Here are two nonfiction reading passages to help students prepare for NWEA MAP tests, incorporating Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words from Marzano's taxonomy:
Passage 1: The Marvels of Space Exploration
For millennia, humanity could only gaze skyward and wonder what existed in the vast cosmos around us. But in the last century, rapid advances in rocketry and space technology enabled humans to launch past Earth's atmosphere into orbital space. The experiences of the first astronauts and cosmonauts revealed the transcendent, fraught, and interconnected nature of space exploration.
Early spaceflights laid the groundwork to leave Earth's orbit and explore outer space. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to enter Earth's orbit. This precipitated the competitive Space Race between the USSR and the United States. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to complete an orbital spaceflight. NASA astronaut John Glenn soon followed, achieving the first American orbital flight. These intrepid explorers circled the planet as precursors to later missions into the cosmos.
The Apollo program's six lunar landings between 1969 and 1972 revealed the immense complexity entailed in space travel. Transporting humans safely to the moon's surface and back required ingenious innovations like multistage rockets, onboard computers, and life support systems. But technical brilliance alone did not guarantee success. Apollo 13's aborted 1970 mission illustrated how precarious lunar travel remained. Later Apollo missions deployed rovers and experiments expanding humanity's extraterrestrial capabilities.
Since the 1970s, space stations like Mir and the ISS have created permanent human presences in low Earth orbit. Long-duration habitation in zero gravity leads to health challenges, but also advances our ability to thrive beyond this planet. While government funding fluctuates, robotic probes still venture to destinations like Mars, Saturn, asteroids, and comets advancing knowledge. Though many mysteries remain, space exploration profoundly alters human perceptions of our cosmic insignificance and interconnectedness.
Comprehension Questions
1. What precipitated the competitive Space Race between the U.S. and Soviet Union?
a) Sputnik 1's launch in 1957
b) Yuri Gagarin's orbital flight
c) Apollo 11's moon landing in 1969
d) Mir space station's deployment
2. How did Apollo 13's experience reveal the risks of space travel?
a) It showed the extreme physical toll on astronauts.
b) It demonstrated dangers without proper safeguards.
c) It highlighted that success was not guaranteed despite preparations.
d) It implied NASA lacked expertise compared to other nations.
3. How have robotic space probes continued expanding human knowledge?
a) By surveying suitable planets for colonization
b) By collecting rock and soil samples from asteroids
c) By providing clearer images of distant galaxies
d) By venturing farther out into the solar system
Glossary:
Cosmos - The universe seen as an ordered system.
Extraterrestrial - Originating outside of Earth.
Ingenious - Showing inventiveness and resourcefulness.
Intrepid - Fearlessly adventurous.
Transcendent - Beyond the ordinary; exceptional.
Passage 2: The Fight for Women's Suffrage
The women’s suffrage movement marked a critical step forward in efforts toward gender equality. After decades of activism and organization, women’s right to vote was finally guaranteed in the United States by the 19th Amendment in 1920. The movement revealed tensions between more militant versus moderate factions, ultimately advancing egalitarian ideals.
By the 1840s, advocates like Elizabeth Cady Stanton drew parallels between abolition and women’s rights. Demands accelerated after the Civil War, as prohibition of voting based on race was abolished for men. But proposals for a women’s suffrage constitutional amendment failed, and activists split over confrontation versus compromise with those hesitant about expanding female roles.
Growing militancy revitalized the movement, pioneered by Alice Paul’s National Woman’s Party. They organized protests and pickets, often facing abuse and arrests. Hunger strikes and solitary confinement of activists sparked outrage. After World War I, many saw the hypocrisy in fighting for rights abroad while denying them to female citizens. This turn in public opinion reenergized calls for full voting rights.
In May 1919, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. The Senate followed in June. Months of tense state-by-state ratification debates ensued. Finally, in August 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, securing its addition to the U.S. Constitution. The 19th Amendment’s adoption marked a major milestone for gender equality.
The suffrage movement revealed the power of activism and civil disobedience to produce legal reforms. Leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Ida Wells-Barnett overcame steep odds to advance women’s place in society. The fight took decades, but their tenacity demonstrated grassroots people power could challenge entrenched interests. The movement’s success fueled further efforts to address discrimination, exploitation, and inequality.
Comprehension Questions
1. What approach did Alice Paul's National Woman's Party take?
a) Outspoken protests and civil disobedience
b) Backroom negotiations and lobbying
c) Overseas publicity campaigns
d) State-by-state organization
2. How did World War I impact the public mood regarding suffrage?
a) There was backlash against female factory workers.
b) Many saw hypocrisy in fighting for rights abroad but not at home.
c) It stalled the movement until war activities concluded.
d) There was increased concern about division during wartime.
3. What did Tennessee's ratification provide in 1920?
a) The two-thirds majority among states to add the 19th Amendment
b) Protection against repeal should other states reconsider
c) A symbolic win to encourage other state efforts
d) A narrow margin teetering towards failure
Glossary:
Egalitarian - Relating to or believing in the equality of all people.
Militancy - The use of confrontational or violent methods in support of a political cause.
Ratification - The process of formally confirming or approving a law or agreement.
Tenacity - Persistence and determination.
Passage 1: The Marvels of Space Exploration
For millennia, humanity could only gaze skyward and wonder what existed in the vast cosmos around us. But in the last century, rapid advances in rocketry and space technology enabled humans to launch past Earth's atmosphere into orbital space. The experiences of the first astronauts and cosmonauts revealed the transcendent, fraught, and interconnected nature of space exploration.
Early spaceflights laid the groundwork to leave Earth's orbit and explore outer space. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to enter Earth's orbit. This precipitated the competitive Space Race between the USSR and the United States. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to complete an orbital spaceflight. NASA astronaut John Glenn soon followed, achieving the first American orbital flight. These intrepid explorers circled the planet as precursors to later missions into the cosmos.
The Apollo program's six lunar landings between 1969 and 1972 revealed the immense complexity entailed in space travel. Transporting humans safely to the moon's surface and back required ingenious innovations like multistage rockets, onboard computers, and life support systems. But technical brilliance alone did not guarantee success. Apollo 13's aborted 1970 mission illustrated how precarious lunar travel remained. Later Apollo missions deployed rovers and experiments expanding humanity's extraterrestrial capabilities.
Since the 1970s, space stations like Mir and the ISS have created permanent human presences in low Earth orbit. Long-duration habitation in zero gravity leads to health challenges, but also advances our ability to thrive beyond this planet. While government funding fluctuates, robotic probes still venture to destinations like Mars, Saturn, asteroids, and comets advancing knowledge. Though many mysteries remain, space exploration profoundly alters human perceptions of our cosmic insignificance and interconnectedness.
Comprehension Questions
1. What precipitated the competitive Space Race between the U.S. and Soviet Union?
a) Sputnik 1's launch in 1957
b) Yuri Gagarin's orbital flight
c) Apollo 11's moon landing in 1969
d) Mir space station's deployment
2. How did Apollo 13's experience reveal the risks of space travel?
a) It showed the extreme physical toll on astronauts.
b) It demonstrated dangers without proper safeguards.
c) It highlighted that success was not guaranteed despite preparations.
d) It implied NASA lacked expertise compared to other nations.
3. How have robotic space probes continued expanding human knowledge?
a) By surveying suitable planets for colonization
b) By collecting rock and soil samples from asteroids
c) By providing clearer images of distant galaxies
d) By venturing farther out into the solar system
Glossary:
Cosmos - The universe seen as an ordered system.
Extraterrestrial - Originating outside of Earth.
Ingenious - Showing inventiveness and resourcefulness.
Intrepid - Fearlessly adventurous.
Transcendent - Beyond the ordinary; exceptional.
Passage 2: The Fight for Women's Suffrage
The women’s suffrage movement marked a critical step forward in efforts toward gender equality. After decades of activism and organization, women’s right to vote was finally guaranteed in the United States by the 19th Amendment in 1920. The movement revealed tensions between more militant versus moderate factions, ultimately advancing egalitarian ideals.
By the 1840s, advocates like Elizabeth Cady Stanton drew parallels between abolition and women’s rights. Demands accelerated after the Civil War, as prohibition of voting based on race was abolished for men. But proposals for a women’s suffrage constitutional amendment failed, and activists split over confrontation versus compromise with those hesitant about expanding female roles.
Growing militancy revitalized the movement, pioneered by Alice Paul’s National Woman’s Party. They organized protests and pickets, often facing abuse and arrests. Hunger strikes and solitary confinement of activists sparked outrage. After World War I, many saw the hypocrisy in fighting for rights abroad while denying them to female citizens. This turn in public opinion reenergized calls for full voting rights.
In May 1919, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. The Senate followed in June. Months of tense state-by-state ratification debates ensued. Finally, in August 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, securing its addition to the U.S. Constitution. The 19th Amendment’s adoption marked a major milestone for gender equality.
The suffrage movement revealed the power of activism and civil disobedience to produce legal reforms. Leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Ida Wells-Barnett overcame steep odds to advance women’s place in society. The fight took decades, but their tenacity demonstrated grassroots people power could challenge entrenched interests. The movement’s success fueled further efforts to address discrimination, exploitation, and inequality.
Comprehension Questions
1. What approach did Alice Paul's National Woman's Party take?
a) Outspoken protests and civil disobedience
b) Backroom negotiations and lobbying
c) Overseas publicity campaigns
d) State-by-state organization
2. How did World War I impact the public mood regarding suffrage?
a) There was backlash against female factory workers.
b) Many saw hypocrisy in fighting for rights abroad but not at home.
c) It stalled the movement until war activities concluded.
d) There was increased concern about division during wartime.
3. What did Tennessee's ratification provide in 1920?
a) The two-thirds majority among states to add the 19th Amendment
b) Protection against repeal should other states reconsider
c) A symbolic win to encourage other state efforts
d) A narrow margin teetering towards failure
Glossary:
Egalitarian - Relating to or believing in the equality of all people.
Militancy - The use of confrontational or violent methods in support of a political cause.
Ratification - The process of formally confirming or approving a law or agreement.
Tenacity - Persistence and determination.
Here are two additional nonfiction reading passages to help students prepare for NWEA MAP tests:
Passage 1: The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement
The American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s marked one of the most impactful social justice efforts in history. Through coordinated legal challenges, protests, and civil disobedience, activists compelled reforms to end institutionalized racial discrimination against African Americans, particularly in the South. The movement built crucial momentum for equality that transformed American society.
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. This galvanized African American communities to challenge Jim Crow segregation through legal action. Groups like the NAACP mobilized around lawsuits and court challenges against discriminatory policies.
Activists also organized grassroots protests and nonviolent resistance against segregation. In 1955, Rosa Parks refusing to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. In 1960, black college students staged sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. Freedom Riders journeyed across Southern states in 1961 to protest segregated interstate buses. Television broadcast images of racist violence against peaceful protesters to a shocked national audience.
Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinated nonviolent direct-action campaigns in Birmingham and across the South. Marches, demonstrations, and impassioned speeches built momentum through 1963, culminating in the historic March on Washington where King delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" address.
The movement created change by appealing to conscience, applying pressure through economic boycotts, and using civil disobedience to challenge unjust laws. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 finally prohibited segregation and protected voting rights. While goals were not fully achieved, the civil rights movement exposed racial inequality and forged a model of activism that shaped ensuing social justice efforts in America.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What legal case helped initiate the civil rights movement?
a) Brown v. Board of Education
b) Plessy v. Ferguson
c) Loving v. Virginia
d) Roe v. Wade
2. How did activists directly challenge segregation policies?
a) Voter registration drives
b) Freedom Rides through Southern states
c) Marches and sit-ins at segregated facilities
d) Supreme Court arguments
3. How did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s efforts contribute to the movement?
a) Founding the NAACP
b) Delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech
c) Coordinating nonviolent protest campaigns
d) Drafting the Civil Rights Act
Glossary:
Civil disobedience - Refusal to obey laws based on political protest or conscience.
Galvanized - Inspired or stimulated to take action.
Grassroots - Related to ordinary people at a local level rather than leaders.
Nonviolent resistance - Protesting by passive, peaceful means like marches or sit-ins.
Segregation - The practice of requiring groups to be separated due to race, gender, etc.
Passage 2: The Expeditions of Lewis and Clark
In the early 1800s, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. The three-year journey became a defining moment in discovery of the American West. The immense scientific and geographical data gathered advanced understanding of this frontier while paving the way for western expansion.
Jefferson chose personal secretary Meriwether Lewis and Lewis’ friend William Clark to lead the Corps of Discovery expedition up the Missouri River to the Pacific. The use of the Missouri offered a navigable route into the continent's unmapped interior. Lewis and Clark's team included a Native American translator, cartographer, hunter, and African American slave named York.
The expedition required extensive preparations in Philadelphia during the winter of 1803, where Lewis studied botany, zoology, medicine, astronomy and mapmaking. In May 1804, the Corps of Discovery departed St. Louis to begin their monumental journey west. They faced many perils like flash floods, hostile Native tribes, grizzly bears, disease, and lack of food during their adventure.
Over two years, Lewis and Clark traversed some 8,000 miles across unfamiliar terrain, collecting invaluable scientific data about flora, fauna, and geography. The naming of prominent landmarks along their route imbued the western frontier with an American identity. Their journey fortified U.S. claims to Oregon Territory in future negotiations with Europe.
After reaching the Pacific Coast in late 1805, the expedition camped for the winter before making the arduous return trip, finally arriving back in St. Louis in September 1806. Lewis and Clark's published account and collected specimens provided decades of analysis. Though imperialistic in nature, the expedition embodied courage, scholarship, and perseverance against extreme adversity.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why was the Missouri River part of Lewis and Clark's planned route?
a) It provided relatively easy navigation into the western interior.
b) It was the most direct path to the Pacific Coast.
c) It was already well-mapped and known.
d) It facilitated trade with local tribes.
2. How did the expedition's composition aid its success?
a) The team had relevant skills like navigation and translation.
b) It was a large contingents of soldiers able to fight effectively.
c) It relied solely on Lewis and Clark's leadership and survival skills.
d) The team possessed advanced technologies for the era.
3. What was a major accomplishment of the expedition?
a) Establishing successful relations with Native tribes
b) Completing the first recorded transcontinental journey
c) Signing trade agreements with foreign powers
d) Settling new American territories along the route
Glossary:
Corps of Discovery - The name for Lewis and Clark's exploration expedition team.
Flora and fauna - The plants and animals of a region.
Perseverance - Persistence in doing something despite difficulty.
Specimen - A single plant/animal collected for scientific study.
Topography - Detailed mapping of natural and man-made features on a landscape.
Here are two more nonfiction reading passages to help with MAP test preparation:
Passage 1: The Invention of the Internet
The creation of the internet radically transformed modern society by enabling instant global communication and information sharing. Originally developed for military use, this groundbreaking technology became widely adopted around the world, evolving into a tool of tremendous social, economic, and cultural impact.
In the 1960s, scientists developed a new computer networking technology called packet switching. This allowed messages to be broken into packets, sent through multiple shared routes, then reassembled. The decentralized design made communication networks more robust and efficient.
In 1969, the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) launched ARPANET, the first network using packet switching. ARPANET allowed multiple research institutions to share data using a common protocol. Through the 1970s, networking protocols were standardized and international connections added.
As more networks emerged, the umbrella term "internet" described the unified networks communicating via common technical standards. The development of the World Wide Web interface in the 1990s made the internet user-friendly and multi-purposed. Private networks were connected to the public internet "backbone," and web browsing rapidly gained popularity.
The internet soon revolutionized everyday life as more homes, schools and offices gained internet access. The virtually instant retrieval of information on any topic reshaped the nature of knowledge and research. Online shopping, social media, entertainment, and global communication transformed culture in the "Information Age."
However, the openness of the internet also enabled data theft, hacking, and misinformation campaigns. As reliance on technology increased, debates arose regarding ethics, privacy, and regulation. The internet's societal impacts revealed both the promise and complexity of rapidly developing technologies.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What innovation allowed the decentralized but unified internet?
a) Packet switching communication protocols
b) World Wide Web browser interfaces
c) Undersea cables connecting global networks
d) ARPA's development of ARPANET
2. How did the internet become accessible to the public?
a) Decommission of ARPANET
b) Privatization and commercialization
c) Funding through online advertising
d) Rollout of fiber optic infrastructure
3. What are some potentially negative societal impacts of the internet?
a) Information overload and distraction
b) Difficulties regulating free speech online
c) Rising technology costs and inequality of access
d) All of the above
Glossary:
Decentralized - With dispersed control rather than concentrated at a center.
Protocol - An established technical standard or rule in networking.
Robust - Sturdy, capable of functioning without failure.
Umbrella term - A broad term encompassing more specific ones.
Passage 2: Renewable and Alternative Energy
Seeking energy sources to augment or replace finite fossil fuels, humans have increasingly tapped renewable resources like water, wind, and sunlight. Some alternative energy technologies reduce pollution to mitigate climate change impacts. Pursuing diverse, innovative generation methods secures energy independence and sustainability.
Hydropower harnesses the energy of flowing water, often using dammed reservoirs to drive turbine-generators. While criticized for environmental harms like blocking fish migration, hydropower provides over 16% of world electricity supply. Tidal and wave power leverages marine hydrokinetic energy with tidal barrages and underwater turbines.
Wind power has expanded significantly due to larger, more efficient wind turbines situated on farms. Advances in gearless turbine design and siting based on prevailing winds have increased wind power capacity. Some argue wind's intermittent generation fails to meet steady energy demands. Yet collaboration with solar may address this.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight directly to electricity through solar cell panels. Though initially costly, solar PV costs have decreased substantially, spurring home rooftop and large-scale solar farms. Similarly, concentrated solar plants focus reflected sunlight to heat fluids that drive generators. Passive solar building designs also minimize lighting/heating needs.
Geothermal power harnesses underground heat reservoirs as steam to produce energy, often near tectonic plate boundaries or volcanoes. Small, modular geothermal plants can provide baseload power locally. Enhanced geothermal systems also inject water underground, multiplying heat extraction.
Evaluating alternatives like biofuels along with tradeoffs of cost, scalability, and environmental impacts allows custom energy solutions. An "all of the above" strategy diversifies the energy mix for stability. While fossil fuels still dominate, renewables and alternative sources gain increasing viability to meet demands.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why is hydropower considered a renewable source?
a) The water cycle replenishes dam reservoirs
b) River currents rotate turbines indefinitely
c) It does not create any waste byproducts
d) Hydrogen fuel cells generate the electricity
2. How have improvements impacted wind power expansion?
a) Placement based on optimal wind conditions
b) More durable turbine equipment
c) Integration with battery storage
d) All of the above
3. What is a main advantage of distributed residential solar arrays?
a) Cost savings from bulk purchase incentives
b) Reduced grid transmission loss over long distances
c) Avoiding reliance on centralized fossil fuel plants
d) Increased energy security from meteor impacts
Glossary:
Baseload - The minimum energy demand over 24 hours needed to be supplied.
Biofuel - Fuel derived from plant or animal matter like wood, corn, or manure.
Intermittent - Stopping and starting unpredictably rather than continuous.
Kinetic - Relating to motion or energy of motion.
Photovoltaic - Generating electrical power from sunlight.
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