The Night the Power Went Out (Fiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: What would you do at night if the power went out? Then have students read the story on page 1, about 220 words in 6 short paragraphs. Ask them to notice what the characters say, do and feel. Next comes page 2: three multiple choice questions and two written responses. Before writing, students should find the evidence that supports their thinking. Check the work with the answer key.

The Night the Power Went Out gives 4th grade students a fiction passage of about 220 words about a family spending an evening without electricity, followed by five questions. The questions practice summarizing, cause and effect and figurative language, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.4.2. An answer key is included.

The Night the Power Went Out is a fiction passage of about 220 words about a family spending an evening without electricity. It is written for 4th grade readers (ages 9-10) and has 6 short paragraphs, so students can read it in one sitting.

Its five questions, three multiple choice and two written, practice cause and effect, summarizing, figurative language and the order of events. Questions include "What most likely caused the power outage" and "Why did Owen wish the dark could last longer". 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 would you do at night if the power went out? Ask students to read the first paragraph and guess what the problem will be, then finish the story to check their guess.

Set aside roughly 20 minutes. Families can use it for a calm reading session, and teachers can use it as homework, a center or a short formative check of summarizing and cause and effect.