Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Settlement Multiple Choice Questions [Pdf]
"Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the hardships of life of the prairie for the early settlers. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Prairie Keepers [Pdf]
"Prairie Keepers" is a one-page, nonfiction passage about how the prairie was saved from total destruction and the efforts of the Department of Agriculture to rebuild the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: City Government [Pdf]
"City Government" is a one-page, nonfiction, reading passage about Chicago's city government system. It explains that Chicago is divided into 50 wards, and each ward elects an Alderman to represent them. It is followed by...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Evaluate Support for a Claim[pdf]
This resource provides a downloadable worksheet to use after reading a nonfiction text. Students will evaluate an author's support for a claim by answering the questions and prompts provided on the worksheet.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Can Infer Meaning of a Multiple Meaning [Pdf]
Students will analyze a word in several different sentences. Students will determine the meaning of the same word in several different contexts. Students will also write their own sentences with the same word in several different contexts.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Frederick Douglass [Pdf]
"Frederick Douglass on Women's Suffrage," a one page, non-fiction, reading passage, is an excerpt from a persuasive speech delivered by Frederick Douglass to the International Council of Women in Washington, D.C., April 1888 in support...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Evaluate the Strength of Evidence [Pdf]
This resource provides a downloadable worksheet that will assist students after they read a piece of nonfiction. Students will answer guided questions to help them determine the strength of evidence used when supporting a claim....
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Organize an Argument [Pdf]
This site provides a nonfiction graphic organizer that will help students organize an argument.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Pioneer Families [Pdf]
"Pioneer Families" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about pioneers who traveled west in wagon trains, the hardships they faced, and how they worked together to build communities. It is followed by questions which require...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Captain's Job [Pdf]
"The Captain's Job" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about a captain safely landing his plane in the Hudson River after birds had flown into the engines causing them to stop. It is followed by questions which require students...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The First Flyers [Pdf]
"The First Flyers" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the Wright brothers and their obsession with flying. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining main...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: The Red Apples [Pdf]
"The Red Apples" is a one-page, fictional, reading passage about a little girl who wants to buy an apple for her sick mother but has no money. She returns a wallet when a man dropped it; he gives her a dollar. The store owner gave her an...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: His First Dollar [Pdf]
"His First Dollar" is a one-page, historical fiction passage in which Abraham Lincoln tells his Secretary of State Seward when and how he had earned his first dollar. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Columbus and the Egg [Pdf]
"Columbus and the Egg" is a one page, historical fictional passage about Christopher Columbus's return to Spain after discovering America. Some people said anyone could sail the seas. Columbus used an egg to make a point. It is followed...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy [Pdf]
This is a one-page nonfiction excerpt from JFK's Inaugural Address on January 20, 1961. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes underlining the most important...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Inference Organizer [Pdf]
Students will use a graphic organizer to help them make inferences. Students will list the literal text evidence and make an educated guess based on the text evidence.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Explain an Inference [Pdf]
This tool can be used to help students articulate their answers about fiction pieces. Students will quote the text, provide an inference, and give a justification.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Infer About a Story or an Event [Pdf]
Students will use this graphic organizer to help them make an inference about a story or an event. Students will list the literal text evidence and then make an inference about the text evidence.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Can Infer Meaning of a Word in Context [Pdf]
This activity contains two graphic organizers that will help students infer the meaning of words in context. Students can use these graphic organizers as they read nonfiction texts, particularly while reading in the content area.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: A New Day [Pdf]
"A New Day" is a one-page, fictional reading passage about children who learned about civil rights marches while visiting their grandfather in Mississippi. They helped people register to vote before President Obama was elected for the...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Training for the Presidency [Pdf]
"Training for the Presidency" is a one-page, fictional, reading passage about Abraham Lincoln as a child. He does chores for a farmer because the book he had borrowed from him had gotten wet when rain came through the cabin walls. It is...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: My First Baseball Game With Q&a [Pdf]
"My First Baseball Game" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy and his sister going to their first baseball game and learning what it means to be Chicago Cubs fans. It is followed by constructed-response questions which...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: A Good Student [Pdf]
"A Good Student" is a one page, fictional reading passage about a freshmen going to a large high school on the first day of school. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Analyze Nonfiction: Central Idea [Pdf]
This graphic organizer will help students analyze nonfiction pieces. Students will use the graphic organizer to guide them as they identify the central idea and supporting details.