Description
This reading comprehension passage introduces students to New Year’s traditions from around the world, including celebrations in Spain, the United States, Japan, and Brazil. Students learn how different cultures welcome the new year through customs that symbolize luck, renewal, family, and hope. The text is written in clear, accessible language and is paired with comprehension questions that assess students’ understanding of key details, central ideas, and cultural connections.
This activity supports informational reading skills, encourages global awareness, and promotes critical thinking through both text-based and open-ended questions. It is ideal for upper elementary or middle school students and can be used independently, in small groups, or as part of a cultural studies or holiday unit.
Common Core Standards Alignment:
Reading Informational Texts (RI)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Students must cite details about traditions like the "Las Doce Uvas" tradition and the significance of the ball drop in New York.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 – Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.
Students should identify the central theme of the passage: how people celebrate the new year with traditions for good luck and prosperity.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3 – Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
Students will examine how the different traditions from various countries (e.g., Spain, Japan, Brazil) are explained and connected to cultural beliefs.
Writing (W)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Students are expected to organize information about New Year’s traditions and explain them clearly in their answers.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.10 – Write routinely over extended time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
The bonus question encourages students to write a longer response, providing reasoning for their choice of tradition.
Speaking & Listening (SL)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 – Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
In group settings, students can share their thoughts on the traditions mentioned and discuss what they found most interesting.
Language (L)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.4 – Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Words like “osechi,” “Hatsumode,” or “Shogatsu” may be unfamiliar, and students are encouraged to infer their meanings from context or use resources to define them.
New Years Traditions Reading Comprehension Worksheet - Printable, Answer Key
Highlights
Description
This reading comprehension passage introduces students to New Year’s traditions from around the world, including celebrations in Spain, the United States, Japan, and Brazil. Students learn how different cultures welcome the new year through customs that symbolize luck, renewal, family, and hope. The text is written in clear, accessible language and is paired with comprehension questions that assess students’ understanding of key details, central ideas, and cultural connections.
This activity supports informational reading skills, encourages global awareness, and promotes critical thinking through both text-based and open-ended questions. It is ideal for upper elementary or middle school students and can be used independently, in small groups, or as part of a cultural studies or holiday unit.
Common Core Standards Alignment:
Reading Informational Texts (RI)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Students must cite details about traditions like the "Las Doce Uvas" tradition and the significance of the ball drop in New York.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 – Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.
Students should identify the central theme of the passage: how people celebrate the new year with traditions for good luck and prosperity.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3 – Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
Students will examine how the different traditions from various countries (e.g., Spain, Japan, Brazil) are explained and connected to cultural beliefs.
Writing (W)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Students are expected to organize information about New Year’s traditions and explain them clearly in their answers.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.10 – Write routinely over extended time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
The bonus question encourages students to write a longer response, providing reasoning for their choice of tradition.
Speaking & Listening (SL)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 – Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
In group settings, students can share their thoughts on the traditions mentioned and discuss what they found most interesting.
Language (L)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.4 – Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Words like “osechi,” “Hatsumode,” or “Shogatsu” may be unfamiliar, and students are encouraged to infer their meanings from context or use resources to define them.
