Lucas and the Big Cliffs
Lucas stepped off the big yellow school bus. He was on a fun class trip to Palisades Interstate Park. His eyes went up, up, up! High stone cliffs towered over the blue river. They looked like giant walls made of dark rock. Lucas held his backpack tight and smiled. He was excited to explore nature with his class.
The class walked along a dirt path near the trees. Mr. Lee pointed up to the sky. A big hawk flew in smooth circles high above the tall cliffs. Down near the bushes, Lucas saw a small brown chipmunk. It sat on a rock and chewed on a seed. Lucas watched the fast little animal run into the grass. There were so many cool animals living near the rocks!
Next, the class stopped at a nice lookout spot. Lucas looked out at the wide river below. The cool wind blew on his face as he took a deep breath. He drew a picture of the tall cliffs in his notebook. He also drew the hawk flying in the sky. Lucas was glad he came on this field trip. He could not wait to tell his family all about the park.
- cliffs:
- High, steep walls of rock or earth.
- explore:
- To travel through a place to discover new things.
- hawk:
- A large wild bird with sharp vision that flies high in the sky.
- chipmunk:
- A small striped animal related to squirrels that eats seeds and nuts.
- lookout:
- A high place where people can stand to see a wide view.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How did Lucas get to Palisades Interstate Park?
- 2What did the high stone cliffs look like to Lucas?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“Lucas and the Big Cliffs” is a short story reading passage about Palisades Interstate Park Field Trip, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 1 minute to read (198 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.