1st grade nonfiction passage about why tractors have huge tires: 102 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionwhy tractors have huge tires102 words
Big Back Tires on the Tractor
A tractor is a strong machine that works on a farm. It has two big wheels in the back and two smaller wheels in the front.
Look closely at the big tires. They have thick ridges that look like bumps and lines. The ridges dig into soft dirt and mud. They help the tire grip, so it does not slip.
The tires are wide, too. A wide tire spreads out the weight of the tractor. It does not sink into the ground as easily.
With big gripping tires, a tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow across a muddy field.
Questions
How many big wheels does the tractor have in the back? in the text
What do the thick ridges do? in the text
What does a wide tire spread out? in the text
What can a tractor pull across a field? in the text
Why would a tractor with smooth, skinny tires have trouble in mud? think about it
Words to know
tractor
a strong farm machine that pulls heavy things
ridge
a thin raised line on a surface
grip
to hold onto a surface so you do not slip
plow
a farm tool that turns over the soil
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Big Back Tires on the Tractor
1st grade reading passage
A tractor is a strong machine that works on a farm. It has two big wheels in the back and two smaller wheels in the front.
Look closely at the big tires. They have thick ridges that look like bumps and lines. The ridges dig into soft dirt and mud. They help the tire grip, so it does not slip.
The tires are wide, too. A wide tire spreads out the weight of the tractor. It does not sink into the ground as easily.
With big gripping tires, a tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow across a muddy field.
Questions
How many big wheels does the tractor have in the back?
What do the thick ridges do?
What does a wide tire spread out?
What can a tractor pull across a field?
Why would a tractor with smooth, skinny tires have trouble in mud?
Words to know
tractor: a strong farm machine that pulls heavy things
ridge: a thin raised line on a surface
grip: to hold onto a surface so you do not slip
plow: a farm tool that turns over the soil
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/big-back-tires-on-the-tractor
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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 · 77 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2
A tractor is a strong farm machine. It has two big wheels in the back. It has two small wheels in the front.
The big tires have thick ridges. The ridges dig into mud and dirt. They help the tire grip. The tire does not slip.
The tires are wide, too. A wide tire spreads out the weight. It does not sink in.
A tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow in a muddy field.
▲ This passage · 102 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2
A tractor is a strong machine that works on a farm. It has two big wheels in the back and two smaller wheels in the front.
Look closely at the big tires. They have thick ridges that look like bumps and lines. The ridges dig into soft dirt and mud. They help the tire grip, so it does not slip.
The tires are wide, too. A wide tire spreads out the weight of the tractor. It does not sink into the ground as easily.
With big gripping tires, a tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow across a muddy field.
■ Harder · 116 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9
A tractor is a powerful machine that does hard work on a farm. It usually has two enormous wheels at the back and two smaller wheels at the front.
If you look closely at the big tires, you will see thick ridges that look like bumps and lines. These ridges dig into soft dirt and mud, which helps each tire grip the ground instead of slipping.
The tires are also very wide. A wide tire spreads out the weight of the tractor over a larger area, so the machine does not sink into the soil as easily.
Thanks to big, gripping tires, a tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow across a muddy field.
A tractor is a strong farm machine. It has two big wheels in the back. It has two small wheels in the front.
The big tires have thick ridges. The ridges dig into mud and dirt. They help the tire grip. The tire does not slip.
The tires are wide, too. A wide tire spreads out the weight. It does not sink in.
A tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow in a muddy field.
Questions
How many big wheels are in the back?
What do the thick ridges do?
What does a wide tire spread out?
What can a tractor pull?
Why would smooth, skinny tires have trouble in mud?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Big Back Tires on the Tractor
A tractor is a strong machine that works on a farm. It has two big wheels in the back and two smaller wheels in the front.
Look closely at the big tires. They have thick ridges that look like bumps and lines. The ridges dig into soft dirt and mud. They help the tire grip, so it does not slip.
The tires are wide, too. A wide tire spreads out the weight of the tractor. It does not sink into the ground as easily.
With big gripping tires, a tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow across a muddy field.
Questions
How many big wheels does the tractor have in the back?
What do the thick ridges do?
What does a wide tire spread out?
What can a tractor pull across a field?
Why would a tractor with smooth, skinny tires have trouble in mud?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Big Back Tires on the Tractor
A tractor is a powerful machine that does hard work on a farm. It usually has two enormous wheels at the back and two smaller wheels at the front.
If you look closely at the big tires, you will see thick ridges that look like bumps and lines. These ridges dig into soft dirt and mud, which helps each tire grip the ground instead of slipping.
The tires are also very wide. A wide tire spreads out the weight of the tractor over a larger area, so the machine does not sink into the soil as easily.
Thanks to big, gripping tires, a tractor can pull a heavy cart or a plow across a muddy field.
Questions
How many enormous wheels does a tractor usually have at the back?
What do the thick ridges on the tires do?
What does a wide tire spread out over a larger area?
What can a tractor pull across a muddy field?
Why would a tractor with smooth, skinny tires struggle in mud?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Big Back Tires on the Tractor
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2)
Two.
They dig into the dirt and help the tire grip.
The weight of the tractor.
A heavy cart or a plow.
They would slip and sink because they would not grip or spread out the weight.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2)
Two.
They dig into the dirt and help the tire grip.
The weight of the tractor.
A heavy cart or a plow.
It would slip and sink because it would not grip or spread out its weight.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9)
Two.
They dig into soft dirt and mud so the tire can grip the ground.
The weight of the tractor.
A heavy cart or a plow.
It would slip and sink, because it would not grip the ground or spread out its weight.
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 tractor, ridge, grip and plow 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 "Big Back Tires on the Tractor"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 102 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.1. 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?
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