1st grade nonfiction passage about tree trimmers: 100 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictiontree trimmers100 words
The Tree Trimmer Climbs on a Rope
A tree trimmer takes care of trees. Some trees are so tall that a ladder is not enough. So the trimmer climbs with a rope.
First, she puts on a hard hat to guard her head. She clips a belt to the rope. Then she goes up, one step at a time.
High in the tree, she looks for dead branches. A dead branch is dry and has no leaves. It can break and fall. She cuts it with a small saw, and her helper waits below.
Now the tree is neat and safe. The healthy branches can keep growing.
Questions
What does a tree trimmer take care of? in the text
What does she wear to guard her head? in the text
What does she look for high in the tree? in the text
What does she use to cut a branch? in the text
Why does the trimmer cut off dead branches? think about it
Why does the trimmer climb with a rope? think about it
Words to know
trimmer
a worker who cuts parts off a plant
ladder
a set of steps you use to climb up high
branch
an arm of a tree that grows out from the trunk
saw
a tool with sharp teeth for cutting wood
healthy
strong and well
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Tree Trimmer Climbs on a Rope
1st grade reading passage
A tree trimmer takes care of trees. Some trees are so tall that a ladder is not enough. So the trimmer climbs with a rope.
First, she puts on a hard hat to guard her head. She clips a belt to the rope. Then she goes up, one step at a time.
High in the tree, she looks for dead branches. A dead branch is dry and has no leaves. It can break and fall. She cuts it with a small saw, and her helper waits below.
Now the tree is neat and safe. The healthy branches can keep growing.
Questions
What does a tree trimmer take care of?
What does she wear to guard her head?
What does she look for high in the tree?
What does she use to cut a branch?
Why does the trimmer cut off dead branches?
Why does the trimmer climb with a rope?
Words to know
trimmer: a worker who cuts parts off a plant
ladder: a set of steps you use to climb up high
branch: an arm of a tree that grows out from the trunk
saw: a tool with sharp teeth for cutting wood
healthy: strong and well
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/tree-trimmer-climbs-on-a-rope
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 · 73 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3
A tree trimmer cares for trees. Some trees are very tall. A ladder is not enough. So she climbs with a rope.
She puts on a hard hat. It guards her head. She clips a belt to the rope. She goes up, one step at a time.
She looks for dead branches. A dead branch is dry. It can break and fall. She cuts it with a small saw. Her helper waits below.
▲ This passage · 100 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8
A tree trimmer takes care of trees. Some trees are so tall that a ladder is not enough. So the trimmer climbs with a rope.
First, she puts on a hard hat to guard her head. She clips a belt to the rope. Then she goes up, one step at a time.
High in the tree, she looks for dead branches. A dead branch is dry and has no leaves. It can break and fall. She cuts it with a small saw, and her helper waits below.
Now the tree is neat and safe. The healthy branches can keep growing.
■ Harder · 118 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4
A tree trimmer is a worker who takes care of trees. Some trees grow so tall that a ladder is not nearly enough, so the trimmer climbs using a strong rope.
Before she starts, she puts on a hard hat to guard her head and clips a safety belt to the rope. Then she climbs slowly, one careful step at a time.
High in the tree, she searches for dead branches. A dead branch is dry and has no leaves, and it can easily break and fall. She cuts it off with a small saw while her helper waits on the ground below.
Now the tree is neat and safe, and its healthy branches can keep on growing.
A tree trimmer cares for trees. Some trees are very tall. A ladder is not enough. So she climbs with a rope.
She puts on a hard hat. It guards her head. She clips a belt to the rope. She goes up, one step at a time.
She looks for dead branches. A dead branch is dry. It can break and fall. She cuts it with a small saw. Her helper waits below.
Questions
What does a tree trimmer care for?
What guards her head?
What does she look for in the tree?
What does she cut with?
Why does she cut off dead branches?
Why does she climb with a rope?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Tree Trimmer Climbs on a Rope
A tree trimmer takes care of trees. Some trees are so tall that a ladder is not enough. So the trimmer climbs with a rope.
First, she puts on a hard hat to guard her head. She clips a belt to the rope. Then she goes up, one step at a time.
High in the tree, she looks for dead branches. A dead branch is dry and has no leaves. It can break and fall. She cuts it with a small saw, and her helper waits below.
Now the tree is neat and safe. The healthy branches can keep growing.
Questions
What does a tree trimmer take care of?
What does she wear to guard her head?
What does she look for high in the tree?
What does she use to cut a branch?
Why does the trimmer cut off dead branches?
Why does the trimmer climb with a rope?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Tree Trimmer Climbs on a Rope
A tree trimmer is a worker who takes care of trees. Some trees grow so tall that a ladder is not nearly enough, so the trimmer climbs using a strong rope.
Before she starts, she puts on a hard hat to guard her head and clips a safety belt to the rope. Then she climbs slowly, one careful step at a time.
High in the tree, she searches for dead branches. A dead branch is dry and has no leaves, and it can easily break and fall. She cuts it off with a small saw while her helper waits on the ground below.
Now the tree is neat and safe, and its healthy branches can keep on growing.
Questions
What kind of worker takes care of trees?
What does she put on to guard her head?
What does she search for high in the tree?
What does she cut a branch off with?
Why does the trimmer cut off the dead branches?
Why does the trimmer climb with a rope instead of a ladder?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Tree Trimmer Climbs on a Rope
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3)
Trees.
A hard hat.
Dead branches.
A small saw.
A dead branch can break and fall.
Some trees are too tall for a ladder.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8)
Trees.
A hard hat.
Dead branches.
A small saw.
A dead branch can break and fall.
Some trees are too tall for a ladder.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4)
A tree trimmer.
A hard hat.
Dead branches.
A small saw.
A dead branch can easily break and fall.
Some trees grow too tall for a ladder to reach.
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 trimmer, ladder, branch, saw and healthy 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 "The Tree Trimmer Climbs on a Rope"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 100 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.8. 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 six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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?
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