Instructions
- This worksheet will help you practice seven key strategies to better understand what you read. These strategies are like tools for your brain!
- Start with Part 1. Read the short story, "The Obsidian Compass," carefully.
- Complete each section in order. The activities will guide you through predicting, connecting, visualizing, questioning, and more.
- Use the space provided to write or draw your answers. Think carefully and creatively.
- Try the Challenge Question at the end for an extra test of your skills.
- When you are finished, check your work against the Answer Key at the end.
Part 1: The Reading Passage
Read the short story below. As you read, pay attention to the details, the mood, and what the author doesn't say.
The Obsidian Compass
The floorboards of the attic groaned under Elara’s weight, each step stirring up clouds of dust that danced in the single beam of light from her torch. It had been her grandfather’s attic, a space she was forbidden from entering as a child. Now, sorting through his belongings, she understood why. It wasn't a place of forgotten toys, but of forgotten journeys. Rolled-up maps, strange trinkets from distant lands, and leather-bound journals filled every crate.
Tucked away in a small wooden box, beneath a faded photograph of a ship on a stormy sea, she found it. It wasn't made of brass and glass like a normal compass. This one was carved from a single piece of obsidian, a volcanic glass so dark it seemed to swallow the light. There were no markings for North, South, East, or West. Instead, intricate silver symbols pulsed with a faint, cool light when her fingers brushed against them. The needle, a sliver of what looked like petrified wood, didn't point North. It spun slowly, deliberately, before locking onto a point directly behind her, aimed at the attic’s far wall—a wall with no windows and no doors.
Part 2: Before You Read Deeply - Predicting and Connecting
Good readers think about a text before they even finish it. Let's practice.
1. Predicting: Based on the title "The Obsidian Compass" and the first paragraph, what did you predict this story would be about?
2. Connecting: This story is about discovering something mysterious from a family member. Have you ever found an object that belonged to a relative that made you curious about their life? Briefly describe the object and what it made you wonder.
Part 3: During Reading - Visualising and Questioning
Great readers create a mental movie and ask questions as they go.
3. Visualising: The author uses descriptive words to create a picture. In the space below, either draw the obsidian compass as you imagine it, or write 5-6 descriptive phrases from the text that helped you picture it.
4. Questioning: What are two questions that popped into your head while reading the passage? What are you curious about?
Example: "Why was Elara forbidden from the attic?"
- Question 1:
- Question 2:
Part 4: After Reading - Inferring and Summarising
Now that you've read it, let's dig deeper to figure out the hidden meanings.
5. Inferring: The text doesn't tell us everything directly. We have to use clues to figure things out. This is called inferring.
- A) What can you infer about Elara's grandfather based on the contents of his attic?
- B) Why do you think the compass needle points to a blank wall? What does this infer?
6. Summarising: Explain the main events of this short passage in no more than two sentences. This shows you understand the most important parts.
Part 5: Putting It All Together - Evaluating
This is where you think like a critic and connect the ideas to the bigger picture.
7. Evaluating: The author chose to make the compass from "obsidian" (dark volcanic glass) instead of shiny brass. How does this choice affect the mood or feeling of the story? Do you think this was an effective choice?
Part 6: Challenge Question (Optional)
Ready to take your skills to the next level?
8. Extend the Story: Write the next paragraph of the story. What does Elara do after the compass needle points to the blank wall? Use descriptive language that matches the tone of the original passage.
Answer Key
Note: For some questions, your exact answer may be different. These are examples of strong answers.
1. Predicting: A good prediction would be something like: "I predicted the story would be about a girl finding a magical or mysterious compass that leads her on an adventure, possibly related to her grandfather's past."
2. Connecting: Answers will vary. A good answer will name a specific object and a specific question. Example: "I found my grandmother's old recipe book. The faded handwriting and notes in the margins made me wonder what her life was like when she was cooking those meals and who she was cooking for."
3. Visualising:
- If Drawing: The drawing should include key details: dark/black material, no N/S/E/W, glowing silver symbols, and a wooden needle.
- If Writing: Answers should list phrases like: "carved from a single piece of obsidian," "swallow the light," "intricate silver symbols," "pulsed with a faint, cool light," "needle... of petrified wood."
4. Questioning: Answers will vary. Good questions are open-ended and show curiosity.
- Example 1: "What are the silver symbols, and what do they mean?"
- Example 2: "Who was Elara's grandfather, and where did he get the compass?"
5. Inferring:
- A) You can infer that her grandfather was an adventurous person, a traveller, or perhaps an explorer. The maps, trinkets from "distant lands," and journals suggest a life of travel and secrets.
- B) One can infer that the wall is not what it seems. It likely hides a secret passage, a hidden room, or the next clue in a puzzle. The compass points to things that are hidden or magical, not to geographical directions.
6. Summarising: While sorting through her adventurous grandfather's attic, a girl named Elara discovers a mysterious obsidian compass. Instead of pointing North, the compass's needle points towards a blank wall, suggesting a hidden secret.
7. Evaluating: Making the compass from obsidian makes the story feel more mysterious, magical, and ancient. Brass is common and scientific, while obsidian is dark, natural, and associated with old cultures or magic. It was a very effective choice because it makes the object feel unique and powerful, adding to the story's suspenseful mood.
8. Challenge Question: Answers will vary. A strong answer will continue the mysterious tone. Example: "Her heart hammered against her ribs. She took a tentative step forward, then another, her torchlight trembling on the dusty planks. Reaching the wall, she hesitated before pressing her palm flat against the cool, rough wood. Instead of solid timber, her fingers met a soft vibration, and a low grinding sound echoed from deep within the wall as the silver symbols on the compass flared, bathing the attic in an ethereal glow."