Creek Fossil Sprint Practice Sheet STAAR Reading Sprint Grade 3 • Page 1 of 2
Daily Reading Sprint: Willow Creek Discovery
Sprint Target
10–12 Min
Passage
138 Words
Name:
Date:
Start Time:
The Secret in the Creek Bed
Standards: TEKS 3.3B, 3.6F, 3.8B
1 Mateo knelt beside the dry, sunbaked bed of Willow Creek, holding his magnifying glass steady. While scanning the dusty stones for smooth quartz crystals, an unusual spiral pattern caught his attention. Pressed firmly into a pale limestone rock was a coiled shape with tiny ridged grooves.
2 It looked remarkably like a sea snail's shell, even though Willow Creek was hundreds of miles away from the ocean! Mateo’s heart thumped with excitement. He remembered his science teacher, Mrs. Garza, explaining that millions of years ago, a warm shallow sea covered much of Texas, leaving behind ancient marine fossils.
3 Mateo wanted to carry the rock home right away, but he recalled that ancient fossils are often fragile and can crumble easily. Instead of prying it loose with his pocketknife, he gently brushed away the loose dirt, sketched the spiral in his field journal, and placed three white river pebbles around the stone to mark its location. Tomorrow morning, he would guide Mrs. Garza to this undisturbed treasure.
Sprint Tip: Underline words in the text that helped you find the answers! Genre: Realistic Fiction
1 Context Clues • TEKS 3.3B
1 Point
In paragraph 3, the word fragile most nearly means —
A easily broken or damaged
B extremely heavy and solid
C glowing with bright colors
D hidden deep underground
2 Plot Elements • TEKS 3.8B
1 Point
Why does Mateo mark the fossil with three pebbles instead of taking it home?
A He wants to hide it so no other student finds it.
B He wants to protect it and find it again with Mrs. Garza.
C He intends to build a pebble monument over the creek.
D He is testing if creek water will wash pebbles away.
Keep your momentum! Continue on Page 2 for STAAR Item 3 and the Short Constructed Response.
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STAAR Reading Sprint Page 2: STAAR Questions & Written Response
Student Name:
Grade 3 Warm-Up
3 Drawing Inferences • TEKS 3.6F
1 Point
Based on paragraph 2, what can the reader conclude about the land around Willow Creek long ago?
A It was once underwater as part of an ancient shallow sea.
B It was too dry and sandy for any prehistoric animals to live there.
C It had deep freshwater rivers where giant fish built limestone nests.
D It was visited by ocean sailors who dropped sea shells into the mud.
4 STAAR Short Constructed Response • TEKS 3.7C
Explain how Mateo acts responsibly after discovering the fossil in the creek bed. Support your answer with evidence from the story.
SCR Rubric (2 Pts)
1 Pt: Clear answer / idea
1 Pt: Exact text evidence
Sprint Writing Strategy (R-A-C-E): 1. Restate the prompt • 2. Answer how he acts responsibly • 3. Cite words from paragraph 3
Student Sprint Tracker
Finished under 12 min
Found proof in paragraph 3
Reread my written sentence
Ready for teacher review
Teacher Scoring
MC: ___ / 3 • SCR: ___ / 2
Total Points
___ / 5
Creek Fossil Sprint Answer Key Teacher Guide & Key Grade 3 STAAR Reading
Creek Fossil Sprint: Answer Key & Rubric
Total Value
5 Points Total
Breakdown
3 MC + 1 SCR
Passage: "The Secret in the Creek Bed" (138 Words • Realistic Fiction) Target Pacing: 10–12 Minutes Daily Sprint
Multiple-Choice Items Key & Distractor Analysis
Item 1 • TEKS 3.3B Key: A
Meaning of "fragile"
Correct (A): Par. 3 states fossils "can crumble easily" and warns against prying with a knife, proving fragile means easily broken.
Distractors: B, C, and D are incorrect definitions that contradict crumbling.
Item 2 • TEKS 3.8B Key: B
Mateo's Motivation
Correct (B): Par. 3 explains he marks the spot with pebbles so he can bring his teacher to the "undisturbed treasure."
Distractors: A is contradicted (he wants to share it); C and D are unsupported by the text.
Item 3 • TEKS 3.6F Key: A
Inference from Text
Correct (A): Par. 2 links the sea snail fossil to Mrs. Garza's lesson that a prehistoric sea once covered Texas.
Distractors: B contradicts finding a living snail; C and D are unsupported claims.
Item 4 Rubric Short Constructed Response (SCR) • TEKS 3.7C • Maximum 2 Points
Prompt: Explain Mateo's responsible actions with text evidence.
Score Point 2 (Full Credit — Complete Idea + Direct Text Evidence) 2 / 2 Pts
"Mateo shows responsibility by leaving the fossil safely in the rock instead of damaging it. The text states that 'instead of prying it loose with his pocketknife,' he sketched it in his journal and marked it with pebbles so his teacher could see it safe and undisturbed."
Teacher Scoring Note: Complete answer supported by relevant, specific evidence or quote from paragraph 3.
Score Point 1 (Partial Credit — Valid Answer BUT Lacks Specific Evidence) 1 / 2 Pts
"Mateo is responsible because he did not break the fragile shell and marked where it was with three pebbles."
Teacher Scoring Note: Correct idea, but only general paraphrase without specific text citation or quote.
Score Point 0 (No Credit — Inaccurate, Off-Topic, or Restatement Only) 0 / 2 Pts
"Mateo found a fossil in the creek bed in Texas."
Teacher Scoring Note: Factual statement that fails to address how Mateo showed responsibility.
Ancient Oceans Sprint Practice Sheet STAAR Reading Sprint Grade 3 • Informational Text • Page 1 of 2
Daily Reading Sprint: Ancient Oceans of Texas
Sprint Target
10–12 Min
Passage
142 Words
Name:
Date:
Start Time:
Ancient Oceans of Texas
Standards: TEKS 3.3B, 3.9D, 3.6F
1 Millions of years ago, Texas looked nothing like the grassy plains and rocky hills we see today. A vast, warm body of seawater known as the Western Interior Seaway flooded across the center of North America, submerging most of Texas under warm tropical waves.
2 Remarkable shelled creatures called ammonites thrived throughout this ancient sea. Ammonites built beautiful spiral shells with ribbed ridges to protect their soft bodies. Although they resembled giant sea snails, ammonites were actually intelligent swimmers closely related to modern squids and octopuses. When they died, their tough shells sank into the muddy seabed.
3 Over countless ages, the ocean waters gradually receded, and the heavy seafloor mud turned into thick limestone rock. Today, curious explorers can discover these spiral ammonite fossils preserved inside Texas creeks, road cuts, and riverbanks—frozen clues from an ocean that vanished long ago.
Sprint Tip: Look for clues in the paragraphs that explain cause and effect! Genre: Informational Text
1 Context Clues • TEKS 3.3B
1 Point
In paragraph 3, the word receded most nearly means —
A pulled back and drained away
B became much deeper and colder
C froze into solid mountain glaciers
D flowed rapidly into stormy lakes
2 Central Idea • TEKS 3.9D
1 Point
What is the main idea of paragraph 2?
A Ammonites were shelled sea animals related to squids that lived in Texas waters.
B Texas limestone is formed from broken shells of land snails.
C Modern octopuses swim faster than ancient ammonites did.
D Explorers search along riverbanks to find live ammonite eggs.
Keep your momentum! Continue on Page 2 for STAAR Item 3 and the Short Constructed Response.
Turn Over →
STAAR Reading Sprint Page 2: STAAR Questions & Written Response
Student Name:
Grade 3 Informational
3 Text Evidence & Inferences • TEKS 3.6F
1 Point
According to the selection, why are ammonite fossils found in dry Texas creek beds today?
A Ancient shells sank into mud that slowly hardened into limestone after the sea dried up.
B Strong hurricanes pushed shells from the Gulf of Mexico into modern Texas creeks.
Ancient Oceans Sprint Answer Key Teacher Guide & Key Grade 3 STAAR Reading • Informational
Ancient Oceans Sprint: Answer Key & Rubric
Total Value
5 Points Total
Breakdown
3 MC + 1 SCR
Passage: "Ancient Oceans of Texas" (142 Words • Informational Text) Target Pacing: 10–12 Minutes Daily Sprint
Multiple-Choice Items Key & Distractor Analysis
Item 1 • TEKS 3.3B Key: A
Meaning of "receded"
Correct (A): Par. 3 describes the water draining away and exposing muddy seabed that hardened into rock, proving receded means pulled back.
Distractors: B, C, and D are incorrect definitions contrary to the sea vanishing.
Item 2 • TEKS 3.9D Key: A
Central Idea (Par. 2)
Correct (A): Par. 2 explicitly introduces ammonites, detailing their physical traits, squid relatives, and life in Texas waters.
Distractors: B is false (marine ammonites); C is an inaccurate comparison; D is unsupported.
Item 3 • TEKS 3.6F Key: A
Scientific Inference
Correct (A): Pars. 2 & 3 explain that dead shells sank into mud, which hardened into limestone after the ancient sea retreated.
Distractors: B and D invent modern ocean events; C falsely describes human carvings.
Item 4 Rubric Short Constructed Response (SCR) • TEKS 3.7C • Maximum 2 Points
Prompt: Explain how ammonite shells became fossils in Texas rocks.
Score Point 2 (Full Credit — Complete Idea + Direct Text Evidence) 2 / 2 Pts
"Ammonite shells became fossils because they sank into the seabed mud when the animals died. In paragraph 3, the author explains that 'the ocean waters gradually receded, and the heavy seafloor mud turned into thick limestone rock,' which preserved the spiral shells inside Texas rock."
Teacher Scoring Note: Complete causal explanation supported by direct quotation or specific paraphrased proof from paragraphs 2 or 3.
Score Point 1 (Partial Credit — Valid Answer BUT Lacks Specific Evidence) 1 / 2 Pts
"Ammonite shells turned into fossils when the ocean dried up and the mud hardened into stone."
Teacher Scoring Note: Explains the basic concept correctly, but omits textual evidence or specific details from the passage.
Score Point 0 (No Credit — Inaccurate, Off-Topic, or Restatement Only) 0 / 2 Pts
"Ammonites had spiral shells and swam in the ocean."
