
weapon that could slay the dragon. Now
she would see if the legend held true.
u
L: genre, context clues, predicting
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 28
Which genre is this passage?
a) science fiction
b) historical fiction
c) fantasy
d) mystery
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What had happened to the Kingdom of Anslor?
______________________________________________________
3. 
4. 
What does the word “merciless” in the third
paragraph mean?
a) full of mercy
b) cruel
c) fire-breathing
d) annoying
Write a paragraph predicting what will happen next.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Kirla’s Quest
Kirla stood, open-mouthed, in the corner
of the doorway. The cavernous room before
her must have been used as a ballroom once
– a long time ago when the royal family was
still in residence and the land was green and
prosperous. Kirla’s mind was briefly pulled
back to the miles of desolate, scorched
earth and burned villages she had travelled
through to get here. She shook her head to
clear the images.
Moonlight streamed through the windows,
giving the ballroom a soft, eerie glow. The
room was filled with treasure; mountains of
gold coins, jewelry of all kinds, gold chalices,
candelabras, and countless precious gems.
And of course, just as she expected, atop
the largest mound lay the dragon.
She’d heard tales of the mighty Craull
since childhood. The terrible and merciless
dragon that came from the mountains in the
east to lay waste to the Kingdom of Anslor.
Though he’d been described as enormous,
she had not imagined that any creature
could be as large as the one that now lay,
deep in slumber, before her.
She drew her sword. The enchanted blade
shimmered in the moonlight. The Sword of
Anslor: thought to be the only weapon that
could slay the dragon. Now she would see if
the legend held true.
uu L: genre, context clues, predicting
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 28
Which genre is this passage?
a) science fiction
b) historical fiction
c) fantasy
d) mystery
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
What had happened to the Kingdom of Anslor?
______________________________________________________
3. 
4. 
What does the word “merciless” in the third
paragraph mean?
a) full of mercy
b) cruel
c) fire-breathing
d) annoying
Write a paragraph predicting what will happen next.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Mountain Food Chains
The plants and animals on a mountain
all depend on each other for survival.
Animals that live on a mountain must eat
plants or other animals to live. For
example, blue sheep graze on grass in
the Himalaya Mountains. Blue sheep are
eaten by snow leopards. When a snow
leopard dies, tiny organisms called
bacteria break it down into nutrients.
Some of the nutrient go back into the
soil. The nutrients help plants to grow.
Then the whole thing begins again. This
is called a food chain.
Most animals in a mountain food chain
eat several different organisms. Animals
that eat many different kinds of food
have a better chance of survival than
those with fewer choices. These animals
are part of many different food chains.
Sadly, humans have hurt mountain food
chains. Mountain food chains are often
more fragile than food chains in other
parts of the world. This is because very
few plants and animals can live high up
on a mountain. We need to protect
mountain habitats so that all organisms
can grow and thrive.
u IT: reading for details, context clues, predicting
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 29
Show What You Know
1. 
Explain why, “The plants and animals on a mountain all
depend on each other for survival.”
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
2. Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
4. 
4. 
a)
Blue sheep live in the Himalaya Mountains.
b)
Most animals that live in the mountains are a
part of several different food chains.
c)
Snow leopards sometimes eat grass.
d)
Mountain habits do not need our protection.
What does the word fragile in the last paragraph
mean?
a) stable and secure
b) graceful
c) easily broken or damaged
d) very cold
What do you think would happen to a mountain food
chain if hunters killed most of the snow leopards?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Mountain Food Chains
If you go hiking in the mountains, you will
probably see many different plants and
animals. The plants and animals on a
mountain all depend on each other for
survival.
All the animals that live on a mountain must
eat plants or other animal to survive. For
example, blue sheep graze on grass growing
in meadows in the Himalaya Mountains in
Central Asia. Blue sheep are eaten by snow
leopards. When a snow leopard dies, tiny
organisms called bacteria break down the
remains into nutrients. Some of the nutrient
go back into the soil, where they help plants
to grow. Then the process can begin again.
This process is called a food chain.
Most animals in a mountain food chain eat
several different organisms. Animals that
eats many different kinds of food have a
better chance of survival than those with
more limited choices. These animals are part
of many different food chains.
Unfortunately, humans have caused a great
deal of damage to mountain food chains.
Mountain food chains are often more fragile
than food chains in other parts of the world.
This is because very few plants and animals
can live high up on a mountain. We need to
protect mountain habitats so that all
organisms can grow and thrive.
uu IT: reading for details, context clues, predicting
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 29
Show What You Know
1. 
Explain why, “The plants and animals on a mountain all
depend on each other for survival.”
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
2. Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
4. 
4. 
a)
Blue sheep live in the Himalaya Mountains.
b)
Most animals that live in the mountains are a
part of several different food chains.
c)
Snow leopards sometimes eat grass.
d)
Mountain habits do not need our protection.
What does the word fragile in the last paragraph
mean?
a) stable and secure
b) graceful
c) easily broken or damaged
d) very cold
What do you think would happen to a mountain food
chain if hunters killed most of the snow leopards?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Which are You?
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Name
TEXT
TIME 30
Show What You Know
1. 
Not the sinner and the saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.
In the first part of the poem, the poet contrasts
opposite types of people. Fill in the chart to show the
opposites.
saint
rich
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's
wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and
health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.
Date
2. 
Describe what you think the poet means by each of
these kinds of people:
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
Lifter____________________________________________________ No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.
Leaner___________________________________________________ Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes.
____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
3. 
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ And oddly enough, you will find too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
Your portion of labor, and worry and care?
u P: compare and contrast, context clues, theme, evaluation
What is the theme or message of this poem?
4. 
Are you a lifter or a leaner? Why do you think so?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Which are You?
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Name
TEXT
TIME 30
Show What You Know
1. 
Not the sinner and the saint, for it's well understood,
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.
In the first part of the poem, the poet contrasts
opposite types of people. Fill in the chart to show the
opposites.
saint
rich
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's
wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and
health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
Who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.
Date
2. 
Describe what you think the poet means by each of
these kinds of people:
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
Lifter____________________________________________________ No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.
Leaner___________________________________________________ Wherever you go, you will find the earth's masses,
Are always divided in just these two classes.
____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
3. 
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ And oddly enough, you will find too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load,
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
Your portion of labor, and worry and care?
uu P: compare and contrast, context clues, theme, evaluation
What is the theme or message of this poem?
4. 
Are you a lifter or a leaner? Why do you think so?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Sojourner Truth
Around 1797, Isabella Baumfree was
born into slavery in New York. When she
was just nine years old, Isabella was
sold away from her family. She was
sold two more times within two years.
She was often beaten and treated
badly while she was a slave.
In 1825, Isabella escaped with her
baby daughter. She went to a nearby
farm where the owner did not believe in
slavery. She was set free, but her
five-year old son was still a slave.
Isabella found out that he had been
sold illegally. She took the new owner
to court, and won!
Isabella became an abolitionist. She
helped to bring slavery to an end in all
the states. On June 1, 1843 she changed
her name to Sojourner Truth. She spoke
about freedom and basic rights for all
people. Her stories and speeches helped
others to understand that slavery was
wrong. Sojourner Truth holds an
important place in history. She was
among the first women to be inducted
into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
u
IT: genre, sequence, context clues
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 31
1.  What is the genre of this passage?
2. 
a) science fiction
b) mystery
c) historical fiction
d) biography
Put these events in the correct order:
Isabella escapes with her infant daughter.
Sojourner Truth is inducted into the National
Women’s Hall of Fame.
Isabella is sold for the first time at age 9.
Isabella changes her name.
Isabella goes to court to save her son.
3. 
Why Sojourner Truth an important person in American
history?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What is an abolitionist (last paragraph)?
a) A person who worked to end slavery.
b) A slave who is freed from slavery
c) A person who wins a difficult case in court
d) A person who makes speeches and tells stories.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Sojourner Truth
Around 1797, Isabella Baumfree was born
into slavery in New York. When she was just
nine years old, Isabella was sold away from
her family along with a flock of sheep for
$100. She was sold two more times within
two years. She was often beaten and
treated harshly while she was a slave.
In 1825, after her owner broke his promise
to free her, Isabella escaped with her infant
daughter. She was free, but her five-year
old son, who she’d had to leave behind, was
still a slave. She found out that he had been
sold to a farmer in Alabama illegally. Isabella
took the farm owner to court. No one
expected her to win because she was a
former slave and a woman, but she did!
Following this victory she became an
abolitionist who helped to bring slavery to an
end for good in all the states. On June 1, 1843
she changed her name to Sojourner Truth.
She spoke about freedom and basic rights
for all people, especially women. Her stories
and speeches helped others understand how
immoral and unfair slavery was to those
being held captive. Sojourner Truth holds an
important place in history. In fact, she was
among the first women to ever be inducted
into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 31
1.  What is the genre of this passage?
2. 
a) science fiction
b) mystery
c) historical fiction
d) biography
Put these events in the correct order:
Isabella escapes with her infant daughter.
Sojourner Truth is inducted into the National
Women’s Hall of Fame.
Isabella is sold for the first time at age 9.
Isabella changes her name.
Isabella goes to court to save her son.
3. 
Why Sojourner Truth an important person in American
history?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What is an abolitionist (last paragraph)?
a) A person who worked to end slavery.
b) A slave who is freed from slavery
c) A person who wins a difficult case in court
d) A person who makes speeches and tells stories
uu IT: genre, sequence, context clues
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Snow Day
“Don’t you two want to go play
outside in the snow?” Mom asked.
“Na, we’re happy in here,” Luke
replied. He was playing a video game
with his sister, Isabel.
“Okay,” Mom replied as she pulled on
her jacket, “suit yourself.”
A few minutes later, Luke glanced out
the window. There was mom in the
middle of the yard making a giant
snowball! “What on Earth is she doing?”
he asked Isabel.
Isabel looked out the window. “It
looks like she’s building a snowman.”
“Maybe we should help her.”
Luke and Isabel stared out the
window. Mom was starting on the
second snowball. “Well, it could be fun,”
Isabel said. “And she’ll need a carrot
for the nose.”
“Okay, you grab the carrot and I’ll
look for our snowsuits in the closet.
Before long, Luke and Isabel were
outside helping their mom. They finished
the snowman and then went sledding at
the park. They drank steaming cups of
hot chocolate when they came in.
u L: figurative language, inference, summary, predicting
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 32
What idiom does mom use when she is putting on her
jacket?
What does it mean?
2. 
a) Do what you want
b) Put on your own jacket.
c) Don’t ask for help
d) I don’t care what you do.
How do you think Luke and Isabel felt when they saw
their mom making a snowman outside?
_______________________________________________________ Why do you think they felt this way? _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 3.  Write a summary of this story.
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 4. 
What do you think would have happened if Mom had
not gone outside to build a snowman?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Snow Day
“Don’t you two want to go play outside in
the snow?” Mom asked.
“Na, we’re happy in here,” Luke replied
as he turned back to the video game he was
playing with his sister, Isabel.
“Okay,” Mom replied as she pulled on her
jacket, “suit yourself.”
A few minutes later, while Isabel was
loading up a new game, Luke glanced out
the window. There was mom in the middle
of the yard making a giant snowball! “What
on Earth is she doing?” he asked Isabel.
Isabel looked out the window. “It looks
like she’s building a snowman.”
“Why would she do that?” Luke asked.
“I don’t know, but the game’s ready. Do
you want to be Mario again?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess. But maybe we should
help her.”
Luke and Isabel stared out the window.
Mom was starting on the second snowball.
“Well, it could be fun,” Isabel replied “And
she’ll need a carrot for the nose.”
“Okay, you grab the carrot and I’ll look
for our snowsuits in the closet.
Before long, Luke and Isabel were outside
helping their mom. They finished the
snowman and then went sledding at the
park. When they finally came inside, Mom
made hot chocolate with whipped cream!
uu L: figurative language, inference, summary, predicting
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 32
What idiom does mom use when she is putting on her
jacket?
What does it mean?
2. 
a) Do what you want
b) Put on your own jacket.
c) Don’t ask for help
d) I don’t care what you do.
How do you think Luke and Isabel felt when they saw
their mom making a snowman outside?
_______________________________________________________ Why do you think they felt this way? _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 3.  Write a summary of this story.
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 4. 
What do you think would have happened if Mom had
not gone outside to build a snowman?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Animal Bedtimes
Name
Some animals need a lot of sleep
and others don’t need much at all.
Often, animals that eat meat sleep
more than animals that eat plants.
Some scientists think that animals
that are often eaten by other animals
sleep more. When they are asleep, they
are safe. Rabbits sleep deep in their
burrows Sloths sleep high in the
treetops. Animals at the top of the
food chain sleep less because they don’t
have to hide to stay safe. Other
scientists do not agree with this idea.
Animal Hours of sleep in a day Brown Bat 20 Lion 13 Rabbit 11 Human 8 Goat 5 Horse 3 Giraffe 2 u IT: interpreting an illustration, main idea, evaluation
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME33
1.  What is the main idea of this passage?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. 
What are two facts you can learn from the chart? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why do some scientist think that animals that get
eaten sleep more than animals that don’t? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 4. 
Does the information provided in the chart make you
agree or disagree with the scientists in the passage?
______________________ Why?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Animal Bedtimes
Name
All animals sleep, but some animals spend
most of their lives sleeping while others
hardly sleep at all. In general, carnivores
need more sleep than omnivores and
omnivores need more sleep than herbivores.
Some scientists think that animals that
are often eaten by other animals sleep more
because they are usually safe from
predators when they are sleeping. For
example, rabbits sleep deep in their burrows
and sloths sleep high in the treetops. Animals
at the top of the food chain, on the other
hand, have nothing to fear by being awake
and out in the open. Other scientists
disagree with this idea.
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME33
1.  What is the main idea of this passage?
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. 
What are two facts you can learn from the chart? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why do some scientist think that animals that are
preyed on sleep more than predators? Animal Hours of sleep in a day Brown Bat 20 ________________________________________________________ Lion 13 Rabbit 11 4. 
Human 8 Goat 5 Horse 3 ________________________________________________________ Giraffe 2 ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Does the information provided in the chart make you
agree or disagree with the scientists in the passage?
______________________ Why?
________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ uu IT: interpreting an illustration, main idea, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Best Day Ever!
I wake up early, but I must stay in my
own bed. I must stay in my bed until
Logan says, “Up, Willy!” Then I jump up
onto the bed. I lick Logan’s face and it
is the best morning ever! Soon he will
take me for a walk, which is the best
thing ever!
The walk in the morning is just a little
walk, because Logan has to go to the
place called School. School is a big yellow
bus. The bus leaves with Logan and I am
sad. I go back to sleep. I have tried
playing with the cat, but she is no fun.
Then, the best thing happens! The bus
comes back and Logan comes home! I
jump on Logan as soon as he comes
through the door. We go for another
walk! This walk is longer. I pee on
everything! Sometimes we play fetch,
which is the very best thing!
Then we go home and Logan has to
do the thing called Homework. Then he
eats his dinner, and I eat mine. After
dinner we look at the thing called TV.
Logan pets me a lot. Then it is time for
bed. I am happy when I go to my bed
because it has been the best day ever!
u L: point of view, sequence, inference, characterization
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 34
Show What You Know
1.  From which Point of view was this passage written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
Who is the narrator?
2. 
Put these events in the correct order: Logan comes home from school.
Willy jumps onto the bed.
Logan and Willy watch TV.
Willy is sad.
Logan takes Willy for a little walk.
3. 
Why does Willy think that school is a bus?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
Why do you think the author uses the word “best” so
frequently (“best thing”, “best day ever,” etc.)
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Best Day Ever!
I wake up when I hear the special bell
sound, but I must stay in my own bed. I
must stay in my bed until Logan says, “Up,
Willy!” Then I jump up onto the bed and lick
Logan’s face and he pets me and it is the
best morning ever! Soon he will take me for
a walk, which is the best thing ever!
The walk in the morning is just a little
walk, because Logan has to go to the place
called School. School is a big yellow bus. I am
not allowed on the bus. The bus leaves with
Logan and I am sad. I go back to sleep.
Sometimes I chew on a toy or look out the
window. I have tried playing with the cat, but
she is no fun at all.
Then, the best thing happens, the very
best thing! The big yellow bus comes back
and Logan comes home! I jump on Logan as
soon as he comes through the door. And
then we go for another walk! We go all kinds
of places and I pee on everything!
Sometimes we go to the park and play fetch,
which is the very best thing! I love fetch!
Then we go home and Logan has to do
the thing called Homework and then the
thing called Dinner with the other ones like
him. After dinner we look at the thing called
TV and Logan pets me a lot. Then it is time
for bed. I am happy when I go to my bed
because it has been the best day ever!
uu L: point of view, sequence, inference, characterization
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 34
Show What You Know
1.  From which Point of view was this passage written?
a) first person
b) second person
c) third person
Who is the narrator?
2. 
Put these events in the correct order: Logan comes home from school.
Willy jumps onto the bed.
Logan and Willy watch TV.
Willy is sad.
Logan takes Willy for a little walk.
3. 
Why does Willy think that school is a bus?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
Why do you think the author uses the word “best” so
frequently (“very best thing”, “best day ever,” etc.)
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Our Incredible Sun
What is the biggest, hottest thing in
our solar system? The sun of course!
About a million Earth-sized planets could
fit inside the sun. The center of the sun
is super hot. It can reach temperatures
of 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15
million decrees C.)!
Like other stars, the sun is mostly
made from hydrogen and helium gasses.
The sun makes energy by turning
hydrogen into helium. This is called
nuclear fusion. When the sun has made
all of its hydrogen into helium it will get
much bigger. It will be called a red giant.
But don’t worry, that won’t happen for
about five billion years.
We depend on the sun for light,
energy, and heat. The sun also keeps our
planet in orbit. Without the sun, all of
the planets would spin off into space.
The sun may seem like a huge star,
but it is only a medium-sized one. There
are millions of stars in our galaxy and
many of them are bigger than our sun.
That is a good thing because if the sun
were bigger or hotter, there could not
be life on Earth.
u IT: main idea, vocabulary, author’s purpose
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 35
Show What You Know
1.  What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. 
How does the sun make energy? __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ What is this process called?___________________________ 3. 
Why do we need the sun?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Our Incredible Sun
What is the biggest, hottest thing in our
solar system? The sun of course! The sun
makes up 98% of the matter in our solar
system. About a million Earth-sized planets
could fit inside the sun. The center of the
sun, which is called the core, is super hot. It
can reach temperatures of 27 million
degrees Fahrenheit (15 million decrees C.)!
Like other stars, the sun is mostly made
from hydrogen and helium gasses. The sun
makes energy by converting hydrogen into
helium in its core. This process is called
nuclear fusion. The sun turns about 5 million
tons of mass into energy every second!
When it has converted all of its hydrogen
into helium it will get much bigger and be
called a red giant. But don’t worry, that
happen for about five billion years.
It takes about eight minutes for the light
from the sun to reach planet Earth. We
depend on the sun for light, energy, and heat.
The sun also keeps our planet in orbit.
Without the sun, all of the planets would
spin off into space.
The sun may seem like a huge star, but it
is actually only a medium-sized one. There
are millions of stars in our galaxy and many
of them are bigger than our sun. That is a
good thing because if the sun were bigger
or hotter, there could not be life on Earth.
uu IT: main idea, vocabulary, author’s purpose
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 35
Show What You Know
1.  What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. 
How does the sun make energy? __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ What is this process called?___________________________ 3. 
Why do we need the sun?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 36
1.  What are two observations you can make about the
rhyming pattern of this poem?
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep
u P: rhyme, inference, setting, prediction
2. 
Why does the horse shake his harness bells?
_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
What do you know about the place where the
narrator has stopped? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
4. 
Do you think the narrator will stay long at the
woods?
What makes you think so? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Stopping by Woods on a
Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 36
1.  What are two observations you can make about the
rhyming pattern of this poem?
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep
uu P: rhyme, inference, setting, prediction
2. 
Why does the horse shake his harness bells?
_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
What do you know about the place where the
narrator has stopped? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
4. 
Do you think the narrator will stay long at the
woods?
What makes you think so? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Amazing Anacondas
Anacondas are big, but they are not
poisonous. They do not kill their prey
with venom. Instead, anacondas use
their powerful bodies to constrict, or
squeeze them to death.
Anacondas are part of a family of
snakes that also includes boa
constrictors and pythons. There are
four kinds of anacondas. The green
anaconda is the most common.
The green anaconda is the largest
snake in the world. Female anacondas
are much bigger than males. A female
anaconda can grow to be more than 29
feet (9 m) long and weigh more than
550 pounds (249 kg).
When an anaconda is hungry, it waits
quietly in the water. When an animal
comes close, the anaconda will spring
out of the water and grab it with its
teeth. Then it will wrap its body around
the animal several times and squeeze
until the animal can no longer breathe. It
may also pull the animal underwater and
drown it. Anacondas eat wild pigs, deer,
birds, turtles, caimans, and large
rodents called capybaras.
u IT: context clues, reading for details, questioning
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 37
What does the word “constrict” mean?
a) squeeze
b) bite
c) poison
d) drown
2. Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
3. 
a)
Anacondas are related to pythons.
b)
The green anaconda is not very common.
c)
Male anacondas are bigger than females.
d)
Anacondas sometimes drown their prey.
Explain how an anaconda hunts for food.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4.  Write three questions you have about anacondas. 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Amazing Anacondas
If you saw an anaconda in the wild, would
you be scared? Anacondas are big, but they
are not poisonous. Rather than killing their
prey with venom, anacondas use their
powerful bodies to constrict, or squeeze
them to death.
Anacondas are part of a family of snakes
that also includes boa constrictors and
pythons. There are four species of
anacondas. The green anaconda is the
biggest and the most common.
The green anaconda is the largest snake
in the world. Female anacondas are much
bigger than males. A female anaconda can
grow to be more than 29 feet (9 m) long
and weigh more than 550 pounds (249 kg).
Anacondas always live close to water.
They are good swimmers and can stay
underwater for ten minutes at a time. When
an anaconda is hungry, it waits quietly in the
water. When an animal comes within striking
range, the anaconda will spring out of the
water and grab it with its teeth. Then it will
coil its body around the animal several times
and squeeze until the animal can no longer
breathe. It may also pull the animal
underwater and drown it. Anacondas eat
wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, caimans, and
large rodents called capybaras. Anacondas
swallow their food whole!
uu IT: context clues, reading for details, questioning
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 37
What does the word “constrict” mean?
a) squeeze
b) bite
c) poison
d) drown
2. Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
3. 
a)
Anacondas are related to pythons.
b)
The green anaconda is not very common.
c)
Male anacondas are bigger than females.
d)
Anacondas sometimes drown their prey.
Explain how an anaconda hunts for food.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4.  Write three questions you have about anacondas. 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
I Saw an Anaconda!
Last year I got to go on a trip to the
Amazon rainforest with my family. We
had a tour guide named Fredi. We saw
all kinds of cool animals. My sister liked
the monkeys best. My mom went
bonkers for all the brightly colored
birds, but my favorite was the
anaconda.
We were pretty far away, which was
probably a good thing! We were in a
boat floating down the Amazon river.
We saw splashing near the shore. A
giant snake had captured a caiman. A
caiman is like an alligator, but smaller.
The snake wrapped its body around the
caiman. Fredi told us that it was an
anaconda. Anacondas aren’t poisonous,
but they are still really scary. Fredi
stopped the boat so we could watch.
Then came the really cool part. The
anaconda started to swallow the caiman.
The anaconda didn’t chew at all. It
swallowed the caiman whole! It took
about ten minutes for it to get the
whole thing down. Fredi said the
anaconda will not need to eat again for
several weeks.
u L: setting, inference, character, summary, text structure
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 38
Show What You Know
1. Where does this story take place?_____________________ What would are some things you would be likely to see in
this setting that were not mentioned?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Who is Fredi?_________________________________________ Why is he important to the story?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ 3. 
Summarize what the narrator saw from the boat.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. Which text structure was to write this passage?
a) compare and contrast
b) sequence
c) problem and solution
d) cause and effect
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
I Saw an Anaconda!
Last year I got to go on a trip to the
Amazon rainforest with my family. We were
in a group with other people and a tour
guide. The guide’s name was Fredi. He made
sure that we were always safe. We saw all
kinds of cool animals. My sister liked the
monkeys best and my mom went bonkers for
all the brightly colored birds, but my favorite
was the anaconda.
We were in a boat floating down a part
of the Amazon river. Suddenly we saw
splashing near the shore. A giant snake had
captured a caiman. A caiman is like an
alligator, but smaller. The snake wrapped its
body around the caiman. Fredi told us that it
was an anaconda. Anacondas aren’t
poisonous, but they are still really scary.
Fredi stopped the boat so we could watch.
My dad took a video.
Then came the really cool part. The
anaconda started to swallow the caiman. It
started with the head. Fredi said that
anacondas always swallow their prey headfirst. It keeps the legs from getting stuck.
The anaconda didn’t chew at all. It
swallowed the caiman whole! It took about
ten minutes for it to get the whole thing
down. Fredi said the anaconda will not need
to eat again for several weeks.
uu L: setting, inference, character, summary, text structure
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 38
Show What You Know
1. Where does this story take place?_____________________ What would are some things you would be likely to see in
this setting that were not mentioned?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Who is Fredi?_________________________________________ Why is he important to the story?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ 3. 
Summarize what the narrator saw from the boat.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. Which text structure was to write this passage?
a) compare and contrast
b) sequence
c) problem and solution
d) cause and effect
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Population of Australia
Nearly 24 million people live Australia.
Most people live in cities or towns near
the southeastern coast. The largest city
is Sydney. More than four million people
live in Sydney. There are only four other
Australian cities with more than one
million people. They are Melbourne,
Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
The interior of the country is called
the Outback. Not many people live in the
outback because it is very hot and very
dry. It More than 35 million kangaroos
live in the Outback. There are more
kangaroos in Australia than people!
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 39
What are the five largest cities in Australia?
1)_______________ 2)_______________
3)______________ 4) ________________ 5)_______________ 2. What does the word “interior” mean?
a) inner part
b) hot part
c)
d) wild part
outer part
What clues helped you to know?
_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why do so few people live in the Outback?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. How does the map support the text?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 1 dot = 1,000 people u IT: context clues, interpreting an illustration
__________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Population of Australia
Nearly 24 million people live Australia. Nine
out of ten of the people in Australia live in
cities or towns near the southeastern coast.
The largest city is Sydney, which is also the
capital. More than four million people live in
Sydney. There are only four other Australian
cities with populations over one million. They
are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
The interior of the country is called the
Outback. Not many people live in the outback
because it is very hot, dry and barren.
However, it is estimated that more than 35
million kangaroos live in the Outback. That
means there are more kangaroos in
Australia than people!
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 39
What are the five largest cities in Australia?
1)_______________ 2)_______________
3)______________ 4) ________________ 5)_______________ 2. What does the word “interior” mean?
a) inner part
b) hot part
c)
d) wild part
outer part
What clues helped you to know?
_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3. 
Why do so few people live in the Outback?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. How does the map support the text?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 1 dot = 1,000 people uu IT: context clues, interpreting an illustration
__________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Sam and the Swim Team
Sam was at the community pool when
he saw a flyer for the pool swim team.
They were having tryouts. Sam thought
it would be fun to be on the team.
Sam was a good swimmer. He thought
it would be easy to make the team, but
he was wrong. At the tryout, he came in
last every single time! Sam went home
feeling sad and angry.
The next day, Sam decided he still
wanted to join the swim team. He went
to the pool and asked the coach what
he could do to become a better
swimmer. The coach told him he needed
to work on his form so that he could
swim faster.
Sam started swimming laps at the pool
every day. The coach saw him working
hard day after day. He gave Sam tips on
how to improve his speed and his form.
Sam got faster and faster. He could
swim longer without getting tired.
When the next tryouts came around,
Sam was ready. This time, he easily
made the team. Sam went on to become
one of the best swimmers on the team.
He even set several pool records!
u L: setting, visualization, character traits, theme
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 40
1.  What is the setting of this story______________________
If you were in this setting, what might you:
a) see?________________________________________________
b) hear?_______________________________________________
c) feel? _______________________________________________
d) smell? _____________________________________________ 2. Why did Sam spend time swimming laps every day?
________________________________________________________ 3. 
Which of these words best describes Sam?
a) persistent
b) stubborn
c) patient
d) unskilled
Give evidence from the text to support your choice:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. What is the theme (or message) of this story?
a) Swimming is a good sport for boys.
b) Sam worked hard and made the team.
c) Persistence pays off.
d) If you are patient you will get what you want.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Sam and the Swim Team
One day Sam was at the community pool
with his friends when he saw a flyer for the
pool swim team. They were having tryouts in
a few days. Sam thought that being on the
swim team would be fun, so he decided to
try out.
Sam had breezed through swim lessons and
thought that making the team would be easy.
He soon realized that he was badly mistaken.
He came in last every single time. Sam went
home feeling angry and disappointed.
After he had some time to cool off, Sam
decided he still wanted to join the swim team.
He went to the pool and asked the coach
what he could do to become a better
swimmer. The coach told him he needed to
work on his form so that he could swim
faster. The coach also said that there would
be another tryout in six months.
Sam started swimming laps at the pool
every day. After awhile, the swim coach
noticed him and started giving him tips on
how to improve his speed and his form. Sam
got faster and faster. After awhile, he could
swim longer without getting tired.
When the next tryouts came around,
Sam was ready. This time, he easily made
the team. Sam went on to become one of
the best swimmers on the team and he even
set several pool records!
uu L: setting, visualization, character traits, theme
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 40
1.  What is the setting of this story______________________
If you were in this setting, what might you:
a) see?________________________________________________
b) hear?_______________________________________________
c) feel? _______________________________________________
d) smell? _____________________________________________ 2. Why did Sam spend time swimming laps every day?
________________________________________________________ 3. 
Which of these words best describes Sam?
a) persistent
b) stubborn
c) patient
d) unskilled
Give evidence from the text to support your choice:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. What is the theme (or message) of this story?
a) Swimming is a good sport for boys.
b) Sam worked hard and made the team.
c) Persistence pays off.
d) If you are patient you will get what you want.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Early Life of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston
on January 17, 1706. When he was
twelve years old, Ben became an
apprentice to his older brother, James.
James was a printer. Ben signed a
contract to work for James for nine
years. When Ben was 15 years old, his
brother started a newspaper. Ben
wanted to write for the paper, but his
brother would not let him. Ben secretly
started writing letters to the paper. He
pretended to be a widow named Silence
Dogood. James did not know the letters
were written by his brother. He
published them in the paper.
The letters were were full of strong
opinions. Readers loved them! People
talked about them and wondered who
Silence Dogood was.
After 14 letters had been printed,
Ben told his father what he had been
doing. His father yelled at him and beat
him. His brother was angry too. Ben had
more problems with James. When he
was 17, he ran away to Philadelphia. In
Philadelphia he found another job as a
printer’s apprentice.
u
IT: genre, context clues, fact and opinion
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 41
1.  What genre is this passage?
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) science fiction
How do you know? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
3. 
What does the word “apprentice” mean?
a) teacher
b) slave
c) friend
d) helper
How did Ben trick his brother?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
Read each statement. Write F (for fact) or O (for
opinion) in each blank.
a)
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston.
b)
Ben was an apprentice for his older brother.
c)
Ben was a clever boy.
d)
James was mean to his brother.
e)
Ben ran away when he was 17 years old.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Early Life of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on
January 17, 1706. His father, Josiah, was a
candle maker. Ben had 16 brothers and
sisters!
When he was twelve years old, Ben became
an apprentice to his older brother, James,
who had a printing business. Ben signed a
contract to work for James for nine years.
When Ben was 15 years old, his brother
started a newspaper called the New England
Courant. Ben wanted to write for the paper,
but he knew that his brother would not let
him. Ben secretly started writing letters to
the paper. He pretended to be an older
widow named Silence Dogood. James did not
know the letters were written by his
brother, so he published them in the paper.
The letters were witty and well-written.
They were full of strong opinions about
freedom of speech and the way that women
were treated. The letters were also very
popular. People talked about them and
wondered who Silence Dogood was.
After 14 letters had been published, Ben
told his father what he had been doing. His
father scolded him and beat him. His brother
was angry too. Ben continued to have
problems with James and when he was 17 he
ran away to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia he
found another job as a printer’s apprentice.
uu IT: genre, context clues, fact and opinion
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 41
1.  What genre is this passage?
a) mystery
b) historical fiction
c) biography
d) science fiction
How do you know? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
3. 
What does the word “apprentice” mean?
a) teacher
b) slave
c) friend
d) helper
How did Ben trick his brother?
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
Read each statement. Write F (for fact) or O (for
opinion) in each blank.
a)
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston.
b)
Ben was an apprentice for his older brother.
c)
Ben was a clever boy.
d)
James was mean to his brother.
e)
Ben ran away when he was 17 years old.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
Chicago Poet
Carl Sandburg
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME42
I saluted a nobody.
I saw him in a looking-glass.
He smiled—so did I.
He crumpled the skin on his forehead,
frowning—so did I.
Everything I did he did.
I said, “Hello, I know you.”
And I was a liar to say so.
1.  What is a looking glass?_____________ How do you know?
Ah, this looking-glass man
Liar, fool, dreamer, play-actor,
Soldier, dusty drinker of dust—
Ah! he will go with me
Down the dark stairway
When nobody else is looking,
When everybody else is gone.
Support your answer with evidence from the poem:
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Who is the “looking-glass man”?
2. 
______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 3. 
Find an example of alliteration in the second verse: ________________________________________________________ 4. 
He locks his elbow in mine,
I lose all—but not him.
What inference can you make about how the
narrator feels about himself?
How does this poem make you feel?
________________________________________________________ Why?
________________________________________________________ u
P: inference, figurative language, tone and mood
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
Chicago Poet
Carl Sandburg
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME42
I saluted a nobody.
I saw him in a looking-glass.
He smiled—so did I.
He crumpled the skin on his forehead,
frowning—so did I.
Everything I did he did.
I said, “Hello, I know you.”
And I was a liar to say so.
1.  What is a looking glass?_____________ How do you know?
Ah, this looking-glass man
Liar, fool, dreamer, play-actor,
Soldier, dusty drinker of dust—
Ah! he will go with me
Down the dark stairway
When nobody else is looking,
When everybody else is gone.
Support your answer with evidence from the poem:
________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Who is the “looking-glass man”?
2. 
_____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 3. 
Find an example of alliteration in the second verse: ________________________________________________________ 4. 
He locks his elbow in mine,
I lose all—but not him.
What inference can you make about how the
narrator feels about himself?
How does this poem make you feel?
________________________________________________________ Why?
________________________________________________________ uu P: inference, figurative language, tone and mood
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Conductors and Insulators
Electrical wires are made from metal
because metal carries, or conducts,
electricity. Materials that conduct
electricity are called conductors. Copper
is one of the best conductors. That is
why many electrical wires are made
from copper. Water is also a conductor.
Since your body is about 70% water, you
are a conductor too! That is why it is
very important to handle electrical
equipment carefully and to stay away
from power lines and outlets.
Materials that do not conduct
electricity are called insulators.
Insulators include glass, plastic, rubber,
wood, and most fabrics. The cords of
appliances like blenders or vacuum
cleaners are wrapped in plastic or
rubber. That outer coating insulates the
metal wire inside so that you can handle
the cord without getting shocked. If
you ever notice that a cord is damaged,
do not use it. Tell an adult right away. If
the cord cannot be repaired, it must be
thrown away. Appliances with damaged
cords are not safe to use!
u
IT: analysis, inference
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 43
Show What You Know
1. 
Why does your body conduct electricity?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ 2. 
3. 
Use what you learned in the passage to write either C
(for conductor) or I (for insulator) in each blank.
a)
a penny
b)
a piece of yarn
c)
a pencil eraser
d)
a nail
e)
a wet sponge
f)
a broom handle
What should you do if you notice that an electrical
cord is damaged? Be sure to tell why in your answer.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
If this passage included a picture, which of these
would NOT have been very helpful to the reader?
a) a T-chart listing different insulators and conductors
b) a picture of electric power lines
c) a photo of a damaged electrical cord.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Conductors and Insulators
If you have ever experimented with
batteries and bulbs, then you know that you
need to connect them with wires. Wires
carry the electricity from the battery to
the bulb and back again to make a complete
circuit. The wires are made from metal
because metal carries, or conducts,
electricity. Materials that conduct electricity
are called conductors. Copper is one of the
best conductors, which is why many
electrical wires are made from copper.
Water is also a conductor. Since your body is
about 70% water, you are a conductor too!
That is why it is very important to handle
electrical equipment carefully and stay away
from power lines and outlets.
Materials that do not conduct electricity
are called insulators. Insulators include glass,
plastic, rubber, wood, and most fabrics. The
cords of appliances like blenders or vacuum
cleaners are wrapped in plastic or rubber.
That outer coating insulates the metal wire
inside so that you can handle the cord
without getting shocked. If you ever notice
that a cord is damaged, do not use it and tell
an adult right away. The damage may be
repairable with electric tape or by replacing
the cord. If it cannot be repaired, it must
be thrown away. Appliances with damaged
cords are not safe to use!
uu IT: analysis, inference
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 43
Show What You Know
1. 
Why does your body conduct electricity?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ 2. 
3. 
Use what you learned in the passage to write either C
(for conductor) or I (for insulator) in each blank.
a)
a penny
b)
a piece of yarn
c)
a pencil eraser
d)
a nail
e)
a wet sponge
f)
a broom handle
What should you do if you notice that an electrical
cord is damaged? Be sure to tell why in your answer.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
If this passage included a picture, which of these
would NOT have been very helpful to the reader?
a) a T-chart listing different insulators and conductors
b) a picture of electric power lines
c) a photo of a damaged electrical cord.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Safety First!
Oliver was about to vacuum his room
when he noticed that something was
wrong. The vacuum cleaner cord was
damaged! Part of the rubber coating on
the cord had been stripped away and
the wire was showing. Oliver knew it
was dangerous to use the vacuum, so he
unplugged it right away.
Oliver showed his mom. “Can we just
wrap it with electrical tape?” he asked.
“I don’t think that would be safe
enough,” his mom replied. “A lot of
electricity runs though that cord. We
need to insulate the wires inside to
make it safe. Let’s replace that part of
the cord.”
Mom and Oliver went to the hardware
store to get what they needed. Then
they took the vacuum cleaner into the
workshop in the garage. Mom let Oliver
help. It didn’t take very long. Mom had
made repairs like this before.
When they were done, Oliver vacuumed
his room. He thought about the
electricity running through the cord. He
decided to check the other cords in his
house for damage, just in case.
u
IT: setting, sequence, evaluation
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 44
What are the three settings in this story?
1)_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ 2. 
Number the events to put them in the correct order: Mom and Oliver went to the hardware store.
Oliver vacuumed his room.
Oliver unplugged the vacuum cleaner.
Mom and Oliver fixed the vacuum cleaner.
3. 
Oliver told his mom that the vacuum cord was
damaged. Why does mom decide to replace the cord instead of
wrapping it with electrical tape?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
Why do you think this story is titled, “Safety First!”?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Safety First!
Oliver was almost ready to vacuum his
room when he noticed something distressing.
The vacuum cleaner cord was damaged! Part
of the rubber coating on the cord had been
stripped away and the wire was showing.
Oliver knew it was dangerous to use the
vacuum, so he unplugged it right away.
When Oliver showed his mom, she said he
had done the right thing. “It was probably
my fault,” she told him. “I bet I ran over the
cord with the vacuum by accident.”
“Can we just wrap it up with electrical
tape?” Oliver asked.
“I don’t think that would be safe enough,”
his mom replied. “A lot of electricity runs
though that cord. It’s enough to kill a
person, so it’s important to insulate the
wires inside well enough to make it safe.
Let’s just replace that part of the cord.”
Mom and Oliver went to the hardware
store to get the supplies they needed. Then
they took the vacuum cleaner into the
workshop in the garage. Mom let Oliver help
her to make the repair. It didn’t take very
long. Mom had made repairs like this before.
When they were done, Oliver vacuumed
his room. He thought about the electricity
running through the cord. He decided to
check the other cords in his house for
damage, just in case.
uu IT: setting, sequence, evaluation
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 44
What are the three settings in this story?
1)_____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ 2. 
Number the events to put them in the correct order: Mom and Oliver went to the hardware store.
Oliver vacuumed his room.
Oliver unplugged the vacuum cleaner.
Mom and Oliver fixed the vacuum cleaner.
Oliver told his mom that the vacuum cord was
damaged.
3. 
Why does mom decide to replace the cord instead of
wrapping it with electrical tape?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
Why do you think this story is titled, “Safety First!”?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Hurricanes
Name
Hurricanes are large storms that form
over warm ocean water. They usually
begin small. Once wind speeds reach 39
miles per hour the storm is called a
tropical storm. If wind speeds reach 74
miles per hour, it is called a hurricane.
Hurricanes are divided into categories
from 1 to 5, depending on wind speed. A
Category 1 hurricane has the lowest wind
speed at 74–95 miles per hour. A
Category 5 can reach wind speeds of
157 miles per hour! Hurricanes bring high
winds, flooding, and a great deal of
damage. Fortunately, once a hurricane
hits land, it loses strength quickly.
Hurricane Categories Category Wind Speed (mph) Damage at Landfall 1 74-­‐95 Minimal 2 96-­‐110 Moderate 3 111-­‐130 Extensive 4 131-­‐155 Extreme 5 Over 155 Catastrophic u IT: main idea, inference, interpreting an illustration
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 45
Where do hurricanes begin?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
Do all tropical storms become hurricanes?___________
Support your answer with evidence from the text:
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What are three things you can learn from the chart? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Hurricanes
Name
Hurricanes (sometimes called cyclones or
typhoons) are large storms that develop over
warm ocean water. These storms usually
begin small. Once wind speeds reach 39 miles
per hour the storm is called a tropical storm.
If wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour, it is
then called a hurricane.
Once a hurricane has developed, it is
classified into categories from 1 to 5,
depending on wind speed. A Category 1
hurricane has the lowest wind speed at 74–
95 miles per hour, while a Category 5 can
reach wind speeds of 157 miles per hour. That
is faster than many speeding trains!
Hurricanes can be devastating storms that
bring high winds, flooding, and a great deal of
damage. Fortunately, once a hurricane hits
land, it loses strength quickly.
Hurricane Categories Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 45
Where do hurricanes begin?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
Do all tropical storms become hurricanes?___________
Support your answer with evidence from the text:
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What are three things you can learn from the chart? Category Wind Speed (mph) Damage at Landfall 1 74-­‐95 Minimal _____________________________________________________ 2 96-­‐110 Moderate 2)____________________________________________________ 3 111-­‐130 Extensive _____________________________________________________ 4 131-­‐155 Extreme 5 Over 155 Catastrophic uu IT: main idea, inference, interpreting an illustration
1)_____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Jamie and the Bear
Do you know the story of Jamie Fraser
and the giant bear? It’s an old story.
Happened in South Carolina, back before
America was even a country, 1767.
Jamie and his wife, Claire, they were
camping out in the woods, looking for a
place to homestead. They was cooking up
some fish for their dinner when a giant
grizzly bear come a-crashing out of the
brush. Nearly kilt Claire but she threw
herself on the ground and the bear
missed her.
Jamie’s a big man, but that bear was
bigger. Jamie was a powerful man too –
stronger than a dozen ordinary men. He
wrested that bear to the ground. But
the bear, he was a strong one and it
looked like he might get the best of
Jamie. But then Claire came at that
bear with the only weapon she could find
– one of the fish they’d been about to
eat! Well that bear sure was surprised
to be hit in the nose with a fish! That’s
when Jamie struck the blow that put an
end to that bear forever. That night,
Jamie and Claire, they had themsleves a
dinner of roasted bear meat.
u L: genre, figurative language, style/tone
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 46
1.  What type of folktale is this story?
a) fable
b) fairytale
c) myth
d) tall tale
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
Why were Jamie and Claire in the woods?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
Find and example of hyperbole in the story:
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
What do you notice about the author’s style and
tone (word choice, sentence structure, etc.)?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ What effect does it have on the story? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Jamie and the Bear
Do you know the story of Jamie Fraser
and the giant grizzly bear? It’s an old story.
Happened in South Carolina, back before
America was even a country, 1767 it was.
Jamie and his wife, Claire, they were
camping out in the woods, looking for a place
to homestead. They was cooking up their
dinner over the fire – a fine pair of fish that
Jamie had caught just that day, when
suddenly a giant grizzly bear come a-crashing
out of the brush. Nearly kilt Claire straight
out, but she threw herself on the ground,
quick as a wink, and that bear’s oversized
claws hit nothing but air.
Jamie’s a big man, but that bear was
bigger. Didn’t bother Jamie none. Jamie was a
powerful man too – stronger than a dozen
ordinary men, at least. He wrested that bear
to the ground. But the bear, he was a strong
one and for a moment, it looked like he might
get the best of Jamie. That’s when Claire
saved the day. She came at that bear with
the only weapon she could find – one of the
fish they’d been about to eat! Well that bear
looked about as surprised as he could be,
being hit in the nose with a fish! That’s when
Jamie struck the blow that put an end to
that bear forever. That night, Jamie and
Claire, they had themsleves a dinner of
roasted bear meat.
uu L: genre, figurative language, style/tone
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 46
1.  What type of folktale is this story?
a) fable
b) fairytale
c) myth
d) tall tale
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. 
Why were Jamie and Claire in the woods?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
Find and example of hyperbole in the story:
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
What do you notice about the author’s style and
tone (word choice, sentence structure, etc.)?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ What effect does it have on the story? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Staying Safe in the Sun
Summer is a great time to go outdoors
and enjoy the sunshine, but too much sun
can be a bad thing. It is important to be
careful.
The sun produces ultraviolet radiation,
also called UV rays. Too many UV rays
can cause damage to your skin and body.
Spending too much time in the sun can
cause a painful sunburn! It can be
dangerous for other reasons too. Over
time, too many UV rays can cause health
problems such as skin cancer and eye
damage. It can even cause problems with
the immune system. That is the system
in your body that keeps you from
getting sick.
You can play in the sun and still be
safe from UV rays. One of the easiest
ways to protect yourself from the sun is
to wear a hat with a wide brim,
sunglasses, and sunscreen. If it is not
too hot, wear long sleeves and pants
while outdoors. Also, try not to spend
too much time in the sun between 10:00
am and 4:00 pm. UV rays are at their
strongest during that time. Play in the
shade instead.
u
IT: main idea, reading for detail, text structure
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 47
Show What You Know
1. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2.  In what ways are UV rays dangerous? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
What are three things you can do to protect
yourself from UV rays? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
Which text structure was used to write this
passage? a) sequence
c) compare and contrast
b) problem and solution
d) description
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Staying Safe in the Sun
Summer is a wonderful time to go outdoors
and enjoy the sunshine, but too much of a
good thing can sometimes be bad. That is
certainly the case with sunshine.
The sun produces ultraviolet radiation, also
called UV rays. Too many UV rays can cause
damage to your skin and body. Being in the
sun for too long can cause a painful sunburn,
but it can be dangerous for other reasons as
well. Too many UV rays over time can cause
serious health problems such as skin cancer
and eye damage. It can even cause problems
with the immune system, the system in your
body that keeps you from getting sick.
Fortunately, you can go out and play in the
sun and still be safe from UV rays. One of
the easiest ways to protect yourself from
the sun is to wear a hat with a wide brim,
sunglasses, and sunscreen. The hat and
glasses will protect your face and eyes from
the damaging rays. Sunscreen should be used
to prevent burning on any exposed skin. If it
is sunny, but a little cool, you can protect
your body by wearing long sleeves and pants
while outdoors. Another way to stay safe is
to avoid spending too much time in the sun
between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. UV rays are
especially intense during that time. Try to
spend time playing in the shade instead.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 47
Show What You Know
1. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2.  In what ways are UV rays dangerous? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
What are three things you can do to protect
yourself from UV rays? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 4. 
Which text structure was used to write this
passage? a) sequence
c) compare and contrast
b) problem and solution
d) description
uu IT: main idea, reading for detail, text structure
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Wind
Robert Louis Stevenson
I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass-O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 48
Show What You Know
1. 
Who is the narrator talking to?
2. 
Which type of figurative language is used throughout
this poem?
a) simile
b) personification
c) hyperbole
d) alliteration
Give two examples from the text: I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all-O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2. 
What do you notice about the last two lines of each
stanza?
4. 
How does the narrator feel about the wind?
a) afraid
b) angry
c) surprised
d) curious
Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ u
P: figurative language, poetic device, tone
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Wind
Robert Louis Stevenson
I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass-O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 48
Show What You Know
1. 
Who is the author talking to?
2. 
Which type of figurative language is used throughout
this poem?
a) simile
b) personification
c) hyperbole
d) alliteration
Give two examples from the text: I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all-O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!
1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2. 
What do you notice about the last two lines of each
stanza?
4. 
How does the narrator feel about the wind?
a) afraid
b) angry
c) surprised
d) curious
Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ uu P: figurative language, poetic device, tone
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Reading to Rover
Dogs are becoming more common at
the library. Studies have shown that
when students read to dogs, their
reading skills improve.
Many students find it easier to read
to a dog than to a person. Dogs do not
correct mistakes, they just listen. “If I
make a mistake, there’s no one around
to laugh at me,” says Linda, a student
who has been reading with a dog at her
local library.
Reading to dogs can help students who
need more reading practice. “Kids have
to practice, practice, practice to be
good readers,” says chief academic
officer at Scholastic Publishing, Francine
Alexander. “And yet when you’re
practicing, if you make a mistake, it can
feel risky and uncomfortable. But if
you’re practicing with a dog, you don’t
mind making the mistakes.”
Reading to dogs is also helping students
to enjoy reading more. Parents have
reported that their children want to
read more at home after reading to
dogs at the library.
u IT: inference, understanding quotes, reading for detail
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 49
1.  Why do many students prefer to read to a dog over a
person?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. 
How does the quote from Linda add value to the
text?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. 
How does the quote from Francine Alexander add
value to the text?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  Which of these was not mentioned as a benefit of
reading to a dog:
a) Reading to a dog improves student reading skills.
b) Students like to cuddle the dogs while they read.
c) Dogs do not correct mistakes.
d) Students who read to dogs at libraries start
reading more at home too. Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Reading to Rover
Most people don’t expect to see a dog
inside a library, but they are becoming more
and more common. Studies have shown that
when students read to dogs, their reading
skills improve.
Many students prefer to read to a dog
instead of a person because the dog will not
correct their mistakes or expect them to
read faster or more accurately. Dogs just
listen. “If I make a mistake, there’s no one
around to laugh at me,” says Linda, a
student who has been reading with a trained
therapy dog at her local library.
Reading to dogs is especially beneficial to
students who are struggling with fluency and
students from other countries who are
learning English as a second language. “Kids
have to practice, practice, practice to be
good readers,” says chief academic officer
at Scholastic Publishing, Francine Alexander.
“And yet when you’re practicing, if you
make a mistake, it can feel risky and
uncomfortable. But if you’re practicing with
a dog, you don’t mind making the mistakes.”
Not only are struggling students improving
their ability to read, but they are also
starting to enjoy reading more. Parents have
reported that their children who have been
reading to therapy dogs at libraries are
reading more at home too!
uu IT: inference, understanding quotes, reading for detail
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 49
1.  Why do many students prefer to read to a dog over a
person?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. 
How does the quote from Linda add value to the
text?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 2. 
How does the quote from Francine Alexander add
value to the text?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 4.  Which of these was not mentioned as a benefit of
reading to a dog:
a) Reading to a dog improves student reading skills.
b) Students like to cuddle the dogs while they read.
c) Dogs do not correct mistakes.
d) Students who read to dogs at libraries start
reading more at home too. Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Super Cheese Man to the Rescue!
“Have no fear, Super Cheese Man is
here!”
“Super what?” the Mad Clown asked.
“Super Cheese Man! Surely you have
heard of me. I stop villains like you from
doing evil with my super cheesy powers.”
“Whatever,” the Mad Clown replied as
he turned back to his Super-FreezeZapper. “Go ahead and do your cheese
thing. I have a world to take over.”
“I don’t think so,” Super Cheese Man
replied as he threw a wedge of Swiss
cheese at the Clown.
“Is that it? the Mad Clown asked. “You
just throw chunks of cheese?”
“No, I do other stuff too, like this!”
Super Cheese Man turned himself into a
giant wheel of cheddar. He rolled himself
into the Super-Freeze-Zapper. The
Zapper exploded into tiny pieces. The
Mad Clown started to run. Super Cheese
Man turned back in to his super hero
self. He threw melted cheese in front of
him. The Clown slipped on the cheese and
was stuck as it hardened around him.
“Never underestimate the power of
cheese,” said Super Cheese man
u
L: inference,, summary, visualization, tone/style
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 50
1. 
What do you think the Super-Freeze-Zapper is? What
does it do? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2.  Summarize this story in two sentences:
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
If you were going to illustrate a picture for this
story, what would you draw? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
Do you agree or disagree with this statement:
Super Cheese Man to the Rescue is a humorous story.
☐ agree
☐ disagree
support your answer with evidence from the text
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Super Cheese Man to the Rescue!
“Have no fear, Super Cheese Man is here!”
“Super what?” the Mad Clown asked as he
turned to face the orange-clad super hero.
“Super Cheese Man! Surely you have heard
of me. I stop villains such as yourself from
doing evil with my super cheesy powers.”
“Yeah, right, whatever,” the Mad Clown
replied as he turned back to his SuperFreeze-Zapper. “Go ahead, do your umm,
cheese thing. I have a world to take over.”
“I don’t think so,” said Super Cheese Man
as he hurled a wedge of Swiss cheese at the
Clown. The cheese hit the Mad Clown’s head,
but then bounced harmlessly off.
“Is that it? the Mad Clown asked. “You just
throw chunks of cheese?”
“No, I do other stuff too, like this!”
Suddenly, Super Cheese Man transformed
himself into a giant wheel of cheddar. At
super-speed, he rolled toward the Mad Clown
and his Super-Freeze-Zapper. On impact, the
Zapper exploded into a million tiny pieces. The
Mad Clown started to run, but Super Cheese
Man transformed back in to his super hero
self and threw melted cheese in front of him.
The Mad Clown slipped on the cheese and
was stuck fast as it hardened around him.
“Never underestimate the power of
cheese,” said Super Cheese man as he called
the police.
uu L: inference,, summary, visualization, tone/style
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 50
1. 
What do you think the Super-Freeze-Zapper is? What
does it do? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2.  Summarize this story in two sentences:
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
If you were going to illustrate a picture for this
story, what would you draw? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
Do you agree or disagree with this statement:
Super Cheese Man to the Rescue is a humorous story.
☐ agree
☐ disagree
support your answer with evidence from the text
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
China’s Terracotta Soldiers
In 1974, farmers digging a well in
China made an amazing discovery. They
found a life-sized terracotta (clay)
soldier buried in the ground. It turned
out they had dug up part of the tomb of
Emperor Qin Shi Huang who ruled China
from 221 BC to 207 BC. The tomb holds
over 8,000 terracotta soldiers as well as
horses and chariots. The soldiers stand in
long lines, as if they are ready for
battle.
The soldiers were all carefully made.
Each one has a detailed face and clothing.
Each soldier was also painted with bright
colors, although most of the paint has
flaked off. Nearly two million people
come to see the soldiers each year.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 51
Show What You Know
1. 
Who had the terracotta soldiers made?
______________________________________________________
2. 
How does the picture help you to better understand
the text? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. 
What three questions you have about the terra
cotta soldiers? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ u IT: interpreting an illustration, author’s purpose, questioning
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
China’s Terracotta Soldiers
In 1974, farmers digging a well in China
made an amazing discovery. They found a
life-sized terracotta (clay) soldier buried in
the ground. It turned out they had dug up
part of the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
who ruled China from 221 BC to 207 BC. The
tomb holds over 8,000 terracotta soldiers as
well as horses and chariots. The soldiers are
all lined up in trenches, as if ready for battle.
Historians believe that it took nearly 30
years and 700,000 workers to make the the
terracotta army.
One of the most impressive parts of the
Terracotta soldiers is the details in each
carving. Each soldier has a unique, detailed
face and clothing. In addition, each soldier
was painted with bright colors, although most
of the paint has flaked off. Nearly 2 million
people come to see the soldiers each year.
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 51
Show What You Know
1. 
Who had the terracotta soldiers made?
______________________________________________________
2. 
How does the picture help you to better understand
the text? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 4. 
What three questions you have about the terra
cotta soldiers? 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ uu IT: interpreting an illustration, author’s purpose, questioning
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
An Ancient Soldier
I have been here for over 2,200 years.
I remember the man who painted me. He
worked carefully. When he was done, he
stood in front of me to check his work.
His clothes were brown and dirty, not like
the ones he had just painted for me. I
could not see myself, but I saw the
others around me. They were painted in
bright colors, so I knew that I was
painted in bright colors too.
Soon after, I was carried to the place
where I now stand. All my life I have
stood here with my brothers. We stand
in perfect lines, guarding our Emperor,
Qin Shi Huang. It was dark for many
years. Then, my brothers and I were
uncovered. Men came. Different men
than the ones who made us. They fixed
those of us who were broken. They
cleaned away the dirt. I could see in the
light that we are no longer bright and
colorful. The paint has worn away.
Everyday, many people come to see us.
Now it is they who are dressed in bright
colors. I do not know why they come. It
is good that they do not disturb the
emperor. We stand. We guard.
u
L: Inference, analysis, figurative language
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 52
Who is the narrator of the story?
_______________________________________________________ How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ 2.  Who are the people who come to look at him? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
3. 
Why do you think he talks about the people’s clothing
in the last paragraph? _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
What type of figurative language was used to write
this story?
a) alliteration
c) personification
b) hyperbole
d) onomatopoeia
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
An Ancient Soldier
I have been here for over 2,200 years. I
don’t remember how I was made. But I do
remember the man who gave me my face. I
could not see him until he painted my eyes
and even then, I could only see straight
ahead. Still, I caught glimpses of him here
and there. After he painted my clothing, he
stood in front of me to survey his work. His
clothes were brown and dirty, not like the
ones he had just painted for me. I could not
see myself, but I saw others, painted in
splendid, bright colors, so I knew that I too,
must be so adorned.
Soon after, I was carried to the place
where I now stand. All my life I have stood
here with my brothers. We stand in perfect
lines, guarding our Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. It
was dark for many years and I could see
nothing. That changed just a few years ago.
My brothers and I, we were uncovered. Men
came. Different men than the ones who made
us. They fixed those of us who were broken.
They cleaned away the dirt. Then I could see
in the light that we are no longer bright and
colorful. The paint has worn away.
Everyday, thousands of people come to see
us. Now it is they who are dressed in bright
colors, staring, pointing. I do not know why
they come. It is good that they do not
disturb the emperor. We stand. We guard.
uu L: Inference, analysis, figurative language
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 52
Who is the narrator of the story?
_______________________________________________________ How do you know?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ 2.  Who are the people who come to look at him? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
3. 
Why do you think he talks about the people’s clothing
in the last paragraph? _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
What type of figurative language was used to write
this story?
a) alliteration
c) personification
b) hyperbole
d) onomatopoeia
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Ice Cream in a Baggie
Making ice cream in a baggie is fun and
easy! Just follow these instructions.
You will need:
• 2 zip-lock sandwich baggies
• a gallon-sized zip-lock bag
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons of salt
• ice cubes
Start by putting the half and half,
sugar, and vanilla into one of the
sandwich baggies. Carefully zip-lock the
baggie. Put that baggie into the other
sandwich bag and zip-lock it, too.
Next, put the sandwich baggies into
the larger gallon-sized bag. Add enough
ice to fill it. Add the salt. Seal the bag
tightly. The salt is important because it
lowers the temperature of the melting
ice. The mixture inside the sandwich
baggies won’t freeze unless you add the
salt.
Shake the bag for about eight minutes.
When your ice cream is done, carefully
remove the sandwich baggies and pour
the ice cream into a bowl to eat. Yum!
u IT: interpreting a text feature, sequence, genre
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 53
Why is a bulleted list used to tell what is needed
rather putting the information in a paragraph?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ 2. 
Number the steps in the correct order.
Put the smaller baggies into the large one.
Shake the bag for eight minutes.
Pour the ice cream into a bowl.
Put ice and salt into the gallon-sized bag.
Put the half and half into the baggie.
3. 
Why is it important to add salt to the ice?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
In which of these books would you be most likely to
find this passage?
a) How it’s Made: Sandwich Bags
b) Fun and Easy Recipes for Kids!
c) Isaac's Ice Cream Adventure
d) The Ice Sculpture Handbook
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Ice Cream in a Baggie
Making ice cream in a baggie is fun
and easy! Just follow these instructions.
You will need:
• 2 zip-lock sandwich baggies
• a gallon-sized zip-lock bag
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons of salt
• ice cubes
Start by putting the half and half, sugar,
and vanilla into one of the sandwich baggies.
Carefully zip-lock the baggie. Try to get all
the air out. Put that baggie into the other
sandwich bag and zip-lock it. Double-bagging
the ingredients will help to protect them.
Next, put the sandwich baggies into the
larger gallon-sized bag. Add enough ice to fill
it. Add the salt. Seal the bag tightly. The salt
is important because it lowers the
temperature of the melting ice. The mixture
inside the sandwich baggies won’t freeze
unless you add the salt.
Now comes the fun part! Shake the bag for
about eight minutes. As you shake, the ice will
melt into a slushy mess, but don’t worry, it
won’t get into your ice cream. When your ice
cream is done, carefully remove the sandwich
baggies and pour the ice cream into a bowl to
eat. Yum!
uu IT: interpreting a text feature, sequence, genre
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 53
Why is a bulleted list used to tell what is needed
rather putting the information in a paragraph?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ 2. 
Number the steps in the correct order.
Put the smaller baggies into the large one.
Shake the bag for eight minutes.
Pour the ice cream into a bowl.
Put ice and salt into the gallon-sized bag.
Put the half and half into the baggie.
3. 
Why is it important to add salt to the ice?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. 
In which of these books would you be most likely to
find this passage?
a) How it’s Made: Sandwich Bags
b) Fun and Easy Recipes for Kids
c) Isaac's Ice Cream Adventure
d) The Ice Sculpture Handbook
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Grass So Little Has to Do
Emily Dickenson
The Grass so little has to do –
A Sphere of simple Green –
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain –
And stir all day to pretty Tunes
The Breezes fetch along –
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything –
And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls –
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing –
And even when it dies – to pass
In Odors so divine –
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep –
Or Spikenards, perishing –
And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell –
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay –
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
2. 
TEXT
TIME 54
Which of these is not something the grass does?
a) Entertain bees
b) Dance with ants
c) Hold sunshine
d) Bow to everything
Why do you think the poet chose to capitalize some
words that are not normally capitalized?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
What is the main idea of the fourth stanza (hint:
spikenard is a kind of perfume.)
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
Do you think the title fits the poem?
Why or why not?
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ u
P: reading for detail, style, main idea, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Grass So Little Has to Do
Emily Dickenson
The Grass so little has to do –
A Sphere of simple Green –
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain –
And stir all day to pretty Tunes
The Breezes fetch along –
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything –
And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls –
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing –
And even when it dies – to pass
In Odors so divine –
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep –
Or Spikenards, perishing –
And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell –
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay –
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
2. 
TEXT
TIME 54
Which of these is not something the grass does?
a) Entertain bees
b) Dance with ants
c) Hold sunshine
d) Bow to everything
Why do you think the poet chose to capitalize some
words that are not normally capitalized?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. 
What is the main idea of the fourth stanza (hint:
spikenard is a kind of perfume.)
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
Do you think the title fits the poem?
Why or why not?
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ uu P: reading for detail, style, main idea, evaluation
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Machu Picchu
Around 1450, the Inca people lived in
Peru. They built a city called Machu
Picchu in the Andes mountains. The city
was used for about 100 years. Then the
Incas left and did not come back. For
many years, the city remained hidden. It
was known only to the people who lived
nearby. In 1911 an American archeologist
named Hiram Bingham found the city
while he was working in Peru.
The site stretches for five miles (8046
m) across the mountainside. It is divided
into sections with different areas for
farming, living, royalty, and religious
activities. There are more than 3,000
stone stairs connecting the different
levels and areas of the city.
The Incas were excellent stoneworkers.
They did not use mortar to bind the
stones together. Instead, they carefully
shaped each stone so that it would fit
perfectly against the stones around it.
This method of building has allowed
Machu Picchu to survive several
earthquakes. When an earthquake
occurs, the stones move, but then they
settle back into place.
u IT: author’s purpose, reading for detail, summarizing
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 55
Show What You Know
1. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
2. Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
a)
Machu Picchu was built in 1911.
b)
No one knew about Machu Picchu until Hiram
Bingham discovered it.
The city had an area for farming.
c)
d)
e)
3. 
The Incas used mortar to bind the stones
together.
Machu Picchu has survived several
earthquakes.
Why did so few people know about Machu Picchu
before Hiram Bingham’s discovery?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 4. 
Write a summary of the last paragraph.
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Machu Picchu
Around 1450, the Incas built a city called
Machu Picchu in the Andes mountains in Peru.
The city is believed to have once been a
sacred religious site or perhaps the estate
of a long forgotten ruler or member of
royalty. The city was used for about 100
years before the Incas abandoned it. Machu
Picchu fell into ruins, hidden in the mountains.
For many years, it was known only to those
who lived nearby. Then, in 1911 an American
archeologist named Hiram Bingham
rediscovered the abandoned city while
working in Peru.
The site stretches for five miles (8046
m) across the mountainside. The city was
carefully planned. It is divided into sections
with different areas for farming, living,
royalty, and religious activities. There are
more than 3,000 stone stairs connecting
the different levels and areas of the city.
The Incas were impressive stoneworkers.
They did not use mortar to bind the stones
together. Instead, they carefully shaped
each stone so that it would fit perfectly
against the stones around it. This method of
construction has allowed Machu Picchu to
survive several earthquakes. When an
earthquake occurs, the stones move, but
then they settle back into their original
positions.
uu IT: author’s purpose, reading for detail, summarizing
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 55
Show What You Know
1. 
What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
2. Answer T (true) or F (false) for each statement:
a)
Machu Picchu was built in 1911.
b)
No one knew about Machu Picchu until Hiram
Bingham discovered it.
The city had an area for farming.
c)
d)
e)
3. 
The Incas used mortar to bind the stones
together.
Machu Picchu has survived several
earthquakes.
Why did so few people know about Machu Picchu
before Hiram Bingham’s discovery?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ 4. 
Write a summary of the last paragraph.
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Lizzy’s Lemonade Stand
One hot summer day, Lizzy decided to
have a lemonade stand. She got out her
grandma’s lemonade recipe and made
five pitchers of ice-cold lemonade.
Lizzy set up her stand in front of her
house under the old oak tree. Business
was slow at first, but it got better later.
By 5:00, her pitchers were empty.
Lizzy sold lemonade the next day too.
This time she made ten pitchers of
lemonade. All day long people stopped
their cars to buy her lemonade. By 2:00,
Lizzy was out of lemonade.
The next day, Lizzy had a problem. So
many people wanted to buy her
lemonade that they were causing a huge
traffic jam on her street. People got
very grumpy, especially when Lizzy ran
out of lemonade.
Lizzy felt bad about the traffic jam.
She was about to quit the lemonade
business altogether. Then she got a good
idea! Lizzy emailed the lemonade recipe
to all her friends. The next day, there
were a dozen lemonade stands all
around town. There was enough ice-cold
lemonade for everyone!
u L: character traits, inference, problem-solution
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 56
What are four adjectives you could use to describe
Lizzy?
2. 
1) _____________________
2)_____________________ 3) _____________________
4)_____________________ Why do you think so many more people came to buy
Lizzy’s lemonade on the third day than on the first
day?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
What was Lizzy’s problem?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
How did Lizzy solve her problem?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Lizzy’s Lemonade Stand
One hot summer day, Lizzy decided to
have a lemonade stand. She got our her
grandma’s special recipe and made five
pitchers of ice-cold lemonade.
Lizzy set up her stand in front of her
house under the old oak tree. She charged
just $0.25 a cup. Business was slow at first,
but it picked up in the afternoon and by
5:00, her pitchers were empty.
Lizzy decided to sell lemonade the next
day too. This time she made ten pitchers of
yummy lemonade. All day long people came,
usually in cars, to buy her lemonade. Many
of her customers had been there the day
before and were coming back for more. By
2:00, Lizzy was out of lemonade.
The next day, Lizzy was back with her ten
pitcher of lemonade, but there was a
problem. So many people wanted to buy her
lemonade that they were causing a huge
traffic jam on her street. Everyone was
honking their horns. People got very grumpy,
especially when Lizzy ran out of lemonade.
Lizzy felt terrible about the traffic jam.
She was about to quit the lemonade business
when she suddenly got a brilliant idea! Lizzy
emailed her grandma’s special recipe to all
of her friends. The next day, there were a
dozen lemonade stands all around town and
enough ice-cold lemonade for everyone!
uu L: character traits, inference, problem-solution
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 56
What are four adjectives you could use to describe
Lizzy?
1) _____________________ 2)_____________________ 3) _____________________ 4)_____________________ 2. 
Why do you think so many more people came to buy
Lizzy’s lemonade on the third day than on the first
day?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
What was Lizzy’s problem? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 4. 
How did Lizzy solve her problem?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Wind Power
Wind can be used to make electricity.
Giant wind mills, which are called wind
turbines, are used all over the world.
As the wind blows across the blades of
the turbine, a pole called a shaft spins.
The spinning shaft powers a generator
to make electricity. The electricity is
then sent through power lines into
homes, schools, and business.
Wind energy is a clean and renewable
source of power. It is clean because it
does not cause pollution. It is renewable
because we will never run out of wind.
Some other sources of energy, such as
coal and oil are neither clean nor
renewable.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 57
Put these events in the correct order to show how
wind generates electricity.
The shaft spins.
Electricity is sent through power lines.
Wind blows across the turbine blades.
The generator makes electricity.
The spinning shaft powers a generator.
2. 
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. 
Why isn’t oil a renewable source of energy?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What does the diagram show?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ How is it related to the text?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ u IT: sequence, main idea, vocabulary, interpreting an illustration
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Wind Power
We create electricity in many different
ways. One way that is growing in popularity
is wind power. Giant wind mills, called wind
turbines are used all over the world to
generate electricity.
As the wind blows across the blades of the
turbine, a pole called a shaft also spins. The
spinning shaft powers a generator to make
electricity. The electricity is sent through
power lines into homes, schools, and business.
Wind energy is a clean and renewable
source of power. It is clean because it does
not cause pollution or harm the environment.
It is renewable because we will never run out
of wind. Some other sources of energy, such
as coal and oil are neither clean nor
renewable.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 57
Put these events in the correct order to show how
wind generates electricity.
The shaft spins.
Electricity is sent through power lines.
Wind blows across the turbine blades.
The generator makes electricity.
The spinning shaft powers a generator.
2. 
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. 
Why isn’t oil a renewable source of energy?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
What does the diagram show?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ How is it related to the text?
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ uu IT: sequence, main idea, vocabulary, interpreting an illustration
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Wind and the Sun
(an Aesop’s Fable)
One day the Wind and the Sun were
having an argument. The Wind said that
he was the most powerful, but the Sun
disagreed. The Sun thought she was the
strongest.
Just then they saw a man walking
through the mountains. This gave the Sun
and idea. The Sun said they should have a
contest to see who was the strongest.
“Let us see which of us can make that
man take off his coat,” she said to the
Wind. “Whoever can do that must be the
most powerful. You may go first.”
The Wind was sure he would win. He
began to blow on the man. The man
pulled his coat tightly around himself to
stay warm. The Wind blew harder and
harder, but the man would not give up his
coat. Finally, the Wind gave up in despair.
Now it was the Sun’s turn. The Sun
gently shone upon the man. The air
warmed and the man grew hot. It was
not long before he took off his coat.
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 58
1.  What type of figurative language is being used to tell
this story?
a) simile
b) personification
c) alliteration
d) onomatopoeia
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
2. 
What effect did the Wind have on the man?
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. 
What caused the man to take off his coat?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
Which of these is the moral or message of the
fable?
a) A gentle touch can be a more powerful force.
b) Sun is more powerful than wind.
c) Contests are a good way to decide things.
d) You should keep you coat on in the wind.
u
L: figurative language, cause and effect, theme
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Wind and the Sun
(an Aesop’s Fable)
It happened that one day the Wind and the
Sun were having an argument. The Wind
claimed he was the most powerful, but the
Sun disagreed, saying that it was she who
held the most power.
Just then they spotted a man walking
through the mountains. The Sun proposed a
contest to see who was the strongest.
“Let us see which of us can make that man
take off his coat,” she said. “Whoever can do
that must surely be the strongest. You may
go first.”
“This will be easy,” replied the Wind
confidently, and he began to blow on the man.
He thought it would be a simple thing to blow
the coat off of the man, but as the wind
increased, the man only pulled it more tightly
around himself. The Wind blew harder and
harder, but the man grew colder and would
not give up his coat. Exhausted, the Wind
finally gave up in despair.
“Go ahead and try,” he said to the Sun,
“but you will never get that stubborn fool to
shed his coat.”
The Sun did not reply, but instead gently
shone upon the man. The air warmed and the
man grew hot walking in the sun. It was not
long before he took off his coat.
uu L: figurative language, cause and effect, theme
Name
Date
Show What You Know
TEXT
TIME 58
1.  What type of figurative language is being used to tell
this story?
a) simile
b) personification
c) alliteration
d) onomatopoeia
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
2. 
What effect did the Wind have on the man?
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3. 
What caused the man to take off his coat?
_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
4. 
Which of these is the moral or message of the
fable?
a) A gentle touch can be a more powerful force.
b) Sun is more powerful than wind.
c) Contests are a good way to decide things.
d) You should keep you coat on in the wind.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Hooray for Peanut Butter!
Unless you are allergic to peanuts,
you have probably eaten many peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches. In fact, the
average child will eat about 1,500
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
before he or she graduates from high
school. Peanut butter is eaten in 94% of
American households.
Most people eat peanut butter
because they like the taste, but peanut
butter is good for you too! Peanut
butter is packed with protein. Protein
helps your muscles and body to grow.
It is also full of vitamins and minerals.
In addition, peanut butter contains
fiber, which helps your digestive
system to run smoothly.
Even though peanut butter is a
healthy food, it should still be eaten in
moderation. Peanut butter is high in fat
and calories. A healthy diet should not
include more than two tablespoons of
peanut butter a day. There are about
720 peanuts in a single 16 ounce (454
g) jar of peanut butter. That means a
serving of just two tablespoons
contains about 50 peanuts!
u IT: author’s purpose, main idea, context clues, details
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 59
Show What You Know
1.  What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
2. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
4. 
What does the term “in moderation” in the last
paragraph mean? a) frequently
b) with limits
c) slowly
d) with jelly
Write three interesting facts from the text about
peanut butter: 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Hooray for Peanut Butter!
Unless you are allergic to peanuts, you
have probably eaten dozens, maybe even
hundreds of peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches. In fact, according to the
National Peanut Board, the average child
will eat about 1,500 peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches before he or she
graduates from high school. Peanut butter
is eaten in 94% of American households.
Most people eat peanut butter because
they like the taste, but peanut butter is
good for you too! Peanut butter is packed
with protein. Protein helps your muscles
and body to grow. It is also full of
vitamins and minerals. For example, peanut
butter is high in the mineral potassium,
which can prevent high blood pressure,
strokes, and cardio-vascular disease. In
addition, peanut butter contains fiber,
which helps your digestive system to run
smoothly.
Even though peanut butter is a healthy
food, it should still be eaten in moderation.
Peanut butter is high in fat and calories,
so a healthy diet should not include more
than two tablespoons of peanut butter a
day. There are about 720 peanuts in a
single 16 ounce (454 g) jar of peanut
butter. That means a serving of just two
tablespoons contains about 50 peanuts!
uu IT: author’s purpose, main idea, context clues, details
Name
Date
TEXT
TIME 59
Show What You Know
1.  What is the author’s purpose?
a) to persuade
b) to inform
c) to entertain
How do you know? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
2. 
What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 3. 
4. 
What does the term “in moderation” in the last
paragraph mean? a) frequently
b) with limits
c) slowly
d) with jelly
Write three interesting facts from the text about
peanut butter: 1)_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 3)____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Fisherman
by Abbie Farwell Brown
The fisherman goes out at dawn
When every one’s abed,
And from the bottom of the sea
Draws up his daily bread.
His life is strange ; half on the shore
And half upon the sea —
Not quite a fish, and yet not quite
The same as you and me.
The fisherman has curious eyes ;
They make you feel so queer,
As if they had seen many things
Of wonder and of fear.
They’re like the sea on foggy days, —
Not gray, nor yet quite blue ;
They ‘re like the wondrous tales he tells
Not quite — yet maybe — true.
He knows so much of boats and tides,
Of winds and clouds and sky !
But when I tell of city things,
He sniffs and shuts one eye !
u
P: figurative language, inference
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 60
What does the line: Draws up his daily bread at the
end of the first stanza mean?
a) gets loaves of bread from the sea
b) draws pictures of fish
c) gets his food for the day from the sea
d) draws pictures of the fish he will eat each day
2. 
Why does the narrator say the fisherman’s life is
strange?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
3. 
What two similes does the author use to describe the
fisherman’s eyes? 1)_____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ 4. 
How does the fisherman feel about the city?
__________________________________________________
What makes you think so?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
The Fisherman
by Abbie Farwell Brown
The fisherman goes out at dawn
When every one’s abed,
And from the bottom of the sea
Draws up his daily bread.
His life is strange ; half on the shore
And half upon the sea —
Not quite a fish, and yet not quite
The same as you and me.
The fisherman has curious eyes ;
They make you feel so queer,
As if they had seen many things
Of wonder and of fear.
They’re like the sea on foggy days, —
Not gray, nor yet quite blue ;
They ‘re like the wondrous tales he tells
Not quite — yet maybe — true.
He knows so much of boats and tides,
Of winds and clouds and sky !
But when I tell of city things,
He sniffs and shuts one eye !
uu P: figurative language, inference
Name
Date
Show What You Know
1. 
TEXT
TIME 60
What does the line: Draws up his daily bread at the
end of the first stanza mean?
a) gets loaves of bread from the sea
b) draws pictures of fish
c) gets his food for the day from the sea
d) draws pictures of the fish he will eat each day
2. 
Why does the narrator say the fisherman’s life is
strange?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
3. 
What two similes does the author use to describe the
fisherman’s eyes? 1)_____________________________________________________ 2)_____________________________________________________ 4. 
How does the fisherman feel about the city?
__________________________________________________
What makes you think so?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Mark it Up!
Mark it Up!
Number each paragraph
Number each paragraph
Underline main ideas
Underline main ideas
Important details
Important details
Unfamiliar words
Unfamiliar words
Parts you understand
Parts you understand
Parts you find confusing
Parts you find confusing
Parts you find
interesting or surprising
Parts you find
interesting or surprising
Talk back to the text:
Talk back to the text:
•
Write quick summaries.
•
Write quick summaries.
•
Jot down your
•
Jot down your
thoughts about the text.
Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
thoughts about the text.
Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Comparing Two Passages - Chart
Write the titles of the
two passages in the
boxes to the right.
Then fill in the chart.
Name
Date
Passage 1:
Passage 2
What is the author’s
purpose?
☐persuade ☐inform ☐entertain
☐persuade ☐inform ☐entertain
From what point of view
is the passage written?
☐first person ☐second person
☐first person ☐second person
Write a summary for
each of the passages.
What are three
important things you
learned or important
parts of each passage?
1
1
2
2
3
3
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
www.rachel-lynette.com
Comparing Two Passages – Graphic Organizer Name
Title 1:
Date
Title 2:
The Same
Different:
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Different:
www.rachel-lynette.com
Comparing Two Passages – Written Response Name
1.  Which two passages did you read?
2. 
Summarize the first passage: Date
and
3. 
Summarize the second passage: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
4. 
How are the passages similar? __________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. 
How are the passages different? _______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. 
Which passage was the most informative?
___________________________________________
7. 
Which passage was the most interesting?
___________________________________________
Why?______________________________________ Why?______________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
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Text Time Answer Keys 1-6 (some answers will vary)
A Real Life Batman
TT 1
1.  Daniel uses echolocation to get around,
just like a bat does.
At the Amusement Park
1. 
2.  No, because the text states that Daniel
cannot see colors.
3.  He describes it as seeing with dim flashes
of light.
2. 
TT 2
1) Justin is not very responsible
because he lost track of his brother.
2) Justin is probably a teenager because
he is in charge of his brother and he has a
texting phone.
3, 5, 1, 2, 4
3.  Justin lost his little brother at the
amusement park, but then he found him
again.
4.  c – not planning well for the future.
Be a Tree Detective
TT 3
1.  b.
2.  No, because you cannot get a slice out
of the trunk unless the tree has been cut
down.
3.  A tree will have thin rings if it has been a
bad year and it has not gotten enough
sunlight and water.
4.  b – between 30 and 50 years old
4.  d – It is important to take responsibilities
seriously.
California Bound!
TT 4
So Many Satellites
TT 5
1.  c - Historical fiction because it is about a
girl on a wagon train and people really did
travel that way to California before there
were cars and trains.
1.  A machine that people make and send
into space to orbit the earth.
2.  1) The rain made the wheels stick. 2) The
rain made the river swell, which made it
dangerous to cross.
3.  Geostationary orbit is when a satellite
moves at the same rate as the Earth
does.
3.  Pa is worried they will not make it to the
mountains by late fall.
4.  b to inform – The author gives a lot of
information about artificial satellites
including what they are used for and how
fast they travel.
4.  Little House on the Prairie - Laura wore a
bonnet and called her parents Ma and Pa.
2.  There are many different kinds of
satellites
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Victory
TT 6
1.  This poem is about a girl who is at the
starting line of a foot race imagining
what it will be like to win.
2.  Because a real heart beats over and
over again.
3.  In the first line the weight in her heart is
a feeling or being worried, but in the
third line the weight is a medal for
winning.
4.  c - because the poet says that, “she
gritted her teeth” and “she paused.”
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Text Time Answer Keys 7-12 (some answers will vary)
Insects for Dinner
TT 7
1.  Eating insects.
2.  1) Raising insects costs less than raising
livestock 2) Insects take up less space.
3) Insects take less time to raise because
they have short lifespans.
The Gorilla and the Monkey
TT 8
1.  a fable – because the story is short, it is
about animals that talk, and it teaches a
lesson.
2.  Gorilla gave Monkey a banana to thank
him for bringing him water from the river.
3.  a - the says that raising insects doesn’t
cost much and is better for the earth than
raising livestock. The author also points
out that insects are good for you and
good tasting.
3.  Gorilla had all the bananas and would not
share any with Baboon. Instead of asking
for a banana, Monkey offered Gorilla
water and Gorilla thanked him with a
banana.
4.  Yes, because they might taste good!
4.  c
Why I am Afraid of Balloons
Author Louis Sachar
TT 10
1.  a – first person because the author is
telling a story about herself. In the first
paragraph, she says, “I’m afraid of
balloons.”
2.  She tried to take a bite out of a balloon
when she was little because she thought
it was something to eat and the noise
scared her.
3.  crazy
4.  1) She is probably around ten years old
because she was invited to her friend’s
10th birthday 2) She is a girl because all
the guests at the party were girls.
TT 11
1.  c - biography
2.  Authors often use real-life people and
experiences in their fictional stories. 1)
Sachar based his Wayside School book
on kids he met at Hillside 2) Sachar
based the character of Carla on his own
wife.
3.  Because working with kids at Hillside
inspired him to become a children’s
author.
4.  Who did he base Bradly Chalkers from
There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom on?
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Alligator or Crocodile?
TT 9
1.  d – compare and contrast
2.  They are reptiles, they have sharp teeth,
and they live in the water.
3.  Crocodiles live in salt water and have Vshaped jaws They also have teeth that
stick out on their lower jaws. Alligators
live in fresh water. They have U shaped
snouts and their teeth don’t stick out.
4.  crocodile – It has a narrow snout and
you can see the teeth sticking out.
A Boy’s Summer Song
TT 12
1.  In the country, probably on a farm
because he mentions hay and a barn
and talks about fishing and swimming in
a brook.
2.  d – onomatopoeia and alliteration
3.  joyful and happy: Ah that is the best of
joys, Ha, Ha!
4.  (answers will vary!) No – girls can do
whatever boys can. Or, Yes, girls were
more limited back then. Or yes, girl does
not rhyme with joy so would have to
change.
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Text Time Answer Keys 13-18 (some answers will vary)
The Pony Express
TT 13
My Brother the Rider
TT 14
One Country or Four
TT 15
1.  a) 1860, b)1,966 miles c) 34,700, d) 184
1.  a) first person, Will is the narrator
1.  The United Kingdom
2.  Pony express riders rode from station to
station on the route that stretched from St.
Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento,
California.
2.  Riders could be caught in blizzards and
freeze to death. They can be attacked by
bandits. They could also run into
unfriendly Indians.
3.  Pony express riders rode at a gallop and
did not need to pull a heavy stage coach
or wagon. Also they traded horses and
riders along the route so no one got too
tired.
3.  James changes his mind because when
he thinks about his own experiences, he
realizes how dangerous it is.
2.  No, because the United Nations and the
US do not recognize England as a
country. Or Yes, because the people
who live there feel that they live in a
country and people often consider them
to be countries.
4.  b – not as helpful
The Case of the Missing Poodle
TT 16
4.  b – historical fiction. Because the Pony
Express really happened.
3.  Great Briton is an island. It includes the
countries of England, Scotland, and
Whales.
A Quarterback who Gives Back
Little-Girl-Two-Little-Girls
TT 17
1.  a – mystery
1.  b
2.  Inspector Ambrose: solves the mystery.
Mrs. Lawson: brings the problem to the
inspector. Pricilla is the dog who is
missing and Sarah Wellington is an
important part of Mrs. Lawson’s story.
2.  Wilson tries never to forget that you can
affect other people’s lives in a positive
way.
3.  Sarah Wellington’s new hat. It means it
was very expensive.
4.  Because it is raining out and so the
women would not have stopped to chat.
4.  1) Northern Ireland is not on the island
of Great Briton. 2) Scotland is north of
England.
TT 18
1.  Because her mother says she is two
people, a good little girl and a bad little
girl.
2.  a – ABBBA , AABB
3.  1) Wilson visits sick kids every Tuesday,
even after his team lost the Super Bowl.
2) Wilson runs camps for poor kids.
3.  because he is speaking in the voice of
the little girl. It helps to hear the girl
talking in your head.
4.  b – to inform This passage is informing
the reader about Wison’s Charitable
works. It tells about his work with kids in
the hospital and at his summer camps.
4.  1) she is probably between 4 and 8
years old – young enough for dolls. 2)
she is moody. 3) she wants to be good
and make her mother happy.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
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Text Time Answer Keys 19-24 (some answers will vary)
Mission to Mars
TT 19
1.  Despite many challenges, the Mars One
organization plans to set up a colony on
Mars by 2027.
2.  1) Mars is really cold. 2) The radiation in
the atmosphere is poisonous. 3) They
would need to make energy and
breathable air.
3.  Because there is no way to launch a
spacecraft from Mars.
4.  No, because the challenges are too big
and it would be too expensive.
Pandora’s Box
TT 22
A New Life on Mars
TT 20
The Layers of the Earth
1.  d because it takes place in the future and
in space.
1.  a) T b) F c) T d) T
2.  c – metaphor and hyperbole, the tin can is
the transport ship.
3.  His parents got engineering jobs at the
Colony.
4.  Brandon is unhappy about going to Mars
because he liked his life on Earth. He
likes sports and you can’t even go outside
on Mars.
Coniferous and Deciduous Tress
TT 23
TT 21
2.  d - sequence. The text starts at the top
layer of the earth and works it’s way
inward. The layers are all explained in
order.
3.  They are both very hot and composed of
metal.
4.  The diagram shows the different layers
of the Earth. It helps the reader to see
how thick each layer is and where it is
located.
Brother and Sister
TT 24
1.  a – curious The text says that she
wondered what was inside the box. She
was so curious that she ended up
opening it.
1.  c – compare and contrast The passage
compares two kinds of trees and tells how
they are different from each other.
1.  1) b 2) d 3) a 4) c
2.  a – a little bit at a time
2.  This myth explains why bad things
happen like sickness or feeling sad or
hateful.
3.  Deciduous trees don’t grow in winter
because they do not have leaves to the
collect sunlight and water they need to
grow.
3.  He wants to cook his sister into an Irish
stew!
3.  The moral of this story is that curiosity can
be very dangerous!
4.  a) D b) D c) C d) D
4.  The gods put Hope into the box so that
humans would not be overwhelmed with
all that bad things that came out of the
box.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
2.  The brother wants is sister to go to bed
but she refuses to obey him.
4.  Tense because the brother and sister
are fighting and the brother wants to
cook his sister! Or Funny because
children don’t actually try to cook their
siblings. Answers will vary!
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Text Time Answer Keys 25-30 (some answers will vary)
The Invention of Earmuffs
TT 25
Hamster Adventures
TT 26
Too Much Sugar!
TT 27
1.  c – Problem Solution Chester’s problem
was that his ears were cold while skating.
He solved his problem by inventing
earmuffs.
1.  Alex was excited because he wanted to
show his parents that he was responsible
enough to take care of a pet.
1.  a) to persuade The author tells how bad
sugary drinks are for you and also tells
you how you can drink less sugar.
2.  c
2.  Chester used wire, beaver fur, and velvet.
3.  Alex’s parents gave him a puppy because
Alex proved he was responsible by taking
such good care of Nibbles.
2.  The picture relates to the text because it
shows what ten teaspoons of sugar (the
amount in a can of Coke) looks like.
3.  Chester went on to run a factory to make
earmuffs.
4.  d – Sequence The author starts with the
opening of the factory, then tells about
making earmuffs for soldiers in World War
I, about his Greenwood’s death and into
the present.
4.  c – third person. The story begins by
saying that Alex was so excited, so we
know it is third person.
Kirla’s Quest
Mountain Food Chains
TT 28
1.  c fantasy because there is a mythical
creature, a dragon. Also, Kirla has an
enchanted sword.
TT 29
3.  1) Sugar can cause diseases 2) Sugar
can cause you to gain weight.
4.  c – the first paragraph is about the
problem and the second one gives
solutions.
Which are You
TT 30
2.  Craull destroyed everything.
1.  Plants and animals all depend on each
other for survival because animals eat
plants and other animals eat those
animals. They need each other to survive.
3.  cruel
2.  a ) T b) T F d) F
2.  Lifter: a person who helps others.
Leaner: a person who is lazy and
always needs help.
4.  Kirla will kill the dragon because her
sword is enchanted. Then she will bring
all the people back to the Anslor. The king
will give her half the treasure and she will
marry the princess and live happily ever
after (answers will vary)
3.  c – easily broken or damaged
3.  It’s better to be a lifter and help people.
4.  If hunters killed most of the snow leopards
there would too many blue sheep. All
those blue sheep would eat all the grass
and then they would all starve when it
was all gone.
4.  I am a lifter because I help around the
house and I help my little brother with
his homework. At school I lend people
pencils and try to help when I can.
(answers will vary)
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
1.  sinner/saint, rich/poor, humble/proud,
happy/sad, lifters/leaners
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Text Time Answer Keys 31-36 (some answers will vary)
Sojourner Truth
TT 31
Snow Day
TT 32
1.  d - biography
1.  suit yourself a – do what you want.
2.  2, 5, 1, 4, 3
2.  I think at first they were surprised that
their mom was making a snowman, but
then they felt like they were missing out
on something fun.
3.  Sojourner Truth is an important person in
American history because she was an
abolitionist who helped people see why
slavery is wrong.
4.  a
3.  Luke and Isabel didn’t want to play in the
snow until they saw their mom having fun
building a snowman. Then they all had
fun in the snow.
4.  Luke and Isabel would have stayed
inside.
The Best Day Ever!
TT 34
1.  a – first person (or first dog) Willy is the
narrator and he is a dog.
2.  4, 1, 5, 3, 2
3.  Willy thinks school is a bus because
whenever Logan goes to school, he takes
the bus and Willy only sees the bus.
4.  I think the author uses the word best so
often because she is showing how Willy is
so enthusiastic about everything and how
he really loves almost everything that
happens to him.
Our Incredible Sun
TT 35
1.  The sun is very big and very hot.
2.  The sun makes energy by converting
hydrogen into helium. The process is
called nuclear fusion.
3.  We need the sun for light, heat, and
energy.
4.  b – to inform I know because the author
gives a lot of facts about the sun.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
Animal Bedtimes
TT 33
1.  Some animals need a lot of sleep and
others do not need much sleep at all.
2.  1) Brown bats spend most of their lives
sleeping 2) Lions sleep a lot more than
giraffes.
3.  Scientists think that animals that get
eaten sleep more because they are
usually safe when they sleep.
4.  Disagree because it shows that goats
and rabbits sleep less than lions. If the
scientists were correct, they would sleep
more.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening TT 36
1.  1) The first, second and fourth lines of
the first three stanzas rhyme. 2) all four
lines in the last stanza rhyme.
2.  Because he doesn’t know why they
have stopped there.
3.  There are woods and a lake. There are
no farmhouses nearby and it is snowing.
4.  No, because he says that he has
promises to keep and miles to go before
he sleeps, so he will need to get going
soon.
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Text Time Answer Keys 37-42 (some answers will vary)
Amazing Anacondas
TT 37
1.  a – squeeze
2.  a) T b) F c) F d) T
3.  An anaconda waits for its prey in the
water. It attacks suddenly and coils its
body around the victim and squeeze until
the animal can’t breathe. Sometimes it
drowns the prey.
I Saw an Anaconda!
TT 38
1.  The Amazon Rainforest I would see lots
of trees, pants and animals like sloths and
insects.
2.  Fredi is the tour guide. He is important to
the story because he stops the boat and
tells everyone about anacondas. He also
keeps everyone safe!
The Population of Australia
TT 39
1.  Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth,
and Adelaide
2.  a – inner part because it says that not
many people live there and the map
shows that not many people live on the
inner part of the country.
3.  Not many people live in the outback
because it is really dry and hot.
4.  1) How big is a male anaconda? 2) How
often do anacondas need to eat? 3) How
long do anacondas live?
3.  The narrator saw an anaconda capture,
kill, and eat a caiman.
4.  sequence
4.  The text talks about how most of the
people live in the southeast and the map
shows that.
Sam and the Swim Team
The Early Life of Benjamin Franklin TT 41
Chicago Poet
1.  c – biography because Benjamin Franklin
was a real person and this was about part
of his childhood.
2.  d - helper
1.  a mirror, because the narrator says that,
“Everything I did he did.” So, he is
seeing his own reflection. He is the
narrator.
3.  Ben tricked his brother by pretending to
be a widow and writing letters to the
paper. His brother did not know it was him
and put them in the paper.
2.  He does not feel good about himself
because he calls himself a nobody. He
also calls himself a liar, a fool and a
dreamer
4.  a) F b) F c) O d) O f) F
3.  dusty drinker of dust.
TT 40
1.  Sam’s community pool.
a) lifeguard chairs, water, diving board, clock
b) voices echoing, splashing, life guards
c) wet! cold if not in the water, tired, happy
d) chlorine
2. 
He wanted to get better so he could
make the team.
3. 
a- persistent Sam does not give up even
after not making the team. He practices
every day and listens to the coach.
4.  c – Persistence pays off.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
TT 42
4.  Sad and despairing. It feels like this guy
doesn’t have a lot to live for and is not
very happy (answers will vary)
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Text Time Answer Keys 43-48 (some answers will vary)
Conductors and Insulators
TT 43
Safety First
TT 44
Hurricanes
TT 45
1.  My body conducts electricity because it is
mostly water and water is a conductor.
1.  1) Oliver’s bedroom 2) the hardware
store 3) the workshop in the garage.
1.  Hurricanes begin over warm ocean
water.
2.  a) C b) I c) I d) C e) C f) I
2.  3, 5, 1, 4, 2
3.  If you see a damaged electrical cord you
should tell an adult because it is
dangerous. The unprotected wire could
electrocute someone. The adult needs to
fix it or throw it away.
3.  Mom replaces the cord because wrapping
it in electrical tape would not be safe
enough.
2.  Hurricanes are classified from 1-5 by
their wind speed.
4.  b – a picture of electrical power lines.
4.  I think the story is titled Safety First!
because Oliver does not vacuum his room
after he discovers the damaged cord. He
and his mom fix it first. So, he put safety
first!
Jamie and the Bear
Staying Safe in the Sun
TT 46
1.  d – tall tale because parts of the story are
exaggerated and don’t seem very likely to
have really happened, like Claire hitting
he bear with a fish.
2.  The were looking for a place to
homestead.
3.  Jamie was as strong as a dozen men.
4.  The author writes like a frontier man from
the 1700s might talk. The writing makes it
sound like someone is telling the story. It
sounds like the narrator knew Jamie and
Claire personally.
TT 47
1.  Too much exposure to UV rays from the
sun can be dangerous.
2.  UV rays can cause sunburns. They can
also cause diseases like skin cancer and
eye damage. They can also hurt your
immune system.
3.  1) wear love sleeves and pants. 2) wear
a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. 3)
play in the shade.
4.  b – problem and solution
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
3.  No, all tropical storms do not become
hurricanes because the author says that
a tropical storm is only classified as a
hurricane if the winds reach 74 MPH.
4.  1) A category 3 storm can reach wind
speeds of up to 130 MPH. 2) A category
5 storm causes catastrophic damage.
3) A storm that causes minimal damage
is level 1.
The Wind
TT 48
1.  The author is talking to the wind.
2.  personification 1) Oh wind that sings so
loud a song 2) But always you yourself
you hid.
3.  The last two lines are the same in all
three stanzas.
4.  d – curious In the last stanza, the
narrator asks questions about the wind
because he is wondering about what it
is.
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Text Time Answer Keys 49-54 (some answers will vary)
Reading to Rover
TT 49
1.  Many students would rather read to a dog
because dogs do not correct their
mistakes or expect them to read faster.
They just listen.
2.  Since Linda is a student, it helps to hear
her point of view about reading to a dog.
3.  Since Francine Alexander is the chief
academic officer at a well known
publisher, it adds authority to the text to
see her agree with what Linda said.
4.  b
An Ancient Soldier
TT 52
Super Cheese Man to the Rescue
TT 50
TT 51
1.  I think the Super-Freeze-Zapper is an ice
cannon that freezes everything it hits.
1.  Emperor Qin Shi Huang had them
made.
2.  The Mad Clown was trying to take over
the world. Super Cheese Man saved the
day by using his cheesy powers to
destroy the Super-Freeze-Zapper and
capture the clown.
2.  The text says that the soldiers stand in
lines inside trenches and the picture
shows that.
3.  I would draw Super Cheese Man throwing
melted cheese in front of the Mad Clown.
3.  b – to inform because the text gives
information about the soldiers, it does
not tell a story or try to convince the
reader to do anything.
4.  I agree because Super Cheese Man is a
silly idea for a super hero. Also I thought it
was funny when he threw the Swiss
cheese.
4.  1) Are the faces of real people? 2)
Were slaves forced to make the
soldiers? 3) Why did the king make so
many?
Ice Cream in a Baggie
The Grass So Little Has to Do
TT 53
1.  One of the terracotta soldiers in China. I
know because it is written in first person
and he talks about guarding Qin Shi
Huang.
1.  The bulleted list makes it easier to read
and to see what ingredients you will need
and not miss any.
2.  The people who come to look are tourists.
3.  The salt lowers the temperature of the
melting ice so that the ice cream will
freeze.
3.  I think he was proud that his clothing was
bright and colorful when it was first
painted, but now he is faded. I think it
makes him sad that the tourists have
colorful clothes and he doesn’t.
China’s Terracotta Soldiers
2.  2, 4, 5, 3, 1
4.  b – Fun and Easy Recipes for Kids
4.  c - personification
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
TT 54
1.  b – Dance with Ants
2.  I think the poet capitalizes some
important words to show emphasis, so
that the reader will really notice those
words.
3.  When grass dies, it smells good.
4.  No, because actually, the grass does
quite a bit. It hangs out with insects and
stirs in the breeze and holds sunshine
and threads pearls. I think the grass is
quite busy!
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Text Time Answer Keys 55-60 (some answers will vary)
Machu Piccchu
TT 55
Lizzy’s Lemonade Stand
TT 56
Wind Power
TT 57
1.  b – to inform
1.  clever, generous, industrious, persistent
1.  2, 5, 1, 4, 3
2.  a) F b) F c) T, d) F e) T
2.  More people came on the third day
because they had heard about Lizzy’s
yummy lemonade from their friends. Also,
she had some repeat customers.
2.  Wind energy is a clean and renewable
source of power.
3.  Lizzy’s problem was that the people who
wanted to buyer her lemonade caused a
traffic jam.
4.  Lizzy solved her problem by sharing her
recipe so there would be a lot of
lemonade stands.
4.  The diagram shows how wind is used to
generate electricity and how the
electricity travels to buildings to be used.
It is related to the text because the
second paragraph of the text explains
this process.
Hooray for Peanut Butter
The Fisherman
3.  So few people knew about the city
because it was hidden in the Andes
Mountains.
4.  The Incas shaped their stones carefully
so that they would fit perfectly together
without mortar.
The Wind and the Sun
TT 58
1.  b – personification because the Sun and
the Wind are talking as if they are people.
2.  The Wind caused the man to pull his coat
around him more tightly.
3.  The Sun caused the man to take off his
coat by warming the air so he would get
hot.
4.  a
TT 59
3.  Oil is not renewable because if we keep
using it, someday we will use all of it up.
TT 60
1.  b – to inform because the author gives
lots of facts about peanut butter. He tells
what a healthy serving is, but does not try
to convince us to eat peanut butter.
1.  c
2.  Peanut butter is good for you.
3.  1)like the sea on foggy days 2) like the
wondrous tales he tells.
3.  b – with limits.
4.  1) Peanut butter is eaten in 94% of
houses in America, 2) Peanut has a lot of
protein. 3) There are about 50 peanuts in
two Tablespoons of peanut butter.
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
2.  the poet says his life is strange because
he lives half his life on land and half on
the sea.
4.  I do not think he likes the city because
when he is told about the city he sniffs
and shuts one eye.
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