Making Connections in Fiction: Grade 6 ELA Worksheet

Making Connections in Fiction

Read the passage below. Then, answer the questions by making connections between the text and your own experiences, other texts you've read, or the world around you.

The Secret of the Old Mill

Twelve-year-old Lily hated summer. While all her friends were at camp, she was stuck at her grandmother's farm, far from any internet signal or even a decent movie theater. Her grandmother, a stern woman with eyes that seemed to miss nothing, spent her days tending to her prize-winning roses. 'There's always work to be done, Lily,' she'd say, without looking up. One sweltering afternoon, bored beyond belief, Lily ventured towards the dilapidated old mill at the edge of the property. Local legends whispered of a hidden treasure within its crumbling walls. As she pushed open the creaking door, a cloud of dust billowed out, tickling her nose. Inside, sunbeams cut through gaps in the roof, illuminating swirling dust motes and forgotten machinery. A narrow, winding staircase led upwards, its wooden steps groaning under her weight. Lily hesitated, a shiver running down her spine. Was she brave enough to explore the secret of the old mill?

1. Text-to-Self Connection: Can you relate to Lily's feeling of boredom or being stuck somewhere you don't want to be? Describe a time you felt similarly and what you did about it.

2. Text-to-Text Connection: Does this story remind you of any other books, movies, or TV shows where a character discovers an old, mysterious place or goes on an unexpected adventure? Explain the similarities.

3. Text-to-World Connection: The passage mentions 'local legends' about hidden treasure. Are there any real-world legends or historical tales of hidden treasures or mysterious places that you know of? Briefly describe one.

4. Which type of connection are you making if you imagine what it would feel like to be Lily exploring the old mill?

5. Making connections while reading only helps you understand non-fiction texts.