The Water Cycle (Nonfiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: Where do you think a puddle goes after a sunny afternoon? Then have students read the passage on page 1, about 180 words in 4 short paragraphs, pencil in hand. They can underline facts as they go. On page 2 students circle three answers and write two. Encourage them to go back to the text and underline the words that back up each answer. Check the work with the answer key.

The Water Cycle gives 3rd grade students a nonfiction passage of about 180 words about how water travels from the ground to the sky and back again, followed by five questions. The questions practice the main idea, vocabulary in context and cause and effect, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RI.3.2. An answer key is included.

The Water Cycle is a nonfiction passage of about 180 words about how water travels from the ground to the sky and back again. It is written for 3rd grade readers (ages 8-9) and has 4 short paragraphs, so students can read it in one sitting.

Its five questions, three multiple choice and two written, practice the main idea, the order of events, vocabulary in context and cause and effect. Questions include "Which sentence best tells the main idea" and "Why is the water cycle called a cycle". The sheet is aligned to Common Core RI.3.2, and the answer key is included so you can check responses quickly.

Try this conversation starter: Where do you think a puddle goes after a sunny afternoon? Have students look at the title and predict three facts they might learn. Afterward, ask which prediction was closest.

Most students need about 15 to 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 main idea and vocabulary in context.