Time Capsule 1990 / Time Capsule 2023 Reading Comprehension Assignment

Passage 1: Time Capsule 1990

1 Angelina looked into the little blue bag one last time and closed it tight.

2 A group of girls burst into giggles. What are they laughing at? Angelina wondered. Did they see what I brought? She kicked her shoe against the dirt and frowned.

3 “When you’re done putting your object in the time capsule box, we’re going to bury it in the ground. In the future, people who dig up the box can learn about what life was like in 1990,” her teacher explained.

4 Angelina threw her blue bag into the box and wished it would stay buried forever.

5 At lunchtime, Angelina sat at a table alone, picking at the sticker on her apple.

6 “I put a strawberry lollipop in there,” said the girl sitting behind Angelina. “I even licked it.”

7 “Gross!” another girl squealed, laughing. “It’ll be a box of ants when people open it.”

8 “Hey,” a third girl said. “What did you put in the time capsule, Angelina?”

9 Angelina slowly twisted around in her chair, keeping her mouth closed. She didn’t want them to see the gap where her front right tooth was supposed to be. Then she shook her head and decided to tell the truth. “I put one of my baby teeth in there,” she said quietly. Her face felt hot as she waited for them to laugh.

10 “That’s smart! The finders will feel like archaeologists. When they dig it up, it’ll look like a fossil.”

11 They smiled at her, so Angelina smiled back. Oh no. Realizing her mistake, she quickly covered her mouth with a book.

12 “I lost a tooth last week, too!” one of the girls said. She poked her tongue out of a little hole. “Look! We match!”

13 Angelina slowly lowered the book.

14 “Want to play with us?” the girls asked together.

15 The recess bell rang. Everyone dashed outside like eager puppies. Angelina ran right alongside them, grinning all the way.

Passage 2: Time Capsule 2023

16 Lilly Lee did not like being the principal’s daughter. It didn’t help that she needed to keep her desk perfectly organized. Plus, teachers always asked her to help pass out paper. Her classmates thought Lilly only wanted the teachers to like her.

17 “What’s wrong with being a good helper?” her mom asked whenever Lilly complained.

18 “The other kids think I don’t want to be friends with them,” Lilly would sigh.

19 So, when Lamar and Tim started digging in the grass outside at recess, Lilly kept her mouth shut until she noticed something strange in the dirt.

20 “Look!” she yelled. The boys threw her angry looks as a teacher walked over. Lilly gulped. “Sorry, Mr. Carr. We were exploring the grass. I’ll cover it back up,” she said.

21 The teacher raised an eyebrow. “If you three like digging . . . .” he paused. Lamar, Tim, and Lilly stared at their shoes. Lilly’s heart thumped in her chest like a bird trying to escape. “You can help each other plant flowers,” he continued. “I’ll ask Principal Lee for some seeds.”

22 As Mr. Carr left, Lilly looked at the boys. They were grinning.

23 “I thought you were calling him over to get us in trouble,” Lamar said. “Thanks for sticking up for us, Lilly.”

24 “Planting flowers together sounds ok,” added Tim.

25 Lilly realized she was smiling. She remembered what she saw in the ground. “Look!” she pointed. “Buried treasure!”

26 Together, they uncovered an old metal box and opened the lid. Inside were crumpled papers, shiny trinkets, and even a pink lollipop. A little blue bag caught Lilly’s eye. She opened the bag to find a baby tooth, and a note.

27 I wish my tooth would grow in faster.

28 Then, I could feel ready to help everyone become friends.

29 ~ Angelina Lee

30 September 21, 1990

31 “Isn’t that the principal’s name?” Tim asked. “I don’t get the note.”

32 “It’s a note from someone who knows that helpers make really good friends,” Lilly replied, thoughtfully. She watched her mom and Mr. Carr walk toward them, their hands full of flower seeds.