OwlSheets
Plants of the Desert worksheet preview

Worksheet

Plants of the Desert

Grade 2 informational reading: an original article about cactus plants, with questions that use context clues to find the meaning of words and phrases.

Grade 2ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.2.4

Play onlinePlay as a game
PrintLetter-size worksheetAnswer keyPrintable answers
Assign to classAssign to your classes, or get a join code

What’s included

  • Single worksheet
  • Auto-graded online
  • 1 Common Core standard
  • Printable answer key
  • 8 questions
  • Classroom-ready

Details

Format
Interactive · Printable
Grade
Grade 2
Subject
ELA
Question types
Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

  • Students use clues in a sentence or nearby sentences to work out the meaning of a word.
  • Students find the meaning of a phrase in an informational text.

How to use

Read the article together, then have students underline the clue words that explain each tricky word before they answer.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.2.4

Work out the meaning of words and phrases in a text on a grade 2 topic or subject area.

Preview

OwlSheets.com

Name Date

Plants of the Desert

Use clues in the text to work out what new words mean.

Read the article

Read the article about plants that live in the desert.

Plants of the Desert

1A desert is a very dry place. Only a little rain falls there. Even so, some plants can live in a desert.

2A cactus is one plant that can survive, or stay alive, in the desert. Its thick stem stores water, the way a sponge holds water inside. After it rains, the cactus soaks up water and saves it for the dry days.

3Many cactus plants have sharp spines. The spines are like tiny needles. They keep hungry animals from eating the cactus.

4The roots of many cactus plants are shallow. This means they do not go deep into the ground. They spread out wide near the top of the soil, so they can catch rain quickly.

What does it mean?

Use clues in the article to find the meaning of each word or phrase.

1.
In paragraph 1, what does the word dry mean?
  • A. very hot and sunny
  • B. having very little water
  • C. covered with snow
  • D. full of tall trees
2.
In paragraph 2, what does the word survive mean?
  • A. grow very tall
  • B. make new seeds
  • C. stay alive
  • D. turn green
3.
In paragraph 2, a cactus soaks up water after it rains. What does soaks up mean?
  • A. pours water out
  • B. keeps water away
  • C. freezes water
  • D. takes water in
4.
In paragraph 2, the thick stem stores water. What does stores mean?
  • A. keeps for later
  • B. gives away
  • C. makes bigger
  • D. pushes out
5.
Read paragraph 4 again. Underline the sentence that tells you what shallow means.

The roots of many cactus plants are shallow.This means they do not go deep into the ground.They spread out wide near the top of the soil, so they can catch rain quickly.

Use the words

Show that you understand the new words.

6.
Match each word or phrase from the article to its meaning.
  1. desert
  2. spines
  3. spread out
  1. A. sharp points on a plant
  2. B. grow across a wide space
  3. C. a very dry place
7.
Use the word bank to finish each sentence. Write one word in each blank.
Word bank: spines · stores · survive · shallow

A cactus   water in its thick stem.
Sharp   keep hungry animals away.
Cactus plants need water to   in the desert.

8.
How does paragraph 3 help you understand the word spines? Use words from the article.

Related worksheets