Symbiotic Relationships Reading Comprehension Article
Symbiosis reading article for high school biology that defines mutualism, commensalism and parasitism through plant and insect partnerships, followed by comprehension and research extension questions.

- Grades
- Grades 9–12
- File type
- Multiple File Types
- Subject
- Biology, Life Sciences, Science
- Topic
- Symbiotic, Relationships
- Resource types
- Worksheets
From the author
About this resource
Symbiotic Relationships Science Article Reinforce science concepts and build literacy skills with this high-interest article and question set focused on the symbiotic relationships between plants and insects. Suitable for high school biology and environmental science classes, the 3-page article serves as a supplementary reading selection to help students deepen their understanding of symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism through real-world examples. After reading about the interactions between Yucca moths and yucca plants, ants and acacia trees, and other symbiotic partnerships in nature, students apply their knowledge by responding to reading comprehension, analysis, and discussion questions. Questions focus on key ideas, author's purpose, text connections, inferences, and reflections. An answer key is included for teacher reference. This self-contained activity can be used flexibly as in-class reading, independent practice, or homework for students ready for an extra challenge. The engaging article and mix of question types works well for building science content knowledge and cross-curricular literacy abilities key to academic success. Modify as needed to best support your high schoolers!
In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Distinguish mutualism, commensalism and parasitism using plant and insect examples
Explain how pollination partnerships can lead to coevolution
Answer text-based questions about symbiotic relationships
Teaching tips
The Google Doc version needs internet access; the document file works offline if devices are limited.
Skills covered
Classifying relationships — students sort plant and insect interactions into mutualism, commensalism or parasitism
Informational reading — students answer comprehension questions from the article
Extension research — students investigate further through the two research questions
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Resource details
Concepts & topics
Core concepts
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
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