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Eat the Rainbow at Lunch

1st grade nonfiction passage about colorful foods and health: 101 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

1st grade nonfiction colorful foods and health 101 words

Eat the Rainbow at Lunch

Look at your lunch tray. How many colors do you see?

Foods come in many colors. A tomato is red. A carrot is orange. A banana is yellow. Peas are green. Grapes can be purple.

Each color of food helps your body in a different way. Some foods help you grow. Some help you see. Some give you energy to run and play.

So pick many colors, not just one. A bright plate is a smart plate. Try a new color today! Ask a grown-up to help you find one at the store. Fruits and veggies are a good start.

Questions

  1. What color is a carrot? in the text

  2. What color are peas? in the text

  3. What do some foods give you the power to do? in the text

  4. What does the story say a bright plate is? in the text

  5. Why should you pick many colors of food? think about it

Words to know

tray
a flat thing for carrying food
body
all of you, from your head to your toes
energy
the power to move and do things
bright
full of strong, happy color
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 · 70 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1

Look at your lunch tray. What colors do you see?

Foods come in many colors. A tomato is red. A carrot is orange. A banana is yellow. Peas are green. Grapes can be purple.

Each color helps your body in a new way. Some help you grow. Some help you see. Some give you energy to run and play.

So pick many colors. A bright plate is a smart plate.

▲ This passage · 101 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.2

Look at your lunch tray. How many colors do you see?

Foods come in many colors. A tomato is red. A carrot is orange. A banana is yellow. Peas are green. Grapes can be purple.

Each color of food helps your body in a different way. Some foods help you grow. Some help you see. Some give you energy to run and play.

So pick many colors, not just one. A bright plate is a smart plate. Try a new color today! Ask a grown-up to help you find one at the store. Fruits and veggies are a good start.

■ Harder · 107 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6

Take a good look at your lunch tray. How many different colors can you spot?

Foods come in a wide range of colors. A tomato is red, a carrot is orange, a banana is yellow, peas are green, and grapes can even be purple.

Every color of food helps your body in its own special way. Some foods help you grow, some help you see well, and some give you the energy you need to run and play.

That is why it is wise to choose many colors instead of just one. A bright, colorful plate is a smart plate, so try a brand new color today!

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put tray, body, energy and bright 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Eat the Rainbow at Lunch"?

It was written for 1st grade. It has 101 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.2. 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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