This article has been adapted to model standardized test questions students, where the article is divided into columns and each paragraph is labeled with a number.  Students are required to find information in the text and analyze text structures.  

Readers are asked to used context clues to understand difficult vocabulary.  Students must also make inferences about what the text does not say or what the author’s meaning was in certain phrases.  These tasks are aligned to Common Core ELA (Science and Technical Subjects)

The article itself is about The Body Farm, a research facility in Tennessee where scientists study decay.  Bodies are placed in a variety of circumstances so that researchers can observe decomposition.   Students are exposed to the idea of skin sloughing, autolysis, bloating, and forensic entomology.  

 The article is appropriate for older biology students or students in anatomy and physiology.

Time Required:  15-25 minutes
Grade Level:  10-12