Hawaii reading map

Explore Hawaii through a reading, not a travel checklist

This page helps readers find Hawaii-connected English passages. The examples span information, biography, fiction, and argument, so they support different questions. Choose a topic, check its text type and grade label, and read the complete passage before discussing cultural or geographic details.

Compare a person’s account with a fictional moment

Duke Kahanamoku: The Surfing Legend is labeled biography. Ask readers to find details that shape the account of the person. Kai’s First Wave is fiction; students can discuss how its story presents a surfing experience, using only details they find in the text.

Read information and consider a debate

Aloha, Honolulu! is informational. Readers can identify its topic and supporting details. Mauna Kea: Telescope vs. Tradition is opinion or argumentative writing. Ask students to identify the issue and compare positions only after reading the passage; the title alone does not establish its claims.

Keep cultural discussion text-led

Use a fact file to collect information from the Honolulu reading, or a claim-and-evidence chart for the Mauna Kea passage. Students can compare a biography and fiction by purpose, making clear which account is factual and which is imagined. Check the texts and questions, and avoid adding details that are not supported by the selected reading.

For a broader view, return to the United States reading map.