2nd grade nonfiction passage about glassblower at work: 122 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionglassblower at work122 words
A Glassblower Makes a Bubble
A glassblower makes cups, bowls, and vases out of glass. The work starts at a very hot oven called a furnace. The glass inside glows, and it moves slowly like thick honey.
The glassblower dips a long metal pipe into the furnace and picks up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows into the other end of the pipe. A bubble grows inside the glass, just like a bubble of gum.
While she works, she keeps turning the pipe. Turning helps the glass stay round. She uses tools to pinch and shape it. When the glass cools, it turns hard again.
Glassblowers wear thick gloves and stay careful near the heat. It takes years of practice to make a smooth bowl.
Questions
What do glassblowers make? in the text
What is the glass like inside the furnace? in the text
What does the glassblower blow into? in the text
Why does she keep turning the pipe? in the text
Why do glassblowers wear thick gloves? think about it
Words to know
furnace
a very hot oven used to melt things
glob
a small lump of something soft
vases
tall containers that hold flowers
practice
doing something again and again to get better
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
A Glassblower Makes a Bubble
2nd grade reading passage
A glassblower makes cups, bowls, and vases out of glass. The work starts at a very hot oven called a furnace. The glass inside glows, and it moves slowly like thick honey.
The glassblower dips a long metal pipe into the furnace and picks up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows into the other end of the pipe. A bubble grows inside the glass, just like a bubble of gum.
While she works, she keeps turning the pipe. Turning helps the glass stay round. She uses tools to pinch and shape it. When the glass cools, it turns hard again.
Glassblowers wear thick gloves and stay careful near the heat. It takes years of practice to make a smooth bowl.
Questions
What do glassblowers make?
What is the glass like inside the furnace?
What does the glassblower blow into?
Why does she keep turning the pipe?
Why do glassblowers wear thick gloves?
Words to know
furnace: a very hot oven used to melt things
glob: a small lump of something soft
vases: tall containers that hold flowers
practice: doing something again and again to get better
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/a-glassblower-makes-a-bubble
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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 · 103 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.1
A glassblower makes cups and bowls out of glass. The work starts at a hot oven. The oven is called a furnace. The glass in it glows. It is soft, like thick honey.
She dips a long pipe in the furnace. She picks up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows in the pipe. A bubble grows in the glass.
She turns the pipe all the time. That keeps the glass round. She pinches and shapes it with tools. When the glass cools, it gets hard.
The glassblower wears thick gloves. The heat can hurt. It takes years to learn this job.
▲ This passage · 122 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
A glassblower makes cups, bowls, and vases out of glass. The work starts at a very hot oven called a furnace. The glass inside glows, and it moves slowly like thick honey.
The glassblower dips a long metal pipe into the furnace and picks up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows into the other end of the pipe. A bubble grows inside the glass, just like a bubble of gum.
While she works, she keeps turning the pipe. Turning helps the glass stay round. She uses tools to pinch and shape it. When the glass cools, it turns hard again.
Glassblowers wear thick gloves and stay careful near the heat. It takes years of practice to make a smooth bowl.
■ Harder · 136 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3
A glassblower creates cups, bowls, and vases out of glass. The process begins at an extremely hot oven called a furnace. The glass inside the furnace glows brightly, and it flows slowly, much like thick honey.
Using a long metal pipe, the glassblower scoops up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows into the opposite end of the pipe, and a bubble swells inside the glass, just like a bubble of gum.
All the while, she keeps turning the pipe so that the glass stays perfectly round. She also uses special tools to pinch and shape it. Once the glass cools down, it becomes hard again.
Because the furnace gives off so much heat, glassblowers wear thick gloves and work with great care. It takes many years of practice to make a smooth, even bowl.
A glassblower makes cups and bowls out of glass. The work starts at a hot oven. The oven is called a furnace. The glass in it glows. It is soft, like thick honey.
She dips a long pipe in the furnace. She picks up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows in the pipe. A bubble grows in the glass.
She turns the pipe all the time. That keeps the glass round. She pinches and shapes it with tools. When the glass cools, it gets hard.
The glassblower wears thick gloves. The heat can hurt. It takes years to learn this job.
Questions
What do glassblowers make?
What is the glass like in the furnace?
What does she blow into?
Why does she keep turning the pipe?
Why does the glassblower wear thick gloves?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
A Glassblower Makes a Bubble
A glassblower makes cups, bowls, and vases out of glass. The work starts at a very hot oven called a furnace. The glass inside glows, and it moves slowly like thick honey.
The glassblower dips a long metal pipe into the furnace and picks up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows into the other end of the pipe. A bubble grows inside the glass, just like a bubble of gum.
While she works, she keeps turning the pipe. Turning helps the glass stay round. She uses tools to pinch and shape it. When the glass cools, it turns hard again.
Glassblowers wear thick gloves and stay careful near the heat. It takes years of practice to make a smooth bowl.
Questions
What do glassblowers make?
What is the glass like inside the furnace?
What does the glassblower blow into?
Why does she keep turning the pipe?
Why do glassblowers wear thick gloves?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
A Glassblower Makes a Bubble
A glassblower creates cups, bowls, and vases out of glass. The process begins at an extremely hot oven called a furnace. The glass inside the furnace glows brightly, and it flows slowly, much like thick honey.
Using a long metal pipe, the glassblower scoops up a glob of glowing glass. Then she blows into the opposite end of the pipe, and a bubble swells inside the glass, just like a bubble of gum.
All the while, she keeps turning the pipe so that the glass stays perfectly round. She also uses special tools to pinch and shape it. Once the glass cools down, it becomes hard again.
Because the furnace gives off so much heat, glassblowers wear thick gloves and work with great care. It takes many years of practice to make a smooth, even bowl.
Questions
What kinds of things do glassblowers create?
What is the glass like inside the furnace?
Where does she blow to make the bubble?
Why does she keep turning the pipe while she works?
Why do glassblowers wear thick gloves and work carefully?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: A Glassblower Makes a Bubble
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.1)
Cups and bowls out of glass.
It glows and is soft, like thick honey.
A long pipe.
It keeps the glass round.
The heat can hurt, so the gloves keep her hands safe.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
Cups, bowls, and vases out of glass.
It glows and moves slowly like thick honey.
The other end of a long metal pipe.
Turning helps the glass stay round.
The furnace and the glass are very hot, so the gloves help keep their hands safe.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3)
Cups, bowls, and vases out of glass.
It glows brightly and flows slowly, like thick honey.
Into the opposite end of the long metal pipe.
Turning keeps the glass perfectly round.
The furnace gives off so much heat that it could hurt them.
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 furnace, glob, vases and practice 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 "A Glassblower Makes a Bubble"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 122 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.1. 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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