6th Grade Main Idea, Theme and Figurative Language

Maggie was getting ready to walk to school. She put on her coat and grabbed her backpack. As she was leaving, her mother said, “I love you. Be careful.” What can you infer about Maggie?

• Maggie is in kindergarten
• Maggie lives close to school
• Maggie is late for school
• Maggie is excited about school

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

Brittany's mom walks into the kitchen wearing her sun hat and a pair of old shoes. “Those vegetable plants are growing by leaps and bounds!” she exclaims to Brittany, as she takes off a dirty glove and wipes a smudge of dirt off her face. Where was Brittany's mom?

• At the store
• At the doctor's office
• In the garden
• At the airport

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

Cassie rolled over in her bed as she felt the sunlight hit her face. The beams were warming the back of her neck when she slowly realized that it was a Thursday, and she felt a little too good for a Thursday. Struggling to open her eyes, she looked up at the clock. “9:48,” she shouted, “Holy cow!” Cassie jumped out of bed, threw on the first outfit that she grabbed, brushed her teeth in two swipes, threw her books into her backpack, and then ran out the door. What is Cassie's problem?

• She is late for work
• She will miss her flight at the airport
• She is late for school
• She is hungry

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

My dog Jack is very friendly, and he likes to be around people. Yesterday, our neighbors were having a party, and we all went over to cookout and swim at their house. We could hear Jack barking loudly from our backyard. After a little while, he got quiet, so we thought he had finally calmed down. But, several minutes later, all of the adults start laughing, and I see a black blur and hear a giant splash at the other end of the pool. Why was Jack barking?

• He wanted to be at the party
• The neighbors were making too much noise
• He was hungry
• He wanted to go outside

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

Mrs. Lance is my favorite teacher, but something is not right today. Mrs. Lance is sitting down at her desk more than usual, and she asked us to read a story silently and just answer the questions in the book. I glance back at her, and she is blowing her nose. A little while later, I see that her cheeks are kind-of red, and she is drinking a lot of water and eating some cough drops. After a little while, Mr. Dean, another teacher, comes into our classroom. Mrs. Lance takes her purse and leaves, while Mr. Dean stays. What is wrong with Mrs. Lance?

• She is tired
• She is sleepy
• She is worried
• She is sick

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

As we entered, a huge blast of water hit the windshield. Huge flopping sponges slapped the hood of the car as we slowly moved forward. Soon there were suds spilling over the sides. I am glad the windows were rolled up! Where are we?

• Ice cream shop
• Playground
• Restaurant
• Carwash

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

As I walked in the door, I was amazed at the beautiful colors and smells. I knew it would be hard to decide what I would buy with my $3. The chocolate truffles looked delicious, but they were expensive. The jelly beans were not only cheaper, but so colorful! With so much to choose from, I knew I would be here a long time. Where am I?

• Gas station
• Candy store
• Grocery store
• Shoe store

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

Rubin dug frantically through his backpack. It has to be here, he thought. How many times had his mother told him not to take his iPod to school. He searched his locker again without much hope. He knew he was in trouble. What inference can you make about Rubin?

• He is looking for his homework
• He is looking for his iPod
• He often gets in trouble
• He is looking for his lunch

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was “presentable,” as Alice had often said. What type of job did Paul have?

• Doctor
• Lawyer
• Ditch digger
• Store cashier

Tags

CCSS.RF.5.4C

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.6.2

Spider Webs
 All spiders spin webs. That's because webs help spiders. Webs help spiders do three things. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide. And webs help spiders catch food. Webs help spiders hold eggs. Many spiders like to lay their eggs in their webs. The webs help keep the eggs together. Webs help spiders keep their eggs safe. Webs help spiders hide. Most spiders are dark. They are brown, grey, or black. But spider webs are light. They are white and cloudy. When spiders hide in their webs, they are harder to see. Webs help spiders catch food. Spider webs are sticky. When a bug flies into the web, it gets stuck. It moves around. It tries to get out. But it can't. It is trapped! Spiders can tell that the bug is trapped. That's because spiders feel the web move. And the spider is hungry. The spider goes to get the bug. As you can see, webs help spiders hold eggs. Webs help spiders hide. And webs help spiders catch food. Without webs, spiders would not be able to live like they do. Spiders need their webs to survive! 
As used in the last sentence of the passage, the word survive means to stay  

• alive
• hidden
• caught
• dead

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4