1st grade nonfiction passage about ancient Roman roads: 94 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionancient Roman roads94 words
Roads Built by Roman Workers
Long ago, Rome was a very big place. Its people needed good roads. So workers built them.
First, they dug a long, flat path. Next, they put down layers of rocks and gravel. Last, they set big flat stones on top. The road was hard and strong.
Many Roman roads were straight. People walked on them. Horses and carts rolled on them too. Some of the roads are still there today. You can see them in Italy and in other places that Rome once ruled. Think of all the feet that have walked there!
Questions
Who built the roads? in the text
What did workers put on top of the road? in the text
What did workers put down before the flat stones? in the text
Who used the roads? in the text
Why do some Roman roads still last today? think about it
Words to know
Roman
from the city of Rome or its people long ago
gravel
small bits of rock
layer
one flat part laid on top of another
path
a way to walk from one place to another
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Roads Built by Roman Workers
1st grade reading passage
Long ago, Rome was a very big place. Its people needed good roads. So workers built them.
First, they dug a long, flat path. Next, they put down layers of rocks and gravel. Last, they set big flat stones on top. The road was hard and strong.
Many Roman roads were straight. People walked on them. Horses and carts rolled on them too. Some of the roads are still there today. You can see them in Italy and in other places that Rome once ruled. Think of all the feet that have walked there!
Questions
Who built the roads?
What did workers put on top of the road?
What did workers put down before the flat stones?
Who used the roads?
Why do some Roman roads still last today?
Words to know
Roman: from the city of Rome or its people long ago
gravel: small bits of rock
layer: one flat part laid on top of another
path: a way to walk from one place to another
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/roads-built-by-roman-workers
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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 · 62 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.3
Long ago, Rome was a big place. Its people needed good roads. So workers built them.
First, they dug a flat path. Next, they put down rocks and gravel. Last, they set big flat stones on top. The road was hard and strong.
People walked on the roads. Horses and carts rolled on them. Some of the roads are still here today.
▲ This passage · 94 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
Long ago, Rome was a very big place. Its people needed good roads. So workers built them.
First, they dug a long, flat path. Next, they put down layers of rocks and gravel. Last, they set big flat stones on top. The road was hard and strong.
Many Roman roads were straight. People walked on them. Horses and carts rolled on them too. Some of the roads are still there today. You can see them in Italy and in other places that Rome once ruled. Think of all the feet that have walked there!
■ Harder · 104 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4
Long ago, Rome was an enormous place, and its people needed good roads to travel on. So teams of workers set out to build them.
First, they dug a long, flat path into the ground. Next, they packed down several layers of rocks and gravel. Finally, they fitted big, flat stones across the top. The finished road was hard and very strong.
Many Roman roads ran in straight lines. People walked on them, and horses and carts rolled along them too. Some of those roads are still standing today, and you can see them in Italy and in other places that Rome once ruled.
Long ago, Rome was a big place. Its people needed good roads. So workers built them.
First, they dug a flat path. Next, they put down rocks and gravel. Last, they set big flat stones on top. The road was hard and strong.
People walked on the roads. Horses and carts rolled on them. Some of the roads are still here today.
Questions
Who built the roads?
What did workers put on top of the road?
What did workers put down before the flat stones?
Who used the roads?
Why do some roads still last today?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Roads Built by Roman Workers
Long ago, Rome was a very big place. Its people needed good roads. So workers built them.
First, they dug a long, flat path. Next, they put down layers of rocks and gravel. Last, they set big flat stones on top. The road was hard and strong.
Many Roman roads were straight. People walked on them. Horses and carts rolled on them too. Some of the roads are still there today. You can see them in Italy and in other places that Rome once ruled. Think of all the feet that have walked there!
Questions
Who built the roads?
What did workers put on top of the road?
What did workers put down before the flat stones?
Who used the roads?
Why do some Roman roads still last today?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Roads Built by Roman Workers
Long ago, Rome was an enormous place, and its people needed good roads to travel on. So teams of workers set out to build them.
First, they dug a long, flat path into the ground. Next, they packed down several layers of rocks and gravel. Finally, they fitted big, flat stones across the top. The finished road was hard and very strong.
Many Roman roads ran in straight lines. People walked on them, and horses and carts rolled along them too. Some of those roads are still standing today, and you can see them in Italy and in other places that Rome once ruled.
Questions
Who built the roads for Rome?
What did the workers fit across the top of the road?
What did the workers pack down before they added the flat stones?
Who traveled on the roads?
Why do you think some Roman roads are still standing today?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Roads Built by Roman Workers
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.3)
Workers.
Big flat stones.
Rocks and gravel.
People, horses and carts.
They were built hard and strong.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
Workers.
Big flat stones.
Layers of rocks and gravel.
People, horses and carts.
The roads were built hard and strong with layers of rock.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4)
Teams of workers.
Big, flat stones.
Several layers of rocks and gravel.
People, horses and carts.
They were built hard and strong, with many layers of rock.
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 Roman, gravel, layer and path 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 "Roads Built by Roman Workers"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 94 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. 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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