PaginePaginepagineapp.comWhen the footbridge over Willow Creek washed away in a spring flood, the children of Maple Street had to walk twenty minutes around to reach the park. Nobody was happier to complain than Tomás.
"Someone should just build a new one," he grumbled. His neighbour, Mrs. Adebayo, a retired engineer, raised an eyebrow. "Someone could," she said. "Would you like to learn how?"
For three weekends, Tomás and four friends sketched designs, tested model bridges made from craft sticks, and learned why triangles make structures strong. Their first model collapsed under a single textbook. Their fifth held twelve.
The town council was so impressed by their presentation that it used the children's design as the inspiration for the new bridge. At the opening, a small plaque read: "Designed with help from the young engineers of Maple Street." Tomás no longer complained about problems; he started sketching solutions.
A Pagine Original story.
1. Why did the children have to walk around to reach the park?
2. How does Mrs. Adebayo respond to Tomás's complaint?
3. Why did the children use triangles?
4. What does the detail about the first and fifth models show?
5. How does Tomás change from beginning to end?
6. State the theme of the story.
Worksheets › Grade 4 › Reading comprehension
Free 4th grade reading comprehension worksheet: "The Bridge Builders", an original short story with 6 questions. Answer key included. Skill: Reading literature: key details, characters, problem and theme. Level: Grade 4 — also suits Year 5 (UK).
Yes — it is free to print for home or the classroom. Sign in with a free Pagine account, then use the Print button or save it as a PDF.
It is designed for Grade 4 (ages 9–10), but use it with any child who is ready.
Reading literature: key details, characters, problem and theme.
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