Non-Fiction Reading Unit Assessment
Name ______Date ______
Draw a star on correct answer
Draw a circle on incorrect answer
Skill: / Question Number / Correct__ /5 / %
Main Idea / 1, 7, 10, 12, 21
Sequence / 2, 3, 13, 16, 19
Fact / Opinion / 6, 8, 9, 14, 23
Cause / Effect / 15, 18, 20, 22, 24
Drawing Conclusions / 4, 5, 11, 17, 25
You don’t need the percentage guide this time.
You already know how to convert fractions to percents!!!
1. What did you learn or grow in most during this unit?
2. According to the assessment, which skill are you BEST at? ______
(If you’re awesome at all of them, which one is easiest for you?)
3. Which skill do you still need to work on the most? ______
(Or which one is most difficult for you?)
Name: ______Date: ______
Non-Fiction Reading Unit Assessment
Soda Bottle CycloneTornadoes don’t travel as far or get as big as hurricanes, but their powerful, twisting winds are the fastest and most dangerous on Earth. At the center of the tornado is a spinning column of air called
a vortex. Some tornadoes even have more than one vortex. This project lets you see what a tornado’s vortex looks like. So grab some supplies and let’s give it a spin!
Materials
· 2 2-litre pop bottles with caps
· Silicon caulking
· Water
· Drill (get an adult’s help with this)
· Food coloring (optional)
· Plastic confetti (optional)
Instructions
1. Take the caps off both the pop bottles.
2. Get an adult’s help to drill a ½” hole.
3. Place the caps together and put a bead of silicon around the hole to seal it. Let dry.
4. Wrap a piece of duct tape around the outside of the two caps to firmly join them together.
5. Screw the double cap onto one of the pop bottles.
6. Fill the other pop bottle about 3/4 full of water. (Add food coloring or plastic confetti to the water if you want.)
7. Screw the empty bottle onto the top of the bottle containing the water.
8. Hold the duct-taped area with one hand and the bottom of the bottle with the other hand.
9. Turn the bottles upside-down and swirl them in a few quick circles. A vortex forms as the water drains into the lower bottle.
1.Read the first paragraph. Which of the supporting details could fit in the empty box?
A. / Tornadoes have powerful, twisting windsB. / Grab supplies and give it a spin.
C. / This project helps you see what a tornado is like.
D. / Turn the bottles upside down.
2. / What is done before the water is added?
A. / Add the food coloring.
B. / Screw the double caps onto one bottle.
C. / Duct tape the bottles together.
D. / Turn the bottles upside down.
3. / What is the last step in creating the Soda Bottle Cyclone?
A. / Take the caps off the bottles.
B. / Add the plastic confetti.
C. / Swirl the bottle in quick circles.
D. / Get parents to help with the drill.
4. / What necessary, important information is missing from step 2 of the instructions?
A. / Buy a drill at the local hardware store.
B. / Ask your parents before you ever ask your teacher.
C. / Drill a hole in the center of each cap.
D. / Decorate the cap with markers.
5. / Why do you think the directions have an option of adding food color and confetti?
A. / To make it colorful and interesting to watch spin.
B. / To make it sparkle and shine.
C. / To make it heavier and more balanced.
D. / To make it spin quickly.
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The African elephant is the largest living land animal. Even with gray, wrinkled skin, it has a beautiful face. It has a sloping forehead and two tusks that look like swords. At the tip of its trunk, it has two “fingers” used to grab things. An elephant looks graceful when grabbing with its trunk. It weighs up to 5,400 kg, the weight of about six cars. It lives in the Savannah, brush, forest, and river valleys in Africa.The Asian elephant is different from the African elephant. The Asian elephant is much uglier, and it looks silly. The Asian elephant is much smaller than its African cousin. It has smaller ears and tusks. It has only one “finger” at the end of its trunk to grab food or brush. It looks clumsy when trying to grab food with its trunk.
All elephants are vegetarians and eat about 225 kg of plant food each day. The trunk is used to pull branches off trees, uproot grass, and pluck fruit. The fruit tastes much better than all those green leaves. The trunk is also used for smelling, touching, drinking, greeting, or throwing dust. Elephants are the most interesting animals in the world.
6. / Which of the following is a fact from the article?
A. / It weighs up to 5,400 kg, the weight of about six cars.
B. / Elephants are the most interesting animals in the world.
C. / An elephant looks graceful when grabbing with its trunk.
D. / It looks clumsy when trying to grab food with its trunk.
7. / On the line below, re-write an opinion that the author wrote in the article:
______
8. / Which title could BEST support the main idea of this article?
A. / “The World’s Most Amazing Animals”
B. / “The Beautiful African Elephant”
C. / “Elephants: One Interesting Animal. Two Different Breeds.”
D. / “Giant, Plant-Eating Mammals”
9. / Which of the following is an opinion from the article?
A. / The African elephant is the largest living land animal.
B. / The Asian elephant is different from the African elephant.
C. / At the tip of its trunk, it has two “fingers” used to grab things.
D. / It has two tusks that look like swords.
10. / Which of these BEST summarizes paragraph 3?
A. / The Asian elephant is much smaller and much uglier than the African elephant.
B. / Elephants are large, plant-eating animals that use their trunks for everything from smelling, to drinking, to greeting.
C. / Elephants eat about 225 kg of plants each day.
D. / Elephants are the most interesting animal.
11. / If you were to buy an elephant, based on his descriptions, which type of elephant do you think the author would recommend that you buy?
A. / The African elephant because it weighs about 5,400 kg.
B. / The Asian elephant because it is so small and silly looking.
C. / The American elephant because it is peaceful and loving.
D. / The African elephant because it is beautiful and moves gracefully.
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AntarcticaFor centuries, little was known about Antarctica. It was thought of as a distant, dangerous, frozen wasteland. It was the last continent to be discovered. No one sighted it until the early 1800s. Before that time, many explorers had sailed south in an attempt to visit the ice-covered land. In those days, their trips were as famous as those of the first astronauts.
Even before the land was discovered, stories were told about it. The ancient Greeks thought there was a land at the bottom of the world. Over the years, some of the world's greatest sailors tried to find it. In 1772, the famous Captain James Cook made the trip.
Captain Cook was the first sailor to make it all the way to the ice cap. The ice surrounds Antarctica in the winter. Cook sailed all the way around the continent but was blocked from getting too close by the ice. Captain Cook went farther south than anyone had ever gone. His record stood for 50 years.
In the 1820s, a different type of sailor was setting sail toward Antarctica. Seal hunters and whale hunters made the journey. A young American named Nathaniel Palmer was probably the first person to see Antarctica. He and other adventurers were sailing through uncharted ocean in search of seals. In doing so, they became explorers as well as hunters.
12. / If you had to tell someone about what you just read, what would you say is the main idea of the article?
A. / The ancient Greeks knew about Antarctica for centuries.
B. / Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered.
C. / Nathaniel Palmer was the first person to see Antarctica.
D. / People from many cultures have been interested in Antarctica for centuries.
13. / Before the seal hunters made their way to Antarctica, who was the first person to make it to the ice caps near Antarctica?
A. / The Ancient Greeks.
B. / Captain James Cook.
C. / Explorers.
D. / Nathaniel Palmer.
14. / Which sentence from paragraph 1 is a fact?
A. / For centuries, little was known about Antarctica.
B. / Antarctica was once thought to be a dangerous, frozen wasteland.
C. / Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered.
D. / Their trips were as famous as those of the first astronauts.
15. / Why couldn’t Captain Cook make it onto the continent of Antarctica?
A. / He was blocked out by ice.
B. / Little information was known about how to get there.
C. / Seal and whale hunters were already there.
D. / He was too old.
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Great Grandma’s Recipe for: Black Turtle Bean Soup1 pound black turtle beans
1 pound ham
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
3 quarts water
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
3 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
DIRECTIONS: Cook onions in oil. Wash beans. Cook the beans, ham and onions on medium heat until the beans are soft (4-6 hours. Any longer and the beans will be mushy). Remove the bean mixture and mash it well, until it forms a "bean paste." Add bean paste back into soup. Add herbs and cook about 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook orange peel, garlic, red pepper, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Add to beans. Heat thoroughly and serve with sour cream and salsa on the side. Enjoy the most delicious soup ever made!
16. / What should you do with the beans after they have been cooked?
A. / The beans should be chopped up with a blender.
B. / The beans should be mashed to make a paste.
C. / The beans should be mixed in with everything.
D. / No directions are given that explain what should be done to the beans.
17. / Why do you think this soup is called “Black Turtle Bean Soup?”
A. / Because it comes out looking like the black shell of a turtle when it’s cooked.
B. / Because the main ingredient in the soup is a type of bean called Black Turtle Bean.
C. / Because that’s what the author’s Grandma always called it.
D. / Because it is the favorite food of Black Turtles in the Caribbean Islands.
18. / What will happen if the beans are cooked too long?
A. / The beans will turn brown.
B. / The beans will be hard.
C. / The beans will be salty.
D. / The beans will be mushy.
19. / According to the recipe, what is the first step in making the soup?
A. / Cook the onions in oil.
B. / 1 pound black turtle beans.
C. / Wash the beans.
D. / Serve with sour cream and salsa.
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Rocket to the Moon(1)The Moon is a small, natural satellite that orbits the Earth. It is the largest and brightest object in the night sky. Scientists think the Moon was created billions of years ago when a giant asteroid crashed into the Earth. The rocks that were blasted into space collected together to form the Moon.
(2)People from different countries have always wondered what it would be like to visit the Moon. For years, many engineers tried to build a rocket that would be powerful enough to fly humans to the Moon. Both the Russians and the Americans built rockets that could fly into space, but American engineers were the first to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth.
(3)In July 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin flew to the Moon in the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Neil Armstrong was the first person to step on the Moon. As he was descending from the steps of the Eagle Lunar Module, he spoke the famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!"
(4) Armstrong and Aldrin explored the surface of the Moon for two and a half hours. There is no air on the Moon, so they wore big suits and helmets connected to tanks of air. On the Moon, gravity is weak. The big spacesuits do not feel heavy. The astronauts learned they could jump with great ease. The astronauts ran experiments and collected samples to take home. They used a special collecting scoop and other special tools.
20. / What was one effect of a big asteroid hitting Earth?
A. / The Moon was destroyed.
B. / Russians were first on the Moon.
C. / Americans did not go to the Moon.
D. / The Moon was created.
21. / What is the main idea of paragraph 2?
A. / Engineers tried to build a strong rocket to fly people to the moon.
B. / People across the world have wanted to get to the moon, but the U.S. was the first to land there.
C. / The Russians built incredible rockets that were used for space travel.
D. / The astronauts returned safely from their journey to the moon.
22. / Why did engineers try to build rockets that could take people to the Moon?
A. / People wanted to know if the Earth had water.
B. / People wanted to see what the Moon was like.
C. / People wanted to see what the Earth looked like.
D. / People wanted to see the Moon from Earth.
23. / Which sentence from the paragraph is a fact?
A. / Scientists think the moon was created billions of years ago.
B. / People have always wondered what it would be like to visit the moon.
C. / In July 1969, American astronauts flew to the Moon in the Apollo 11 spacecraft.
D. / The big space suits do not feel heavy.
24. / Why did Armstrong and Aldrin wear space suits and helmets?
A. / There is no gravity on the Moon.
B. / There is no air on the Moon.
C. / There is too much gravity on the Moon.
D. / There is too much air on the Moon.
25. / What did Neil Armstrong mean when he said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,”?
A. / He took very small steps and one big leap on the moon.
B. / Humans can make unbelievable leaps if they work hard and study.
C. / His steps on the moon were small, but represent a big event in the progress of
all humanity.
D. / He hopes that other people will someday be able to leap on the moon.
* TEACHER EDITION *