Thomas Edison Close Reading Passage & Comprehension Activities | 3rd–4th Grade

Help your students learn about the creativity and determination of Thomas Edison with this engaging close reading comprehension activity for third and fourth grade. This resource includes a detailed nonfiction passage about Edison’s life, his many inventions—including the light bulb and phonograph—and how his ideas helped shape the modern world. It is designed to build reading, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills while encouraging curiosity, innovation, and problem-solving.

Students will complete a range of comprehension activities, including short-answer questions, grammar practice, a writing extension task, a multiple-choice quiz, a crossword, and a wordsearch — all supported by a teacher presentation to guide discussion and extend learning about Edison’s inventions, perseverance, and lasting impact on science and technology. Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-use lesson.

Included in this PDF printable resource:

• A teacher presentation to introduce the subject
• An informational text
• A comprehension activity with ten questions
• Two grammar questions about the text
• An extension writing activity
• A multiple choice quiz with seven questions
• An answer sheet for self-assessment or teacher use
• A crossword puzzle to consolidate learning
• A wordsearch puzzle

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This resource is great for:

• In class learning
• Independent work
• Homework
• Guided reading sessions
• Assessment practice
• Reading interventions
• Emergency sub plans

The activity requires NO PREP; it has a body of text that students need to read through thoroughly; then they can use the text to find the comprehension and grammar answers. All texts then have an extension activity for those fast finishers and answers, for teacher use, are on the final page of the document.

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