1st grade nonfiction passage about sound and shaking: 105 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionsound and shaking105 words
Feel Your Throat Hum
Sound is made when something shakes. The shaking is very fast and very small. We call it a vibration.
You can feel one right now. Put your fingers on your throat. Now hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you feel a buzz under your fingers? That is your voice box shaking.
Stop humming. The buzz stops too. No shaking means no sound.
Now try a high note. The shaking is faster. Try a low note. The shaking is slower.
Every sound you hear comes from something that shakes. A drum skin shakes. A guitar string shakes. The air carries the shaking to your ears.
Questions
What makes a sound? in the text
Where do you put your fingers to feel the hum? in the text
What happens to the buzz when you stop humming? in the text
What carries the shaking to your ears? in the text
A drum is loud. What must the drum skin be doing? think about it
Words to know
vibration
a very fast, tiny shaking
hum
to sing a note with your mouth closed
throat
the front of your neck
note
one sound in music
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Feel Your Throat Hum
1st grade reading passage
Sound is made when something shakes. The shaking is very fast and very small. We call it a vibration.
You can feel one right now. Put your fingers on your throat. Now hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you feel a buzz under your fingers? That is your voice box shaking.
Stop humming. The buzz stops too. No shaking means no sound.
Now try a high note. The shaking is faster. Try a low note. The shaking is slower.
Every sound you hear comes from something that shakes. A drum skin shakes. A guitar string shakes. The air carries the shaking to your ears.
Questions
What makes a sound?
Where do you put your fingers to feel the hum?
What happens to the buzz when you stop humming?
What carries the shaking to your ears?
A drum is loud. What must the drum skin be doing?
Words to know
vibration: a very fast, tiny shaking
hum: to sing a note with your mouth closed
throat: the front of your neck
note: one sound in music
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/feel-your-throat-hum
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 · 77 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.5
A sound is made when something shakes. The shaking is fast and small. It is called a vibration.
You can feel one. Put your fingers on your throat. Hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you feel a buzz? Your voice box is shaking.
Stop humming. The buzz stops. No shaking means no sound.
Every sound comes from something that shakes. A drum skin shakes. A guitar string shakes. The air takes the shaking to your ears.
▲ This passage · 105 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1
Sound is made when something shakes. The shaking is very fast and very small. We call it a vibration.
You can feel one right now. Put your fingers on your throat. Now hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you feel a buzz under your fingers? That is your voice box shaking.
Stop humming. The buzz stops too. No shaking means no sound.
Now try a high note. The shaking is faster. Try a low note. The shaking is slower.
Every sound you hear comes from something that shakes. A drum skin shakes. A guitar string shakes. The air carries the shaking to your ears.
■ Harder · 125 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
Every sound begins when something shakes. The shaking is extremely fast and very small, and we call it a vibration.
You can feel one right now. Rest your fingers lightly on your throat and hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you notice a buzz under your fingertips? That buzz is your voice box shaking.
Now stop humming, and the buzz stops as well. When nothing shakes, there is no sound at all.
Next, try a high note and then a low note. The shaking is faster for the high one and slower for the low one.
All of the sounds you hear come from something that shakes, such as a drum skin or a guitar string. The air carries that shaking to your ears.
A sound is made when something shakes. The shaking is fast and small. It is called a vibration.
You can feel one. Put your fingers on your throat. Hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you feel a buzz? Your voice box is shaking.
Stop humming. The buzz stops. No shaking means no sound.
Every sound comes from something that shakes. A drum skin shakes. A guitar string shakes. The air takes the shaking to your ears.
Questions
What makes a sound?
Where do you put your fingers to feel the hum?
What happens to the buzz when you stop humming?
What takes the shaking to your ears?
A drum is loud. What is the drum skin doing?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Feel Your Throat Hum
Sound is made when something shakes. The shaking is very fast and very small. We call it a vibration.
You can feel one right now. Put your fingers on your throat. Now hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you feel a buzz under your fingers? That is your voice box shaking.
Stop humming. The buzz stops too. No shaking means no sound.
Now try a high note. The shaking is faster. Try a low note. The shaking is slower.
Every sound you hear comes from something that shakes. A drum skin shakes. A guitar string shakes. The air carries the shaking to your ears.
Questions
What makes a sound?
Where do you put your fingers to feel the hum?
What happens to the buzz when you stop humming?
What carries the shaking to your ears?
A drum is loud. What must the drum skin be doing?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Feel Your Throat Hum
Every sound begins when something shakes. The shaking is extremely fast and very small, and we call it a vibration.
You can feel one right now. Rest your fingers lightly on your throat and hum a low note, like mmmm. Do you notice a buzz under your fingertips? That buzz is your voice box shaking.
Now stop humming, and the buzz stops as well. When nothing shakes, there is no sound at all.
Next, try a high note and then a low note. The shaking is faster for the high one and slower for the low one.
All of the sounds you hear come from something that shakes, such as a drum skin or a guitar string. The air carries that shaking to your ears.
Questions
What happens when a sound begins?
Where do you rest your fingers to feel the hum?
What happens to the buzz when you stop humming?
How does the air help you hear a sound?
A drum is very loud. What must its skin be doing?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Feel Your Throat Hum
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.5)
Something that shakes.
On your throat.
It stops.
The air.
Shaking, because all sounds come from shaking.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1)
Something that shakes.
On your throat.
The buzz stops too.
The air.
Shaking, because every sound comes from something that shakes.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
Something shakes.
On your throat.
The buzz stops as well.
It carries the shaking to your ears.
Shaking, because every sound comes from something that shakes.
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 vibration, hum, throat and note 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.
It was written for 1st grade. It has 105 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.1. 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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