Deep Sea Comprehension Worksheet
Unit 2: Into the Deep Reading Comprehension Focus
Name: Date:
Deep Sea Comprehension Guide
Explore the mysteries of the Mariana Trench using vocabulary cues and text evidence.
Page 1 of 2
Part 1: Key Power Words
Read the definitions and complete the sentences below.
explore (verb)
Meaning: To search, travel, or hunt in a new place to learn more.
discover (verb)
Meaning: To find something that was hidden or unknown before.
Fill in the blank with explore or discover:
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Scientists dive in submarines to the dark, unknown ocean bottom.
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The researchers hope to rare new animals living in deep waters.
Part 2: Read the Anchor Text Excerpt
"Deep, Deep Down" by Lydia Lukidis
Stanza 1
Deep, deep down, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean lies a secret place.
Stanza 2
Hidden from sight, the Mariana Trench is the deepest underwater valley in the world.
Stanza 3
Do monsters lurk at the very bottom? Vampire squid? Seadevil anglerfish? Maybe giant goblin sharks, armed with sharp, spiky teeth?
Stanza 4
Or perhaps the trench is desolate and uninhabited?
Word Helpers
Mariana Trench:
The deepest canyon in the ocean floor.
Desolate:
Empty, lonely, without signs of life.
Uninhabited:
No people or animals live there.
Reader Task
Underline two animal names mentioned in Stanza 3.
First-Look Comprehension Check
1. Where is the Mariana Trench located?
2. Name one creature with sharp, spiky teeth:
Page 2
Reading Comprehension Mastery Tasks
Student Name:
Goal 1: Main Idea (What is the text mostly about?)
Read the question and fill in the bubble next to the best answer.
A. How engineers design submarines to travel across the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
B. The deepest underwater valley on Earth and the strange animals that might live there.
C. Why tropical coral reefs are full of colorful fish and sunny, warm waters.
Goal 2: Key Details Organizer (Who, Where, What)
Use evidence from "Deep, Deep Down" to complete each detail frame.
Where
Location of the trench:
At the bottom of the
What
Possible ocean animal:
The vampire
Description
Word meaning empty:
The deep trench may be
Goal 3: Text Clues & Inferential Question
Question: The author wonders if the Mariana Trench is "desolate and uninhabited" (empty). Why do you think it might be hard for animals to live at the very bottom of the sea?
Clue: Think about what it is like in the deep sea: no sunlight, freezing cold water, and heavy water pressure!
It might be hard for animals to live there because
Goal 4: Essential Question Reflection
Big Idea
Why do people explore the deep sea?
People explore the deep sea to
so that they can
My Reading Check:
I read the text I found the main idea I used text clues