Social Media Balance

This informational reading worksheet is designed for students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 to strengthen comprehension, summarization, and analytical writing skills. Students read a passage about the influence of social media on teens’ relationships and mental well-being, then identify the central idea in one clear sentence and list three supporting details using their own words, reinforcing the ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting information.

Learning Goals

• Determining Central Ideas (Grades 6-8)
  Students identify the main message of an informational text.
• Summarizing Supporting Details
  Learners paraphrase key points that support the central idea.
• Author’s Purpose & Perspective
  Students analyze how the text presents a balanced view of social media’s effects.
• Clear, Coherent Writing
  The activity emphasizes concise sentence construction and clarity.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with middle school ELA standards.
• Balanced, Real-World Topic
  Social media provides relevant context for critical discussion.
• Paraphrasing Practice
  Encourages use of students’ own words rather than copying from the text.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for nonfiction units, summarization practice, discussion prep, or assessment.

This printable worksheet gives students meaningful practice with identifying central ideas and summarizing supporting details in informational texts. By analyzing both positive and negative impacts of social media, learners strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, and written communication skills. Suitable for classroom instruction or homeschool use, this no-prep resource supports confident nonfiction reading and effective summarization.

This worksheet is part of our Grade 8 Reading Comprehension collection.