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Have you ever wondered how plants make their own food? Unlike animals, plants do not need to eat other living things to survive. Instead, they use a remarkable process called photosynthesis to create energy from sunlight.
Photosynthesis mainly takes place in leaves. Leaves contain a green substance called chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color and captures energy from the sun. Using this energy, the plant combines carbon dioxide — a gas absorbed from the air — with water absorbed through its roots. This produces glucose, a sugar the plant uses for energy and growth.
One of the most important byproducts of photosynthesis is oxygen. Every time a plant completes this process, it releases oxygen into the air. This is why plants and trees are vital for all life on Earth — they produce the oxygen that humans and animals need to breathe.
Without photosynthesis, life as we know it could not exist. Plants are the foundation of almost every food chain on the planet. Understanding how plants make food helps us understand why protecting forests and green spaces is so important for our future.
1. What is the main purpose of chlorophyll in a plant?
2. What does a plant release as a byproduct of photosynthesis?
3. According to the passage, why are plants vital for all life on Earth?
4. What is the main idea of this passage?
In the 1930s, a region of the United States called the Great Plains experienced one of the worst environmental disasters in American history — the Dust Bowl. A combination of severe drought and poor farming practices turned millions of acres of farmland into a wasteland of dust and sand.
For years before the disaster, farmers had plowed up the native grasses that had held the soil in place for thousands of years. When a long drought struck in the early 1930s, there was nothing left to anchor the dry topsoil. Powerful winds picked up the loose soil and created massive dust storms, called "black blizzards," that could turn day into night.
The Dust Bowl devastated farming communities. Hundreds of thousands of families lost their farms and their livelihoods. Many were forced to migrate westward — especially to California — in search of work. These migrants, often called "Okies," faced discrimination and hardship as they tried to rebuild their lives.
The Dust Bowl taught Americans an important lesson about the relationship between human activity and the natural environment. Today, farmers use conservation techniques to protect soil and prevent erosion, so that such a disaster does not happen again.
1. What two main factors caused the Dust Bowl?
2. Why did the native grasses matter for the farmland?
3. Where did many Dust Bowl migrants move to in search of work?
4. What lesson did the Dust Bowl teach Americans?
In many Latino households, making tortillas is more than cooking — it is a tradition passed down through generations. But did you know that making tortillas also involves real science?
When you start making flour tortillas, you mix dry ingredients — flour, salt, and baking powder — with water and a fat source such as lard or oil. As you knead the dough, the proteins in the flour join together to form gluten, which makes the dough smooth and elastic. This is why tortilla dough stretches without tearing.
When you roll out the dough and place it on a hot comal, several things happen at once. The heat causes the water inside the dough to turn to steam. The steam expands rapidly, creating small air bubbles that puff up the tortilla. At the same time, the high heat causes the outside of the tortilla to brown — a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction that also gives tortillas their delicious flavor.
Science is everywhere in the kitchen. Every time families gather to make tortillas, they are not just preserving a cultural tradition — they are also, without knowing it, practicing chemistry, physics, and biology all at once.
1. What does kneading the dough do to the flour proteins?
2. What causes the air bubbles that puff up a tortilla while cooking?
3. What is the Maillard reaction responsible for?
4. What is the author's main point about making tortillas?
The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth's surface. It has four main stages. First, evaporation occurs when the sun heats water in oceans, lakes, and rivers, turning it into water vapor that rises into the atmosphere. Next, condensation happens when that water vapor cools and forms clouds. Then precipitation brings the water back to Earth as rain or snow. Finally, collection occurs when water gathers in bodies of water or soaks into the ground, and the cycle begins again.
Using information from the passage above, write a paragraph that explains the water cycle. Include at least three stages and explain why the water cycle is important for life on Earth. Use academic vocabulary from the passage.
Think of a time when you worked hard to learn something new — a skill, a subject, a language, a sport, or anything else. Write a paragraph describing what you were trying to learn, what made it difficult, and what you did to keep going. What did you learn about yourself from this experience?
Should students be allowed to use their phones in class? Write a paragraph stating your opinion clearly. Give two specific reasons to support your position and explain why someone who disagrees with you might be wrong.
Write a paragraph (5–7 sentences) describing a food that is important to you or your family. Use sensory details — what does it look like, smell like, taste like? When do you eat it? Why is this food meaningful to your family or culture?
Teacher Ms. Rivera: Okay class, let's talk about your science projects. Your topic has to be related to the environment. Maya, what are you thinking?
Maya: I want to do my project on water pollution. Plastic waste in rivers is a really big problem in our community.
Ms. Rivera: That's a great topic, Maya. What about you, Carlos?
Carlos: I was thinking about air quality — how cars and factories make the air dirty and how that affects people's health.
Ms. Rivera: Excellent choice. Personal connections make for powerful projects. Now, both of your topics are examples of what we call environmental issues caused by human activity. Can anyone tell me what those are called?
Maya: Human impact on the environment?
Ms. Rivera: Exactly! Now let's look at some data together.
1. What is Maya's science project topic?
2. What does Ms. Rivera say makes a project powerful?
3. What term does Ms. Rivera use for topics like water pollution and air quality?
Teacher Ms. Park: Today I want you to share: what is one part of your identity that you are proud of? Let's start with Yesenia.
Yesenia: I am proud of being bilingual. I speak Spanish at home with my family and English at school. I think speaking two languages makes me see the world from two different perspectives.
Ms. Park: Beautiful. Marcus?
Marcus: I'm proud of being from a family of artists. My grandmother paints, my dad does photography, and I draw. Being creative is important to who I am.
Ms. Park: Thank you, Marcus. And Priya?
Priya: I'm proud of being Indian-American. Sometimes I feel like I live in two worlds, but now I see it as something special. I can connect with so many different people.
Ms. Park: These are wonderful. Notice that all three of you described your identity as something that connects you to others.
1. What does Yesenia say being bilingual allows her to do?
2. What observation does Ms. Park make at the end?
Mr. Torres: Okay class, I want to go around and hear one goal each of you has for this school year. Sofia, let's start with you.
Sofia: I want to finish reading three chapter books by June. I'm going to read a little every night before bed.
Mr. Torres: Excellent, Sofia — very specific! Diego?
Diego: I'm going to get better at writing paragraphs. I will practice by writing in my journal every weekend.
Mr. Torres: I love that you have a plan, Diego. And Amara?
Amara: I hope to speak more in class discussions. It feels scary sometimes but I want to practice because I know it will help my English get stronger.
Mr. Torres: Amara, that took courage to say. Everyone — notice how all three goals are specific and they include a plan.
1. What is Sofia's goal for the school year?
2. What does Mr. Torres say all three goals have in common?