Early settlers in the American Midwest experienced constant struggle. This reading passage describes for young learners the hardships of homesteaders as they journeyed west and sought to start a new life. When finished, students identify the main idea and supporting details of the text, presenting an excellent opportunity to practice writing a summary. Include this in a social studies unit on early American history, or use to supplement a reading comprehension lesson.

Concepts

main ideas, central ideas, supporting details, details, reading comprehension, summarizing, settlers

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Additional Tags

Reading Passage, summary writing, main idea, supporting details, early settlers, reading comprehension, english language arts

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Pros

• Provides firsthand accounts of the lives of early settlers
• Text is broken into distinct sections using headings, which will make it easier for learners to access the information
• Includes a multiple choice assessment to check reading comprehension

Cons

• Reading passage does not include a clear introduction, which requires the teacher to provide relevant background information

Common Core

RI.3.2 RI.4.2 RI.5.2 W.3.2.a W.3.2.b W.4.2.a W.4.2.b W.5.2.a W.5.2.b