One of my best instructional time savers in the classroom is to combine Social Studies and reading instruction. It helps me cover important and interesting Social Studies content. Not only that it also strengthen my students close reading skills. One of my favorites is Regions of the United States Reading Comprehension activities. Students love learning about the regions and states and I love that it requires them to read and comprehend non-fiction text!
Most states have a Social Studies standard for 3rd grade that requires them to learn about the 5 regions of the United States. They need to be able to name the regions and label each state within the regions.
The Regions of the United States passages that I created for this standard includes a lot more information about each region that kids really love to learn about:
- Populations
- Major cities
- Landmarks
- Climate
Knowing more about each region helps students gain geographical information beyond just labeling states and knowing the regions.
Regions of the United Reading Comprehension Activities
The text is divided into an introduction and a page for each of the 5 regions: Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, West, and Midwest.
Each one includes photos depicting interesting monuments or features of that region. Also included is a labeled map which students will need later when given a blank map to label themselves.
Graphic Organizers
There are two graphic organizers that students can use to deepen comprehension of all of the passages and help students organize information: Main Idea and Key Details, and Compare and Contrast. These organizers can be used multiple times with each region’s text. Equally important is that these organizers are especially helpful for differentiation for your readers!
Reading Comprehension Questions
Using strategies for 1st and 2nd reading of the texts brings in the habits we have established for close reading. This includes setting the purpose for reading with specific questions that students should think about while they are reading.
After the 2nd reading, students will respond to text-dependent questions using evidence from the passage. Each question is labeled with the Common Core reading standard it reflects. The students don’t care about that, but teachers do!
>> If your students need help when citing text evidence, then this post that includes a FREE resource will help!
Regions of the United States Close Reading Pack
This close reading resource is perfect for a 4 – 5 day Social Studies or Reading lesson! All of the activities included will engage your students and you will love being able to combine these two subject areas!
What’s Included:
- Regions of the United States Reading Passages
- Main Idea and Key Details Graphic Organizer
- Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer
- Reading Comprehension Questions
- 5 Regions Maps
- Unit Test
- Vocabulary Puzzle Pieces Activity
Here are a few really sweet reviews for this resource:
Perfect resource to supplement 3rd grade SS standards and reading standards. I used this independently during centers, then modeled comparing two texts, then had my students use two others to compare 2 texts. I love resources that can serve more than one purpose. Don’t hesitate to purchase this product!
-Judy
This resource goes perfectly with our curriculum. My students loved reading the passages about the various regions. They also loved matching the puzzle pieces together. I loved that you included different graphic organizers to help them comprehend the information. I’ve used this as an independent activity and as a partner activity. Thanks for a great resource!
-The Elementary Resource Corner
If you want to be able to integrate Social Studies and reading in your classroom, grab this resource here!
More Social Studies and Reading Resources:
- Civics and Government Close Reading Pack
- Constitution Day Close Reading Pack
- Veterans Day Close Reading Pack
- Elections Day Close Reading Pack
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