Text Time: Teacher Information

These three free passages were taken from my much larger Text Time product. The passages
were created to provide ready-to-use comprehension and close reading practice. Each of these
three passage are presented at two reading levels (grades 3-4 and 4-5). The included text-
dependent questions address a variety of close reading skills.
The easier passages (grades 3-4) are marked with a single u in the lower left. The harder
passages (grades 4-5) are marked with a double uu. Please note that both levels are identified
with the same Text Time number in the upper right hand corner. The Show What You Know
questions on the right are identical for both reading levels. This allows you to discuss the passages all
together, even if you have students using different reading levels. Note that some questions may be
challenging for third grade students, especially near the start of the year. Answer keys and
annotation guide are included.
Because the skills addressed go much deeper than simple comprehension, and are more aligned
with close reading, students may need to read the passage more than once. They should also be
encouraged to annotate the text. Students will benefit more if there is time to discuss the
questions and answers. Because answers will sometimes vary, this is an excellent opportunity for
students to justify their responses. This will also help struggling students as the skills repeat
throughout the resource.
About the Author:
These passages were written by me, Rachel Lynette. I am a published author of over 120
nonfiction books for children on a variety of subjects. I have written for publishers such as
Harcourt, Thompson-Gale, Rosen, Children’s Press, Evan-Moor, and several others.. These passages
are well-researched, well-organized, and age appropriate. They are no different than those you
would find in a published nonfiction book.

Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved www.rachel-lynette.com
Thank you so much for downloading More effective and time-saving resources!
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Text Time passages here.
 Insects for Dinner Name Date
TEXT
Would you eat crickets for dinner? It TIME 7
Show What You Know
might not sound good to you, but around
two billion people worldwide eat insects! 1.  What is entomophagy?
Eating insects is called entomophagy and
 
 
 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
there are many good reasons to do it.
2.  Give three reasons why raising insects is better than
First off, insects are really good for raising livestock.
 
you! They are packed with protein. By
weight, crickets and termites have more
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1)_____________________________________________________
 
protein than beef.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 _____________________________________________________
 
Second, raising insects cost less and is
 
 
 
  2)____________________________________________________
 
better for the earth than raising cows
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 _____________________________________________________
 
and other livestock. Insects take up 3)____________________________________________________
 
much less space and need much less
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 _____________________________________________________
 
food and water than cows. Also, you can

 
eat more parts of an insect than other
3. What is the author’s purpose?
animals. Insects also reach their adult
size quickly. It does not take much time a) to persuade b) to inform c) to entertain
to raise insects to eat. Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
Third, insects taste good! Many types __________________________________________________________
 
of insects taste a little nutty. Some __________________________________________________________
 
kinds of bugs taste like bacon, while __________________________________________________________
 
others may taste like fish, or even fruit.
Some insects, such as meal worms, don’t
4. Would you try eating insects?_________________________
have much of a taste at all. They pick up
Why or why not? ________________________________________
the flavors of whatever they are
cooked with. So, what are you waiting __________________________________________________________
 
for? Why not try a beetle today?
u IT: vocabulary, author’s purpose, evaluation Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette©2015 all rights reserved
 Insects for Dinner Name Date
TEXT
Imagine eating a plateful of crickets for TIME 7
dinner with chocolate-covered ants for Show What You Know
dessert. It might not sound too appetizing to 1.  What is entomophagy?
you, but around two billion people worldwide
 
 
 
 
 _______________________________________________________
 
eat insects regularly as a part of their diet.
Eating insects is called entomophagy and 2.  Give three reasons why raising insects is better than
there are many good reasons to do it. raising livestock.
 
First off, insects are really good for you!
They are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1)_____________________________________________________
 
and minerals. By weight, crickets and
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 _____________________________________________________
 
termites contain more protein than beef.
 
 
 
  2)____________________________________________________
 
Second, raising insects is less expensive

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 _____________________________________________________
 
and better for the earth than raising
livestock. Insects take up much less space 3)____________________________________________________
 
and need much less food and water than
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 _____________________________________________________
 
cows. Also, more parts of an insect are
 
edible than of a cow or a chicken. In 3. What is the author’s purpose?
addition, insects have a much shorter
lifespan, so the time spent raising them is a) to persuade b) to inform c) to entertain
much less than other edible animals. Give evidence from the text to support your answer:
Third, believe it or not, if prepared well,
__________________________________________________________
 
insects actually taste good! Many types of
insects taste a little nutty, especially if they __________________________________________________________
 
are roasted. Some kinds of bugs taste like __________________________________________________________
 
bacon, while others may taste like fish, or
even fruit. Some insects, such as meal 4. Would you try eating insects?_________________________
worms, don’t have much of a taste at all and Why or why not? ________________________________________
pick up the flavors of whatever they are
__________________________________________________________
 
cooked with. So, what are you waiting for?
Why not try a beetle today?
uu IT: vocabulary, author’s purpose, evaluation Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
 The Gorilla and the Monkey Name Date
TEXT
Gorilla sat under a tree eating bananas. TIME 8
Gorilla was thirsty. He wanted to go to Show What You Know
the river to get a drink, but then 1.  What kind of story is this?
someone might steal his bananas. Baboon
a) fable b) fairytale c) tall tale d) myth
came and sat beside him. “May I have
one of your bananas?” asked Baboon. How do you know?
“No, you may not!” replied Gorilla. “I __________________________________________________________
 
picked all these bananas myself. If you __________________________________________________________
 
want some bananas, go get your own.” __________________________________________________________
 
“But the bananas are all gone. You have
 
picked them all and they are all there in 2.  Why did Gorilla give Monkey a banana?
 
 
 
 
 
your big pile,” said Baboon.
 
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
 
“That is not my problem,” Gorilla said
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
grumpily. “Now go away and leave me
alone.” 3.  Summarize the story:
 
A few minutes later, Monkey came to
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
 
sit beside Gorilla. “I won’t give you a
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
banana,” said Gorilla. “So don’t even ask.”
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
 
“Oh no,” said Monkey. “I just thought
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
you might like some cool water from the
river.” Monkey gave Gorilla a coconut
shell full of water. 4.  What is the moral (or lesson) of this story?
Gorilla took the shell and drank it all. a) You should always share.
He felt much better. “Thank you,” he said b) Monkeys are smarter than baboons.
to Monkey. “Please, take one of my c) Give something to get something.
bananas for your trouble.” Monkey gladly d) You can trade water for bananas.
accepted.
 
u L: genre, summary, main idea, moral (theme)
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
 The Gorilla and the Monkey Name Date
TEXT
Gorilla sat beneath a tree eating bananas. TIME 8
It was hot, and Gorilla was thirsty. Gorilla Show What You Know
wanted to go down to the river to get a drink,
but if he did, someone was sure to steal his 1.  What kind of story is this?
bananas. Gorilla was thinking about his a) fable b) fairytale c) tall tale d) myth
dilemma when Baboon swung down from the
tree and sat beside him. “May I have one of How do you know?
your bananas?” asked Baboon. __________________________________________________________
 
“No, you may not!” replied Gorilla. “I spent __________________________________________________________
 
all morning picking these bananas. If you want __________________________________________________________
 
some bananas, go get your own.”
 
“But the bananas are all gone. You have 2.  Why did Gorilla give Monkey a banana?
 
 
 
 
 
picked them all and they are all there in your
big pile,” complained Baboon.
 
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
 
“That is not my problem,” Gorilla said
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
grumpily. “Now go away and leave me in
peace.” 3.  Summarize the story:
 
A few minutes later, Monkey came to sit
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
 
beside Gorilla. “I suppose you want my
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
bananas too,” said Gorilla. “Well you can’t
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
 
have any.”
“Oh no,” said Monkey. “I was only thinking
 
 
 
 ________________________________________________________
that you might enjoy some cool water from
the river.” Monkey offered Gorilla a coconut 4.  What is the moral (or lesson) of this story?
shell full of water. a) You should always share.
Gorilla took the shell and drank greedily.
He felt much better when he was done. b) Monkeys are smarter than baboons.
“Thank you,” he said to Monkey. “Please, take c) Give something to get something.
one of my bananas for your trouble.” d) You can trade water for bananas.
Monkey gladly accepted.
 
uu L: genre, summary, main idea, moral (theme) Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
 Alligator or Crocodile?
People often confuse alligators and
crocodiles. Alligators and crocodiles are
both reptiles. They both live in the water
and they both have sharp teeth.
Crocodiles live in salt water. They have
special glands on their tongues to get rid
of the extra salt. Alligators don’t have
these glands, so they live in fresh water.
Alligators have wide, U-shaped snouts.
A crocodile’s snout is longer and more
pointed, like a V. Also, crocodiles have
teeth on their lower jaws that stick out.
You can see them even when the
crocodile’s mouth is closed. Alligators do
not have any teeth that stick out.
 a) description b) cause and effect
The easiest way to tell an alligator from
a crocodile is by looking at the snout.
u IT: compare and contrast, interpreting an illustration
Name Date
TEXT
TIME 9
Show What You Know
1.  What do alligators and crocodiles have in common?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2.  How are alligators and crocodiles different?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3.  Which text structure did the author use?
c) problem and solution d) compare and contrast
4.  Is the animal closest to the bottom of the page an
alligator or a crocodile?_____________________________
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
 Alligator or a Crocodile?
It’s a reptile. It lives in the water, and it
Show What You Know
has big, sharp teeth. Can you guess the what
it is? It’s an alligator, of course - or is it a
crocodile? Let’s find out:
If it lives in salt water, such as an estuary
or mangrove swamp, it is a crocodile.
Crocodiles have special glands on their
tongues to get rid of extra salt. Alligators
don’t have these glands, so they live in fresh
water.
Alligators also have wider, U-shaped snouts,
while a crocodile’s snout is longer and more
pointed, like a V. Also, crocodiles have teeth
on their lower jaws that stick out. You can
see them even when the crocodile’s mouth is
closed. Alligators do not have any teeth that
stick out.
 a) description b) cause and effect
The easiest way to tell an alligator from
a crocodile is by looking at the snout.
uuIT: compare and contrast, interpreting an illustration
Name Date
TEXT
TIME 9
1.  What do alligators and crocodiles have in common?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2.  How are alligators and crocodiles different?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
3.  Which text structure did the author use?
c) problem and solution d) compare and contrast
4.  Is the animal closest to the bottom of the page an
alligator or a crocodile?_____________________________
How do you know?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Text Time Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
 Mark it Up! Mark it Up!
Number each paragraph Number each paragraph

Underline main ideas Underline main ideas

Important details Important details

Unfamiliar words Unfamiliar words

Parts you understand Parts you understand

Parts you find confusing Parts you find confusing

Parts you find Parts you find

interesting or surprising interesting or surprising

Talk back to the text: Talk back to the text:

• Write quick summaries. • Write quick summaries.
• Jot down your • Jot down your
thoughts about the text. thoughts about the text.
Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved Created by Rachel Lynette ©2015 all rights reserved
 Text Time Answer Keys 7-9 (some answers will vary)
Insects for Dinner TT 7
1.  Eating insects.
2.  1) Raising insects costs less than raising
livestock 2) Insects take up less space.
3) Insects take less time to raise because
they have short lifespans.
3.  a - the says that raising insects doesn’t
cost much and is better for the earth than
raising livestock. The author also points
out that insects are good for you and
good tasting.
4.  Yes, because they might taste good!
The Gorilla and the Monkey TT 8
1.  a fable – because the story is short, it is
about animals that talk, and it teaches a
lesson.
2.  Gorilla gave Monkey a banana to thank
him for bringing him water from the river.
3.  Gorilla had all the bananas and would not
share any with Baboon. Instead of asking
for a banana, Monkey offered Gorilla
water and Gorilla thanked him with a
banana.
4.  c
Alligator or Crocodile? TT 9
1.  d – compare and contrast
2.  They are reptiles, they have sharp teeth,
and they live in the water.
3.  Crocodiles live in salt water and have V-
shaped jaws They also have teeth that
stick out on their lower jaws. Alligators
live in fresh water. They have U shaped
snouts and their teeth don’t stick out.
4.  crocodile – It has a narrow snout and
you can see the teeth sticking out.

“The most important thing to remember about close

reading is this: You are not teaching students how to
understand the text. You are teaching students how to
understand all texts.”
-Kate Daniel
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