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©2019readingspecialty

2019readingspecialty
2019readingspecialty
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Comprehending Nonfiction
²   Differentiated passages connected to a calendar event or completely stand-alone to be used whenever you like. Mix and match or follow the calendar suggestions.
²   Readability tested using a minimum of 5 formulas giving you three levels of a passage for use in your classroom
Passage 1 — reading level grades 9-10
Passage 2 — reading level grade 8
Passage 3 — reading level grades 6-7
²   Questions for each passage appear in standardized test format, helping students to
©2019readingspecialty contains these types of questions
²   Main idea
²   Vocabulary
²   Organizational patterns
²   Inference
²   Summarizing
²   One subject with differentiated passage allows teacher to discuss, develop background knowledge, show a video clip and engage the full class yet provide for individual differences.
²   Student progress charting shows teachers and students patterns of errors in specific reading skills.
©2019readingspecialty

Each passage contains 5 comprehension questions. The question numbers are correlated to the following skills:
1 !
Main idea
2 !
Vocabulary
3 !
Organizational patterns including sequencing and chronological order, cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution
4 !
©2019readingspecialty
5 !
Summarization
These same skills are assessed in EACH passage in all differentiated passages in the series. Students graph their results and use the information to determine which skills are most challenging for them and track their progress.
Questions may vary between passages but the answers are all consistent. For example, passages 1,2, and 3 would all have the same letter for the correct answer to the main idea question.
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 1, Page 1
Dating back as early as the late 1500s and
1600s,when cartographers were able to create accurate maps, scientists began to believe the lands bordering the Atlantic had been originally joined. These theories were predecessors to the more complete work of Alfred Wegener.
The theory of continental drift is attributed to
Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and climatologist who developed the theory between 1908-1912. The theory espoused by Wegener states that the broke apart and drifted to their present locations.
Wegener’s theory was explained in a book published in 1915, “The Origin of Continents and
Oceans.”
Evidence for Wegener’s theory included the
“jigsaw theory” which illustrated how the continents originally fit together to form one land mass, called
Pangaea. The term Pangaea is Greek meaning
“whole land.” Wegener’s theory maintains the continents were together about 225 million years ago then broke apart and drifted to their current locations, thus explaining the name continental drift. He contended the continents continue to move.
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 1, Page 2
A second reason Wegener presented as evidence for his theory was that some mountain ranges on different continents seemed to match.
The Appalachian Mountains are nearly identical to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
A third piece of evidence can be found from fossil remains. Fossils have been discovered in coastlines, which match those found on coastlines from different continents. One example is the reptile Mesosaurus which can be found on both hemisphere, but has never been found in another location. These animals would not have been able to travel over water, yet they have been found in two or more disconnected regions. Similar findings have been found with fossilized plants.
Rock sequences were another piece of evidence to try to prove Wegener’s hypothesis. The older (bottom) layers of rock show striking similarities on both sides of the Atlantic ocean, with granite, slate, and sandstone composing the bottom layers of both Africa and South America. The top layers are different, supposedly because they were formed after the continental drift. The top two layers in South America are siltstone and
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 2, Page 3 sandstone while the top two layers in Africa are loess and limestone.
One of the criticisms of Wegener’s work was that he did not provide a strong explanation for the physical drifting of the continents. He suggested the continents were floating on the mantle, which was composed of molten rock. The mantle produced currents causing the drift of the continents. He also believed the Earth’s rotation produced a centrifugal force that caused beliefs, largely because the forces he suggested were not strong enough to create the continental drift.
After his death, new research supported parts of Wegener’s theories. Because of his work, the current theory of plate tectonics is widely accepted. Plate tectonics states the continents exist on plates in the Earth’s lithosphere (crust and upper mantle). These plates move very slowly and are predominantly responsible for the earth’s volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and current land position.
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 1, Page 1
1.
What is the main idea of this passage? a.
Before Alfred Wegener, others believed the jigsaw theory of land positions. b.
Rock sequences help prove Wegener’s hypothesis of the continental drift. c.
Alfred Wegener popularized the theory of continental drift, proposing the continents were once all connected and then broke into their current positions. d.
Not everyone agreed with Wegener, mainly
Wegener suggested would cause the continents to move.
2.
Which is the best ANTONYM for espoused as used in this passage? a.
support b.
defend c.
reject d.
embraced
3.
What is the organizational pattern for paragraphs 3,4,5,6? a.
They are a list of reasons supporting
Wegener’s theory and the order is not important.
©2019readingspecialty

b.
They are in time order with paragraph 3 occurring first and paragraph 6 occurring last. c.
Paragraph 3 (jigsaw theory) caused paragraph 4 (mountain ranges). Paragraph
4 (mountain ranges) caused paragraph 5
(fossil remains) and paragraph 5 (fossil remains) caused paragraph 6 (rock sequences). d.
Paragraph 3 is a definition and paragraph
5,6, and 6 are examples.
4.
What can you infer about Wegener’s theory? a.
©2019readingspecialty b.
Wegener’s theory was not accepted because he was not a scientist. c.
Wegener was the first to suggest the continents had been one land mass and people believed he was crazy. d.
Although it has been modified, many of
Wegener’s ideas are included in the current belief in plate tectonics.
5.
Which is LEAST important in a summary? a. jigsaw theory b. races of people c. fossils d. plate tectonics
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 2, Page 1
Dating back as early as the late 1500s and
1600s, cartographers were able to create accurate maps. Scientists began to believe the lands bordering the Atlantic had been originally joined.
They looked at the shape of the continents and believed they fit together. These theories were forerunners to the more complete work of Alfred
Wegener.
The theory of continental drift is credited to
Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and climatologist. theory stated by Wegener says that the continents were once a single landmass. They broke apart and drifted to their present locations. Wegener’s theory was explained in a book published in 1915, “The
Origin of Continents and Oceans.”
Evidence for Wegener’s theory included the shape of the continents and how they appear to fit together. This is referred to as “jigsaw theory” and shows how the continents began in one land mass, called Pangaea. The term Pangaea is Greek meaning “whole land.” Wegener’s theory maintains the continents were together about 225 million years ago then broke apart and drifted to where they are today, thus explaining the name
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 2, Page 2 continental drift. He believed the continents continue to move.
Mountain ranges provided a second piece of evidence for his theory. Some mountain ranges on different continents seemed to match. The
Appalachian Mountains are nearly identical to the
Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
A third piece of evidence can be found from fossil remains. Fossils have been discovered in coastlines that match fossils found on the coasts
Mesosaurus. This animal can only be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in the southern hemisphere. These animals would not have been able to travel a long distance over water.
Continental drift could explain how they have been found in 2 or more detached regions. Similar findings have been made with fossilized plants.
Rock sequences were another piece of evidence used to prove Wegener’s hypothesis. The older (bottom) layers of rock are alike on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Granite, slate, and sandstone make up the bottom layers of both
Africa and South America. The top layers are different, supposedly because they were formed after the continental drift. The top two layers in
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 2, Page 3
South America are siltstone and sandstone. The top two layers in Africa are loess and limestone.
Not everyone agreed with Wegener’s work.
Critics say that he did not provide a strong explanation for the physical drifting of the continents. He suggested the continents were floating on the mantle that was composed of molten rock. This produced currents causing the drift of the continents. He also believed the Earth’s rotation created a centrifugal force that caused movement largely because the forces he suggested were not strong enough to create the continental drift.
After his death, new research supported parts of Wegener’s theories. Because of his work, the current theory of plate tectonics is widely accepted. Both Wegener’s theory of continental drift and the current plate tectonics research support the idea of an original supercontinent.
Plate tectonics states the continents exist on plates in the Earth’s lithosphere (crust and upper mantle). These plates move very slowly and are mainly responsible for the earth’s volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes and continental movement.
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 2, Page 1
1.
Which question would reflect the main idea of the passage? a.
How does plate tectonics explain differences in weather? b.
Pangaea explains fossil findings in different parts of the world. c.
What is the Continental Drift and where did the theory originate? d.
What do we know about the life of Alfred
Wegener?
2.
©2019readingspecialty word centrifugal? a.
cent (coin) b.
ancient c.
center d.
accent
3.
If you were creating a Venn diagram showing the similarities and differences between
Wegener’s theory of continental drift and current research in plate tectonics, which statement would go in the middle showing it applied to both theories?
©2019readingspecialty

!"#$%&
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Both plate tectonics and continental drift theories suggest a supercontinent that broke apart. b.
Plate tectonics states the continents moved due to movement of the crust of the earth fueled by the internal heat of the earth’s core. c.
Continental drift theory suggested centrifugal continents. d.
The theory of plate tectonics was developed after WWII.
4.
Which of the following would you infer is the most logical explanation for more people supporting the idea of a supercontinent now as opposed to during Wegener’s lifetime? a.
Space travel confirms the existence of
Pangaea. b.
People believed Wegener was crazy and more credible scientists now support the theory. c.
Mapmakers have been able to create more precise maps.
(more choices on next page)
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift d. More scientific evidence continues to support the theory of a supercontinent and movement of the continents.
Passage 2, Page 2
5. Wegener used all of the following to explain his theory of Continental Drift EXCEPT a.
similar land formations b.
similar languages spoken c.
similar rocks d.
similar animals
©2019readingspecialty
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 3, Page 1
As early as the late 1500s and 1600s, cartographers were able to create accurate maps.
Scientists looked at the shapes of the continents.
They seemed to fit together. Scientists began to believe the lands bordering the Atlantic had been originally joined. These theories led the way to the more complete work of Alfred Wegener.
The theory of continental drift is credited to
Alfred Wegener. He was a geophysicist and climatologist. Wegener developed the theory continents were once a single mass. They broke apart and drifted to their present locations.
Wegener’s theory was explained in a book published in 1915, “The Origin of Continents and
Oceans.”
Evidence for Wegener’s theory included the
“jigsaw theory.” Looking at the shape of the continents they can be moved like puzzle pieces to fit together. Wegener called the giant landmass when the continents were all together Pangaea.
The term Pangaea is Greek meaning “whole land.”
His theory maintains the continents were together about 225 million years ago. They broke apart and drifted to where they are today, hence explaining
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 3, Page 2 the name continental drift. He believed the continents continue to move.
Mountain ranges added a second piece of evidence for his theory. Some mountain ranges on different continents seemed to match. The
Appalachian Mountains are nearly identical to the
Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
A third piece of evidence can be found from fossil remains. Fossils have been discovered on coastlines, which match coasts on the other side of the ocean. One example is the reptile Mesosaurus.
©2019readingspecialty
Atlantic Ocean in the southern hemisphere. These animals would not have been able to travel a long distance over water, yet they have been found in 2 separate regions. Similar findings have been made with plant fossils.
Rock sequences were another piece of evidence used to prove Wegener’s idea. The older (bottom) layers of rock are alike on both sides of the Atlantic
Ocean. Granite, slate, and sandstone make up the bottom layers of both Africa and South America. The top layers are different. The reason is likely because they were formed after the continental drift. The top two layers in South America are siltstone and sandstone. The top two layers in Africa are loess and limestone.
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 3, Page 3
Not everyone agreed with Wegener. Critics say that he did not provide a strong explanation for how the continents drifted apart. He suggested the continents were floating on the mantle that was composed of molten rock. This produced currents causing the drift of the continents. He also believed the Earth’s rotation created a centrifugal force that caused movement of the continents. Scientists dismissed his beliefs. They felt the forces he suggested were not strong enough to move the continents.
©2019readingspecialty continued. Some of this work supported parts of
Wegener’s theories. Wegener’s work became the background for plate tectonics. The current theory of plate tectonics is widely accepted. Both
Wegener’s theory of continental drift and the current plate tectonics research support the idea of an original supercontinent. Plate tectonics explains the movement of the continents differently.
According to this belief, the continents exist on plates in the Earth’s lithosphere (crust and upper mantle). These plates move very slowly. They are mainly responsible for the earth’s volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and movement of the continents.
©2019readingspecialty

Continental Drift
Passage 3, Page 1
1.
Which of the following would be the best heading for the fifth paragraph? a.
The Reptile Mesosaurus b.
Fossilized Plants c.
Fossil Evidence Supports Wegener’s
Theories d.
Both Sides of the Atlantic
2. What does the root geo mean in the word geophysicist? a.
b.
©2019readingspecialty c.
earth d.
animals
3. According to Wegener’s theory what happened first? a. All the continents were together as one land mass b. Wegener published “The Origin of Continents and Oceans.” c. Accurate maps were created. d. Centrifugal force and currents caused the continents to drift.
©2019readingspecialty

4.
Which of the following could you infer was essential for Wegener to have developed his theory? a. a degree in climatologist b. the discovery of dinosaur fossils c. trips to both of the poles d. accurate maps
5.
Which statement best summarizes Wegener’s contribution to science? a.
Wegener discovered centrifugal force. b.
Wegener’s theories became the backbone of plate tectonics. c.
©2019readingspecialty d.
Wegener classified rocks and was the first scientist to understand rock layering.
©2019readingspecialty

Answer Key —
All 3 Passages
1 — C-- (Main idea)
2 — C — (Vocabulary)
3 — A — (Organizational pattern)
4 — D--Inferences/Conclusion
5 — B — (Summarization)
©2019readingspecialty
©2019readingspecialty

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Progress Chart Reading Comprehension
Passages
1.
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Write the title of the passage on the bottom of the chart.
2.
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In the column for your article, shade the box by the questions you correctly answered .
Main
Idea
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5!
6!
7!
Vocabulary
Organizational
Patterns
©2019readingspecialty
Inferences
Conclusions
Summarizing
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©2019readingspecialty

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