1st grade nonfiction passage about recycling rules in a town: 100 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionrecycling rules in a town100 words
Blue Bin, Green Bin: Your Town Decides
Many towns have bins for recycling. Some bins are blue. Some are green. Some are gray.
Each town makes its own rules. In one town, paper goes in the blue bin. In another town, paper goes in the green bin.
How do you know? Look at the list from your town. Many bins have a picture list on the lid. It shows what goes inside.
When people follow the list, the truck can take the right things to the right place.
If you visit a new town, check the rules there. Rules can change from one town to the next.
Questions
What colors can recycling bins be? in the text
Who makes the recycling rules? in the text
Where might you find a picture list? in the text
Why should you check the rules in a new town? think about it
Why does it help when people follow the list? think about it
Words to know
recycling
turning used things into new things
bin
a big box or can for holding things
lid
the cover on top of a bin
follow
to do what a rule says
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Blue Bin, Green Bin: Your Town Decides
1st grade reading passage
Many towns have bins for recycling. Some bins are blue. Some are green. Some are gray.
Each town makes its own rules. In one town, paper goes in the blue bin. In another town, paper goes in the green bin.
How do you know? Look at the list from your town. Many bins have a picture list on the lid. It shows what goes inside.
When people follow the list, the truck can take the right things to the right place.
If you visit a new town, check the rules there. Rules can change from one town to the next.
Questions
What colors can recycling bins be?
Who makes the recycling rules?
Where might you find a picture list?
Why should you check the rules in a new town?
Why does it help when people follow the list?
Words to know
recycling: turning used things into new things
bin: a big box or can for holding things
lid: the cover on top of a bin
follow: to do what a rule says
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/blue-bin-green-bin-your-town-decides
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 · 88 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9
Many towns have bins for recycling. Some bins are blue. Some are green. Some are gray.
Each town makes its own rules. In one town, paper goes in the blue bin. In another town, paper goes in the green bin.
How do you know? Look at the list. Many bins have a picture list on the lid. It shows what goes inside.
People follow the list. Then the truck takes the right things to the right place.
In a new town, check the rules. Rules can be different.
▲ This passage · 100 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
Many towns have bins for recycling. Some bins are blue. Some are green. Some are gray.
Each town makes its own rules. In one town, paper goes in the blue bin. In another town, paper goes in the green bin.
How do you know? Look at the list from your town. Many bins have a picture list on the lid. It shows what goes inside.
When people follow the list, the truck can take the right things to the right place.
If you visit a new town, check the rules there. Rules can change from one town to the next.
■ Harder · 117 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5
Many towns give people bins for recycling. Some of the bins are blue, some are green, and some are gray.
Every town makes up its own rules. In one town, paper belongs in the blue bin, but in another town, paper belongs in the green bin.
So how can you tell? You can read the list from your town. Many bins even have a picture list printed on the lid, which shows exactly what should go inside.
When people follow the list carefully, the truck can carry the right things to the right place.
If you visit a new town, be sure to check the rules there, because rules can change from one town to the next.
Many towns have bins for recycling. Some bins are blue. Some are green. Some are gray.
Each town makes its own rules. In one town, paper goes in the blue bin. In another town, paper goes in the green bin.
How do you know? Look at the list. Many bins have a picture list on the lid. It shows what goes inside.
People follow the list. Then the truck takes the right things to the right place.
In a new town, check the rules. Rules can be different.
Questions
What colors can recycling bins be?
Who makes the recycling rules?
Where might you find a picture list?
Why check the rules in a new town?
Why does it help to follow the list?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Blue Bin, Green Bin: Your Town Decides
Many towns have bins for recycling. Some bins are blue. Some are green. Some are gray.
Each town makes its own rules. In one town, paper goes in the blue bin. In another town, paper goes in the green bin.
How do you know? Look at the list from your town. Many bins have a picture list on the lid. It shows what goes inside.
When people follow the list, the truck can take the right things to the right place.
If you visit a new town, check the rules there. Rules can change from one town to the next.
Questions
What colors can recycling bins be?
Who makes the recycling rules?
Where might you find a picture list?
Why should you check the rules in a new town?
Why does it help when people follow the list?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Blue Bin, Green Bin: Your Town Decides
Many towns give people bins for recycling. Some of the bins are blue, some are green, and some are gray.
Every town makes up its own rules. In one town, paper belongs in the blue bin, but in another town, paper belongs in the green bin.
So how can you tell? You can read the list from your town. Many bins even have a picture list printed on the lid, which shows exactly what should go inside.
When people follow the list carefully, the truck can carry the right things to the right place.
If you visit a new town, be sure to check the rules there, because rules can change from one town to the next.
Questions
What colors can recycling bins be?
Who makes up the recycling rules?
Where might you find a picture list on a bin?
Why should you check the rules when you visit a new town?
Why does it help when people follow the list carefully?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Blue Bin, Green Bin: Your Town Decides
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9)
Blue, green or gray.
Each town.
On the lid of the bin.
Rules can be different in each town.
The truck takes the right things to the right place.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
Blue, green or gray.
Each town makes its own rules.
On the lid of the bin.
Rules can change from one town to the next.
The truck can take the right things to the right place.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5)
Blue, green or gray.
Every town makes up its own rules.
Printed on the lid.
Rules can change from one town to the next.
The truck can carry the right things to the right place.
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 recycling, bin, lid and follow 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 4 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 "Blue Bin, Green Bin: Your Town Decides"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 100 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.0. 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. 3 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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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