Ninjas Reading Comprehension Passage - Cored Ed Encyclopedia

This ninjas reading comprehension contains the following:

Visualize on the Cover (Teacher Read Aloud Script)

Start your lesson by taking a few moments to visualize the topic and share thoughts or feelings about it.

Pre-Reading Trivia

Students will write down one thing they already know about the subject and then read five more facts and discuss. These facts are fun, and the students will enjoy learning about the subject before reading more.

Reading Passage

The text is a high-interest reading passage with set paragraphs, roughly three to four paragraphs long. It contains a variety of themes about the topic, anywhere from history to technology. The passage is between 250 and 350 words in length.

Mixed Questions

The first question page contains four multiple-choice questions, each with a choice of four answers, and three written response questions that require a sentence or two from the student.

Vocabulary Questions

Practice seven key words from the text in this section across two activities. First section is scrambled words where students will unscramble three words given a clue for each. The second section is a word to meaning matching activity.

Creative Writing

In this question, the student will be required to write a five to eight sentence paragraph on a question related to the topic.

Extension Activities

This page is optional for fast finishers or to take home. There are several activities, each one requiring a different skill. Do some, do none, do all, completely optional - but you will feel reassured knowing every possibility is planned for. Includes summary writting question.

Answer Key

There are answers for the multiple-choice questions, written response questions have sample answers, vocabulary answers and if there is a summary question then a sample summary will be provided as well.

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Lesson Snapshot

• Title: Ninjas

• Genre: Nonfiction

• Subject: Social Studies (World History)

• Primary Topic: Ninjas in Japan: spying, training, legends

• Estimated Guided Reading Level (A–Z): N

What This Lesson Teaches Best

• Explains what a ninja (also called a shinobi) did in pre modern Japan: move unnoticed and gather information.

• Shows why ninjas were useful during the Sengoku period, when warlords fought for power and secret information mattered.

• Describes key parts of training connected to ninjutsu, including disguise, hiding, escaping, and careful attention to the world around them.

• Compares legends to history by noting stories made ninjas seem magical, while historical evidence points toward spying, scouting, and sneaky missions.

• Connects place and community to history by describing ninja traditions linked to Iga Province and the nearby Kōka district, including teamwork and shared knowledge.

Learning Goals

• Explain what the passage says a ninja (shinobi) was trained to do.

• Describe why ninjas became especially useful during the Sengoku period, using details from the text.

• Identify skills named in the passage that helped ninjas stay unnoticed (such as disguise, hiding, escaping, and patience).

• Describe how ninja work could involve watching, listening, and bringing back clues from enemy areas.

• Explain how the passage says ninja stories changed over time under the Tokugawa shogunate and during the Edo period.

Key Vocabulary From the Text

• Shinobi — another name for a ninja.

• Warlords — powerful leaders who fought for control.

• Evidence — facts that help show what was true.

• Disguise — a way to look like someone else.

• Shogunate — government led by a shogun in Japan.

Cored Ed Encyclopedia Overview

The Cored Ed Encyclopedia is a weekly series of lessons that you can pick up and use right away. These short readings fit into whatever time you have available. Each one includes a warm-up, a reading, and a set of questions, but it’s flexible — you can do just the reading, the full lesson, or skip the writing section if you need to. Each lesson focuses on a single topic so students don’t get lost. The writing is clear but never childish, making it perfect for grades two through five. Topics range from animals and science to history, inventions, and everyday things. No matter the level of the student, everyone should take away at least one new idea or fact from each lesson. The materials are easy to print, easy to explain, and require no setup. They work well for whole-class teaching, partner work, or independent study.