1st grade nonfiction passage about space suits: 104 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
1st gradenonfictionspace suits104 words
Why Astronauts Wear a Suit Outside
A space suit is like a tiny house you wear. It keeps an astronaut safe outside the ship.
Space has no air. People need air to breathe. So the suit holds air inside for the astronaut.
The suit also keeps the astronaut at a good warm and cool. A big helmet lets the astronaut see. A shiny cover helps too.
The gloves are thick. But the astronaut can still hold tools and turn a bolt.
A suit is hard to put on. An astronaut gets help to zip it up and check it before going outside. Then the door opens, and the work begins.
Questions
What does a space suit hold inside? in the text
What does space not have? in the text
What lets the astronaut see? in the text
What can the astronaut hold with thick gloves? in the text
Why is a space suit like a tiny house? think about it
Words to know
helmet
a hard hat that covers your head
breathe
to take air in and let it out
gloves
things you wear on your hands
tools
things that help you do a job
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why Astronauts Wear a Suit Outside
1st grade reading passage
A space suit is like a tiny house you wear. It keeps an astronaut safe outside the ship.
Space has no air. People need air to breathe. So the suit holds air inside for the astronaut.
The suit also keeps the astronaut at a good warm and cool. A big helmet lets the astronaut see. A shiny cover helps too.
The gloves are thick. But the astronaut can still hold tools and turn a bolt.
A suit is hard to put on. An astronaut gets help to zip it up and check it before going outside. Then the door opens, and the work begins.
Questions
What does a space suit hold inside?
What does space not have?
What lets the astronaut see?
What can the astronaut hold with thick gloves?
Why is a space suit like a tiny house?
Words to know
helmet: a hard hat that covers your head
breathe: to take air in and let it out
gloves: things you wear on your hands
tools: things that help you do a job
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/1/why-astronauts-wear-a-suit-outside
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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 · 50 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5
A space suit is like a tiny house you wear. It keeps an astronaut safe outside the ship.
Space has no air. People need air to breathe. The suit holds air inside.
A big helmet lets the astronaut see. The gloves are thick. But the astronaut can still hold tools.
▲ This passage · 104 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2
A space suit is like a tiny house you wear. It keeps an astronaut safe outside the ship.
Space has no air. People need air to breathe. So the suit holds air inside for the astronaut.
The suit also keeps the astronaut at a good warm and cool. A big helmet lets the astronaut see. A shiny cover helps too.
The gloves are thick. But the astronaut can still hold tools and turn a bolt.
A suit is hard to put on. An astronaut gets help to zip it up and check it before going outside. Then the door opens, and the work begins.
■ Harder · 89 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6
A space suit is rather like a tiny house that an astronaut wears. It keeps the astronaut safe whenever he or she goes outside the ship.
Space has no air, and people need air to breathe. For that reason, the suit holds air inside for the astronaut.
The suit also keeps the astronaut from getting too warm or too cool. A large helmet lets the astronaut see, and a shiny cover helps as well.
The gloves are thick, but the astronaut can still hold tools and turn a bolt.
A space suit is like a tiny house you wear. It keeps an astronaut safe outside the ship.
Space has no air. People need air to breathe. The suit holds air inside.
A big helmet lets the astronaut see. The gloves are thick. But the astronaut can still hold tools.
Questions
What does a space suit hold inside?
What does space not have?
What lets the astronaut see?
What can the astronaut hold with thick gloves?
Why is a space suit like a tiny house?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why Astronauts Wear a Suit Outside
A space suit is like a tiny house you wear. It keeps an astronaut safe outside the ship.
Space has no air. People need air to breathe. So the suit holds air inside for the astronaut.
The suit also keeps the astronaut at a good warm and cool. A big helmet lets the astronaut see. A shiny cover helps too.
The gloves are thick. But the astronaut can still hold tools and turn a bolt.
A suit is hard to put on. An astronaut gets help to zip it up and check it before going outside. Then the door opens, and the work begins.
Questions
What does a space suit hold inside?
What does space not have?
What lets the astronaut see?
What can the astronaut hold with thick gloves?
Why is a space suit like a tiny house?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why Astronauts Wear a Suit Outside
A space suit is rather like a tiny house that an astronaut wears. It keeps the astronaut safe whenever he or she goes outside the ship.
Space has no air, and people need air to breathe. For that reason, the suit holds air inside for the astronaut.
The suit also keeps the astronaut from getting too warm or too cool. A large helmet lets the astronaut see, and a shiny cover helps as well.
The gloves are thick, but the astronaut can still hold tools and turn a bolt.
Questions
What does a space suit hold inside for the astronaut?
What does space not have?
What lets the astronaut see?
What can the astronaut still hold in thick gloves?
Why is a space suit like a tiny house that is worn?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why Astronauts Wear a Suit Outside
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5)
Air.
Air.
A big helmet.
Tools.
It keeps the astronaut safe, with air inside.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2)
Air.
Air.
A big helmet.
Tools.
It keeps the astronaut safe, with air, like a home would.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6)
Air.
Air.
A large helmet.
Tools.
It keeps the astronaut safe and gives air, the way a home would.
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 helmet, breathe, gloves and tools 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 Astronauts Wear a Suit Outside"?
It was written for 1st grade. It has 104 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.2. 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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