Lost in the Corn Maze (Fiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: What do you do when a map or a plan lets you down? 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. Page 2 has five questions, three multiple choice and two written responses. Ask students to name the paragraph or detail that supports each answer before they write it. Check the work with the answer key.

Lost in the Corn Maze gives 4th grade students a fiction passage of about 220 words about two kids who get lost in a corn maze and have to work together, followed by five questions. The questions practice the theme or lesson of the story, vocabulary in context and making inferences, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.4.2. An answer key is included.

Lost in the Corn Maze is a fiction passage of about 220 words about two kids who get lost in a corn maze and have to work together. 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 cause and effect, the theme or lesson of the story, making inferences and vocabulary in context. Questions include "Why did the map stop helping Lena and Ben" and "How did Lena's apology help them solve the problem". 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: What do you do when a map or a plan lets you down? 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.

Plan about 20 minutes in all: the reading first, then the five questions. At home, a parent can read the questions aloud and talk through the written answers. In class, it works well for independent practice or a quick check of the theme or lesson of the story and vocabulary in context.