The Unshakable Team - Grade 4 Reading Literature Assessment
This Grade 4 reading assessment pairs a high-interest STEM story with rigorous, standards-aligned comprehension practice. In “The Unshakable Team,” students follow Leo and Sam through an earthquake tower challenge and answer 10 multiple-choice questions that go beyond basic recall. The questions target vocabulary in context (apprehensive, reluctant), theme and character change, and point of view—aligned to RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.4, RL.4.6 plus language standards L.4.4–L.4.6. Includes a complete answer key and clear StandardSet branding, formatted for easy classroom use.
The Unshakable Team
by StandardSet Curriculum
The announcement on the whiteboard made Leo smile. In big, red letters, Mr. Henderson had written: EARTHQUAKE CHALLENGE: CAN YOU SURVIVE THE SHAKE?
Leo was already opening his pencil case. He loved science, and more importantly, he loved winning. He looked at the materials on his desk: a box of round wooden toothpicks and a bag of soft, white mini-marshmallows.
"Alright, engineers," Mr. Henderson shouted over the commotion of students dragging their chairs together. "You have twenty minutes to build a structure at least twelve inches tall. It must survive fifteen seconds on the Shake Table."
Leo turned to the desk next to him. Sam was sitting there, quietly sketching in a notebook. Sam was new this year and rarely spoke. "I guess we’re partners," Leo said, grabbing the bag of marshmallows. "I have a great strategy. We need to build a solid wall. If we pack the toothpicks close together, it will be heavy and strong."
Sam looked up. "Actually, I was thinking about triangles," Sam said softly. "Squares are weak. If the ground moves, squares just tilt over."
"Trust me," Leo interrupted. "My dad is a contractor. I’ll build the frame, and you can sort the marshmallows."
Sam hesitated, looking reluctant to argue. He didn’t want to cause a problem, so he nodded.
For the next fifteen minutes, Leo worked furiously. He built row after row of cubes. "It looks a little unstable," Sam said, watching the tower wobble. "The marshmallows are soft."
"It’s fine," Leo said, placing the final marshmallow on top. "This is going to be a piece of cake." He felt confident.
"Time's up! Bring your structures to the front."
When it was their turn, Leo placed his tower on the Shake Table. "Ready... go!"
Mr. Henderson shook the board. Because Leo had built only squares, the tower didn't have any support to stop it from leaning. With a soft squish, the bottom layer collapsed. The entire tower tipped over like a chopped tree and crashed onto the floor. The pile of sticky marshmallows lay there, a sad, white mountain of failure.
Leo stared at the pile. He felt his face grow hot.
"Okay, engineers," Mr. Henderson said. "Round Two. Use what you learned."
Leo walked back to the desk. "It just folded," he whispered. "I don't understand."
Sam quietly pulled the notebook back out. "It folded because squares have no knees," Sam said. "If you put a diagonal line inside a square, you make two triangles. Triangles can't fold. We need to collaborate this time."
Leo looked at the sticky pile, then at Sam’s drawing. He realized his mistake. He had assumed that adding more marshmallows meant adding more strength.
"Okay," Leo said. "Show me what to do."
They worked fast. This time, Leo didn't give orders. He built the cubes, and Sam immediately followed him, inserting diagonal toothpicks to lock the shapes in place. The new tower looked different—it was a web of sharp angles.
"Time for Round Two!"
Leo carried the new tower to the front. He wasn't arrogant anymore; he was apprehensive.
Mr. Henderson shook the table. Harder this time. The tower shook, but the squares didn't fold. The diagonal toothpicks held them rigid.
"Fifteen seconds!" Mr. Henderson shouted. "It survived!"
The class cheered. Leo high-fived his partner. "You were right," Leo said. "Triangles are way stronger than squares."
"And two brains," Sam added, "are better than one."
Questions
In the sentence "He wasn't arrogant anymore; he was apprehensive," what does apprehensive most likely mean?
feeling sure the new tower would win this round easily
feeling annoyed that Sam had been right about triangles
feeling embarrassed that the first tower had fallen down
feeling nervous that the new tower might fall again
Standard: L.4.4
At the end of the passage, Sam says, "two brains are better than one." Based on what happened in the story, what does he mean by this sentence?
He means that together they are smarter than their science teacher.
He means that their new tower is the tallest in the class.
He means that adding more soft marshmallows always makes buildings stronger.
He means that working as a team can make their work better.
Standard: L.4.5
Read this sentence from the passage: "Sam hesitated, looking reluctant to argue." What does the word reluctant mean as it is used in this sentence?
not wanting to do something
excited to start something
confused about something
proud of doing something
Standard: L.4.6
Why does Leo smile when he first sees the announcement on the whiteboard?
Because he enjoys science and likes winning class challenges.
Because he thinks the marshmallows will make a tasty snack.
Because he believes the teacher will give them extra free time.
Because he is happy that he does not have to work with a partner.
Standard: RL.4.1
Why does Leo decide to follow Sam’s ideas when they build the second tower?
He remembers how his first tower collapsed and sees that Sam’s triangle plan solves that problem.
He wants Mr. Henderson to choose him as the best engineer in the whole class.
He feels upset about losing and thinks any new plan will work better than his own.
He knows there is not much time left and wants Sam to do most of the building work.
Standard: RL.4.1
What is the most important lesson Leo learns by the end of the passage?
Leo learns that building with triangles instead of squares makes a tower stronger in an earthquake.
Leo learns that practicing the same design again and again is the best way to win.
Leo learns that depending only on his own plan is the safest way to solve a problem.
Leo learns that listening to a partner and sharing ideas can lead to greater success.
Standard: RL.4.2
At the beginning of the story, how does Leo respond to the Earthquake Challenge when he first becomes partners with Sam?
He feels excited and confident, quickly takes charge, and ignores most of Sam’s ideas because he trusts his own plan.
He feels nervous and unsure, asks Sam to lead the project, and quietly follows all of Sam’s directions.
He feels bored and annoyed, refuses to work with Sam, and decides not to build anything for the challenge.
He feels confused and scared, tells Mr. Henderson he does not understand, and asks for extra time before starting.
Standard: RL.4.3
How does Leo respond after their first tower collapses, and what does this show about him?
He gets angry at Sam and refuses to build again, showing he does not want to share ideas.
He blames the marshmallows for being too soft, showing he thinks the materials caused the problem.
He listens to Sam’s triangle plan and helps rebuild the tower with diagonals, showing he can learn and work as a team.
He decides to build the same square tower again by himself, showing he believes his first idea was still the best.
Standard: RL.4.3
Read this sentence from the passage: "Leo stared at the pile. He felt his face grow hot." What does this sentence mostly show about how Leo feels after his tower falls?
He feels proud and wants everyone to look at him.
He feels confused and does not know the rules.
He feels tired and wants to stop building now.
He feels embarrassed and wishes it had not failed.
Standard: RL.4.4
How does the narrator’s point of view affect what the reader learns about Leo during the earthquake challenge?
It lets the reader see only how the tower is built, so Leo’s thoughts and feelings stay a mystery.
It lets the reader hear Leo’s thoughts and feelings, so we can tell how he changes during the project.
It lets the reader know what Mr. Henderson is thinking, so we understand why Leo fails the first round.
It lets the reader see every team’s plan at once, so we can compare their ideas with Leo’s idea.
Standard: RL.4.6
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