Reading Comprehension: Thanksgiving (KS3)

Support your students in discovering the rich history and traditions of Thanksgiving with this engaging comprehension passage. Perfect for students aged 11 to 14 it has questions for both weaker and more advanced readers. The text explains the Pilgrims’ daring voyage on the Mayflower to the first Thanksgiving feast with the Wampanoags – and what Thanksgiving reading comprehension would be complete without a few fun facts about turkeys?

The questions provided are targeted at different reading skills and cater to both less advanced and more advanced readers. True or False Statements: These questions assess basic comprehension and factual recall. They are suitable for less advanced readers as they require straightforward recognition of information from the text. One Sentence Answer Comprehension Questions: These questions test the ability to identify key details and main ideas. They are suitable for less advanced readers as they involve direct answers that can be easily found in the text. Identify Questions: These questions require readers to extract specific information and list multiple items. They are slightly more challenging as they require a deeper understanding and the ability to locate and synthesise information from the text. Summary Question: This question assesses the ability to summarise and condense information, which is a higher-order reading skill. It is more suitable for advanced readers as it requires them to understand the main ideas and details and then articulate them concisely.
Challenge Question: This question involves critical thinking and inference. It is designed for advanced readers as it requires them to analyse the relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags, infer mutual benefits, and connect these ideas to broader themes. Imagine Question: This question encourages creative thinking and application of knowledge. It challenges readers to use their understanding of historical context to imagine and articulate key points of a treaty, thus testing their inference and synthesis skills.

Overall, the questions range from basic recall and comprehension to more complex analysis and inference, making them suitable for a wide range of reading abilities. The “Create” question, in particular, challenges students to apply their reading and inference skills creatively, demonstrating a deeper understanding of the text and its implications.
The resources also include a crossword (and answer key) where all the questions are based on the reading comprehension.
Questions are presented as either a question-and-answer worksheet or just a question sheet if students will be completing work in their books. A full teacher key is included that also offers possible answers to the challenge and imagine questions.