Grade 3 Reading Informational Text - Main Idea Science Curriculum Resources
Enhance the skill of identifying main ideas in informational text about science in young readers with our Reading Informational Text - Main Idea Science curriculum resources. These resources provide a structured approach to recognizing and understanding the central concepts of informational texts related to science in an interactive and printable format, improving overall reading comprehension.
Curriculum Resources Results
Koi Fish—What’s the Main Idea?
This informational text on koi fish is a great introduction to teaching main idea. Students will be asked, in multiple c...
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Handy Helpers —Authors Point of View
This informational text on pollinators and decomposers is perfect for teaching point of view. Students will read the tex...
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Why the Great Barrier Reef Matters
This passage highlights the critical importance of the Great Barrier Reef for both nature and humans. It emphasizes the ...
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How Kids Can Help Protect the Great Barrier Reef
This passage focuses on empowering children to take action in protecting the Great Barrier Reef and the environment. It ...
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The Oxygen Cycle
The oxygen cycle illustrates how oxygen moves through the atmosphere, water, and living organisms. Driven by photosynthe...
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Life in the Great Barrier Reef
This passage delves into the rich biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef. It describes the vast array of marine life, in...
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What is the Greenhouse Effect?
This passage introduces the greenhouse effect to children, comparing it to a blanket around Earth. It explains how sunli...
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Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Simple Tips for Home
This passage focuses on reducing carbon footprints at home by conserving electricity. It suggests practical actions like...
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How Kids Can Help Fight Climate Change?
This passage introduces the concept of 'reduce, reuse, recycle' as a way for children to help fight climate change. It e...
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Can you give an example of a renewable energy source?
This passage focuses on solar energy as an example of renewable energy for children. It explains how solar panels captur...
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What is Weather?
This passage explains weather to children, describing it as the current outdoor conditions. It covers various weather ty...
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Main Idea and Supporting Details in Informational Text
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What Is an Atmospheric Physicist?
This NGSS-aligned middle school science passage introduces students to the role of an atmospheric physicist. It explains...
What Is a Physical Oceanographer?
This NGSS-aligned passage introduces middle school students to physical oceanography—the study of how ocean water moves ...
How Do Trees Affect the Weather?
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage explores how trees affect weather and climate. Students will learn about the r...
How Does Snow Form?
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage explains how snow forms in the atmosphere. Students will learn about the proce...
Why Does the Wind Blow?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains what causes the wind to blow. Students will learn how differences in air temp...
Can Animals Predict the Weather?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explores how animals might sense changes in the environment before storms or natural d...
Why Are Hurricanes Given Names?
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage explains why hurricanes are given names and how this practice improves communi...
How Big Can Raindrops Get?
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage explains how raindrops form in clouds and how big they can grow before breakin...
How Does a Hurricane Form?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains how hurricanes form over warm ocean waters. Students will learn about key con...
What Causes Thunderstorms?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains how thunderstorms form from warm, moist air rising into the atmosphere. Stude...
Why Do Clouds Turn Grey?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains why clouds appear grey when they become dense with water droplets and block s...
Why Are Clouds White?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains why clouds appear white to our eyes. Students learn how sunlight, which is ma...
What Are Clouds Made Of?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains what clouds are made of and how they form in the atmosphere. Students learn t...
What Are Nimbostratus Clouds Made Of?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains what nimbostratus clouds are made of and how they form. Students will learn t...
Measuring Hurricane Intensity – The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage explains how the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to measure the in...
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What Is an Anthropogenic Pollutant?
This NGSS-aligned science passage explains what an anthropogenic pollutant is and how it affects Earth’s air, water, and...
Understanding Anthropogenic Climate Change
This NGSS-aligned science passage explains anthropogenic climate change in a way that’s accessible for middle school stu...
Why Are Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases Important?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains the importance of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and their role in climate ch...
What Are Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs)?
This NGSS-aligned middle school science passage explains Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and how they help ...
What Are Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces middle school students to Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). SSPs are sc...
What Does It Mean to Be Carbon Neutral?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage explains the conce
What Is Sea Level Rise and Why Does It Matter?
This passage explains sea level rise and why it’s an important part of climate science. Students learn how global warmin...
What Causes the Sea Level to Rise?
This NGSS-aligned middle school passage explains the major causes of sea level rise, including melting glaciers and ther...
What Is the IPCC and What Does It Do?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces middle school students to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IP...
What Is a Climatologist?
This reading passage introduces students to the role of a climatologist, a scientist who studies long-term climate patte...
What Is Storm Surge and Why Is It So Dangerous?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces middle school students to the concept of storm surge, a major hazard caused...
How Do Hurricanes Form?
This NGSS-aligned science passage helps students understand how hurricanes form and why they are so powerful. It describ...
MS-ESS3-2
What is Wind Energy
This engaging and informative science passage is designed for middle school students and aligned with NGSS standard MS-E...
What is Biomass Energy
This NGSS-aligned middle school science passage introduces students to biomass energy, a renewable energy source made fr...
What Is a Hydroelectric Power Plant?
This middle school science passage explains how hydroelectric power plants generate electricity using the energy of movi...
What Is a Paleoclimatologist?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces middle school students to the field of paleoclimatology. Students learn how...
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Falling Leaves—Reading Fluency Passage
This informational text on falling leaves with comprehension questions is a great way to practice reading fluency and ma...
RI.1.2RI.10RF.1.4.ARF.1.4.B
Doctors—Citing Text Evidence
This informational text on doctors with comprehension questions is a great way to practice reading fluency and main idea...
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Penguins— Main Purpose
This informational text on penguins with comprehension questions is a great way to practice reading fluency and main ide...
RI.1.2RI.1.10RF.1.4.ARF.1.4.B
Reading Comprehension— Storms
Practie summarizing paragraphs with this fun science informational text on storms! Students will give the main idea of t...
RI.2.2RF.2.4.ARF.2.4RI.2.10
Ocean Acidification
Download this reading comprehension worksheet about ocean acidification. The worksheet includes an informational text ab...
RI.4.4
The Space Needle
Students read a passage about the history and features of Seattle's Space Needle, then answer comprehension questions to...
RI.4.2
Ocean Animal Adaptations
Students will read a passage that provides information about various adaptations that marine animals have developed to t...
W.4.9.B
Handy Helpers —Authors Point of View
This informational text on pollinators and decomposers is perfect for teaching point of view. Students will read the tex...
RI.3.6
Koi Fish—What’s the Main Idea?
This informational text on koi fish is a great introduction to teaching main idea. Students will be asked, in multiple c...
RI.3.2RF.3.4RI.3.1
Main Topic and Paragraph Focus in Informational Text
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What Turtles Eat?
Turtles exhibit a wide range of dietary preferences, reflecting their diverse habitats and evolutionary adaptations. Her...
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Starfish Body Parts
Starfish, or sea stars, possess a remarkable anatomy that enables them to thrive in diverse marine environments. The bod...
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Starfish Shapes and Colors
Starfish, or sea stars, display an incredible diversity of shapes and colors that fascinate marine enthusiasts and young...
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The States of Matter: Solid
Discover the differences between solids, liquids and gases by exploring how their particles are arranged and move. This ...
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Where Turtles Live
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What is a Simple Machine
Discover the power of simple machines! This informational text explores how basic tools like levers, pulleys and incline...
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Coral Habitats: Where the Ocean Comes Alive
This passage introduces first-graders to the specific habitats where coral thrives. It explains that coral requires warm...
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Types of Coral: Hard and Soft
This passage delves into the two primary types of coral: hard and soft coral. First-grade readers are introduced to the ...
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Turtle Conservation
Turtle conservation has become an increasingly critical issue as many species face numerous threats in both aquatic and ...
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Rattlesnake
The Rattlesnake is a venomous snake that thrives in desert environments. It is easily recognized by the rattle at the en...
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Desert Jerboa
The Desert Jerboa is a small rodent that thrives in the desert environment. It has long back legs that enable it to jump...
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Camel
The Camel is a large desert animal easily recognized by the hump on its back, which stores fat that can be converted to ...
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Bats in the Night
This informative first-grade reading passage delves into the intriguing world of bats, highlighting their nocturnal natu...
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Cesar Chavez: A Voice for Farm Workers
This reading passage introduces elementary students to Cesar Chavez and his work advocating for farm workers' rights. Th...
Heroes for Freedom: Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass overcame slavery to become a leader in the fight for freedom and civil rights. His powerful speeches ...
RI.3.1RI.4.4RI.4.2RI.5.2
What is Weather and Climate?
Desert Bighorn Sheep
The Desert Bighorn Sheep is a remarkable desert animal known for its strength and agility. These sheep have strong legs ...
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What Is the Difference Between Thermal Energy and Heat?
This passage, 'What Is the Difference Between Thermal Energy and Heat?', helps middle school students understand the key...
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The Specific Heat of Copper
This middle school reading passage, 'The Specific Heat of Copper,' explores how copper responds to heat due to its low s...
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The Specific Heat of Ice
This middle school science passage, 'The Specific Heat of Ice,' explains how ice has a lower specific heat than liquid w...
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The Specific Heat Capacity of Water
This middle school science reading passage, 'The Specific Heat Capacity of Water,' explains how water's high specific he...
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Understanding Specific Heat
This passage, 'Understanding Specific Heat,' explains the concept of specific heat to middle school students in an acces...
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What Is an Exothermic Reaction?
This science passage introduces students to the idea of exothermic reactions—chemical changes that release heat or light...
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What Is an Endothermic Reaction?
This engaging science passage introduces middle school readers to the concept of endothermic reactions, aligned with NGS...
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What Is Entropy in Energy?
This passage introduces the concept of entropy in the context of energy, aligning with NGSS standard MS-PS3-4. It explai...
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What Is a Temperature Gradient?
This engaging science passage introduces students to the concept of a temperature gradient, a key idea aligned with the ...
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What Is an Example of Conduction?
This middle school science reading passage explains conduction through everyday examples, such as a hot metal spoon in s...
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What Is Conductivity?
This middle school science reading passage introduces students to the concept of conductivity, explaining how materials ...
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What Is Conduction?
This middle school science passage explains the concept of conduction, focusing on how heat moves through solids. Aligne...
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How Does Heat Move?
This engaging middle school science passage introduces students to the basic principles of heat transfer, aligning with ...
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Gregor Mendel: The Father of Genetics
This informational reading passage introduces students to Gregor Mendel, the Austrian monk whose pea plant experiments l...
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Newton (N) – The Unit of Force
This NGSS-aligned passage introduces middle school students to the newton (N), the standard unit of force in the metric ...
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Work – A Scientific Definition
This NGSS-aligned science passage explains the definition of work as used in physical science and supports standard MS-P...
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What Is Kinetic Energy?
This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces 6th–8th grade students to the concept of kinetic energy—energy that an obje...
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Why Siblings Aren’t Identical: Understanding Genetic Variation
This engaging middle school reading passage helps students explore the concept of genetic variation and how it explains ...
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How Rainforests Help the Planet
This NGSS-aligned reading passage for middle school students explains how rainforests help regulate Earth’s climate and ...
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What Is the Main Source of Carbon in an Ecosystem?
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage helps middle school students explore the main source of carbon in ecosystems: ...
MS-LS2-3
What Two Processes Fuel the Carbon Cycle?
This NGSS-aligned science reading passage explains how photosynthesis and respiration are the two main processes that fu...
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Where Does My Food Come From?
This reading passage, 'Where Does My Food Come From?', aligns with NGSS LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystem...
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The Tiny Seed
This reading passage, 'The Sun, the Rain, and the Tiny Seed', is designed to illustrate the core concepts of NGSS LS2.A:...
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