Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
American Revolution
The Colonies

American Revolution
American Revolution

The Colonies
Print The Colonies Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print The Colonies Reading Comprehension


Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.15

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    jamestown, tenacity, uncivilized, acceptance, finding, riches, tolerance, courageous, droughts, govern, settlement, profitable, advantage, based, route, power
     content words:    Jamestown Colony, London Company, Only God

The Colonies
By Jane Runyon 		  
1     Can you imagine circumstances which would cause you to leave your native country? You would have to leave your home and your friends. You might even have to leave your family. Many young people dream of growing up and living on their own. But, most are able to communicate easily with those close to them. What was it, then, that drew the early settlers to this new land called America? What was it that made leaving their homes, family, and friends a positive decision? There are many answers to these questions. In fact, there are probably as many answers as there were people who immigrated to this new land.
 
2     Jamestown Colony in Virginia was established for trade. The trip to create a settlement near the coast of Virginia was sponsored by the London Company. It was their desire to take advantage of the abundant natural resources and set up a profitable trade route between the new land and Europe. Sturdy, courageous men would be needed to tame the area. These men were recruited from the streets of London. Some were adventurers who wanted to go for the thrill of exploring an uncivilized new world and perhaps finding riches for themselves. Some were taken from debtors' prisons. They had not been able to earn enough money to support their families. They were willing to work hard and jumped at the chance to restore their freedom while, perhaps, building a new life for themselves and their families. Some were criminals trying to keep one step ahead of the law. They, too, did not like the idea of being imprisoned. The promise of freedom and riches was enough for these men to leave their homes and start all over again.
 
3     Other settlements were started for another type of freedom, religious freedom. We've all heard of the Pilgrims and the Puritans. The Pilgrims felt that they were being persecuted because they did not hold the same religious beliefs as the king. They tried living in the Netherlands but still did not feel they were free. Coming to a completely new land where no religious restrictions were in force was enough to bring this entire group to the Massachusetts shore. The Puritans wanted to start a community based on the laws of God alone. They didn't believe a king had the right to make rules to govern them. Only God had that power. A land with no laws seemed to be the perfect answer to them.

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Weekly Reading Books

          Create Weekly Reading Books

Prepare for an entire week at once!

Feedback on The Colonies
Leave your feedback on The Colonies   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

American Revolution
             American Revolution

United States
             United States


    American Government  
 
    Black History and Blacks in U.S. History  
 
    Children in History  
 
    Government Careers  
 
    Hispanic Heritage  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
 
    Immigration  
 
    National Parks and Monuments  
 
    Native Americans  
 
    Presidents of the United States  
 
    Women's History  
 

United States History
    A Nation Divided
(1840-1861) 		 
 
    A New Nation
(1776-1830) 		 
 
    After the Civil War
(1865-1870) 		 
 
    American Revolution  
 
    Cold War
(1947-1991) 		 
 
    Colonial America (1492-1776)  
 
    Lewis and Clark
(1804-1806) 		 
 
    Pearl Harbor  
 
    Spanish American War (1898)  
 
    The 1890's  
 
    The 1900's  
 
    The 1910's  
 
    The 1920's  
 
    The 1930's  
 
 
    The 1940's  
 
    The 1950's  
 
    The 1960's  
 
    The 1970's  
 
    The 1980's  
 
    The 1990's  
 
    The 2000's  
 
    The Civil War
(1861-1865) 		 
 
    The Great Depression
(1929-1945) 		 
 
    The United States Grows
(1865-1900) 		 
 
    The War of 1812  
 
    Wild, Wild West  
 
    World War I
(1914-1918) 		 
 
    World War II  
 

50 States

             Fifty States Theme Unit

Document Based Activities
      Document Based Activities



Copyright © 2018 edHelper