Will-o-the-Wisps Reading Comprehension Worksheet
This will-o-the-wisps reading comprehension worksheet helps 5th graders learn the science of glowing marsh lights through a two-page passage, questions and a written response, with an answer key included.
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About this resource
Description
Strange lights that flicker over a marsh at night have puzzled travelers for hundreds of years, and this will-o-the-wisps reading comprehension worksheet explains the real science behind them. Fifth graders read an original informational passage about how bacteria break down dead plants in wetland mud, how methane and phosphine gases rise and catch fire, and why the pale flames flicker and fade. Along the way they meet foxfire, the soft green glow that fungi make inside rotting logs.
The passage runs across two pages and defines new science words such as decomposing, methane and bioluminescence right in the text, so students can use context clues as they read. After reading, children answer four multiple-choice questions that cover vocabulary in context, key details, cause and effect and the central idea. A final written response asks them to explain how scientists think the lights form, using two details from the passage.
What’s Included
- A two-page informational passage for 5th grade
- Four multiple-choice comprehension questions
- One constructed-response question with writing lines
- A full answer key with a sample written response
Why This Worksheet Helps Kids
First, it turns a mystery into a science lesson, which shows children that careful observation can explain things that once seemed impossible. Second, the questions practice the exact skills found on reading tests, from word meaning to finding the central idea. Third, the written response asks students to back up their answer with evidence, a habit that makes them stronger readers and writers in every subject.
Ideas for Teachers and Parents
Pair this 5th grade reading comprehension worksheet with a science unit on wetlands, decomposers or chemical changes. Before reading, ask students what they think could make a light glow over water at night, then compare their guesses with the passage. Use the will-o-the-wisps reading comprehension worksheet as a homework assignment, a small-group lesson or a quick check of close reading skills.
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