1st grade nonfiction passage about bouncing balls and energy: 116 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionbouncing balls and energy116 words
Why a Bouncing Ball Bounces Lower Each Time
Drop a rubber ball. It hits the floor and bounces up. Drop it again and watch. The first bounce is high. The next bounce is lower. The one after that is lower still.
Why does the ball bounce lower and lower?
A ball that is held up high has energy for moving. When it falls, that energy makes it go fast. The floor squashes the ball and then it springs back up.
But each bounce, a little energy is lost. Some turns into a thump sound. Some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball has less energy left, so it cannot go as high.
At last, the ball stops and rolls on the floor.
Questions
What kind of ball does the passage tell you to drop? in the text
Which bounce is the highest? in the text
What makes the ball go fast when it falls? in the text
What do some of the lost energy turn into? in the text
Why does the ball stop bouncing at last? think about it
Words to know
rubber
a stretchy material that bounces back
energy
the power that makes things move or change
squashes
presses flat
thump
a dull, heavy sound
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why a Bouncing Ball Bounces Lower Each Time
1st grade reading passage
Drop a rubber ball. It hits the floor and bounces up. Drop it again and watch. The first bounce is high. The next bounce is lower. The one after that is lower still.
Why does the ball bounce lower and lower?
A ball that is held up high has energy for moving. When it falls, that energy makes it go fast. The floor squashes the ball and then it springs back up.
But each bounce, a little energy is lost. Some turns into a thump sound. Some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball has less energy left, so it cannot go as high.
At last, the ball stops and rolls on the floor.
Questions
What kind of ball does the passage tell you to drop?
Which bounce is the highest?
What makes the ball go fast when it falls?
What do some of the lost energy turn into?
Why does the ball stop bouncing at last?
Words to know
rubber: a stretchy material that bounces back
energy: the power that makes things move or change
squashes: presses flat
thump: a dull, heavy sound
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/why-a-bouncing-ball-bounces-lower-each-time
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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 · 87 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9
Drop a rubber ball. It bounces up. Drop it again and watch. The first bounce is high. The next is lower. The next is lower still.
Why? A ball held up high has energy for moving. When it falls, it goes fast. The floor squashes it. Then it springs up.
Each bounce, a little energy is lost. Some turns into a thump sound. Some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball has less energy, so it cannot go as high.
At last, the ball stops.
▲ This passage · 116 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7
Drop a rubber ball. It hits the floor and bounces up. Drop it again and watch. The first bounce is high. The next bounce is lower. The one after that is lower still.
Why does the ball bounce lower and lower?
A ball that is held up high has energy for moving. When it falls, that energy makes it go fast. The floor squashes the ball and then it springs back up.
But each bounce, a little energy is lost. Some turns into a thump sound. Some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball has less energy left, so it cannot go as high.
At last, the ball stops and rolls on the floor.
■ Harder · 133 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4
Drop a rubber ball onto the floor, and it hits the ground and bounces back up. Drop it again and watch closely. The first bounce is high, the next bounce is lower, and the one after that is lower still.
Why does the ball bounce lower and lower?
A ball that is held up high has energy for moving. As it falls, that energy makes it travel quickly. When it lands, the floor squashes the ball, and then the ball springs back up.
However, a little energy is lost with every bounce. Some of it turns into a thump sound, and some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball is left with less energy, so it cannot rise as high.
At last, the ball stops bouncing and rolls along the floor.
Drop a rubber ball. It bounces up. Drop it again and watch. The first bounce is high. The next is lower. The next is lower still.
Why? A ball held up high has energy for moving. When it falls, it goes fast. The floor squashes it. Then it springs up.
Each bounce, a little energy is lost. Some turns into a thump sound. Some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball has less energy, so it cannot go as high.
At last, the ball stops.
Questions
What kind of ball do you drop?
Which bounce is the highest?
What makes the ball go fast when it falls?
What does some of the lost energy turn into?
Why does the ball stop at last?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why a Bouncing Ball Bounces Lower Each Time
Drop a rubber ball. It hits the floor and bounces up. Drop it again and watch. The first bounce is high. The next bounce is lower. The one after that is lower still.
Why does the ball bounce lower and lower?
A ball that is held up high has energy for moving. When it falls, that energy makes it go fast. The floor squashes the ball and then it springs back up.
But each bounce, a little energy is lost. Some turns into a thump sound. Some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball has less energy left, so it cannot go as high.
At last, the ball stops and rolls on the floor.
Questions
What kind of ball does the passage tell you to drop?
Which bounce is the highest?
What makes the ball go fast when it falls?
What do some of the lost energy turn into?
Why does the ball stop bouncing at last?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why a Bouncing Ball Bounces Lower Each Time
Drop a rubber ball onto the floor, and it hits the ground and bounces back up. Drop it again and watch closely. The first bounce is high, the next bounce is lower, and the one after that is lower still.
Why does the ball bounce lower and lower?
A ball that is held up high has energy for moving. As it falls, that energy makes it travel quickly. When it lands, the floor squashes the ball, and then the ball springs back up.
However, a little energy is lost with every bounce. Some of it turns into a thump sound, and some turns into a tiny bit of heat. The ball is left with less energy, so it cannot rise as high.
At last, the ball stops bouncing and rolls along the floor.
Questions
What kind of ball do you drop onto the floor?
Which bounce is the highest one?
What makes the ball travel quickly as it falls?
What does some of the lost energy turn into?
Why does the ball finally stop bouncing?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why a Bouncing Ball Bounces Lower Each Time
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9)
A rubber ball.
The first bounce.
Its energy for moving.
A thump sound and a bit of heat.
It loses a little energy each bounce.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7)
A rubber ball.
The first bounce.
Its energy for moving.
A thump sound and a tiny bit of heat.
It loses a little energy each bounce, so it has none left to go up.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4)
A rubber ball.
The first bounce.
Its energy for moving.
A thump sound and a tiny bit of heat.
It loses a little energy with every bounce, so it has too little left to rise.
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 rubber, energy, squashes and thump 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 "Why a Bouncing Ball Bounces Lower Each Time"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 116 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.7. 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?
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