The Star-Spangled Banner Reading Packet

Identify Francis Scott Key as the author of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and the War of 1812 as its historical setting

Explain that Key wrote the poem while detained on a British ship negotiating the release of a captured doctor

Underline the main idea of a nonfiction paragraph and distinguish it from supporting details

Answer who/what/where/when questions and cite supporting facts drawn directly from an informational passage

Recall that the poem was published by a Baltimore newspaper before later being adopted as the national anthem

Have students complete the main-idea underlining organizer individually before moving to the group discussion questions, since the later organizers reuse that same main idea

Use the who/what/where/when box as a quick formative check before assigning the longer multiple-choice quiz

Pair the passage with a listening or singing of the anthem itself, since the packet's own content stops at the historical narrative and does not include the lyrics

Assign the closing 2-3 sentence written response (item 11) as an exit ticket to check whether students can synthesize the passage in their own words

Main idea and supporting details — students underline the main idea of the reading passage, then build out a graphic organizer connecting that idea to three supporting facts.

Informational reading comprehension — students answer who/what/where/when questions and multiple-choice items that require locating specific facts in the passage.

Historical narrative comprehension — students trace a cause-and-effect sequence (British detention, the flag over Fort McHenry, the poem's publication and later adoption as the anthem).

Written synthesis — students compose a 2-3 sentence written response summarizing how Key came to write the poem, using their own words.