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Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateThings to Do in MaineMaine has 2,500 lakes and ponds for summerfun. There are more than 400 islands alongthe coast. People swim, fish, and sail offthese islands. Visitors enjoy eating in Maine,too. The state grows most of the blueberriesin the United States. In Maine, you can eatblueberry pie and lobster all summer long!Read the paragraph. Then answer the questions.1. What does Maine have along its coast?2. What fruit does Maine grow?3. What other food is Maine known for?Add three more details to the web.2,500 lakesand pondsdetailWhy PeopleGo to MainetopicFind Maine on a mapof the United States.7

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DatePicture a PigeonWhat’s a city bird like? Many ofthe birds that live in cities arepigeons. These birds are usuallyfound on city sidewalks andon building rooftops. A pigeonweighs about half a pound. It canfly up to 60 miles an hour. Mostpigeons live for 10 to 15 years.Read the paragraph. Then answer the questions.1. How much does a pigeon weigh?2. How fast can a pigeon fly?3. How long does a pigeon live?Add three more details to the web.sidewalks androoftopsdetailPigeons inthe CitytopicBaby pigeons are called squabs.Add this fact to the web.8

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateThe Inside StoryYou live on the outside of Earth.This part of our planet is called thecrust. What is the inside of Earthlike? Just below the crust is themantle. It is made up of hot rock.Next comes the outer core. The innercore is the very center of Earth. Boththe outer and inner cores are made oftwo minerals—iron and nickel.outer corecrustmantleinner coreRead the topic in the web. Find fourdetails in the paragraph that tellabout the topic. Add them to the web.detailEarth’s PartstopicUse the web to tell someone aboutthe different parts of Earth.9

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateState StuffEach state in the United States has an officialflag and flower. Here are more fun factsabout some states. In Arizona, the statecolors are blue and gold. South Carolina’sstate amphibian is the salamander. Milkis the state drink in North Dakota. Mainehas a state insect—the honeybee. What’sthe Massachusetts state dessert? It’s Bostoncream pie, of course!Read the topic in the web. Find five detailsin the paragraph that tell about the topic.Add them to the web.Fun StateFactsFind out the following facts about your state: flower, nickname,bird, and one more fun fact. Make a web for your state.10

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateA Fast LaughWhen you laugh, air comes out of yourmouth at 16 miles per hour (mph). The airin a yawn can measure 9 mph. The air in asnore can be 6 to 7 mph. Air really moveswhen you hiccup. It can go 50 miles perhour! What’s the air speed of a sneeze?It’s 104 mph. Ah-choo! That’s faster thanthe wind in a hurricane!Read the topic in the web. Find five detailsin the paragraph that tell about the topic.Add them to the web.Body AirSpeedsMake a bar graph. Use theinformation in the paragraph.11

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateWhat’s for Lunch?Have you ever had a string bean sandwich?Most students wouldn’t want that for lunch!What is the favorite sandwich in America’sschool lunches? If you said peanut butterand jelly, you’d be right. Other popularsandwiches are ham and bologna. Cheese isthe fourth favorite sandwich. Many studentsalso like turkey sandwiches.What is the topic of the paragraph?Write it in the center circle. Find fivedetails that tell about the topic.Write them in the web.What kinds of sandwiches does your classlike the best? Take a survey of your class.12

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateSo Many SymbolsA symbol is a picture or object thatstands for something else. For example,the American flag stands for the UnitedStates. Uncle Sam is another U.S. symbol.The name comes from the initials U.S.Have you seen the Statue of Liberty? Thestatue is a symbol for our country andgovernment. The Liberty Bell stands forour freedom. Another symbol, the baldeagle, also stands for freedom.What is the topic of the paragraph? Write it in the center circle.Find five details that tell about the topic. Write them in the web.Another U.S. symbol is the Great Seal. Add this factto the web. Find out what the Great Seal stands for.13

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateTracking TrainsTrains carry just about everything. Differentkinds of train cars carry different things.The locomotive pulls the train. It carries theengineer, or driver. A hopper car carries thingslike coal, sand, and salt. A flatcar carries largethings like telephone poles. The poles must betied down. Gas is carried in a tanker car. Aboxcar can hold many things, from animalsto toys. The caboose is at the end of the train.It holds offices and beds for the crew.What is the topic of the paragraph? Write it in the center circle.Find six details that tell about the topic. Write them in the web.The paragraph describes a freight train. Find out what theword freight means. Write a sentence using the word.14

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateTesting It OutUse after completing Tracking Trains on page 14.Fill in the circle of the best answer.1. The main idea of the paragraph is that—A boxcars hold many different kinds of thingsB different train cars carry different thingsC the locomotive is the most important carD a train has six different kinds of cars2. A train car that carries sand is a—A locomotiveB hopperD caboose3. The last car in a freight train is the—A locomotiveB cabooseC hopperD tankerC boxcar4. You can guess that a flatcar can carry—A big pipesB gasC sandD pigs5. A tanker might carry—A animalsB logsC the crewD oil6. The most powerful car on a freight train must be the—A tankerC flatcarB locomotiveD caboose7. On long trips, the engineer probably sleeps in the—A boxcarC cabooseB locomotiveD tanker8. Piles of wheat would be carried in a—A hopperB locomotiveC flatcarD boxcar15

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateHello, Island!About 30 years ago, some fishermenwere on their boat near Iceland.Suddenly they saw smoke comingfrom the sea. Then the top of avolcano rose out of the water. Soonred-hot rock began to pour downits sides. It looked like the sea wason fire. At last the volcano cooleddown. It became a new island. Peoplenamed the island Surtsey.Read how the island of Surtsey was made. Show the correct order ofwhat happened. Write the numbers from 1–4 on the lines.Red-hot rock poured down its sides.Smoke came out of the sea.The new island was named Surtsey.The volcano cooled down.Fill in the circles in order. Use the numbers and sentences above to helpyou. The first one is done for you.123Smoke cameout of the sea.Tell someone how Surtsey became an island.Draw pictures to show what happened.164

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateTurn on the LightsLighthouses warn ships that are near land.The first lighthouses were fires. People wouldbuild the fires on hilltops along the coast.Later, people built towers. The light from theircandles could be seen from far away. Thenoil lamps were used. Today electricity runs alighthouse’s powerful lamps.lamptowerRead how lighthouses changed.Show the correct order of what happened.Write the numbers from 1–4 on the lines.Oil lamps lit lighthouses.Lighthouses use electric light.Fires were built on hillsides.Candles were used.Fill in the circles in order. Use the numbersand sentences above to help you.123Read The Little Red Lighthouse and theGreat Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift.174

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateHere Come the CranesAbout half a million sandhill cranes cover thesky. Every March, these large birds come tothe Platte River in Nebraska. The river is animportant stop on the birds’ trip north. Forabout six weeks, the cranes rest and eat there.Then, as the spring breezes turn warm, thebirds leave. They head for the far north. Thecranes’ mating season begins there.Read about the sandhill cranes’ trip.Show the correct order of what happens.Write the numbers from 1–4 on the lines.The cranes fly to the far north.The mating season begins.The cranes eat and rest.The cranes come to the Platte River.Fill in the circles in order. Use the numbersand sentences above to help you.123The sandhill cranes fly to the Platte River fromthe Gulf of Mexico. Add this fact to the web.184

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateA Painted CaveA very long time ago, people lived in caves.Here’s how four boys found some very oldcave paintings in France. They were outwith their dog Robot. Suddenly the boyscouldn’t find Robot. Then they heard the dogbarking—under the ground! The boys climbeddown a hole to find Robot. They also found acave with paintings on its walls and ceiling.Someone had painted them over 15,000 yearsago! Today these cave paintings are famous.Read about how the cave paintings were found. Show the correct order ofwhat happened. Write the numbers from 1–5 on the lines.Robot gets lost.The boys hear barking and climb into a hole.The boys find cave paintings.Four boys go out with their dog.The cave paintings become very famous.Fill in the circles in order. Use the numbers and sentences above to help you.Suppose you could ask each of the four boysa question. What would you ask them?19

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateEasy OpeningIn 1959, the Fraze family wason a picnic. They had forgottento bring a can opener. Mr. Frazefinally opened the can on thebumper of his car. “There must bea better way,” he said. One night,Mr. Fraze invented the pop-topcan. About 20 years later, heinvented the push-in, fold-backtop. It’s still in use today.Complete the sequence web.Show the correct order ofwhat happened. The first oneis done for you.no can openerat picnicErmal Fraze was from Dayton, Ohio.Find this city on a United States map.20

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateToys Through TimeSome toys have been around fora long time. Others are muchnewer. One of the earliest toysis the whistle. Many NativeAmerican children had whistles.The rocking horse is about 200years old. Crayons have beenaround for about 100 years.Video games are fairly new.The first one came out about 40years ago, in 1970. The first bikewas made 150 years ago.Complete the sequence web.Show the order in which toyswere first used.The Frisbee is about 70 years old.Where would that go on the web?21

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateBalloons on ParadeMany people enjoy the bigballoons at the ThanksgivingDay parade in New York City.Here’s how these balloons aremade. First drawings of whatthe balloon might look like aredone. Next, small models arecreated. Then workers cut outand put together the piecesfor the big balloon. Finallythe balloon is blown up andpainted.Complete the sequence web.Show the order in whichparade balloons are made.Draw your ownparade balloon.22

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateTesting It OutUse after completing Balloons on Parade on page 22.Fill in the circle of the best answer.1. The first step in making a parade balloon is—A making modelsC doing drawingsB blowing it upD painting it2. After the balloon is blown up, it is—A cheered by crowdsB poppedD painted3. The models of the balloon are—A largeB smallC 5 feet tallD 500 feet tall4. The balloon pieces are cut out—A before the drawings are doneB before the balloon is blown up5. The models are important because they—A are made before the drawings are doneB appear in the paradeC put in a paradeC after they are paintedD after the parade beginsC are put inside the balloonD show what the balloon will look like6. The paragraph suggests that making a parade balloon—C is done by one personA is easyD is a sad jobB takes time7. The paragraph does not tell you—A where the Thanksgiving Day Parade isB when the balloon is painted8. You can guess that the balloons are—A easy to carryB used all yearC where the balloons are kept during the yearD which parade the balloon is forC very smallD made carefully23

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateOn the FerryYou’re in a car. You come to a biglake. There’s no bridge. How doyou get across? In some places,you can take a boat called a ferry.A car ferry has ramps so you candrive onto the boat. Some ferriesare for trains. These boats havetracks on them. Both kinds offerries are about 330 feet long.Read the paragraph. Then answer the questions.1. What is the job of each kind of ferry?2. How long are most ferryboats?3. Which kind of ferry has tracks?4. Which kind of ferry has ramps?Write your answers in the correct parts of the circles.Car FerryBothTrain FerryPlanes can land on some ships. Findout what these ships are called.24

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateLooking at LeavesYou can recognize a tree by the shapeof its leaves. The leaves on a beechtree have a long, narrow shape. Theyalso have uneven edges. The leaves onblack gum trees are about the sameshape as beech leaves. But black gumleaves have smooth edges. In the fall,black gum leaves turn yellow. Beechleaves turn orange-brown.Black GumBeechRead the paragraph. Then answer the questions.1. What are the edges of each kind of leaf like?2. What color does each kind of leaf turn?3. What shape are the leaves on both trees?Write your answers in the correct parts of the circles.BeechBothBlack GumFind leaves from two different trees. Make a diagramlike the one on this page. Fill in the diagram to showhow the leaves are alike and different.25

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateForeign FlagsEvery country has its own flag. Japan hasa white flag with a red circle on it. The redcircle stands for the sun. Japan’s name meansthe “land of the rising sun.” Canada also hasa red and white flag. But its flag has a whitebackground with two wide red stripes. In thecenter of the flag is a red maple leaf. Themaple tree is a symbol of Canada.Read the paragraph. Then answer the questions.1. What colors are both flags?2. What does Japan’s flag have in the center?3. What does Canada’s flag have in the center?4. How are the backgrounds of the two flags different?Write your answers in the correct parts of the circles.JapanBothCanadaFind Japan and Canadaon a world map.26

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Teach Key Comprehension Skills: Grades 2-3 Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching ResourcesName DateOpposite PolesThe South Pole is on the continentof Antarctica. Where is the NorthPole? It’s in the middle of the ArcticOcean. There is no land at the NorthPole—just slabs of ice. Both polesare very cold places. Both have sixmonths of daylight and six monthsof darkness. People don’t make theirhomes on either pole, but scientistsdo work on Antarctica. They studythe ice and rocks there.North PoleSouth PoleRead the paragraph. Write facts ineach part of the Venn diagram.South PoleBothNorth PoleWhen it is dark at the North Pole, it is lightat the South Pole. Find out why this is so.27

Short Reading Passages With Graphic Organizers to Model & Tea

reading comprehension skills all students need to succeed. Using the 40 short, high-interest passages in this book, each paired with a graphic organizer that supports its text structure, you’ll find an easy way to help students learn how to find the main idea, understand cause and