The California Gold Rush Reading Comprehension Worksheets for 5th Grade

What your child practices

"The California Gold Rush" is a 5th grade reading comprehension set (Grade 5 in Canada): 2 worksheets and 12 questions built around one short text. In upper elementary, students shift from learning to read to reading to learn, so answering questions with details from the text becomes the key skill. The sheets cover Comprehension and Sequencing. The skill matches Common Core RI.5.1, the standard for finding key details in a nonfiction text. It also touches RI.5.2, identifying the main topic or main idea of a nonfiction text. Each PDF includes its own answer key on page 2, ready for you or your child to check. Finished a sheet? The online version reads every question aloud and checks answers instantly.

Tips for parents

• Ask your child to answer in full sentences, a habit teachers look for in upper elementary.
• After the last question, ask for a two sentence retell of "The California Gold Rush" in their own words.
• If an answer is wrong, send your child back to the text rather than giving the answer.