1st grade nonfiction passage about how a pumpkin grows: 102 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionhow a pumpkin grows102 words
From Tiny Seed to Big Pumpkin
Every pumpkin starts out as a flat seed. In the spring, we tuck the seed into the soil. The sun warms the soil. Rain gives the seed a drink. Then we wait.
A small green sprout pushes up. It grows long green vines that crawl over the dirt. Big yellow flowers open up on them.
When a flower falls off, a little green pumpkin begins to grow. All summer, it gets bigger and bigger. In the fall, the pumpkin turns orange. Now it is ready to pick, and we can carry it home to make a jack-o-lantern or a pie.
Questions
What does a pumpkin start as? in the text
When do we plant the seed? in the text
What grows on the vines? in the text
What color is the pumpkin at first? in the text
Why does the seed need rain? think about it
Words to know
seed
a small thing that can grow into a plant
sprout
a new green plant that just came up
vine
a long plant stem that grows along the ground
soil
the dirt that plants grow in
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
From Tiny Seed to Big Pumpkin
1st grade reading passage
Every pumpkin starts out as a flat seed. In the spring, we tuck the seed into the soil. The sun warms the soil. Rain gives the seed a drink. Then we wait.
A small green sprout pushes up. It grows long green vines that crawl over the dirt. Big yellow flowers open up on them.
When a flower falls off, a little green pumpkin begins to grow. All summer, it gets bigger and bigger. In the fall, the pumpkin turns orange. Now it is ready to pick, and we can carry it home to make a jack-o-lantern or a pie.
Questions
What does a pumpkin start as?
When do we plant the seed?
What grows on the vines?
What color is the pumpkin at first?
Why does the seed need rain?
Words to know
seed: a small thing that can grow into a plant
sprout: a new green plant that just came up
vine: a long plant stem that grows along the ground
soil: the dirt that plants grow in
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/from-tiny-seed-to-big-pumpkin
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 · 60 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3
A pumpkin starts as a seed. We plant the seed in the spring. The sun warms the soil. Rain gives the seed a drink.
A green sprout comes up. Long vines grow on the ground. Yellow flowers open on the vines.
A small green pumpkin grows. It gets big. In the fall, it is orange. It is ready to pick.
▲ This passage · 102 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2
Every pumpkin starts out as a flat seed. In the spring, we tuck the seed into the soil. The sun warms the soil. Rain gives the seed a drink. Then we wait.
A small green sprout pushes up. It grows long green vines that crawl over the dirt. Big yellow flowers open up on them.
When a flower falls off, a little green pumpkin begins to grow. All summer, it gets bigger and bigger. In the fall, the pumpkin turns orange. Now it is ready to pick, and we can carry it home to make a jack-o-lantern or a pie.
■ Harder · 98 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7
A pumpkin begins its life as a flat seed. Farmers and gardeners plant the seed in the soil in the spring. The sun warms the ground, and the rain gives the seed the water it needs.
Soon a small green sprout pushes up through the soil. The plant grows long vines that spread across the ground. Big yellow flowers open on the vines.
When a flower falls off, a little green pumpkin starts to grow in its place. It gets bigger and bigger all summer. In the fall, it turns orange, and then it is ready to pick.
A pumpkin starts as a seed. We plant the seed in the spring. The sun warms the soil. Rain gives the seed a drink.
A green sprout comes up. Long vines grow on the ground. Yellow flowers open on the vines.
A small green pumpkin grows. It gets big. In the fall, it is orange. It is ready to pick.
Questions
What does a pumpkin start as?
When do we plant the seed?
What grows on the vines?
What color is the small pumpkin?
Why does the seed need rain?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
From Tiny Seed to Big Pumpkin
Every pumpkin starts out as a flat seed. In the spring, we tuck the seed into the soil. The sun warms the soil. Rain gives the seed a drink. Then we wait.
A small green sprout pushes up. It grows long green vines that crawl over the dirt. Big yellow flowers open up on them.
When a flower falls off, a little green pumpkin begins to grow. All summer, it gets bigger and bigger. In the fall, the pumpkin turns orange. Now it is ready to pick, and we can carry it home to make a jack-o-lantern or a pie.
Questions
What does a pumpkin start as?
When do we plant the seed?
What grows on the vines?
What color is the pumpkin at first?
Why does the seed need rain?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
From Tiny Seed to Big Pumpkin
A pumpkin begins its life as a flat seed. Farmers and gardeners plant the seed in the soil in the spring. The sun warms the ground, and the rain gives the seed the water it needs.
Soon a small green sprout pushes up through the soil. The plant grows long vines that spread across the ground. Big yellow flowers open on the vines.
When a flower falls off, a little green pumpkin starts to grow in its place. It gets bigger and bigger all summer. In the fall, it turns orange, and then it is ready to pick.
Questions
What does a pumpkin begin its life as?
When do people plant the seed?
What opens on the long vines?
What color is the pumpkin when it first starts to grow?
Why does the seed need both sun and rain?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: From Tiny Seed to Big Pumpkin
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3)
A seed.
In the spring.
Yellow flowers.
Green.
Rain gives it water so it can grow.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2)
A flat seed.
In the spring.
Big yellow flowers.
Green.
Rain gives the seed water to drink so it can grow.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7)
A flat seed.
In the spring.
Big yellow flowers.
Green.
The sun warms the soil and the rain gives the seed water, and both help it grow.
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 seed, sprout, vine and soil 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 "From Tiny Seed to Big Pumpkin"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 102 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.9. 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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