1st grade nonfiction passage about mars rovers: 101 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionmars rovers101 words
A Robot with Six Wheels on Mars
Mars is far away, so people cannot go there yet. But a robot can!
A rover is a robot with wheels. Some rovers have six wheels. The wheels roll over red rocks and sand.
The rover has a camera. It takes pictures of Mars and sends them to Earth. It can also scoop up a bit of dirt.
The rover moves slowly. It must be careful. People on Earth send it plans, and it drives where they say. When it finds a rock that looks odd, it stops and takes a closer look. It has been a good friend to science.
Questions
What is a rover? in the text
How many wheels do some rovers have? in the text
What does the rover send to Earth? in the text
Who sends the rover plans? in the text
Why is a rover sent to Mars? think about it
Words to know
rover
a robot with wheels that explores
camera
a tool that takes pictures
scoop
to lift up with a small tool
robot
a machine that can do jobs
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
A Robot with Six Wheels on Mars
1st grade reading passage
Mars is far away, so people cannot go there yet. But a robot can!
A rover is a robot with wheels. Some rovers have six wheels. The wheels roll over red rocks and sand.
The rover has a camera. It takes pictures of Mars and sends them to Earth. It can also scoop up a bit of dirt.
The rover moves slowly. It must be careful. People on Earth send it plans, and it drives where they say. When it finds a rock that looks odd, it stops and takes a closer look. It has been a good friend to science.
Questions
What is a rover?
How many wheels do some rovers have?
What does the rover send to Earth?
Who sends the rover plans?
Why is a rover sent to Mars?
Words to know
rover: a robot with wheels that explores
camera: a tool that takes pictures
scoop: to lift up with a small tool
robot: a machine that can do jobs
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/a-robot-with-six-wheels-on-mars
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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 · 49 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3
Mars is far. We cannot go yet. But a robot can!
A rover is a robot. It has wheels. Some have six. They roll on red rocks.
The rover has a camera. It takes pictures. It sends them to Earth.
It goes slow. We tell it where to go.
▲ This passage · 101 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7
Mars is far away, so people cannot go there yet. But a robot can!
A rover is a robot with wheels. Some rovers have six wheels. The wheels roll over red rocks and sand.
The rover has a camera. It takes pictures of Mars and sends them to Earth. It can also scoop up a bit of dirt.
The rover moves slowly. It must be careful. People on Earth send it plans, and it drives where they say. When it finds a rock that looks odd, it stops and takes a closer look. It has been a good friend to science.
■ Harder · 89 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5
Mars is so far away that people cannot travel there yet. Fortunately, a robot can make the trip for us!
A rover is a robot that rolls on wheels. Some rovers have six wheels, which carry them over red rocks and sand.
The rover carries a camera that takes pictures of Mars and sends them back to Earth. It can also scoop up a small bit of dirt.
The rover moves slowly and carefully. People on Earth send it plans, and it drives wherever they tell it to go.
A rover is a robot. It has wheels. Some have six. They roll on red rocks.
The rover has a camera. It takes pictures. It sends them to Earth.
It goes slow. We tell it where to go.
Questions
What is a rover?
How many wheels do some rovers have?
What does the rover send to Earth?
Who tells the rover where to go?
Why is a rover sent to Mars?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
A Robot with Six Wheels on Mars
Mars is far away, so people cannot go there yet. But a robot can!
A rover is a robot with wheels. Some rovers have six wheels. The wheels roll over red rocks and sand.
The rover has a camera. It takes pictures of Mars and sends them to Earth. It can also scoop up a bit of dirt.
The rover moves slowly. It must be careful. People on Earth send it plans, and it drives where they say. When it finds a rock that looks odd, it stops and takes a closer look. It has been a good friend to science.
Questions
What is a rover?
How many wheels do some rovers have?
What does the rover send to Earth?
Who sends the rover plans?
Why is a rover sent to Mars?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
A Robot with Six Wheels on Mars
Mars is so far away that people cannot travel there yet. Fortunately, a robot can make the trip for us!
A rover is a robot that rolls on wheels. Some rovers have six wheels, which carry them over red rocks and sand.
The rover carries a camera that takes pictures of Mars and sends them back to Earth. It can also scoop up a small bit of dirt.
The rover moves slowly and carefully. People on Earth send it plans, and it drives wherever they tell it to go.
Questions
What is a rover?
How many wheels do some rovers have?
What does the camera send back to Earth?
Who sends the rover its plans?
Why is a robot rover sent to Mars?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: A Robot with Six Wheels on Mars
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3)
A robot with wheels.
Six.
Pictures of Mars.
People on Earth.
People cannot go there yet.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7)
A robot with wheels.
Six.
Pictures of Mars.
People on Earth.
People cannot go there yet, and the rover can look around for them.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5)
A robot that rolls on wheels.
Six.
Pictures of Mars.
People on Earth.
People cannot travel there yet, so the rover looks around for them.
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 rover, camera, scoop and robot 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 Robot with Six Wheels on Mars"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 101 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.7. 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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