Grade 7 Jackal Reading — Printable No-Prep Worksheet

This Grade 7-10 informational reading comprehension worksheet helps students analyze the environmental and behavioral shifts of jackals during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Students read an authentic news report from Tel Aviv and answer 10 targeted questions to build critical literacy and evidence-based reasoning skills. It provides a ready-to-use literacy tool for secondary classrooms.

At a Glance

• Grade: 7-10 · Subject: English Language Arts
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1 — Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
• Skill Focus: Informational Text Comprehension
• Format: 2 pages · 10 problems · Answer key included · PDF
• Best For: Substitute plans and informational reading practice
• Time: 20–30 minutes

This resource contains a two-page set including a high-interest news article and a corresponding question sheet. The primary text is an authentic report detailing animal behavior in Hayarkon Park. Students engage with 10 open-ended comprehension questions that require them to locate specific facts, identify causes for behavioral changes, and interpret quotes from wildlife experts.

Zero-Prep Workflow

Implement this lesson in three simple steps: Print the two-page PDF (1 minute), Distribute to students for independent reading (1 minute), and Review the responses using the included answer key (10 minutes). This resource requires less than 2 minutes of active teacher preparation, making it a reliable selection for substitute teachers or unplanned schedule changes.

Standards Alignment

The primary focus of this worksheet is CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1: "Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text." Students must reference specific park locations and expert testimony to justify their answers. This standard code can be copied directly into lesson plans or curriculum mapping tools.

How to Use It

Use this worksheet as a silent reading activity following a mini-lesson on informational text structures. It also serves as an effective formative assessment tool during a unit on current events. For a quick check, observe whether students are quoting the text directly or paraphrasing inaccurately. Expect students to spend approximately 25 minutes to complete the full reading and analysis.

Who It's For

This activity is designed for secondary students in grades 7 through 10. It is particularly useful for pre-intermediate learners who need structured practice with evidence-based questioning. The real-world context makes it a natural pairing for biology lessons on urban wildlife or social studies units on global environmental changes.

This informational reading worksheet leverages a real-world news report to anchor student mastery of CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1. By requiring students to extract specific details about the behavior of jackals in Tel Aviv during the 2020 lockdowns, the resource builds the foundational skill of citing textual evidence. According to Fisher & Frey (2014), the use of complex, non-fiction texts in the middle and high school classroom is essential for developing the stamina required for college and career readiness. This task moves beyond simple recall, asking students to explain the "why" behind animal behavior shifts and human environmental impact. The structure of the 10-question assessment ensures that educators can quickly gauge whether students are accurately interpreting the relationship between human activity and wildlife adaptations. This high-interest topic serves as a bridge between scientific observation and literary analysis, providing a versatile tool for any secondary English Language Arts or cross-curricular science curriculum.