Worksheet

The Great Pyramid: Clues to Its Builders

Read an article about the Great Pyramid and explain how the author uses reasons and evidence to show the Egyptians were skilled builders.

Grade 4ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.4.8

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1 Common Core standard
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8 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 4
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students tell an author's reasons apart from the evidence that supports them.
Students explain how each piece of evidence helps support the author's point.

How to use

Read the article aloud, pausing after each paragraph to ask what the author wants readers to believe. Students then answer the questions on their own or with a partner.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.4.8

Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

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The Great Pyramid: Clues to Its Builders

See how an author uses reasons and evidence to support a point.

Read the article

The Great Pyramid: Clues to Its Builders

1About 4,500 years ago, the people of ancient Egypt built the Great Pyramid at Giza as a tomb for their king, Khufu. It still stands today. Some people have wondered how anyone could build something so huge so long ago. The evidence shows that the ancient Egyptians were skilled builders and careful planners.

2First, the builders measured with great care. The pyramid's base is almost a perfect square. Each of its four sides faces almost exactly north, south, east or west. The builders had no modern tools, so experts think they used the sun and stars to find these directions.

3Second, the work was well organized. The pyramid is made of more than two million stone blocks, and many of them weigh more than a car. Moving all that stone took thousands of workers. Archaeologists have found team names painted on some of the stones inside the pyramid, which shows that the workers were split into groups. Near the pyramids, archaeologists also found the remains of a town where workers lived, with bakeries that made bread for them.

4Third, the builders made the pyramid strong enough to last. For thousands of years, it was the tallest structure people had built anywhere in the world. Long ago, people took away most of its smooth outer layer of white stone to use in other buildings. Even so, the giant shape is still standing after about 4,500 years.

5Experts still do not agree on exactly how the heavy blocks were moved up so high. Many think the workers dragged the blocks on wooden sleds and pulled them up long ramps. Even without all the answers, the evidence is clear. The Great Pyramid shows that the ancient Egyptians were skilled builders who planned their work with great care.

Reasons and evidence

A reason tells why the author's point is true. Evidence is a fact or an example that backs up a reason.

Read paragraph 1 again. Underline the sentence that tells the author's main point.

About 4,500 years ago, the people of ancient Egypt built the Great Pyramid at Giza as a tomb for their king, Khufu.It still stands today.Some people have wondered how anyone could build something so huge so long ago.The evidence shows that the ancient Egyptians were skilled builders and careful planners.

Is each sentence one of the author's reasons or a piece of evidence? Sort the sentences.

Team names are painted on some of the stones inside the pyramid.The work was well organized.The pyramid's base is almost a perfect square.For thousands of years, the pyramid was the tallest structure people had built.The builders measured with great care.The builders made the pyramid strong enough to last.

Reason	Evidence

Which TWO pieces of evidence does the author give for the reason that the work was well organized? Choose two answers.

A. The base of the pyramid is almost a perfect square.
B. Team names were painted on some of the stones.
C. It was the tallest structure for thousands of years.
D. Workers lived in a nearby town with bakeries.

How the author uses evidence

Look back at the article to answer each question.

Why does the author tell about the bakeries in paragraph 3?

A. To show that someone planned how to feed the many workers.
B. To explain how people baked bread in ancient Egypt.
C. To show that only a few people built the pyramid.
D. To show that the workers lived inside the pyramid.

Match each paragraph to what the author does in it.

Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 5

A. gives the reason about measuring and its evidence
B. tells what experts still do not know and repeats the point
C. introduces the pyramid and states the main point
D. gives the reason about lasting a long time and its evidence

In paragraph 5, the author says that experts do not agree on how the blocks were moved up so high. Why can the author still say "the evidence is clear"?

A. The author knows exactly how the heavy blocks were lifted.
B. The other evidence shows that the builders were skilled planners.
C. The experts agree that the blocks were lifted by machines.
D. The article's point is only about wooden sleds and ramps.

In paragraph 4, why does the author tell that people took away most of the pyramid's outer layer of stone?

A. To show that the builders did not measure the stones with care.
B. To explain why the workers needed so many bakeries.
C. To show that the shape still stands even after people changed it.
D. To prove that the pyramid was once much shorter than it is now.

The author says the ancient Egyptians were skilled builders and careful planners. Which piece of evidence do you think supports this point best? Explain why.