Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts
Grade 4 - Reading - On Level

In "School Lunch Compost," which clue would most likely signal a firsthand account?
- the writer describes what they personally saw or did
- the writer summarizes many sources later
- the text includes no details
- the title uses capital letters
How are the two accounts in "Building a Better Bridge" different? Text A: A news article describes students testing model bridges and adding supports after the first designs bent. Text B: A diary entry tells how one student felt nervous, then proud, when her redesigned bridge held more weight.
- Neither account gives information.
- Text A reports the class project, while Text B focuses on one student's feelings.
- Both accounts have exactly the same perspective.
- Both texts describe improving a bridge after a test.
Which statement describes what both accounts in "Night Sky Views" share?
- Text A explains a science idea, while Text B shows a child's wondering through poetry.
- Both texts mention constellations that are seen during certain seasons.
- Text B describes a child wondering where Orion goes in summer.
- Both texts give directions for building a telescope.
Which evidence from Text A helps compare the accounts in "Community Garden Signs"?
- Text B says signs show which plants attract bees.
- Text A tells volunteers to label rows of herbs, vegetables, and flowers.
- Text A has no evidence
- Both texts describe buying food at a grocery store.
Why should a reader compare perspectives in "Storm Preparation"?
- firsthand accounts are always fiction
- different accounts may emphasize different details about the same topic
- perspective makes evidence unnecessary
- all accounts are written by the same person
In "Saving the Old Theater," which clue would most likely signal a firsthand account?
- the text has the longest paragraph
- the writer describes what they personally saw or did
- the title uses capital letters
- the writer summarizes many sources later
How are the two accounts in "School Lunch Compost" different? Text A: A student letter argues that the cafeteria should compost apple cores and carrot peels because the school garden needs richer soil. Text B: A science note explains that worms and bacteria break food scraps into compost that can feed plants.
- Text A tries to persuade the school, while Text B explains how compost forms.
- Both texts tell a fictional story about a lost lunchbox.
- Both accounts have exactly the same perspective.
- Neither account gives information.
Which statement describes what both accounts in "Building a Better Bridge" share?
- Text A describes students adding supports after bridges bent.
- Both texts describe improving a bridge after a test.
- Text A reports the class project, while Text B focuses on one student's feelings.
- Both texts explain how to cross a real river safely.
Which evidence from Text A helps compare the accounts in "Night Sky Views"?
- Both texts mention constellations that are seen during certain seasons.
- Text B describes a child wondering where Orion goes in summer.
- Text A has no evidence
- Text A explains why winter constellations are easier to see.
Why should a reader compare perspectives in "Community Garden Signs"?
- all accounts are written by the same person
- perspective makes evidence unnecessary
- firsthand accounts are always fiction
- different accounts may emphasize different details about the same topic