Read a web, chart or timeline organizer

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Flow chart

   How a Town Cleans Its Drinking Water (simplified)

   [1] The chart starts with a box saying that river water flows into the plant through a large screen that catches sticks and leaves. [2] An arrow leads to a mixing box, where a chemical is added so that tiny bits of dirt clump into larger lumps. [3] The next arrow leads to a settling tank, where the heavy lumps sink slowly to the bottom while the water moves on. [4] After that, the water passes through a filter box with layers of sand and gravel that trap the dirt that is left. [5] Next, a box labeled disinfect shows chlorine being added to destroy germs. [6] A test box follows and asks whether the water meets the safety standard. [7] An arrow marked yes leads to a storage tower and then to the town's pipes. [8] An arrow marked no leads back to the disinfect box.

2. 1.

   Water has just left the settling tank, Ari. What happens to it next?

   • Chlorine is added to the water so that any remaining germs are destroyed
   • It passes through layers of sand and gravel that trap the leftover dirt
   • A chemical is added so that tiny bits of dirt clump into larger lumps
   • The water is heated for several hours until the remaining germs are destroyed
3. 2.

   A test shows that one batch of water does not meet the safety standard, Bo. What does the chart say happens to that batch?

   • It returns to the disinfect box and is treated again before the next test
   • It goes back to the mixing box so that the dirt can clump again into lumps
   • It is poured out, and the plant starts again with a new supply of river water
   • It moves to the storage tower and is mixed with water that has already passed

4. Cause and effect organizer

   What Happened on Pelican Island (invented island)

   [1] The organizer has four boxes in a column, and each arrow points down from a cause to its effect. [2] The first box says that rats arrived on Pelican Island aboard a supply boat in 1990. [3] The first arrow leads to a box saying that the rats ate many eggs laid by ground-nesting seabirds. [4] The second arrow leads to a box saying that the seabird population dropped by more than half within ten years. [5] The third arrow leads to the last box, which says that the soil lost the nutrients that the birds' droppings once provided. [6] A side note says that island plants grow more slowly when the soil has fewer nutrients. [7] A second side note says that the island's rats were removed in 2015. [8] A final line asks readers what might happen to the plants and seabirds after 2015.

5. 3.

   Why did the soil on Pelican Island lose nutrients, Jun?

   • The supply boat brought chemicals that slowly harmed the soil
   • Fewer seabirds meant fewer droppings, and the droppings had fed the soil
   • The rats ate the eggs, so the soil lost the nutrients that eggs provide
   • Fewer plants meant fewer seabirds, which left the soil without nutrients
6. 4.

   The side notes point toward a prediction about the plants after 2015, Kira. Which prediction does the organizer best support?

   • Plants will grow more slowly, since removing the rats also removes a supply of nutrients
   • Plants will be back to full size by 2020, since the rats are gone and the seabirds return home
   • Plants may grow faster in time, since returning seabirds could feed the soil with droppings
   • Plants will stop growing, since the island soil has dried out after years without birds
7. 5.

   Which sentence states the main idea of the organizer, Luz?

   • Removing the rats in 2015 returned Pelican Island to its old condition
   • Rats eat the eggs of seabirds that nest on the ground of an island
   • Boats should be checked for rats before they are allowed to reach any small island
   • One new animal on an island started a chain of changes that reached the soil

8. Use this

   [1] The chart has three columns: class, pounds of cans collected in October, and pounds collected in November. [2] The first row lists Class 6A with 40 pounds in October and 70 pounds in November. [3] The second row lists Class 6B with 80 pounds in October and 100 pounds in November. [4] The third row lists Class 6C with 50 pounds in October and 45 pounds in November. [5] The fourth row lists Class 6D with 20 pounds in October and 45 pounds in November. [6] A note under the chart says that Class 6C lost a week of collecting when its bin was moved. [7] A second note says that the school's goal is a total of 250 pounds in November.

10. 6.

    Milo compares October with November. Which class increased its collection by the greatest percent?

    • Class 6A, which gained the most pounds of any class
    • Class 6B, which collected the most cans in November
    • Class 6C, which kept its total almost the same
    • Class 6D, which rose from 20 pounds to 45 pounds
11. 7.

    Did the four classes reach the school's goal for November, Noah?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • Yes, because Class 6B alone collected 100 pounds, the most of any class in November
    • No, the classes collected 190 pounds, which is 60 pounds short of the goal
    • No, the loss in Class 6C kept the school's total below the goal for the month
    • Yes, the classes collected 260 pounds, which is 10 pounds more than the goal
12. 8.

    Class 6C was the only class with a smaller total in November. Which statement does the organizer best support, Pia?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • Class 6C students were absent on several collection days
    • Class 6C cared less about recycling than the other classes did
    • Class 6C's drop may be linked to the lost week, since its bin was moved
    • Class 6C lost a week of collecting because it had collected less in October

13. Web organizer

    Why Cities Plant Trees

    [1] The center circle reads: Street trees help a city in ways that people can measure. [2] Branch one says that shade from tree leaves keeps sidewalks and buildings cooler on hot days. [3] Branch two says that tree roots and leaves soak up rain, so less water rushes into storm drains. [4] Branch three says that leaves trap dust and other tiny particles from the air. [5] Branch four says that trees give birds and insects food and places to live. [6] A note under branch one adds that buildings in the shade need less energy for air conditioning. [7] A note under branch two explains that heavy rain can overload drains and flood streets. [8] A box beside the web asks which of the four branches matters most to a city with frequent floods.

14. 9.

    Ren wants to add a fifth branch to the web. Which detail fits the center idea best?

    • Cities with many trees have friendlier neighbors than other cities
    • Street trees are usually planted in rows along the edge of the road
    • Tree roots hold soil in place on slopes, so rain washes away less dirt
    • Trees are pretty to look at, so people enjoy walking along streets that have them
15. 10.

    Which statement uses both branch one and the note under it, Zee?

    • Shade cools buildings, so shaded buildings can use less energy for air conditioning
    • Air conditioning keeps buildings cool, so trees are needed much less than before
    • Shade from the leaves keeps sidewalks and buildings cooler on hot days, as branch one says
    • Shade makes buildings use more energy, since the trees can block the wind from them