Saturday, August 16, 2014

8th Grade Close Reading Passage

Grade 8 Close Reading Passages | Fiction and Nonfiction Passages | CCSS Grade 8 Printable Close Reading Timed Reading Passages PDF | Point of View, Inferring, Authors Purpose, Inference, Drawing Conclusion, Making Inference and Author's View Point

Grade 8 Reading Passages  
The Bronze Ring 

The king despairs because his castle is surrounded by wasteland, instead of a fruitful garden. Advised that
Close Reading Passages
the remedy is a head gardener “whose forefathers were also gardeners”, he finds such a man. Under this gardener’s care the land does flourish, but a new problem arises.

The princess loves the gardener’s son – and will marry no one else. After she refuses her father’s choice of a husband (the prime minister’s son), he contrives a contest to settle the matter: the two men must go to a far destination and the first to return shall marry the princess. They do not go off on an equal footing. The Minister’s son is equipped with a fine horse and gold, while the gardener’s son is given a lame horse and copper.

Traveling swiftly, the minister’s son encounters a woman in rags. Weak and starving, she begs for his help. He spurns her.

The gardener’s son then encounters the woman. Generously, he gives her his purse and invites her to ride behind him. At the next city, heralds announce that the sultan is sick, and that whoever cures him can name the reward. The woman instructs the boy: find and slay three particular dogs, burn them and collect their ashes, then make way to the sultan. Place the dying sultan in a cauldron over a roaring fire, and boil him right down to his bones. Finally, arrange the bones properly and scatter the dogs' ashes over them. The gardener’s son does all these things and the sultan revives, in full hearty youth. Exactly as the witch suggested, the gardener’s son chooses the bronze ring for his reward and will accept nothing else. This ring contains a djinni who grants any wish. Now the gardener’s son continues his journey in a fabulous sailing ship, with a cargo of gems, sails of brocade and a hull of gold, crewed by a dozen handsome sailors, each dressed as richly as a king – all gifts of the bronze ring.

Eventually he meets his rival, who has spent all his fortune. Unrecognized, the gardener’s son offers to supply his rival with a ship - on the condition that the skin of his back be branded with the imprint of the bronze ring, heated in a fire. Once that is done, the gardener’s son asks the ring to prepare a ship with half-rotten timbers painted black, ragged sails and a maimed and sickly crew. In this ship the prime minister’s son returns, and claims his bride from the king.

As the unhappy princess’ wedding is being prepared, the king looks out on the harbor and wonders at the gleaming gold ship sailing into it. He is so taken by the sight of its captain (the gardener's son) that he invites him to the wedding and, after closer inspection, actually invites him to give away the bride.

The gardener’s son agrees, but when he sees the intended groom he objects, telling the king that the man is not worthy of the princess, being nothing more than his own slave. The prime minister's son denies this, but the brand of the bronze ring on his back serves as proof of the claim. The gardener’s son marries the delighted princess that day with the king's blessing. They have a short period of happiness.

Meanwhile, a student of the black arts has come to learn about the djinni of the bronze ring. When the prince sails off for a trip in his golden ship, he persuades the princess to trade him the ring for some red fish. Once he has the ring, he wishes the prince’s boat from gold into rotten wood, his crew from princely appearing men into hideous slaves, and the cargo of gems into ravenous black cats.

Realizing that an enemy must now have his bronze ring, the prince sails on until he comes to an island inhabited by mice. The Mouse Queen sends an envoy to ask that the ship sail away with its terrible cargo of cats. The prince agrees, on the condition that his bronze ring be found and returned to him. The Mouse Queen contacts all the mice of the world, three of whom know that the magician keeps the bronze ring in his pocket when awake, and in his mouth when asleep. The three go to retrieve the ring. One of them tickles the sleeping magician’s nose with her tail, and he expels the ring from his mouth with a sneeze. After some misadventures, the mice manage to return the ring to the prince, who restores his golden vessel and hurries home to the princess. He captures the magician and has the man broken into pieces by being tied to the tail of a savage mule.

Point of View / Perspective
  • How might she/he have felt . . .?
  • What do you think he/she was thinking when . . .?
  • He might not like that, but can you think of someone who would?
  • _____________ has expressed a different opinion. Are there others?
  • Do you have a different interpretation?
  • Do you have different conclusions?
  • How did you arrive at your view?

8th-10th Grade Close Reading Passages and Worksheets
Grade 8  Nonfiction Close Reading Passages
8th-10th Grade Reading Level


7th Grade Close Reading Passages and Worksheets
Grade Level Nonfiction Passages
7th Grade Reading Level
Honest Abe infer and support the main idea of a passage
Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage
Learn about Kenya infer and support the main idea of a passage
Learning about the Solar System infer and support the main idea of a passage
Pilsen--A Community Changes identify causes and effects
Prairie Keepers infer and support the main idea of a passage
Prairie Keepers with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Today's Telephone infer and support the main idea of a passage

6th Grade Reading Passages

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages
6th Grade Reading Level
Before Chicago infer and support the main idea of a passage
Chicago's First Leader infer and support the main idea of a passage
The Early Chicago Environment and People classify information and summarize a nonfiction topic
Election Choices infer and support the main idea of a passage
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet
Inferential Questions: Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech
Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage
Learn about Zambia infer and support the main idea of a passage
Nutrition Lesson evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Plants and Food infer and support the main idea of a passage
Prairie Ecology evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Prairie Ecology with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Settlement analyze information in a nonfiction text
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Seasons on the Prairie infer and support the main idea of a passage
Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Traveling West infer and support the main idea of a passage

5th Grade Close Reading Passages
Barack Obama Makes History
The Cloud
Columbus and the Egg historical fiction
The Difficult Journey
The Elves and the Shoemaker
Flying
The Gulls of Salt Lake
I Like Plants
Making Progress
Mama's Happy Christmas
More Trees
Mousie
My Job
My New Brother
Nature's Violet Children
Potawatomi Prairie
Soldier's Letter
The Technology Trip
Training for the Presidency

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages
5th Grade Reading Level
American Explorers infer and support the main idea of a passage
Animal Studies infer and support the main idea of a passage
Better Living in Chicago: Jane Addams restate a situation presented in text; write to communicate about a situation (5th grade reading level)
Chicago Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage
Chicago Fire infer and support the main idea of a passage
Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I can infer the author's purpose
Election Choices infer and support the main idea of a passage
From Many Places evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Learn about Ethiopia infer and support the main idea of a passage )
George Washington Carver
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet
How Did People Solve a Problem?
How Have Students Made Community Progress? analyze a problem and solution in a text, identify and support the main idea
Penguins
Prairie Keepers analyze information in a nonfiction text
Prairie Keepers with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Public Transportation evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Read to Learn about City Systems evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Read to Learn about Elections evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
The Recycle Center evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Reversing the Chicago River identify cause-effect relations and infer predictions
Seasons on the Prairie analyze information in a nonfiction text
Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage
Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions
Valley Forge infer and support the main idea of a passage
Who Am I sequence events, infer motive, and write about nonfiction

4th Grade Reading Level Passages

Grade 4l Nonfiction Close Reading Passages
4th Grade Reading Level
Close Reading Handouts and Articles
2nd-3rd Grade Reading Level
After the Chicago Fire sequence and summarize
American Explorers evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Animal Studies infer and support the main idea of a passage
Block Clubs infer and support the main idea of a passage
The Captain's Job infer and support the main idea of a passage
Chicago Changes identify and support the main idea in nonfiction texts
Chicago Fire sequence events, infer motive, and write about nonfiction
Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish
Chicago Legacy, DuSable's Choices and Changes locate and use information to analyze a situation, then write about it English / Spanish
Chicago's First Leader infer and support the main idea of a passage
The First Flyers infer and support the main idea of a passage
George Washington Carver
Grant Park write an extended response about a nonfiction reading
Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet
Learn about Ghana infer and support the main idea of a passage
Letter to the Mayor evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Native American Life--Potawatomi Profile
Native American Life--Potawatomi Profile with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Natural Gas: An Energy Resource infer and support the main idea of a passage
A New Park evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Pigeon Creek infer and support the main idea of a passage
Pioneer Families infer and support the main idea of a passage
Prairie Ecology analyze information in a nonfiction text
Prairie Ecology with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities
Read to Learn about Symbols, Maps, and Art evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea
Saving Your Family's Energy Dollar infer and support the main idea of a passage
Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage
Staying in Phoenix summarize a passage
Transportation Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage

Teacher Created: Read the passage below and have students participate in a Socratic seminar.

Lost Episode of Star Wars: Clown Wars
“Virus-Carrying Space Simians Subdue Earth”

"We have met the enemy and he is us."

It all started when our pedantic Jedi Master, Sean, woke up in a Galactic Republic detention cell for teaching Padawans’ to boycott the Galactic Republics never-ending testing policies. It was the third time it had happened that month. Feeling very angered, Sean flicked a hungry Womp Rat that was chewing on his boots, thinking it would stop chewing and go away!  A few moments later, he realized that his favorite double lightsaber was missing from his belt!  Immediately he sent a text message to his top Padawan Henny and asked, ‘who was the last Pada’ with my lightsaber?’ Fernando? Sean had known Fernando for 1.357e+8 seconds (many Earth years), the majority of which were fruitful ones.  Fernando was unique. He was an intelligent Padawan though sometimes a little... loquacious. Sean called him anyway seeking answers, for the situation was urgent.

   Fernando assured him that most North America man-eating kittens purr before attacking and eating, yet South American man-eating kittens usually indiscriminately meow before attacking and eating. Many scientists used to believe kittens licked your hand or face because they wanted you to pet them, wanted some lovies or a meaty treat, but they found out they are really slow man-eaters! WHAT! What???? Sean had no idea what Fernando was talking about; Fernando was only concerned with diverting the conversation away from the lightsaber and distracting Sean with mindless banter.  Why was Fernando trying to distract Sean and evade the topic with his bizarre hyperbole?  Because he had snuck out of class (borrowed without asking) with Sean's prized lightsaber during one more lecture on Socratic Philosophy, being positive, cooperative learning, taking the best path and coming to Padawan school with a purpose. The lightsaber was an amazing and beguiling double lightsaber... that his master won from a Sith lord named Darkmall or something like that. How could he resist playing with a Sith double lightsaber even a converted one?

   It didn't take long before Sean got Fernando back to the subject at hand: his lightsaber and did Fernando know anything about its disappearance? Fernando turned lightsaber red. Reluctantly, Fernando invited his Jedi master over to his new condo next to Yodas old place in the swamp. He asks him to stop off on his way and pick up some bananas, thinking that would buy him some time. Fernando thought the jig is up, ‘assuring his master they'd find the lightsaber’? Sean grabbed his utility belt and disembarked immediately from the detention center without a trace or Jedi mind tricks. Fernando realized that he was in deep bandini or as Jar Jar always said, ‘You-sa in big doo-doo dis time!’ He had to find a place to hide the lightsaber and quick until he could hide it back at school on Monday and act confused. He figured that if Sean used his Jedi mind tricks to get out of the detention cell, he had less than a few minutes before Sean would get there. Fernando hoped Sean’s Millennium Falcon would breaks down on the way over as it often did, if so he may just pull this off?  Fernando thought for a moment, he would be in exceedingly less deep bandini if he could….

   Before he could come up with any reasonable ideas, Fernando was interrupted by a horde of teenage Sith wookiees that were lured by the smell of the double lightsabers Midi-chlorians or kittens? Fernando grimaced; 'Not again', he thought. Feeling exasperated that these walking carpets would not stop bothering him, he quickly reached for his man-eating kittens and violently scratched every last one of them. Apparently this was an adequate deterrent; the discouraged critters began to scurry back toward the swamp, laughing with displeasure. He exhaled with relief.  That's when he heard the Falcon rolling up.  It was Master Jedi Sean!

   As he looked for a parking spot, his Jedi senses of premonition told him  things aren't adding up. He had had to make an unscheduled stop at the Egg Roll Palace to pick up a 12-pack of ramen noodles for his Top performing Padawans and bananas for Fernando’s kitten, so he knew he was running late yet his spidey senses were tingling, yes tingling.  With a nifty leap, Sean was out of the Falcon and headed with a purpose toward Fernando's front door.  Meanwhile inside, Fernando was panicking.  Not thinking, he tossed the lightsaber into a kitty liter box and then slid the box behind his purple hippopotamus lamp. Fernando was not pleased but at least the lightsaber was concealed.  The doorbell rang.

   'Come in,' Fernando timidly said.  With a Jedi force push, Sean opened the door.  'Sorry for being late, but I was being chased by some oafish miscreant Sith wookiees in a rented star cruiser,' he embellished.  'its fine, not hearing a word he said,' Fernando assured him. ‘Take a seat in the living room and I will make your favorite green tea’. Sean took a seat excruciatingly close to where Fernando had just hidden the double lightsaber behind the purple hippopotamus lamp. Fernando shuddered trying unsuccessfully to hide his nervousness.  'Uhh, can I get you anything while the tea is brewing?' he blurted.  But Sean was distracted by his spidey senses. Sean Replied, ‘Happy as a banana full monkey’, Fernando noticed a determined look on Sean's face. Sean slowly opened his mouth to speak.

   '...What's that smell?'

   Fernando felt a stabbing pain in his ear when Sean asked this.  In a moment of disbelief, he realized that he had hidden the lightsaber right by his oscillating fan. 'Wh-what?  I don't smell anything..!'  A lie.  A Midi-chlorians -smelling Jedi look started to form on Sean's face. He turned to notice a kitty liter box that seemed clearly out of place. Fernando again trying to distract his master pointed across the room 'Th-th-those are my grandma's blasters from when she used to hunt Indonesian Nerfcats.  She, uh...dropped 'em by here earlier'. Sean nodded with fake acknowledgement...then, before Fernando could react, Sean deftly leaped toward the kitty litter box and dug in.  The lightsaber was plainly in view amongst the cat bandini.

   Sean stared at Fernando for what must've been three minutes. Like a Padawan gone bad in a classroom with no Kagan, Fernando groped surreptitiously in Sean's direction, clearly desperate to stop Sean. Sean grabbed the lightsaber and walked to the front door.  It was locked. Fernando let out an evil Sith like chuckle. 'If only you hadn't been so protective of that thing, none of this would have happened, Sean,' he rebuked. Fernando always had a funny-smell about him, like old library books from his days in the Jolly Jedi Readers Society. Sean knew that reconciliation was not an option; he needed to escape before “Sith Fernando” did something crazy, like... start chucking dull pencils at him or something worse. As if it really mattered he gripped his lightsaber tightly and made a dash toward the window, diving headlong through the giant glass pane.

   Fernando looked on, blankly. 'What the ...?  That seemed excessive.  The other side door was clearly open, you know.' Silence from Sean just the sound of breaking glass. 'And to think, I replaced that window pane last week when Henny did the same thing...it never ends!' Suddenly he felt a tinge of concern for his Jedi Master Sean. 'Oh. No!  'Oh. No! You ..okay master?' Still silence. Fernando walked over to the broken window and looked down. Sean was gone.


   Sean was struggling to make his way through the swamp behind Fernando's place. Sean had severely hurt his hand and leg during the window jumping incident, and was starting to lose focus.  Just then a pack of teenage Sith wookiees suddenly appeared, having caught wind of the double lightsaber Midi-chlorians again.  One by one they jumped on top of Sean.  Already weakened from his injury, Sean yielded to the furious onslaught and collapsed in a pile of fur.  The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a buzzing horde of Sith wookiees running off with his cherished lightsaber.

   But then Yoda swooped in with a troop of clown clones and retrieved Sean's lightsaber from the wookiee horde. Yoda, feeling bored, smote some wookiees  and shaved clean others for their bulling Sith ways. Then He got in His troop carrier and jetted away with the determination of a 6-legged Nerfcats running from a long-haired Nerfcat Herder. Sean jumped with joy when he saw this. His precious lightsaber was safe. It was a good thing, too, because in four minutes his favorite Discovery Channel program, Dual Survival, was going to come on (followed immediately by a documentary on the UR80 Virus outbreak in 2013 entitled '“Virus-Carrying Space Gerbils Subdue Earth”). Sean was overjoyed and elated. And so, everyone except DarthFernando and his hungry South American man-eating kittens lived blissfully happily, forever after.

• Socratic questions to build a deeper understanding of the text and to serve as the  key seminar questions to help interpret the text:
1.     What are the stages of plot in the story and do they move the story forward?
2.     How do the story elements of plot/conflict/characters/setting/theme work to make the story work?
3.     What are the key elements of the plot exposition and can they be improved?
4.     What are the key elements of the rising action/ subplots/ anecdotal stories and should they be improved?
5.     What are the key elements of the climax and can it be improved?
6.     What are the key elements of the falling action and should they be improved?
  1. What are the key elements of the resolution/conclusion/obligatory scene and should they be improved?
8.     What is the main idea or underlying theme in the text?
9.     What is the author’s purpose or perspective?
10.                        What does (_____________) mean?
11.                        How does the figurative language help or detract from the text?
12.                        What might be an alternate title for the text?
13.                        What is the most important word/sentence/paragraph/idiom/ conclusion/inference/idea?
• Socratic questions to move the discussion along:
1.     Who has a different perspective on the plot/conflict/characters/  setting/theme?
2.     Who has not yet had a chance to speak?
3.     Where do you find evidence for _______that in the text?
4.     Can you clarify what you mean by ____________?
5.     How does that contrast to what _________________ said?
6.     Is there something in the text that is unclear to you?
7.     Has anyone changed their mind about the plot/conflict/characters/  setting/theme?
• Socratic questions to bring the discussion to a close:
1.     How do the themes in the text relate to our lives?
2.     What do they mean for you personally?
3.     Why is this theme/main idea important?
4.     Do you agree with the author’s theme/main idea?
• Socratic seminar wrap up (debriefing) questions:
1.     Do you understand the text at a deeper level?
2.     How was the Socratic seminar process for examining a text?

3.     What was one thing you liked or disliked about the Socratic seminar process?
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