"Changing the Ecosystem" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the disruption in the food chain due to habitat loss and pollution and the results of that disruption. It is followed by questions which require students to...

"Maintaining Cultural Continuity" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about Fidelis Umeh, a Nigerian businessman in Chicago, who founded Nigerians in Chicago, a support group to help Nigerians fit into American society and still...

"Settlement" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the hardships of early settlers on the prairie. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining main idea and...

"Transportation Changes" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the history of transportation by land and by sea. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining...

"What Values Have Shaped Chicago?" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about the Plan of Chicago as outlined in the "Wacker Manual." It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...

"Why is Community Service Important?" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage is part of a report that the Obama-Biden campaign prepared about service and volunteering. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...

"Letter to the Mayor" is a one page, nonfiction letter written to the mayor by 2000 school children in Chicago. In the letters, the children addressed issues such as trash, gangs, computers, playgrounds, and safer streets. After reading...

"More Trees" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a student and his mother getting trees from the city and planting them in their neighborhood. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide...

"Potawatomi Prairie" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about the Potawatomi tribe and what their life may have been like during the different seasons of the year. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...

"City Government" is a one-page, nonfiction, reading passage about Chicago's city government system. It explains that Chicago is divided into 50 wards, and each ward elects an Alderman to represent them. It is followed by...

"Pioneer Families" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about pioneers who traveled west in wagon trains, the hardships they faced, and how they worked together to build communities. It is followed by questions which require...

"The Captain's Job" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about a captain safely landing his plane in the Hudson River after birds had flown into the engines causing them to stop. It is followed by questions which require students...

"Training for the Presidency" is a one-page, fictional, reading passage about Abraham Lincoln as a child. He does chores for a farmer because the book he had borrowed from him had gotten wet when rain came through the cabin walls. It is...

"My First Baseball Game" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a boy going to his first baseball game and learning what it means to be a Chicago Cubs fan. It is followed by open-ended questions which require students to provide...

"Chicago Fire" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the great Chicago Fire of 1871, which burned the city constructed of wood, and its rebuilding using brick. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to...

"Gwendolyn Brooks, Poet" is a one page, biographical passage about Gwendolyn Brooks, an African-American poet from Chicago. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes...

"Early Chicago Environment & People" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the Native Americans who lived in what is now Chicago. It explains how they lived and how Chicago got its name. It is followed by constructed-response...

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." is a one page, biographical passage about Martin Luther King, Jr. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining the author's...

"Community Progress?" is a one page, nonfiction passage about three community projects in Chicago; each group saw a problem, decided on a solution, and implemented it. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require...

"An African American Poet" is a one page, biographical passage about Gwendolyn Brooks, a famous African American poet. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes...

"Early Chicago Environment and People" is a one page, nonfiction passage about the early Native Americans who settled in what is now Chicago. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it...

"Chicago Legacy: DuSable" is a one page, biographical passage about Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the first non-native American to settle in Chicago. He started a trading post around which the city grew. It is followed by questions which...

"Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech" is an excerpt from Deval Patrick's acceptance speech when he won the governorship of Massachusetts on November 7, 2006. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the...

"Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan" is a one page, nonfiction passage about Daniel Burnham, an architect and city planner for Chicago. He planned the layout of the city including Navy Pier, railroads, streets, and public buildings. It is...