Reading Comprehension Passage and Assessment: Dragons of the World

Item description

The belief in dragons has been a part of the human experience since approximately 4000 BC. Dragons, both good and evil, have been part of legends and storytelling on every continent on Earth. Although different in important ways, dragons around the world also share some striking similarities. This article examines both Eastern and Western dragons: their appearance, habits, and legends about them. The text concludes with the theory that prehistoric animal bones and dinosaur finds are probably the basis for the belief that these terrifying giants once roamed the planet. This Common Core-aligned informational reading and assessment can be used in Grades 4-8 depending on your students’ ability levels and in a number of ways by teachers (teacher-directed study in class, close reading, independent practice, homework, test prep, etc). This is a high interest article that works equally well with either reluctant readers or in the regular classroom!
The printable includes:
1) An engaging, high-interest informational article of 830 words called “Dragons of the World” Flesch Kincaid Reading Level = 6.5
2) A set of 36 questions, from fill-in-the-blank to more challenging, written to align with these Common Core Informational Text Standards:
RI.4.1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.5.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
RI.6.3. Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
RI.6.5. Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
3) An additional crossword puzzle for early finishers or as an alternative form of assessment.
4) Answers to every question.