The Cliff Houses of Mesa Verde (Nonfiction)

Have students read the passage once for the main point and again with a pencil to mark evidence. Use the key to compare their answers with the model responses that quote the text.

Read about the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in Colorado and cite evidence about who built them. The directions on the page read: Read the article on pages 1 and 2. Then answer the questions on pages 2 and 3. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 7th grade paragraphs & passages, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

The central idea is the main point that all the details support. Students look at the title, the opening and the closing, then check each detail against their idea. Sheets such as The Hidden Demands of Rowing ask students to identify central ideas.

They cover science and technology, such as How Limestone Caves Grow and The Cables Under the Ocean. They also cover history and culture, such as Kente Cloth of Ghana, and seven biographies.

Most sheets have 3 multiple choice questions and 4 open questions that ask for text evidence. The questions focus on one skill, such as central ideas, how events connect, text structure, point of view or evaluating an argument.

Yes. All 31 sheets have an answer key with the circled letters and a model answer that quotes the passage.