continent

North America reading map

Compare English readings connected to North American places, including fiction, informational text, and a how-to passage. Choose a passage and plan a focused response.

665 readings

Explore countries in North America

Continue one level deeper. Each card includes readings and places from everything nested below it.

countryCanadaExplore Canada through functional texts about maple syrup and Toronto, an argument about local wilderness, and a fictional story. 10 readings
countryMexicoExplore Mexico through a fictional diary, procedural food text, an informational country reading, and Reader’s Theater about monarch butterflies. 17 readings
countryUnited StatesExplore United States readings through local examples: museum fiction, a procedural family-day text in Florence, Oregon, Newark museum information, and Red River Reader’s Theater. 634 readings

Explore places in North America

These places include every published city, landmark, and natural feature nested anywhere inside North America.

Compare place-based North America readings

Choose from fiction, informational reading, and procedural text connected to locations in the United States.

A Big Day at the MuseumLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionIndianaA Day at the Inner HarborLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionMarylandA Day in JacksonLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionMississippiA Family Day in Florence, OregonLower Elementary · How-To / Procedural • Functional TextsOregonA Visit to the Newark Museum of ArtLower Elementary · InformationalNew JerseyA Visit to the Red RiverLower Elementary · Reader's TheaterLouisianaAll About BostonLower Elementary · InformationalMassachusettsAnimals of the Wichita MountainsLower Elementary · Report • InformationalOklahomaAutumn at Valley ForgeLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionPennsylvaniaBeautiful Pictured RocksLower Elementary · Explanatory Article • InformationalMichiganBiking the Boise River GreenbeltLower Elementary · Instructions • Functional TextsIdahoCharlotte's New Home in Santa FeLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionNew MexicoCheyenne Bottoms: A Big Home for BirdsLower Elementary · Report • InformationalKansasCrater Lake: A Deep Blue WonderLower Elementary · InformationalOregonCrops of the Mississippi CountrysideLower Elementary · InformationalMississippiCrossing Nebraska on the Oregon TrailLower Elementary · Report • InformationalNebraskaDash's Big RaceLower Elementary · FictionAlaskaDesign a Potato Exhibit!Lower Elementary · Announcement • Functional TextsIdahoExploring Starved Rock State ParkLower Elementary · Report • InformationalIllinoisGiant Art on the PrairieLower Elementary · InformationalNorth DakotaGiant Elephant RocksLower Elementary · InformationalMissouriGiant Sand Hills by the OceanLower Elementary · InformationalOregonGold in the HillsLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionGeorgiaHelp Count the Crabs!Lower Elementary · Announcement • Functional TextsDelaware
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Showing 24 of 665

North America coloring pages

Free printable coloring pages about North America — each one comes with a short reading passage and a quiz.

Upper ElementaryA Day in Iowa Coloring PageA Day in Iowa Coloring PageUpper ElementaryAn Autumn Day in ConnecticutAn Autumn Day in ConnecticutMiddle SchoolCute Urban Coyotes of Chicago Coloring PageCute Urban Coyotes of Chicago Coloring PageUpper ElementaryGiant Firs Coloring PageGiant Firs Coloring PageUpper ElementaryHaystack Rock Coloring PageHaystack Rock Coloring PageUpper ElementaryIllinois Farmland Coloring PageIllinois Farmland Coloring PageMiddle SchoolIndiana State Bird The Cardinal Coloring pageIndiana State Bird The Cardinal Coloring pageLower ElementaryIowa Farm AnimalsIowa Farm Animals

North America printables & worksheets

Use a fact file to record details from one passage or write a comparison of two different text types.

Build a North America workbook
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One PDF with the reading passages, puzzles and worksheets you pick — start from a grade level and adjust from there, with the answer keys at the back.

North America fact file

Research North America: where it is, what it is known for, three interesting facts, and a drawing.

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North America KWL chart

Write what you already know about North America, what you want to find out, and what you learned.

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North America story map

Plan a story set in North America: characters, setting, problem, what happens first, next, and last, and how it ends.

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North America word web

Put North America in the middle and collect words and ideas connected to it.

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North America acrostic poem

Write an acrostic poem using the letters in the name North America.

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North America word game worksheets

Printable word puzzles built from North America words — download as PDF, answer key included.

Easy word search

8×8 grid · 6 words across and down · answer key included

Medium word search

10×10 grid · 8 words with diagonals · answer key included

Tricky word search

12×12 grid · 10 words with backwards words · answer key included

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No printer at hand? Play the North America word search right here on screen — free.

About North America

North America is the third-largest continent on Earth by land area.

The continent is bordered by three oceans: the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

It contains a wide variety of climates, ranging from polar ice in the far north to tropical rainforests in the south.

Select a North America reading for comparison

The readings shown here connect to locations in the United States and include different text types. Use the place and format labels to choose a specific reading question. Browse the country links for a closer view; an individual passage may focus on one city, river, museum, or state.

Compare fiction with informational reading

A Big Day at the Museum is a Lower Elementary short story connected to Indiana. A Visit to the Newark Museum of Art is an informational reading connected to New Jersey, also labeled Lower Elementary. Ask readers to compare how each text presents a museum visit or subject, using details from the actual passages.

Notice the purpose of procedural text

A Family Day in Florence, Oregon is a Lower Elementary how-to/procedural functional text connected to Oregon. Review the text before asking students to identify its steps or explain how it differs from a story or informational reading. The card’s location provides context for the passage; it does not make the text a broad description of North America.

A fact file can collect selected details, while a written comparison can explain how two text types differ. For topic-led options across locations, browse geography reading passages. Review worksheets for available printable formats. For a wider geographic view, open the world reading map.

North America reading map FAQ

Are these readings all about North America as a whole?

No. They focus on specific U.S. locations, including Indiana, Oregon, New Jersey, and Louisiana. Check each passage for its own focus.

Which text types can I compare?

The collection includes a short story, an informational text, a how-to/procedural functional text, and Reader’s Theater. Their labels help you select a comparison.

How can a fact file support one of these readings?

Ask readers to record a few details from the selected passage, including what it says about its named place. Have them refer back to the text when explaining their choices.

Should I choose only by the grade-band label?

Use the label to shortlist a passage, then review its content, questions, and intended task to decide whether it fits your readers.