John Muir may be a friend to the natural world, but as a short reading passage confirms, he is no friend to rattlesnakes. As young readers learn about Muir's encounters with the dangerous creatures, they answer four comprehension questions to make inferences about the motivation behind his actions.

Concepts

john muir, nature, reading comprehension

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Encourage learners to write their own nonfiction narrative essay about an encounter they've had in nature
• Use in a unit that focused on descriptive language or author's purpose
• Compare and contrast Muir's style with Jack London or another American nature writer

Classroom Considerations

• Reading selection is 4.5 pages long, with the last half page reserved for questions
• Designed for middle schoolers but applicable for older learners as well

Pros

• Comprehension questions provide page numbers for quick reference
• Writing is vivid but accessible

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.6.1 RL.6.2 RL.6.10 RL.7.1 RL.7.2 RL.7.10 RL.8.1 RL.8.2 RL.8.10