Page 36 - Ziptales Program Manual - US

True Tales (Extending
Literacy 3-6)

The Great Houdini: A simplified account of the life and stunts of the great escape artist,
who risked his life in incredible ways. (924 words) (Zip Stage 6) (Flesch 4.3) (Lexile 400)

Subway Hero: A little girl falls onto the underground subway track, just as a train is
coming. Who is brave enough to save her? Very exciting. (876 words) (Zip Stage 6)
(Flesch 4.6) (Lexile 480)

Snake!: A man camping out in the jungle finds a deadly snake has crawled into his
sleeping bag. How can he possibly get out? (1111 words) (Zip Stage 6) (Flesch 4.3)
(Lexile 340)

Castaway!: The story of the man who inspired Robinson Crusoe – British sailor Alexander
Selkirk, who was left alone on an island for years. Why was Selkirk abandoned, and how
did he survive? (1037 words) (Zip Stage 6) (Flesch 4.6) Lexile 500)

No Second Chances: Two people are trapped at the bottom of a cliff as night falls.
If not rescued, they will freeze to death. A helicopter crew takes on the challenge, though
it involves impossible risks. (932 words) (Zip Stage 7) (Flesch 4.6) (Lexile 530)

Capsize!: A retelling of the famous rescue of Tony Bullimore, whose yacht capsized far
from the Australian mainland. (1068 words) (Zip Stage 7) (Flesch 5.1) (Lexile 510)

Kay Cottee’s Adventures: The incredible voyage of Kay Cottee – a female hero.
(972 words) (Zip Stage 7) (Flesch 5.2) (Lexile 580)

The Ghost Ship: This is a retelling of the most famous of all maritime mysteries –
that of the ‘ghost ship’ ‘Mary Celeste’. Why was the ship abandoned? What happened
to its crew? Is the famous Fosdyk explanation believable? (1008 words) (Zip Stage 7)
(Flesch 5.2) (Lexile 610)

Blast Off!: Yuri Gagarin was the first person to travel through space. He orbited the Earth for
ninety minutes before surviving a dangerous re-entry. Yuri Gagarin became a hero around the
world. (610 words) (Zip Stage 8) (Flesch 6.0) (Lexile 720)

The Titanic: A retelling of the famous maritime disaster. (1208 words) (Zip Stage 8)
(Flesch 6.3) (Lexile 600)

The Mummy’s Curse: The celebrated finding of Tutankhamen’s tomb by Howard Carter – and
the legend of the curse that went with it. (1046 words) (Zip Stage 8) (Flesch 6.4) (Lexile 520)

Blackbeard the Pirate: Blackbeard the pirate sailed the seas during the 1700’s.
Renowned for his cruelty, he terrorised other ships and his own crew. Until at last the British
navy tracked him down and defeated him. (591 words) (Zip Stage 8) (Flesch 7.4) (Lexile 920)

At the end of every story are two interactive
comprehension tests, for immediate feedback.

Worksheets are available for every story.

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