Interactive Reading Assessment

Grade Level: 4

SOL Standard(s):
Science
4.8 The student will investigate and understand the relationships among Earth, the
moon, and the sun. Key concepts include
a) the motions of Earth, the moon, and the sun;
c) the causes for the phases of the moon;

WIDA Standard(s): Standard 4: The Language of Science

WIDA Level: 3 Developing

Objectives:
Language: The students will be able to read a paragraph and infer the missing words
about phases of the moon.
Content: The students will be able to determine information that describes the phases of
the moon.

Directions:
Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks in the passage. Each word can only be
used once.

Example:
Fill in the blank below with words from this box:

Ms. McDonald Ms. Knopp Ms. Pitchko

My teacher’s name is _________________.

Ms. Knopp
Assessment Items:
Fill in the blanks below with words from this box:

Phase First Quarter Full Moon Waning Gibbous

Moon Half Last Quarter Lunar Cycle
Earth Sun Waxing Gibbous Waning Crescent
New Moon Waxing Crescent

Phases of the Moon

The ____________________ has many different looks during the month. Each look is
called a lunar ____________________. Lunar means “of the moon.” The moon has
phases because it orbits ____________________. The Earth revolves around the
____________________. The moon revolves separately around Earth. The moon itself
does not actually change size.
In the ____________________ phase, none of the part of the moon that is facing Earth
is lit by the sun. It appears as only a dark outline. During the ____________________
phase, the moon looks small. Only a tiny sliver of the moon’s side that is facing Earth is
lit by the sun. The next phase is the ____________________ phase. In it,
____________________ of the moon’s nearest side is lit by the sun. We see it as about
one-fourth of a full moon. During the ____________________ phase, more of the moon
is lit. Even so, it is not quite a full moon yet. In the ____________________ phase, all of
the side of the moon that is facing Earth is lit by the sun. It appears as a large, bright
circle. During the ____________________ phase, some of the part that was lit as a full
moon begins to fall into the shadows. In the ____________________ phase, a different
side of the moon is lit. Again, the moon appears as one-fourth full. During the
____________________ phase, the moon slips further into shadows. It is a thin
crescent shape once more. After this phase, the entire ____________________ begins
again with a new moon.

Scoring:
Each blank is worth 1 point and each blank must be spelled correctly in order to earn full
credit. There are 14 points possible.