De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: American Explorers [Pdf]

"American Explorers" is a one page, non-fiction, reading passage about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way they drew maps for future travels. It is followed by constructed-response questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining the main idea and underlining five sentence that support it. This passage aligns with Common Core Anchor Reading Standards 1, and 2 requiring close reading, textual evidence, central ideas/themes, and summarizing key ideas.