Forever Everglades Comprehension Version B
Journeys Unit 2 • Grade 5 Reading
Forever Everglades Comprehension Version B
Read each question about the selection carefully. Circle or bubble the letter of the best answer.
Version B
Score: / 10
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Date:
Teacher:
- Why are Mrs. Stone and her fifth-grade students visiting Everglades National Park?
A. To camp in the pine forests for a weekend survival test
B. To study the wetland ecosystem and observe wildlife on a field trip
C. To help park rangers catch and remove invasive pythons
D. To collect sawgrass plants to start a garden at their school
- Why does an anhinga bird perch on a tree branch and spread its wings in the sun?
A. To dry its wet feathers and thermoregulate in the warm sunlight
B. To signal to other birds that an alligator is swimming nearby
C. To keep its eggs warm in the afternoon breeze
D. To scare small fish up to the shallow water surface
- According to the park ranger, what is one of the greatest threats to the Everglades ecosystem today?
A. Cold winter blizzards that freeze the marsh water into solid ice
B. Too many visitors walking along the boardwalk trails to photograph birds
C. The loss of natural freshwater flow caused by canals, dikes, and human development
D. Sawgrass growing so tall and thick that alligators can no longer swim
- Why are mangrove trees so important to coastal areas of the Everglades?
A. They produce sweet berries that alligators and panthers eat during the winter.
B. They absorb all ocean water so that surrounding coastal land stays completely dry.
C. They grow only on dry rock hills high above the water's surface.
D. Their tangled root systems hold soil in place and provide shelter for young sea creatures.
- What is brackish water, which is found where the Everglades empties into Florida Bay?
A. Fresh rainwater that has frozen into solid winter ice
B. A mixture of freshwater from the wetland and saltwater from the ocean
C. Water that has been heavily polluted with farm waste and motor oil
D. Boiling mineral water that bubbles up from deep underground volcanoes
Forever Everglades Comprehension • Version B Page 1 of 2
Forever Everglades Comprehension Version B (Continued)
Student Name: Version B
- How does fertilizer runoff containing phosphorus from nearby farms harm the Everglades?
A. It freezes the water so that wading birds cannot catch fish.
B. It turns the freshwater into saltwater, driving alligators away.
C. It causes thick cattails to grow quickly and crowd out native sawgrass.
D. It dries up all the water in the park within a few hours.
- According to the text, how are engineers helping water flow across roads like the Tamiami Trail?
A. By raising the highway onto bridges so freshwater can flow freely underneath
B. By building tall concrete walls along the edges of the highway
C. By closing all roads in Florida permanently
D. By draining the water into underground pipes that lead straight to the ocean
- What is the author Trish Marx's main purpose for writing "Everglades Forever"?
A. To teach readers how to safely catch wild alligators
B. To persuade families to build new homes in South Florida wetlands
C. To tell an imaginary story about talking swamp animals
D. To inform readers about the Everglades and explain why protecting it is important
- What important big idea do the students understand by the end of their field trip?
A. Every living plant and animal in the wetland ecosystem is connected.
B. Wetlands are not useful and should be drained to build more cities.
C. Only large predators like alligators need clean freshwater to survive.
D. Human actions have zero effect on wild habitats.
- Which statement best expresses the central message of the selection?
A. Nature will always fix itself, so people do not need to help.
B. Building more roads is more important than saving endangered animals.
C. By working together to restore water flow, people can protect the Everglades for the future.
D. The Everglades has already been ruined and cannot be restored.
Forever Everglades Comprehension • Version B Page 2 of 2
Everglades Comprehension Answer Key
Teacher Resource • Journeys Grade 5 Unit 2
Everglades Comprehension Answer Key
Answer key, rationale, and standards alignment for Version B assessment.
Version B Key
10 Questions • 100 Points
Quick Grading Key
Q1 B
Q2 A
Q3 C
Q4 D
Q5 B
Q6 C
Q7 A
Q8 D
Q9 A
Q10 C
Question 1: Purpose of Mrs. Stone's Field Trip Correct: B
Rationale: The passage opens by introducing Mrs. Stone and her fifth-grade students traveling to Everglades National Park on an educational field trip to explore the wetland ecosystem and observe native wildlife along the boardwalk trails.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1 (Explicit Text Details)
Question 2: Anhinga Wing Spreading Adaptation Correct: A
Rationale: Unlike ducks, anhingas do not produce waterproof body oil. When diving underwater to spear fish, their feathers become soaked. They spread their wings in the sun to dry their feathers and thermoregulate (absorb heat to warm their bodies).
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1 (Scientific Explanations)
Question 3: Threats to the Everglades (Park Ranger) Correct: C
Rationale: The park ranger emphasizes that the greatest threat has been human intervention—specifically digging canals and building roads that diverted the natural southward sheet of freshwater out to the ocean, shrinking the wetlands by half.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 (Cause and Effect in Informational Text)
Question 4: Role of Mangrove Trees Correct: D
Rationale: Mangrove trees thrive in coastal wetland zones. Their tangled, arching stilt roots trap sediment, stabilizing the coastline against storm erosion while creating a sheltered nursery habitat for juvenile fish, crabs, and wading birds.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1 (Ecosystem Relationships)
Question 5: Definition of Brackish Water Correct: B
Rationale: The text explains that where the Everglades freshwater river empties into Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the freshwater mingles with ocean saltwater. This unique coastal blend is defined as brackish water.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4 (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Everglades Comprehension Answer Key • Version B Page 1 of 2
Everglades Comprehension Answer Key (Continued)
Version B Key
Question 6: Agricultural Runoff and Cattails Correct: C
Rationale: Farm runoff containing high levels of phosphorus acts as an artificial plant nutrient. In the Everglades, this excess fertilizer fuels the explosive growth of invasive cattails, which crowd out native sawgrass and choke natural waterways.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 (Cause and Effect)
Question 7: Tamiami Trail Restoration Bridges Correct: A
Rationale: The Tamiami Trail highway originally functioned as a giant dam blocking water from flowing south. Engineers are actively raising sections of the road onto elevated bridge spans so freshwater can flow freely beneath the roadway into Everglades National Park.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 (Problem and Solution)
Question 8: Author's Primary Purpose Correct: D
Rationale: Trish Marx combines factual exposition and real-life photography to educate readers about the uniqueness of the Everglades and to explain why ongoing conservation and restoration are vital to saving America's great wetland.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.8 (Author's Purpose and Reasons)
Question 9: Core Student Understanding Correct: A
Rationale: Throughout their guided tour, Mrs. Stone and the park ranger illustrate ecological interdependence: alligators, sawgrass, fish, birds, water flow, and people are all part of an interconnected web where changing one element impacts all others.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2 (Determining Key Ideas)
Question 10: Central Message / Theme Correct: C
Rationale: The concluding sections emphasize hopeful collective action: through scientific research, citizen stewardship, and large-scale restoration projects like CERP, people can restore freshwater flow and protect the Everglades for future generations.
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2 (Main Idea and Central Message)
Scoring Guide: 10 pts per question (100 pts total). Mastery: 80% (8/10) or higher.
Target Standards: CCSS RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3, RI.5.4, RI.5.8
Everglades Comprehension Answer Key • Version B Page 2 of 2
