The Song of Summer, the Weight of Winter
The late August sun baked the dirt path along the edge of the wheat field until the clay cracked into tiny, dusty puzzle pieces. High above the path, balanced on a swaying stalk of golden timothy grass, sat Jasper. Jasper was a meadow grasshopper with glossy green wings and powerful hind legs built for leaping across wide ditches. All morning, he had been rubbing his hind legs against his forewings, filling the warm air with a bright, raspy rhythm that echoed across the field.
Down below, in the tangled shadows of the clover roots, a harvester ant named Mira trudged along a narrow trail. In her strong mandibles, she gripped a plump kernel of fallen wheat that was nearly twice the size of her own head. Every few steps, she had to adjust her footing to drag the heavy grain over a pebble or around a dry twig.
- mandibles:
- The jaws of an insect, used for biting, cutting, and carrying food.
- kernel:
- The softer, edible seed inside a grain plant such as wheat or corn.
- brittle:
- Hard and dry, making it very easy to crack or snap apart.
- chambers:
- Enclosed rooms or spaces, especially underground inside an animal burrow or nest.
- granaries:
- Storehouses or special rooms where grain and seeds are kept safe.
- nourishment:
- The food and nutrients needed to stay healthy, strong, and alive.
- windbreak:
- A wall, shelter, or barrier that blocks the force of the cold wind.
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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.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
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Language & Tone
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Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How do Jasper's and Mira's actions in August show their different attitudes toward the future?
- 2Why is Mira in such a hurry to gather the spilled wheat grains when Jasper speaks to her?
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About this fiction passage for 4th Grade
“The Song of Summer, the Weight of Winter” is a fiction reading passage about Preparation and Responsibility, written for 4th Grade. It takes about 6 minutes to read (927 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.