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Why a Spinning Top Finally Falls Over

1st grade nonfiction passage about spinning tops and slowing down: 111 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

1st grade nonfiction spinning tops and slowing down 111 words

Why a Spinning Top Finally Falls Over

A top is a toy that spins. You twist it with your fingers, and it whirls on its tip. It stands up straight and hums.

A spinning top does not fall over at first. The fast spinning helps it stay tall. But watch for a while. The top spins slower and slower. Then it starts to wobble. At last, it tips over and lies on its side.

What slows it down? The tip rubs on the table. The air rubs on the top, too. This rubbing is called friction. Friction takes away some of the spin.

A smooth table has less rubbing. So a top spins longer on a smooth table.

Questions

  1. How do you start a top spinning? in the text

  2. What does a fast spin help the top do? in the text

  3. What does the top do before it falls over? in the text

  4. What is the rubbing called? in the text

  5. Why does a top spin longer on a smooth table? think about it

Words to know

whirls
spins around and around fast
wobble
to shake from side to side
friction
the rubbing that slows things down
smooth
flat and even, not rough
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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 · 90 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.1

A top is a toy that spins. You twist it with your fingers. It whirls on its tip. It stands up straight.

At first, the top does not fall. The fast spin helps it stay tall. But watch. The top spins slower. Then it wobbles. At last, it tips over.

What slows it down? The tip rubs on the table. The air rubs on the top. This rubbing is called friction. Friction takes away some of the spin.

A smooth table has less rubbing. A top spins longer on it.

▲ This passage · 111 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8

A top is a toy that spins. You twist it with your fingers, and it whirls on its tip. It stands up straight and hums.

A spinning top does not fall over at first. The fast spinning helps it stay tall. But watch for a while. The top spins slower and slower. Then it starts to wobble. At last, it tips over and lies on its side.

What slows it down? The tip rubs on the table. The air rubs on the top, too. This rubbing is called friction. Friction takes away some of the spin.

A smooth table has less rubbing. So a top spins longer on a smooth table.

■ Harder · 119 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8

A top is a toy that spins. You twist it between your fingers, and it whirls on its tip. At first it stands up straight and hums.

A spinning top does not fall over right away, because the fast spinning helps it stay tall. But watch it for a while. The top spins slower and slower, and then it begins to wobble. At last, it tips over and lies on its side.

What slows it down? The tip rubs against the table, and the air rubs against the top as well. This rubbing is called friction, and friction takes away some of the spin.

A smooth table has less rubbing, so a top spins longer on a smooth table.

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 whirls, wobble, friction and smooth 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 "Why a Spinning Top Finally Falls Over"?

It was written for 1st grade. It has 111 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 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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