Agriculture and Fertilizer Runoff Reading Comprehension Passage and Questions

This ecology and environmental science reading introduces students to how fertilizer runoff affects rivers, lakes, oceans, and drinking water. Students learn why crops need nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, how these nutrients leave farm fields, and why too much fertilizer can become a serious environmental problem. It also includes reading comprehension questions, extension questions, and a full answer key to help students build understanding, think more deeply, and connect the topic to real-world environmental issues.

The article explains key concepts such as nutrient pollution, runoff, leaching, algal blooms, dead zones, and water pollution in clear, student-friendly language. Students explore real-world examples including the Gulf of Mexico dead zone and harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, while also learning how farmers use conservation practices such as cover crops, buffer strips, and wetlands to reduce fertilizer runoff. This resource is perfect for environmental science, ecology, Earth science, agriculture, and general science classes and supports both content learning and scientific literacy skills.

This resource covers the following topics:

• What Is Fertilizer Runoff?
• Nitrogen and Phosphorus
• Runoff, Leaching, and Erosion
• Groundwater and Tile Drainage
• Algal Blooms and Dead Zones
• How Fertilizer Runoff Affects Wildlife
• Drinking Water and Human Health
• The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
• Lake Erie Algal Blooms
• Farming Practices That Reduce Runoff

✅ Grade 6–8 Reading on Agriculture & Fertilizer Runoff: How excess nutrients affect water quality, ecosystems, and human health.

✅ No-Prep, Editable Resource: Includes Google Docs, Word, and PDF versions for flexible classroom use.

✅ Builds Scientific Literacy: Students read an informational article and answer both direct and extension questions based on the text.

✅ Includes Questions & Answer Key: 50–60 minute lesson with comprehension, analysis, and critical-thinking tasks.

This resource is perfect for environmental science, ecology, Earth science, agriculture, and general science classes and supports both content learning and scientific literacy skills.

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Google Classroom and Distance Learning Ready

• This resource is perfect for in-class or distance learning and integrates seamlessly with Google Classroom.
• Automatically creates a copy of the reading and puts it directly into your Google Drive with a single click.
• Purchase --> Open --> Click --> Assign to your students
• The reading also includes a Microsoft Word and PDF version.

Having all three options allow you to assign the reading to your students without worrying about formatting issues as all the work has already been done for you. It also allows you, as well as your students, to access everything no matter where you are or what kind of equipment is being used.

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This resource will take your students between 50-60 minutes to complete and includes a variety of questions. An answer key is also included for your reference.

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The Problems You Face

- Not having the time to properly teach scientific literacy (disciplinary literacy) or improve your students reading comprehension and analysis skills.

- Some students work faster than others and you would like an interesting extension activity for your faster-moving students to keep them learning and engaged.

- Creating last minute, useful substitute plans when you're not able to make it to work that benefit your students.

The Solution

This fully editable, NO PREP reading comprehension article is composed of relevant, applicable, and engaging reading activities which can be used to:

• introduce your topic

• improve your student's literacy skills

• improve your students reading comprehension and scientific literacy skills

• improve your students' analysis skills

• provide an extension activity to students who move at a faster pace

• provide extra credit to students in need

• measure your student's literacy skills

Furthermore, this resource works very well as an emergency substitute plan as it will keep your students on task and focused while you are away.

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Inside my store, I have readings available that cover the following topics.

• Health and Wellbeing
• Ecology
• Chemistry
• Physics and Energy
• Earth Science, Natural Disasters, and Weather
• Space Science
• General Sciences
• Biology

Praise For My Other Reading Comprehension Resources:

• "I teach middle school science and need to include informational text in my classroom. These readings are great for independent reading for my grade-level and upper-level readers. The articles address CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.1 (Citing specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.) and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.10 (By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.). The leveled questions allow you to subtly assign the questions to different ability students working in a group."
• Topics are relevant to the students and current. Graphics draw the students into the article. I'm going to have one printed and waiting in for my substitute folder too!"
• "THANKS!"
• "Thanks for putting together a wonderful resource."
• "I teach Special Education high school science in Maryland in a special school for children with learning disabilities/Autism. I liked the readings and I think students could relate to the topics.

How this product will help your students:

• Improve their scientific and disciplinary literacy skills
• Improve their reading comprehension and scientific knowledge
• Give them insights into important scientific concepts
• Provide an extension activity for your faster moving/more gifted students

How this product will help you:

• Allow you to meet the NGSS, TEKS and Common Core Standards
• Provide you with a concise introduction to your topic
• Provide you with an engaging and easy-to-leave substitute plan which will keep your students engaged and on task
• Provide you a means of measuring your students' literacy skills

We don't spend enough time teaching scientific literacy to our students. This is either because we don't have the resources to do so effectively or we don't have the time. However, teaching our students to become scientifically literate is vital if we want them to succeed in life. We need them to know about the world they live in and about the issues they face.

I also have a range of assignments and lessons/units from other grade levels at my store. Please CLICK HERE to have a look around and don’t forget to follow if you like what you see.