4th Grade 4th Grade Reading: How Volcanoes Work (Nonfiction)

Reading science with context clues

Informational text builds knowledge and vocabulary. This passage defines science words right in the sentences — magma, lava, erupt — so readers can use context clues to learn them, while the whole text supports one main idea about how volcanoes form.

The science terms in the passage

Worked example

“The volcano began to erupt, bursting ash and rock into the sky.” The words bursting … into the sky define erupt → explode outward.

How to solve each item

Have students underline the clue words that define each science term, then state the main idea. For each bold vocabulary word: find its definition, a synonym, or an example hiding in the same sentence or the next one.

Guided practice (try before the worksheet)

1. Read a sentence with the word magma. What clue defines it? → hot melted rock underground
2. What is the main idea of the passage? → how volcanoes form and erupt
3. Why did the author include the definitions? → to teach the science vocabulary

Why it matters

Science passages are full of new words. Context clues let readers learn them while reading, so comprehension and vocabulary grow together.

Next steps

Builds on the honeybees passage and pairs with the water cycle passage.