1st grade nonfiction passage about shape and floating: 107 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionshape and floating107 words
A Lump of Clay Sinks but a Clay Boat Floats
Here is a puzzle. Put a ball of clay in a tub of water. Plop! It sinks to the bottom.
Now take the same clay and press it flat. Pinch up the edges to make a little boat. Set it on the water. It floats!
The clay is the same. Nothing was added. So why does it float now?
The boat has a new shape. It is wide and open. It pushes a lot of water out of the way. The water pushes back up on the boat. That push holds it up.
The ball is small and tight. It cannot push enough water. So it sinks.
Questions
What happens to the ball of clay in the water? in the text
How do you make the clay into a boat? in the text
Was anything added to the clay to make the boat? in the text
What does the water do to the boat? in the text
Why does the wide boat float when the ball does not? think about it
Words to know
sinks
goes down to the bottom of the water
floats
stays on top of the water
pinch
to squeeze between your finger and thumb
edges
the sides of something
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
A Lump of Clay Sinks but a Clay Boat Floats
1st grade reading passage
Here is a puzzle. Put a ball of clay in a tub of water. Plop! It sinks to the bottom.
Now take the same clay and press it flat. Pinch up the edges to make a little boat. Set it on the water. It floats!
The clay is the same. Nothing was added. So why does it float now?
The boat has a new shape. It is wide and open. It pushes a lot of water out of the way. The water pushes back up on the boat. That push holds it up.
The ball is small and tight. It cannot push enough water. So it sinks.
Questions
What happens to the ball of clay in the water?
How do you make the clay into a boat?
Was anything added to the clay to make the boat?
What does the water do to the boat?
Why does the wide boat float when the ball does not?
Words to know
sinks: goes down to the bottom of the water
floats: stays on top of the water
pinch: to squeeze between your finger and thumb
edges: the sides of something
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/a-lump-of-clay-sinks-but-a-clay-boat-floats
Share
One passage, three levels
The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.
● Easier · 83 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0
Here is a puzzle. Put a ball of clay in water. Plop! It sinks.
Now press the clay flat. Pinch up the edges. It is a little boat. Put it on the water. It floats!
The clay is the same. Why does it float now?
The boat is wide and open. It pushes a lot of water away. The water pushes up on the boat. That holds it up.
The ball is small and tight. It cannot push enough water. So it sinks.
▲ This passage · 107 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2
Here is a puzzle. Put a ball of clay in a tub of water. Plop! It sinks to the bottom.
Now take the same clay and press it flat. Pinch up the edges to make a little boat. Set it on the water. It floats!
The clay is the same. Nothing was added. So why does it float now?
The boat has a new shape. It is wide and open. It pushes a lot of water out of the way. The water pushes back up on the boat. That push holds it up.
The ball is small and tight. It cannot push enough water. So it sinks.
■ Harder · 123 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8
Here is a puzzle to try in a tub of water. Drop a ball of clay in, and it sinks straight to the bottom.
Now take the very same clay and press it flat. Pinch up the edges so that it makes a little boat, and set it gently on the water. This time, it floats!
Nothing was added to the clay, so why does it float now?
The boat has a different shape. It is wide and open, so it pushes a lot of water out of its way. In return, the water pushes upward on the boat, and that push holds it up.
The ball is small and tight, so it cannot push enough water aside. That is why it sinks.
Here is a puzzle. Put a ball of clay in water. Plop! It sinks.
Now press the clay flat. Pinch up the edges. It is a little boat. Put it on the water. It floats!
The clay is the same. Why does it float now?
The boat is wide and open. It pushes a lot of water away. The water pushes up on the boat. That holds it up.
The ball is small and tight. It cannot push enough water. So it sinks.
Questions
What happens to the ball of clay in water?
How do you make the clay into a boat?
Is the clay in the boat the same clay?
What does the water do to the boat?
Why does the wide boat float but the ball does not?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
A Lump of Clay Sinks but a Clay Boat Floats
Here is a puzzle. Put a ball of clay in a tub of water. Plop! It sinks to the bottom.
Now take the same clay and press it flat. Pinch up the edges to make a little boat. Set it on the water. It floats!
The clay is the same. Nothing was added. So why does it float now?
The boat has a new shape. It is wide and open. It pushes a lot of water out of the way. The water pushes back up on the boat. That push holds it up.
The ball is small and tight. It cannot push enough water. So it sinks.
Questions
What happens to the ball of clay in the water?
How do you make the clay into a boat?
Was anything added to the clay to make the boat?
What does the water do to the boat?
Why does the wide boat float when the ball does not?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
A Lump of Clay Sinks but a Clay Boat Floats
Here is a puzzle to try in a tub of water. Drop a ball of clay in, and it sinks straight to the bottom.
Now take the very same clay and press it flat. Pinch up the edges so that it makes a little boat, and set it gently on the water. This time, it floats!
Nothing was added to the clay, so why does it float now?
The boat has a different shape. It is wide and open, so it pushes a lot of water out of its way. In return, the water pushes upward on the boat, and that push holds it up.
The ball is small and tight, so it cannot push enough water aside. That is why it sinks.
Questions
What happens when you drop the ball of clay into the tub?
How do you turn the clay into a boat?
Was anything added to the clay to make it float?
What does the water do in return for the water the boat pushes aside?
Why does the wide boat float when the small ball sinks?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: A Lump of Clay Sinks but a Clay Boat Floats
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0)
It sinks.
Press it flat and pinch up the edges.
Yes, it is the same clay.
It pushes up and holds the boat up.
The wide boat pushes a lot of water away.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2)
It sinks to the bottom.
Press it flat and pinch up the edges.
No, it is the same clay.
It pushes up on the boat and holds it up.
The wide shape pushes a lot of water out of the way, so the water pushes up enough.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8)
It sinks straight to the bottom.
Press it flat and pinch up the edges.
No, nothing was added.
It pushes upward on the boat and holds it up.
The boat pushes a lot of water aside so the water pushes up enough, but the ball cannot.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
How to use it
Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.
Ideas for class
Before reading, put sinks, floats, pinch and edges on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 1 minute to read aloud.
Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.
What reading level is "A Lump of Clay Sinks but a Clay Boat Floats"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 107 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.2. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.
What do the questions ask?
There are five. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.
How long does it take to read?
About 1 minute read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.
Can I print it?
Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.
Is this passage from a published book?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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