De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Pioneer Families [Pdf]

"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 students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining the main idea and underlining supporting text. This passage aligns with Common Core Anchor Reading Standards 1 and 2 requiring close reading, textual evidence, main idea, and summarizing.