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Science Fiction Reading Passages
Explore this topic through Science Fiction Reading Passages.
January 2 reading ideas
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Read a science fiction story, explore Georgia’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and find out how engineers changed the direction of the Chicago River.
Special date
Science Fiction Day is observed on January 2. Read the selected time-travel and space-adventure stories, then notice how each author builds an imagined world.
8 reading resources
Explore this topic through Science Fiction Reading Passages.
Use Ballerina Bot's Dream as related background or for comparison.
Read passageUse Spring on the Starship Aurora as related background or for comparison.
Read passageUse The Day I Missed My Turn in Space as related background or for comparison.
Read passageUse Selfie Through Time: The Day I Walked with Mammoths as related background or for comparison.
Read passageUse The Great Empire State Heist as related background or for comparison.
Read passageExplore how setting shapes characters’ choices.
Read passageExplore how setting shapes characters’ choices.
Read passageSpecial date
Georgia ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 2, 1788. Read about the ratification process, then use the Atlanta passage and Georgia map to connect the national story with a place in the state.
4 reading resources
Use The First to Ratify: Delaware and the Golden Fleece Tavern as related background or for comparison.
Read passageFind the main idea.
Read passageSpecial date
On January 2, 1900, engineers opened a channel that changed the direction of the Chicago River. Discover how people reshaped a waterway to address a growing city’s needs.
3 reading resources
Explore this topic through River Reading Passages.
Open collectionExplore how engineers changed the course of the Chicago River.
Read passageYour topic. Your level.
Have another idea for today’s lesson? Let Pico create an AI-assisted passage with questions and an illustration. Choose the topic and reading level in the creator.
Read Leo's Time Travel Adventure, Zarnok's Earth Adventure, or Rusty's Apple Pie Adventure and notice how each story builds an imagined adventure. Ask readers which detail makes the story feel like science fiction.
Georgia ratified the Constitution on January 2, 1788. Nine States Say Yes: Ratifying the Constitution places the state within the wider ratification process; Atlanta: The City in a Forest offers a present-day Georgia setting. Locate the state on the Georgia map.
Discover how Chicago changed the direction of its river and why the project mattered. Use this informational passage to discuss how engineering can reshape communities and waterways. Read Reversing the Current: The Engineering Triumph of the Chicago River.
