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Reading level

Small Whale · Reading worksheet

Parable of the Prodigal Son

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/parable-of-the-prodigal-son

Step 2 · Questions

1. From the article, write the biblical book:
2. From the article, write the chapter and verses:
3. What happens when the younger son asks for his inheritance?
4. Why does the younger son become a swineherd?

Step 3 · Words to know

Write what each word means, using the article.

Alienation
Legalism
Redemption

Step 4 · Two facts in your own words

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

1.

2.

Cite your source

Parable of the Prodigal Son. Small Whale. https://smallwhale.org/articles/parable-of-the-prodigal-son. Accessed 2026-09-23. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Answer key (teacher copy)

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. From the article, write the biblical book:Luke
2. From the article, write the chapter and verses:Luke 15:11-32
3. What happens when the younger son asks for his inheritance?He asks for his share of the family money, which is like wishing his father dead. This shows he wants to leave the family and reject the bonds that hold them together.
4. Why does the younger son become a swineherd?After spending all his money on a wild life, he has nothing left and must work as a swineherd, a very low job that shows how far he has fallen.

Alienation: A state of isolation or estrangement from society, oneself, or a spiritual source.
Legalism: An emphasis on strict adherence to religious laws and rules, often at the expense of compassion.
Redemption: The act of being saved from sin, error, or evil; liberation from a negative state.