1st grade nonfiction passage about fingerprints: 88 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionfingerprints88 words
One of a Kind: Your Fingerprints
Press your finger on a clean window. Look closely at the mark it leaves. You will see little lines, curls and loops. That mark is a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips has tiny ridges. They help your fingers grip a cup or a pencil. Oils on your skin leave the print behind.
Here is the neat part. Nobody else has the same fingerprints as you. Not your friend, and not your sister. Even twins have their own. How many different prints can you find on your window?
Questions
What do you see in a fingerprint? in the text
What do the tiny ridges on your fingertips help you do? in the text
What leaves the print behind? in the text
Who has fingerprints just like yours? in the text
Why is a fingerprint a good way to tell people apart? think about it
Words to know
fingerprint
the mark your fingertip leaves on a surface
ridge
a thin raised line
grip
to hold on tight
twins
two children born at the same time to one mother
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
One of a Kind: Your Fingerprints
1st grade reading passage
Press your finger on a clean window. Look closely at the mark it leaves. You will see little lines, curls and loops. That mark is a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips has tiny ridges. They help your fingers grip a cup or a pencil. Oils on your skin leave the print behind.
Here is the neat part. Nobody else has the same fingerprints as you. Not your friend, and not your sister. Even twins have their own. How many different prints can you find on your window?
Questions
What do you see in a fingerprint?
What do the tiny ridges on your fingertips help you do?
What leaves the print behind?
Who has fingerprints just like yours?
Why is a fingerprint a good way to tell people apart?
Words to know
fingerprint: the mark your fingertip leaves on a surface
ridge: a thin raised line
grip: to hold on tight
twins: two children born at the same time to one mother
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/one-of-a-kind-your-fingerprints
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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 · 68 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9
Press a finger on a clean window. Look at the mark. You see little lines, curls and loops. That mark is a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips has tiny ridges. They help you hold a cup or a pencil. Oils on your skin leave the print.
Here is the best part. No one has your fingerprints. Not your friend. Not your sister. Even twins have their own.
▲ This passage · 88 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3
Press your finger on a clean window. Look closely at the mark it leaves. You will see little lines, curls and loops. That mark is a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips has tiny ridges. They help your fingers grip a cup or a pencil. Oils on your skin leave the print behind.
Here is the neat part. Nobody else has the same fingerprints as you. Not your friend, and not your sister. Even twins have their own. How many different prints can you find on your window?
■ Harder · 101 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.8
Press one finger against a clean window and look closely at the mark it leaves behind. You will notice tiny lines, curls and loops. That pattern is called a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips is covered with very small ridges, and these help your fingers grip things such as a cup or a pencil. Natural oils on your skin are what leave the print on the glass.
Here is the remarkable part. Nobody else in the world has exactly the same fingerprints as you do, not your best friend and not your sister. Even twins have prints of their own.
Press a finger on a clean window. Look at the mark. You see little lines, curls and loops. That mark is a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips has tiny ridges. They help you hold a cup or a pencil. Oils on your skin leave the print.
Here is the best part. No one has your fingerprints. Not your friend. Not your sister. Even twins have their own.
Questions
What do you see in a fingerprint?
What do the tiny ridges help you do?
What leaves the print?
Who has fingerprints like yours?
Why can fingerprints tell people apart?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
One of a Kind: Your Fingerprints
Press your finger on a clean window. Look closely at the mark it leaves. You will see little lines, curls and loops. That mark is a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips has tiny ridges. They help your fingers grip a cup or a pencil. Oils on your skin leave the print behind.
Here is the neat part. Nobody else has the same fingerprints as you. Not your friend, and not your sister. Even twins have their own. How many different prints can you find on your window?
Questions
What do you see in a fingerprint?
What do the tiny ridges on your fingertips help you do?
What leaves the print behind?
Who has fingerprints just like yours?
Why is a fingerprint a good way to tell people apart?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
One of a Kind: Your Fingerprints
Press one finger against a clean window and look closely at the mark it leaves behind. You will notice tiny lines, curls and loops. That pattern is called a fingerprint.
The skin on your fingertips is covered with very small ridges, and these help your fingers grip things such as a cup or a pencil. Natural oils on your skin are what leave the print on the glass.
Here is the remarkable part. Nobody else in the world has exactly the same fingerprints as you do, not your best friend and not your sister. Even twins have prints of their own.
Questions
What patterns can you see in a fingerprint?
What do the small ridges on your fingertips help your fingers do?
What leaves the print on the glass?
Who else has fingerprints exactly like yours?
Why are fingerprints a useful way to tell people apart?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: One of a Kind: Your Fingerprints
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9)
Little lines, curls and loops.
Hold a cup or a pencil.
Oils on your skin.
No one.
Each person has their own.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3)
Little lines, curls and loops.
Grip a cup or a pencil.
Oils on your skin.
Nobody.
Each person has their own, so no two are the same.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.8)
Tiny lines, curls and loops.
Grip things such as a cup or a pencil.
Natural oils on your skin.
Nobody, not even twins.
Every person has prints of their own, so no two people match.
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 fingerprint, ridge, grip and twins 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 "One of a Kind: Your Fingerprints"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 88 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.3. 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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