A Friend in the Fog (Fiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: How does fog change the way a familiar place looks and feels? Then have students read the story on page 1, about 220 words in 7 short paragraphs. Ask them to notice what the characters say, do and feel. The second page asks five questions. Have students mark the sentence that proves each choice, then write the two responses in complete sentences. Check the work with the answer key.

A Friend in the Fog gives 4th grade students a fiction passage of about 220 words about a girl who walks to school through thick fog and meets a choice along the way, followed by five questions. The questions practice the theme or lesson of the story, vocabulary in context and cause and effect, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.4.2. An answer key is included.

A Friend in the Fog is a fiction passage of about 220 words about a girl who walks to school through thick fog and meets a choice along the way. It is written for 4th grade readers (ages 9-10) and has 7 short paragraphs, so students can read it in one sitting.

Its five questions, three multiple choice and two written, practice vocabulary in context, key details, the theme or lesson of the story and figurative language. Questions include "Why had Ravi walked the wrong way" and "What lesson does Sofia's choice teach". The sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.4.2, and the answer key is included so you can check responses quickly.

Try this conversation starter: How does fog change the way a familiar place looks and feels? Invite students to share a similar experience first, then read to compare. Afterward, ask what the main character learned.

Most students need about 20 minutes for the passage and the questions together. The sheet works at a kitchen table with a parent talking through the written answers, or at a reading center as independent work on the theme or lesson of the story and vocabulary in context.