Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets World War II

Rations, Salvage, and Victory Gardens World War II

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Rations, Salvage, and Victory Gardens
Print Rations, Salvage, and Victory Gardens Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 8 to 9
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.89

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		dibs, junked, scour, best, unprecedented, ration, earning, scrap, reused, recognition, tires, salvage, patriotic, domestic, nylon, military
	content words:		Second World War, Victory Garden, Agriculture Department, Victory Gardens, United States

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Rations, Salvage, and Victory Gardens By Mary Lynn Bushong

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¹     As America became involved in the Second World War, things had to change at home. More energy and materials were funneled into the war effort, leaving fewer things for domestic or home use.
 
²     When it became clear that shortages would occur, rationing laws were passed. War industries and the military had first dibs on most products like coal, steel, wood, rubber, gasoline, sugar, and coffee. What remained was doled out to the population at home.
 
³     Ration books were issued to every person. They stipulated what items and how much of those items each person could have on a weekly basis. Gas for cars and rubber for tires was limited, so instead of driving, people walked, rode a bike, or stayed home. The slogan of the day was "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
 
⁴     For those who didn't care to ration, there were stiff penalties. Breaking ration rules could land a person in prison for ten years with a fine of up to $10,000. Even so, a black market soon emerged to supply hard to find items.
 
⁵     Earning extra money for salvaged materials became a popular activity, especially among the children. It was not unusual for children to scour forests and woods around their homes and towns. They looked for old cans and especially junked out cars or scrap metal. Farmers were encouraged to turn in their scrap metal so they could "sink a sub from their farms."

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

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