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Center for Urban Education: Resources
One-Page Reading/Thinking Passages Aligned with Core Priorities
These passages are listed at their readability level according to the Fry formula.
However, you may want to use a reading from an earlier grade level because the
formula does not factor in conceptual difficulty of a text.
NONFICTION READINGS WITH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
All provide opportunities to develop students' competence for Common Core Anchor Reading Standard 1:
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
For more "readables" that include core skills development, go to Scholastic Teachables
ONE PAGE READINGS (all grades)
Our Streets (2nd grade reading level)
After the Chicago Fire sequence and summarize (3rd grade reading level)
American Explorers evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd grade reading level)
Animal Studies infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Block Clubs infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
The Captain's Job infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Chicago Changes identify and support the main idea in nonfiction texts (3rd grade reading level)
Chicago Fire sequence events, infer motive, and write about nonfiction (3rd grade reading level)
Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish (3rd-5th grade reading level)
Chicago Legacy, DuSable's Choices and Changes locate and use information to analyze a situation, then write about it English / Spanish (3rd-4th grade reading level)
Chicago's First Leader infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
The First Flyers infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
George Washington Carver (3rd grade reading level)
Grant Park write an extended response about a nonfiction reading (3rd grade reading level)
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet (3rd-4th grade reading level)
Learn about Ghana infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Letter to the Mayor evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (Grades 3-4)
Native American Life--Potawatomi Profile (3rd grade reading level)
Native American Life--Potawatomi Profile with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Natural Gas: An Energy Resource infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
A New Park evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd grade reading level)
Pigeon Creek infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Pioneer Families infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Prairie Ecology analyze information in a nonfiction text (3rd grade reading level)
Prairie Ecology with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Read to Learn about Symbols, Maps, and Art evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd grade reading level)
Saving Your Family's Energy Dollar infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Staying in Phoenix summarize a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Transportation Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage (3rd grade reading level)
Traveling West evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd grade reading level)
What is a Fable? evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd-4th grade reading level)
Working at the Hospital evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd-4th grade reading level)
Breaking the Food Chain infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Chicago Changer, Jane Addams infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Chicago High Schools evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (4th grade reading level)
Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish (3rd-5th grade reading level)
Chicago Legacy, DuSable's Choices and Changes locate and use information to analyze a situation, then write about it English / Spanish (3rd-4th grade reading level)
City Government infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
The Early Chicago Environment and People classify information and summarize a nonfiction topic (4th grade reading level)
Learn about Egypt infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
The Football Team identify the main idea (4th grade reading level)
A Garden in Lawndale evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (4th grade reading level)
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet (3rd-4th grade reading level)
Illinois Pioneers and Prairies infer while reading a history (4th grade reading level)
Learning about the Solar System identify the main idea of a passage, write an extended response about a nonfiction passage (4th grade reading level)
Natural Gas: An Energy Resource infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Penguins (4th-5th grade reading level)
Pilsen, A Community Changes identify causes and effects (4th grade reading level)
Plants and Places infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Prairie Changes identify an author's purpose, write an extended response (4th grade reading level)
Prairie Changing the Ecosystem with Multiple Choice Questions analyze information in a nonfiction text (4th grade reading level)
Seasons on the Prairie infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions
Space Food infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Staying in Phoenix infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Today's Telephone infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
Transportation Workers evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (4th grade reading level)
What is a Fable? evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd-4th grade reading level)
Working at the Television Station evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (4th grade reading level)
Working at the Hospital evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (3rd-4th grade reading level)
The Working Tools of Insects infer and support the main idea of a passage (4th grade reading level)
American Explorers infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
Animal Studies infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
Chicago Changer, Jane Addams restate a situation presented in text; write to communicate about a situation (5th grade reading level)
Chicago Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
Chicago Fire infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish (3rd-5th grade reading level)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I can infer the author's purpose (5th grade reading level)
Election Choices infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th-6th grade reading level)
Economic Connections: From Many Places evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (5th grade reading level)
Learn about Ethiopia infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
George Washington Carver (5th grade reading level)
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet (5th-6th grade reading level)
How Did People Solve a Problem? English / Spanish (5th grade reading level)
How Have Students Made Community Progress? analyze a problem and solution in a text, identify and support the main idea (5th grade reading level)
Penguins (4th-5th grade reading level)
Prairie Keepers analyze information in a nonfiction text (5th grade reading level)
Prairie Keepers with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Public Transportation evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (5th grade reading level)
Read to Learn about City Systems evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (5th grade reading level)
Read to Learn about Elections evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (5th grade reading level)
The Recycle Center evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (5th-6th grade reading level)
Reversing the Chicago River identify cause-effect relations and infer predictions (5th grade reading level)
Seasons on the Prairie analyze information in a nonfiction text (5th grade reading level)
Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions
Valley Forge infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th grade reading level)
Who Am I? I Am Two Cultures. sequence events, infer motive, and write about nonfiction (5th grade reading level)
Before Chicago infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th grade reading level)
Chicago's First Leader infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th grade reading level)
The Early Chicago Environment and People classify information and summarize a nonfiction topic (6th grade reading level)
Election Choices infer and support the main idea of a passage (5th-6th grade reading level)
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet (5th-6th grade reading level)
Inferential Questions: Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech (6th-8th grade)
Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th-8th grade)
Learn about Zambia infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th grade reading level)
Learning about the Solar System identify the main idea of a passage, write an extended response about a nonfiction passage (6th grade reading level)
Nutrition Lesson evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (6th grade reading level)
Plants and Food infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th grade reading level)
Prairie Ecology evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (6th grade reading level)
Prairie Ecology with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Settlement analyze information in a nonfiction text (6th grade reading level)
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Seasons on the Prairie infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th grade reading level)
Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Traveling West infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th grade reading level)
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet (7th-8th grade reading level)
Honest Abe infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th-8th grade reading level)
Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (7th-8th grade reading level)
Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th-8th grade)
Learn about Kenya infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th grade reading level)
Learning about the Solar System infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th grade reading level)
Pilsen--A Community Changes identify causes and effects (7th grade reading level)
Prairie Keepers infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th grade reading level)
Prairie Keepers with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th grade reading level)
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Today's Telephone infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th grade reading level)
An African Heritage in Chicago identify and support the main idea in a nonfiction passage (8th grade reading level)
Bold Plans, Big Dreams, City Progress identify and support the theme of a text (8th grade reading level)
Changing the Ecosystem infer and support the main idea of a passage (8th grade reading level)
Changing the Ecosystem with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Chicago is a City of Possibilities: Deval Patrick, Leader for Chicago analyze a text and write an extended response based on it (8th grade reading level)
Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th-8th grade reading level)
George Washington Carver (8th grade reading level)
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet (7th-8th grade reading level)
Honest Abe infer and support the main idea of a passage (7th-8th grade reading level)
Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (7th-8th grade reading level)
Inferential Questions: Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech (8th-10th grade)
Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage (6th-8th grade)
Learn about Physical Therapists evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (8th grade reading level)
Learn about South Africa evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (8th grade reading level)
Maintaining Cultural Continuity infer and support the main idea of a passage (8th grade reading level)
New Leadership analyze a speech (8th grade reading level)
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage (8th grade reading level)
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Transportation Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage (8th grade reading level)
What is Your Own Big Plan? (Barack Obama speech) analyze a text and respond to the issues it presents, write an extended response to a persuasive text (8th grade reading level)
What Values Have Shaped Chicago? identify the main idea of a passage (8th grade reading level)
Why is Community Service Important? identify the main idea and supporting information (8th grade reading level)
Chicago High Schools infer predictions (8th-10th grade reading level)
Chicago Legacy: DuSable's Choices and Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage (8th-10th grade reading level)
Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage (8th-10th grade reading level)
Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech(8th-10th grade reading level)
Frederick Douglass Speech on Women's Suffrage (8th-10th grade reading level)
John F. Kennedy's Remarks in the Rudolph Wilde Platz, Berlin (8th-10th grade reading level)
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (8th-10th grade reading level)
President Barack Obama's Speech to Students (8th-10th grade reading level)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (8th-10th grade reading level)
For more "readables" that include core skills development, go to Scholastic Teachables