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Using a Telescope on a Clear Night

1st grade nonfiction passage about telescopes: 101 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

1st grade nonfiction telescopes 101 words

Using a Telescope on a Clear Night

A telescope is a tube with glass inside. It helps you to see things that are far away as if they were up close.

First, pick a clear night. Clouds can hide the sky. Find a dark spot, away from bright lights.

Next, point the telescope at the Moon. Look in the small end. The Moon looks big! You may see round dents called craters.

Last, turn it slowly. Small turns move the view a lot. Take your time, and enjoy the sky. Ask a grown-up to help you set it up, and be sure to bring a warm coat.

Questions

  1. What does a telescope help you do? in the text

  2. What kind of night should you pick? in the text

  3. What are the round dents on the Moon called? in the text

  4. Where should you find a spot to look? in the text

  5. Why is a cloudy night bad for a telescope? think about it

Words to know

telescope
a tube that makes far things look close
tube
a long, round, hollow shape
crater
a round dent in the ground or on the Moon
clear
with no clouds in the way
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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 · 58 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.7

A telescope is a tube. It has glass in it. It helps you see far things up close.

Pick a clear night. Clouds can hide the sky. Find a dark spot.

Point the telescope at the Moon. Look in the small end. The Moon looks big! You may see round dents. They are called craters.

Turn it slowly.

▲ This passage · 101 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4

A telescope is a tube with glass inside. It helps you to see things that are far away as if they were up close.

First, pick a clear night. Clouds can hide the sky. Find a dark spot, away from bright lights.

Next, point the telescope at the Moon. Look in the small end. The Moon looks big! You may see round dents called craters.

Last, turn it slowly. Small turns move the view a lot. Take your time, and enjoy the sky. Ask a grown-up to help you set it up, and be sure to bring a warm coat.

■ Harder · 92 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.3

A telescope is a long tube with glass inside, and it helps you see faraway things as if they were close.

To begin, choose a clear night, because clouds can hide the sky. Then find a dark spot, well away from any bright lights.

Next, point the telescope at the Moon and look into the small end. The Moon appears much bigger, and you may notice round dents called craters.

Finally, turn the telescope slowly. Even tiny turns move the view a great deal, so take your time and enjoy the sky.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put telescope, tube, crater and clear 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Using a Telescope on a Clear Night"?

It was written for 1st grade. It has 101 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.4. 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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