The Beautiful Clay Pot
Citlali lived in a big city. It was called Tenochtitlan.
The city was on a lake. It had many blue canals.
Citlali had soft clay in her hands. She wanted to make a pot.
Her family needed it for the market. She worked very hard on it.
She pressed the clay with her thumbs. She made a round shape.
It was smooth and cool. She liked the way it felt.
Next, she used a small tool. She carved lines into the clay.
She made pictures of the sun. She made pictures of water.
The sun was hot in the sky. It helped the clay get dry and hard.
Citlali waited for a long time. She was very patient.
Soon, the pot was ready. It was strong and pretty.
Her father smiled at her. He was very proud of her work.
They put the pot in a boat. They paddled to the big market.
The market was very busy. Many people were there.
Citlali saw bright feathers. She saw many colors of corn.
She put her pot on a mat. She hoped someone would like it.
A woman stopped to look. She touched the smooth clay.
She liked the sun and the water. She bought the pot from Citlali.
Citlali was very happy. She had helped her family.
She felt like a real artist. She wanted to make more pots tomorrow.
- Canals:
- Narrow paths of water made for boats to travel through a city.
- Clay:
- A type of soft earth that can be shaped when wet and becomes hard when dry.
- Market:
- A busy place where people meet to buy and sell things like food and crafts.
- Patient:
- Being able to wait for a long time without getting angry or upset.
- Artist:
- A person who uses their hands and imagination to create beautiful things.
More sheets from this passage
Built from the text itself — answer key included where it counts.
fix the sentence
Sentences from the passage with the capitals and punctuation removed — rewrite each one correctly.
vocabulary worksheet
Match the passage words to their meanings, then fill the missing words back into real sentences.
writing prompts
Two writing tasks that build on the passage, with plenty of lines to write on.
- All 4 sheets as one workbookPro
One PDF with a cover, contents page and every answer key at the back.
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“The Beautiful Clay Pot” is a short story reading passage about Aztec History, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (230 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.