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The Moon Lander — Reading Comprehension

Grades
2
3
4
Standards
RL.3.1
RL.2.1
RL.4.5
PRINT+DIGITAL RESOURCE
This learning resource is available in interactive and printable formats. The interactive worksshet can be played online and assigned to students. The Printable PDF version can be downloaded and printed for completion by hand.
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Perfect For:

👩‍🏫 Teachers
  • • Reading comprehension practice
  • • Auto-graded assessments
  • • Literacy skill development
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents
  • • Reading practice at home
  • • Comprehension improvement
  • • Educational reading time
🏠 Homeschoolers
  • • Reading curriculum support
  • • Independent reading practice
  • • Progress monitoring

Reading Features:

đź“–
Reading Passage
Engaging fiction or nonfiction text
âť“
Comprehension Quiz
Auto-graded questions
đź“Š
Instant Feedback
Immediate results and scoring
đź“„
Printable Version
Download for offline reading

About This Reader

This detailed passage examines lunar landing technology, aligning with NGSS standards for engineering design and space science. The narrative explains the unique features of lunar landers and their specific design requirements for moon missions. Through Sarah's questions about the lander's unusual appearance, students learn about spacecraft design principles and the challenges of lunar exploration. The passage effectively combines historical space achievements with technical engineering concepts.
QZ.RL.3.1-15

Sarah stopped in front of a large, spider-like machine with four legs. It had a gold-colored base and several small windows around its sides.

 

"This is a model of the lunar lander," Alex explained. "These special spacecraft were designed to land astronauts safely on the moon's surface. The legs help it stand steady on the rocky moon surface."

 

"But why does it look so different from regular spacecraft?" asked Sarah.

 

"That's because it only needs to work in space and on the moon," Alex replied. "It doesn't need to be streamlined like rockets that have to fly through Earth's atmosphere. The gold foil helps protect it from extreme temperatures in space!"

What did the lunar lander look like?

Like a regular airplaneLike a spider with four legsLike a car with wheelsLike a submarine

Why does the lunar lander have legs?

To walk on the moonTo jump high in spaceTo stand steady on the rocky moon surfaceTo look cool

Why doesn't the lunar lander need to be streamlined?

Because it's too smallBecause it only works in space and on the moonBecause it's faster that wayBecause it's cheaper to build

What was special about the gold-colored material on the lander?

It was decorativeIt helped the lander flyIt protected from extreme temperaturesIt made the lander invisible

Common Core Standards Covered

RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL.4.5
Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.

Grade Levels:

Grade 2Grade 3Grade 4

Subjects:

elareadingscience

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