Mina and the Mountain Trail (Fiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: What keeps you going when something takes more effort than you expected? Then have students read the story on page 1, about 290 words in 7 short paragraphs. Ask them to notice what the characters say, do and feel. Page 2 holds five questions. Ask students to support each answer with evidence from the text, and have partners swap the two written responses to give feedback. Check the work with the answer key.

Mina and the Mountain Trail gives 5th grade students a fiction passage of about 290 words about a girl on a four mile mountain hike with her father, followed by five questions. The questions practice the theme or lesson of the story, figurative language and how a character feels, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.5.2. An answer key is included.

Mina and the Mountain Trail is a fiction passage of about 290 words about a girl on a four mile mountain hike with her father. It is written for 5th grade readers (ages 10-11) and has 7 short paragraphs, so students can read it in one sitting.

Its five questions, three multiple choice and two written, practice the theme or lesson of the story, how a character feels and figurative language. Questions include "How did Dad's advice change the way Mina faced the climb" and "How does the marmot change Mina's mood". The sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.5.2, and the answer key is included so you can check responses quickly.

Try this conversation starter: What keeps you going when something takes more effort than you expected? Before reading, ask students to predict what might happen from the title. After reading, have them retell the story in two or three sentences before they answer the questions.

Expect about 20 to 25 minutes from first read to last answer. It suits homework, a sub plan or small group reading time, and the answer key makes it quick to check the theme or lesson of the story and figurative language.