Worksheet

Explain a topic in writing

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Frogs and Toads (informative draft)

    [1] Frogs and toads belong to the same group of animals, yet they differ in ways that help each survive. [2] Both are amphibians, so they begin life in water as tadpoles and breathe through lungs and skin as adults. [3] Frogs usually have smooth, moist skin and long legs for leaping, and they live close to ponds and streams. [4] Toads are different. [5] Toads can live farther from water than frogs can, because their thicker skin loses moisture more slowly in dry air. [6] Frogs are really neat. [7] Many toads have glands behind the eyes that release a bitter fluid, which discourages animals from eating them. [8] Frogs rely more on speed and long leaps to escape danger, while toads rely on their bitter fluid and their camouflage. [9] Biologists use these traits to tell the groups apart, although the names are not used the same way in every language. [10] Some species blur the line between the two groups, so scientists look at many traits at once rather than relying on a single feature.

  2. Ari wants a new [4] that compares toads with frogs on the same features as [3]. Which sentence does?

    • Toads, by contrast, usually have dry, bumpy skin and shorter legs, which suit walking and short hops on land.
    • Frogs usually have smooth, moist skin and long legs, so they leap farther than most other animals in ponds.
    • Toads live in many places, and they eat insects, worms and slugs in the evening hours.
    • Toads, by contrast, usually have a bitter fluid behind the eyes and live in gardens and fields near the houses.

  3. Bo thinks [6] is vague and too casual. Which sentence rewrites it with exact facts in a formal voice, without adding unsupported claims?

    • Frogs have large eyes and strong hind legs that carry them in leaps many times their own body length.
    • Frogs have webbed feet and eat flies and fish, which makes them the strongest swimmers in the world.
    • Frogs are super cool jumpers with crazy strong legs, no joke, and they look awesome.
    • Frogs have really nice features that make them very special animals to learn about in school.

  4. Esme wants a final sentence after [10] that gathers the comparison without adding a new fact. Which sentence does?

    • Because of their differences, toads are better animals than frogs and deserve more protection from people in the countryside and in the towns.
    • Frogs and toads belong to the same group of animals, yet they differ in ways that help each survive in nature.
    • Because frogs and toads share ancestry, scientists have found that toads grow larger than any frog in the world.
    • Because frogs and toads share ancestry but differ in skin, legs and habitat, biologists treat them as related but separate groups.

  5. Wind and Solar Power (informative draft)

    [1] Wind turbines and solar panels both produce electricity without burning fuel, so neither releases carbon dioxide while operating. [2] A wind turbine uses moving air to spin blades, which turn a generator. [3] A solar panel uses sunlight to push electrons through special materials, and no moving parts are needed. [4] Wind farms work best in open, windy places such as plains and coasts. [5] Solar panels work in many places. [6] Both are very awesome. [7] Wind power is strongest at night in some regions, while solar power peaks at midday. [8] Because the two sources peak at different times, a grid that uses both can supply steadier power. [9] Engineers also store extra energy in batteries for hours when neither source is strong.

  6. Kira wants a new [5] that compares solar panels with wind farms on where each works best. Which sentence does?

    • Wind farms work best on plains and coasts, where the air moves steadily across open ground and water without much trouble.
    • Solar panels, by contrast, cost less each year as manufacturers learn to build them more cheaply and sell them in more stores.
    • Solar panels are found on roofs, in fields and in small devices such as calculators and garden lights that sit along a path.
    • Solar panels, by contrast, work best where sunlight is strong and steady, though they still produce some power on cloudy days.

  7. Luz thinks [6] is vague and too casual. Which sentence rewrites it with an exact fact in a formal voice, without adding unsupported claims?

    • Both of these are super awesome ways to make power, no cap, and people should love them.
    • Both sources are very good ones for the world and for the people who live in it.
    • Both sources reduce air pollution because neither burns fuel to make electricity.
    • Both sources are free and will replace coal plants within ten years across the whole world.

  8. Two River Civilizations (informative draft)

    [1] Two of the earliest civilizations grew along rivers: Egypt along the Nile and Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates. [2] Both depended on the rivers for water, fish and fertile soil. [3] The Nile flooded each year at a predictable time, leaving a layer of rich silt on the fields. [4] The Tigris and Euphrates flooded too. [5] Egyptians used the regular floods to plan their farming calendar. [6] Mesopotamians built canals and levees to control the water. [7] Rivers are cool. [8] Because Egypt's river valley was surrounded by desert, it was harder for outsiders to enter. [9] Mesopotamian cities, in open plains, built walls and often competed with one another for land and water.

  9. Esme wants a new [4] that compares the Tigris and Euphrates floods with the Nile floods in [3]. Which sentence does?

    • The Tigris and Euphrates flow through what are now Iraq and Syria and reach the Persian Gulf after many miles.
    • The Tigris and Euphrates also flooded, but their floods came at less predictable times and sometimes washed away crops.
    • The Tigris and Euphrates also flowed through lands where people built cities of mud brick and clay beside the water, where the rivers ran.
    • The Nile flooded each year at a predictable time, which let farmers count on rich silt each season.

  10. Pia thinks [7] is vague and too casual. Which sentence rewrites it with exact facts in a formal voice, without adding unsupported claims?

    • Rivers gave early farmers water for crops, and steam engines moved their grain to market.
    • Rivers were totally awesome, so early folks built everything right next to them, no cap.
    • Rivers gave early farmers water for crops and a way to move grain and goods.
    • Rivers were very important to early people in many different ways, and people liked them.

  11. Noah wants a final sentence after [9] that gathers the comparison without adding a new fact. Which sentence does?

    • Two of the earliest civilizations grew along rivers: Egypt along the Nile and Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates.
    • Because the two rivers behaved differently, Egypt built the first airport while Mesopotamia built the first harbor.
    • Because the two rivers behaved differently, Egypt relied on a steady calendar while Mesopotamia relied on canals and walls.
    • Because Egypt had a river valley, Egypt was a better place to live than Mesopotamia and had happier people.

  12. Sharks and Dolphins (informative draft)

    [1] Sharks and dolphins look alike at a glance, yet they belong to different groups of animals. [2] A shark is a fish, which means it breathes with gills and its body is supported by cartilage instead of bone. [3] A dolphin is a mammal, so it breathes air through a blowhole and feeds milk to its young. [4] They also move differently. [5] Dolphins are smart. [6] Both animals are shaped for speed, with streamlined bodies and strong tails. [7] Scientists call this similarity convergent evolution, in which unrelated animals develop similar features because they face similar challenges. [8] Dolphins must rise to the surface to breathe, but sharks can take oxygen from the water. [9] These differences help scientists decide which animals are related.

  13. Jun wants a new [4] that compares how sharks and dolphins move their tails. Which sentence does?

    • A shark has a pointed fin on its back, and a dolphin often leaps above the waves.
    • A shark swings its tail from side to side, while a dolphin moves its tail up and down.
    • Sharks and dolphins both live in oceans around the world, and they both eat fish.
    • A dolphin moves its tail up and down, and this motion pushes it forward through the water.

  14. Ren wants a final sentence after [9] that gathers the comparison without adding a new fact. Which sentence does?

    • Because sharks and dolphins look alike, scientists have shown that sharks will become mammals over a very long time.
    • Sharks and dolphins look alike at a glance, yet they belong to different groups of animals in the sea.
    • Because dolphins are smart, they are more important to the ocean than sharks and should be protected first by governments around the world.
    • Because sharks and dolphins differ in breathing, body structure and tail motion, scientists classify them separately despite their similar shapes.
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Explain a topic in writing

Answer Key - Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Frogs and Toads (informative draft)

    [1] Frogs and toads belong to the same group of animals, yet they differ in ways that help each survive. [2] Both are amphibians, so they begin life in water as tadpoles and breathe through lungs and skin as adults. [3] Frogs usually have smooth, moist skin and long legs for leaping, and they live close to ponds and streams. [4] Toads are different. [5] Toads can live farther from water than frogs can, because their thicker skin loses moisture more slowly in dry air. [6] Frogs are really neat. [7] Many toads have glands behind the eyes that release a bitter fluid, which discourages animals from eating them. [8] Frogs rely more on speed and long leaps to escape danger, while toads rely on their bitter fluid and their camouflage. [9] Biologists use these traits to tell the groups apart, although the names are not used the same way in every language. [10] Some species blur the line between the two groups, so scientists look at many traits at once rather than relying on a single feature.

  2. Ari wants a new [4] that compares toads with frogs on the same features as [3]. Which sentence does?

    • Toads, by contrast, usually have dry, bumpy skin and shorter legs, which suit walking and short hops on land.
    • Frogs usually have smooth, moist skin and long legs, so they leap farther than most other animals in ponds.
    • Toads live in many places, and they eat insects, worms and slugs in the evening hours.
    • Toads, by contrast, usually have a bitter fluid behind the eyes and live in gardens and fields near the houses.

  3. Bo thinks [6] is vague and too casual. Which sentence rewrites it with exact facts in a formal voice, without adding unsupported claims?

    • Frogs have large eyes and strong hind legs that carry them in leaps many times their own body length.
    • Frogs have webbed feet and eat flies and fish, which makes them the strongest swimmers in the world.
    • Frogs are super cool jumpers with crazy strong legs, no joke, and they look awesome.
    • Frogs have really nice features that make them very special animals to learn about in school.

  4. Esme wants a final sentence after [10] that gathers the comparison without adding a new fact. Which sentence does?

    • Because of their differences, toads are better animals than frogs and deserve more protection from people in the countryside and in the towns.
    • Frogs and toads belong to the same group of animals, yet they differ in ways that help each survive in nature.
    • Because frogs and toads share ancestry, scientists have found that toads grow larger than any frog in the world.
    • Because frogs and toads share ancestry but differ in skin, legs and habitat, biologists treat them as related but separate groups.

  5. Wind and Solar Power (informative draft)

    [1] Wind turbines and solar panels both produce electricity without burning fuel, so neither releases carbon dioxide while operating. [2] A wind turbine uses moving air to spin blades, which turn a generator. [3] A solar panel uses sunlight to push electrons through special materials, and no moving parts are needed. [4] Wind farms work best in open, windy places such as plains and coasts. [5] Solar panels work in many places. [6] Both are very awesome. [7] Wind power is strongest at night in some regions, while solar power peaks at midday. [8] Because the two sources peak at different times, a grid that uses both can supply steadier power. [9] Engineers also store extra energy in batteries for hours when neither source is strong.

  6. Kira wants a new [5] that compares solar panels with wind farms on where each works best. Which sentence does?

    • Wind farms work best on plains and coasts, where the air moves steadily across open ground and water without much trouble.
    • Solar panels, by contrast, cost less each year as manufacturers learn to build them more cheaply and sell them in more stores.
    • Solar panels are found on roofs, in fields and in small devices such as calculators and garden lights that sit along a path.
    • Solar panels, by contrast, work best where sunlight is strong and steady, though they still produce some power on cloudy days.

  7. Luz thinks [6] is vague and too casual. Which sentence rewrites it with an exact fact in a formal voice, without adding unsupported claims?

    • Both of these are super awesome ways to make power, no cap, and people should love them.
    • Both sources are very good ones for the world and for the people who live in it.
    • Both sources reduce air pollution because neither burns fuel to make electricity.
    • Both sources are free and will replace coal plants within ten years across the whole world.

  8. Two River Civilizations (informative draft)

    [1] Two of the earliest civilizations grew along rivers: Egypt along the Nile and Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates. [2] Both depended on the rivers for water, fish and fertile soil. [3] The Nile flooded each year at a predictable time, leaving a layer of rich silt on the fields. [4] The Tigris and Euphrates flooded too. [5] Egyptians used the regular floods to plan their farming calendar. [6] Mesopotamians built canals and levees to control the water. [7] Rivers are cool. [8] Because Egypt's river valley was surrounded by desert, it was harder for outsiders to enter. [9] Mesopotamian cities, in open plains, built walls and often competed with one another for land and water.

  9. Esme wants a new [4] that compares the Tigris and Euphrates floods with the Nile floods in [3]. Which sentence does?

    • The Tigris and Euphrates flow through what are now Iraq and Syria and reach the Persian Gulf after many miles.
    • The Tigris and Euphrates also flooded, but their floods came at less predictable times and sometimes washed away crops.
    • The Tigris and Euphrates also flowed through lands where people built cities of mud brick and clay beside the water, where the rivers ran.
    • The Nile flooded each year at a predictable time, which let farmers count on rich silt each season.

  10. Pia thinks [7] is vague and too casual. Which sentence rewrites it with exact facts in a formal voice, without adding unsupported claims?

    • Rivers gave early farmers water for crops, and steam engines moved their grain to market.
    • Rivers were totally awesome, so early folks built everything right next to them, no cap.
    • Rivers gave early farmers water for crops and a way to move grain and goods.
    • Rivers were very important to early people in many different ways, and people liked them.

  11. Noah wants a final sentence after [9] that gathers the comparison without adding a new fact. Which sentence does?

    • Two of the earliest civilizations grew along rivers: Egypt along the Nile and Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates.
    • Because the two rivers behaved differently, Egypt built the first airport while Mesopotamia built the first harbor.
    • Because the two rivers behaved differently, Egypt relied on a steady calendar while Mesopotamia relied on canals and walls.
    • Because Egypt had a river valley, Egypt was a better place to live than Mesopotamia and had happier people.

  12. Sharks and Dolphins (informative draft)

    [1] Sharks and dolphins look alike at a glance, yet they belong to different groups of animals. [2] A shark is a fish, which means it breathes with gills and its body is supported by cartilage instead of bone. [3] A dolphin is a mammal, so it breathes air through a blowhole and feeds milk to its young. [4] They also move differently. [5] Dolphins are smart. [6] Both animals are shaped for speed, with streamlined bodies and strong tails. [7] Scientists call this similarity convergent evolution, in which unrelated animals develop similar features because they face similar challenges. [8] Dolphins must rise to the surface to breathe, but sharks can take oxygen from the water. [9] These differences help scientists decide which animals are related.

  13. Jun wants a new [4] that compares how sharks and dolphins move their tails. Which sentence does?

    • A shark has a pointed fin on its back, and a dolphin often leaps above the waves.
    • A shark swings its tail from side to side, while a dolphin moves its tail up and down.
    • Sharks and dolphins both live in oceans around the world, and they both eat fish.
    • A dolphin moves its tail up and down, and this motion pushes it forward through the water.

  14. Ren wants a final sentence after [9] that gathers the comparison without adding a new fact. Which sentence does?

    • Because sharks and dolphins look alike, scientists have shown that sharks will become mammals over a very long time.
    • Sharks and dolphins look alike at a glance, yet they belong to different groups of animals in the sea.
    • Because dolphins are smart, they are more important to the ocean than sharks and should be protected first by governments around the world.
    • Because sharks and dolphins differ in breathing, body structure and tail motion, scientists classify them separately despite their similar shapes.