Follow the Steps in Order

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 11-14

Name ______________________ Date ____________

It is best to wait until the last step of a procedure before gathering the materials you need.
Circle one: True False
Sam is about to start a science method. He reads all six steps before touching any equipment. Why does this help him?
- It makes the experiment finish faster
- It lets him skip the hard steps
- It tells him what he needs and what to expect
Ava has just read all four steps of her plant-growing guide, start to finish. What should she do next?
- Start with step 1 and follow the written order
- Do the step that looks easiest first
- Start with the last step to see the result early
You should follow the steps of a technical guide in the exact order they are written.
Circle one: True False
During a 10-step experiment, Zoe did step 8 right after step 2. How many steps did she skip over?
Answer: ______________
Eli is building a 12-step model kit and keeps losing track of which step he is on. What habit would help him most?
- Start again from step 1 every time
- Guess which step feels right
- Check off each step as he finishes it
Diego is building a model plane. Step 4 says 'Glue the wings on.' He does this before step 3, 'Paint the body while it's still flat.' What problem will he likely run into?
- He'll have to paint carefully around the glued-on wings
- No problem, painting order doesn't matter
- The glue won't dry properly
A recipe, a model kit guide, and a science method are all procedures, so the same read-first and in-order rules apply to each one.
Circle one: True False
A printed guide for planting beans says: 1 Water the soil. 2 Plant the seed. 3 Fill the pot with soil. The steps are in the wrong order. Which two steps should swap places?
- Water the soil and plant the seed
- Plant the seed and fill the pot with soil
- Water the soil and fill the pot with soil
Kai followed a 5-step slime method but his slime stayed runny. The method said: pour the glue, stir in the color, add the activator, stir until thick, knead. Kai poured the glue, stirred in the color, added the activator, and kneaded. Which missed step explains the runny slime?
- He never stirred in the color
- He kneaded before adding the activator
- He skipped 'stir until thick', so the activator never mixed in

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Follow the Steps in Order W1-mt_b_3jwAsZ7a-s1

False · You need materials from step 1 on, so you gather them before starting, right after reading the whole procedure.
It tells him what he needs and what to expect · Reading the whole method first shows Sam the materials he needs and the result to expect, so no step surprises him.
Start with step 1 and follow the written order · After reading the whole guide, the next move is step 1, then the rest in the order they are written.
True · Steps are ordered on purpose. Doing them out of order usually breaks the result.
5 · The steps between 2 and 8 are 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, so Zoe skipped 5 steps.
Check off each step as he finishes it · Checking off each finished step gives Eli a clear record of where he is in the kit.
He'll have to paint carefully around the glued-on wings · Step 3 was written before step 4 for a reason: painting is easier while the body is still flat.
True · Anything with steps in a fixed order is a procedure, and the same rules hold for all of them.
Plant the seed and fill the pot with soil · The pot must be filled before anything can be planted or watered, so steps 2 and 3 swap places.
He skipped 'stir until thick', so the activator never mixed in · Comparing the method with Kai's work shows one missing step: without stirring until thick, the activator never mixed in.