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Grade 6 · English Language Arts · Unit 1 of 10

Close Reading

Theme, inference and evidence

What your child practises

Reading original stories and information texts, then finding the theme or main idea, making inferences, explaining why characters act as they do and choosing the sentence that best supports an answer.

BC Curriculum learning standard: Reading strategies; literary elements (theme, character); text structures; using evidence from texts to support ideas

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence best supports the idea that auroras happen in the south too?

    Lights in the Northern Sky

    On clear winter nights in northern Canada, curtains of green light sometimes ripple across the sky. These lights are called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. For a long time, people wondered what caused them.

    Scientists now know that the story begins at the Sun. The Sun constantly sends out a stream of tiny charged particles called the solar wind. When these particles reach Earth, our planet's magnetic field steers many of them toward the North and South poles.

    High above the ground, the particles crash into gases in the atmosphere. The collisions give the gases extra energy, which they release as light. Oxygen usually glows green, while nitrogen can add touches of blue and purple.

    Because the magnetic field guides the particles toward the poles, the lights are seen most often in places far to the north or far to the south. A similar display near the South Pole is called the aurora australis.

    • A similar display near the South Pole is called the aurora australis.
    • On clear winter nights in northern Canada, curtains of green light sometimes ripple across the sky.
    • The Sun constantly sends out a stream of tiny charged particles called the solar wind.
    • For a long time, people wondered what caused them.
    Show answer

    A similar display near the South Pole is called the aurora australis.

    Hint: Look for the sentence that names the South Pole.

  2. Question 2

    How is most of this text organized?

    Lights in the Northern Sky

    On clear winter nights in northern Canada, curtains of green light sometimes ripple across the sky. These lights are called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. For a long time, people wondered what caused them.

    Scientists now know that the story begins at the Sun. The Sun constantly sends out a stream of tiny charged particles called the solar wind. When these particles reach Earth, our planet's magnetic field steers many of them toward the North and South poles.

    High above the ground, the particles crash into gases in the atmosphere. The collisions give the gases extra energy, which they release as light. Oxygen usually glows green, while nitrogen can add touches of blue and purple.

    Because the magnetic field guides the particles toward the poles, the lights are seen most often in places far to the north or far to the south. A similar display near the South Pole is called the aurora australis.

    • compare and contrast: it compares two planets
    • description of a place: it describes a northern town
    • cause and effect: it explains what makes the lights happen
    • time order: it tells the life story of a scientist
    Show answer

    cause and effect: it explains what makes the lights happen

    Hint: Paragraphs 2 and 3 explain a chain of events: the Sun, then particles, then collisions, then light.

  3. Question 3

    In paragraph 2, what does the word “steers” mean?

    Lights in the Northern Sky

    On clear winter nights in northern Canada, curtains of green light sometimes ripple across the sky. These lights are called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. For a long time, people wondered what caused them.

    Scientists now know that the story begins at the Sun. The Sun constantly sends out a stream of tiny charged particles called the solar wind. When these particles reach Earth, our planet's magnetic field steers many of them toward the North and South poles.

    High above the ground, the particles crash into gases in the atmosphere. The collisions give the gases extra energy, which they release as light. Oxygen usually glows green, while nitrogen can add touches of blue and purple.

    Because the magnetic field guides the particles toward the poles, the lights are seen most often in places far to the north or far to the south. A similar display near the South Pole is called the aurora australis.

    • guides in a direction
    • hides from view
    • heats up
    • breaks apart
    Show answer

    guides in a direction

    Hint: Try each choice in the sentence: the magnetic field ___ the particles toward the poles.

  4. Question 4

    Why are the northern lights rarely seen near the equator?

    Lights in the Northern Sky

    On clear winter nights in northern Canada, curtains of green light sometimes ripple across the sky. These lights are called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. For a long time, people wondered what caused them.

    Scientists now know that the story begins at the Sun. The Sun constantly sends out a stream of tiny charged particles called the solar wind. When these particles reach Earth, our planet's magnetic field steers many of them toward the North and South poles.

    High above the ground, the particles crash into gases in the atmosphere. The collisions give the gases extra energy, which they release as light. Oxygen usually glows green, while nitrogen can add touches of blue and purple.

    Because the magnetic field guides the particles toward the poles, the lights are seen most often in places far to the north or far to the south. A similar display near the South Pole is called the aurora australis.

    • Earth's magnetic field steers most of the particles toward the poles.
    • The solar wind only blows in winter.
    • The Sun does not shine near the equator.
    • There is no oxygen near the equator.
    Show answer

    Earth's magnetic field steers most of the particles toward the poles.

    Hint: The last paragraph begins with “Because…”. That's your cause.

  5. Question 5

    Why did Ravi bring a sketch to school?

    Two Ideas, One Project

    Lena wanted their science fair project to be about bees. Ravi wanted it to be about bridges. For two days, they barely spoke during work time.

    On the third day, Ms. Chen asked how their plan was going. Lena looked at the blank poster board and sighed. “We don't have one,” she admitted.

    That night, Ravi watched a video about how bees build honeycomb out of six-sided cells. He sat straight up. The shape was strong and light, and it used very little wax. Those were exactly the things a good bridge needed.

    The next morning, he met Lena at the door with a sketch. “What if we test whether honeycomb shapes make stronger bridges?” Lena stared at the paper, then laughed. “Why didn't we think of that two days ago?”

    • Ms. Chen had asked him to draw a honeycomb.
    • He wanted to show Lena a plan that mixed both of their ideas.
    • He wanted to quit the science fair.
    • He wanted to prove that bridges were better than bees.
    Show answer

    He wanted to show Lena a plan that mixed both of their ideas.

    Hint: His question links honeycomb (bees) with bridges. Whose ideas are in it?

  6. Question 6

    Which statement best expresses the theme of this story?

    Two Ideas, One Project

    Lena wanted their science fair project to be about bees. Ravi wanted it to be about bridges. For two days, they barely spoke during work time.

    On the third day, Ms. Chen asked how their plan was going. Lena looked at the blank poster board and sighed. “We don't have one,” she admitted.

    That night, Ravi watched a video about how bees build honeycomb out of six-sided cells. He sat straight up. The shape was strong and light, and it used very little wax. Those were exactly the things a good bridge needed.

    The next morning, he met Lena at the door with a sketch. “What if we test whether honeycomb shapes make stronger bridges?” Lena stared at the paper, then laughed. “Why didn't we think of that two days ago?”

    • Combining different ideas can lead to a better solution.
    • Science fair projects should be done alone.
    • Arguing with a partner always ruins a project.
    • Bees are more interesting than bridges.
    Show answer

    Combining different ideas can lead to a better solution.

    Hint: A theme is a lesson the characters learn. How did Lena and Ravi finally solve their problem?

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