2nd grade nonfiction passage about ice age homes: 117 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionice age homes117 words
A House Built of Mammoth Bones
A very long time ago, it was the Ice Age. The weather was cold. In some places, few trees grew. People needed a home, but there was not much wood.
So they used something else. They used the big bones of mammoths. A mammoth was a huge animal with long tusks and thick hair. It looked like an elephant. Mammoths are gone now.
People set the large bones in a ring on the ground. They stacked more bones to make the walls. Then they probably covered the top with animal skins. Inside, a small fire kept them warm.
Scientists have found the leftovers of these homes. They help us see how people long ago solved a problem.
Questions
What was the weather like in the Ice Age? in the text
What was a mammoth? in the text
What did people probably put on top of the bone walls? in the text
What kept people warm inside? in the text
Why did people build with bones? think about it
Words to know
mammoth
a huge hairy animal with long tusks, like an elephant
tusks
the long, pointed teeth that stick out of an animal's mouth
skins
the outer coverings taken from animals
scientists
people who study the world to learn about it
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
A House Built of Mammoth Bones
2nd grade reading passage
A very long time ago, it was the Ice Age. The weather was cold. In some places, few trees grew. People needed a home, but there was not much wood.
So they used something else. They used the big bones of mammoths. A mammoth was a huge animal with long tusks and thick hair. It looked like an elephant. Mammoths are gone now.
People set the large bones in a ring on the ground. They stacked more bones to make the walls. Then they probably covered the top with animal skins. Inside, a small fire kept them warm.
Scientists have found the leftovers of these homes. They help us see how people long ago solved a problem.
Questions
What was the weather like in the Ice Age?
What was a mammoth?
What did people probably put on top of the bone walls?
What kept people warm inside?
Why did people build with bones?
Words to know
mammoth: a huge hairy animal with long tusks, like an elephant
tusks: the long, pointed teeth that stick out of an animal's mouth
skins: the outer coverings taken from animals
scientists: people who study the world to learn about it
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/a-house-built-of-mammoth-bones
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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 1.1
Long ago, it was the Ice Age. The weather was cold. In some places, few trees grew. People needed a home. But there was not much wood.
So they used mammoth bones. A mammoth was a huge animal with long tusks and thick hair. It looked like an elephant. Mammoths are gone now.
People set big bones in a ring. They stacked more bones to make walls. Then they put skins on top. Inside, a small fire kept them warm.
Scientists found the leftovers of these homes.
▲ This passage · 117 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2
A very long time ago, it was the Ice Age. The weather was cold. In some places, few trees grew. People needed a home, but there was not much wood.
So they used something else. They used the big bones of mammoths. A mammoth was a huge animal with long tusks and thick hair. It looked like an elephant. Mammoths are gone now.
People set the large bones in a ring on the ground. They stacked more bones to make the walls. Then they probably covered the top with animal skins. Inside, a small fire kept them warm.
Scientists have found the leftovers of these homes. They help us see how people long ago solved a problem.
■ Harder · 123 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.5
A very long time ago, during the Ice Age, the weather was bitterly cold, and in some places hardly any trees grew. People still needed shelter, but there was very little wood available to build it.
Instead, they used the enormous bones of mammoths. A mammoth was a huge animal with long, curved tusks and thick hair, and it resembled an elephant. Mammoths no longer exist today.
People arranged the large bones in a ring on the ground and stacked more bones to form the walls. Then they probably draped animal skins across the top. Inside, a small fire kept everyone warm.
Scientists have discovered the remains of these homes, and they help us understand how people long ago solved a difficult problem.
Long ago, it was the Ice Age. The weather was cold. In some places, few trees grew. People needed a home. But there was not much wood.
So they used mammoth bones. A mammoth was a huge animal with long tusks and thick hair. It looked like an elephant. Mammoths are gone now.
People set big bones in a ring. They stacked more bones to make walls. Then they put skins on top. Inside, a small fire kept them warm.
Scientists found the leftovers of these homes.
Questions
What was the weather like in the Ice Age?
What was a mammoth?
What did people put on top of the bone walls?
What kept people warm inside?
Why did people build with bones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
A House Built of Mammoth Bones
A very long time ago, it was the Ice Age. The weather was cold. In some places, few trees grew. People needed a home, but there was not much wood.
So they used something else. They used the big bones of mammoths. A mammoth was a huge animal with long tusks and thick hair. It looked like an elephant. Mammoths are gone now.
People set the large bones in a ring on the ground. They stacked more bones to make the walls. Then they probably covered the top with animal skins. Inside, a small fire kept them warm.
Scientists have found the leftovers of these homes. They help us see how people long ago solved a problem.
Questions
What was the weather like in the Ice Age?
What was a mammoth?
What did people probably put on top of the bone walls?
What kept people warm inside?
Why did people build with bones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
A House Built of Mammoth Bones
A very long time ago, during the Ice Age, the weather was bitterly cold, and in some places hardly any trees grew. People still needed shelter, but there was very little wood available to build it.
Instead, they used the enormous bones of mammoths. A mammoth was a huge animal with long, curved tusks and thick hair, and it resembled an elephant. Mammoths no longer exist today.
People arranged the large bones in a ring on the ground and stacked more bones to form the walls. Then they probably draped animal skins across the top. Inside, a small fire kept everyone warm.
Scientists have discovered the remains of these homes, and they help us understand how people long ago solved a difficult problem.
Questions
What was the weather like during the Ice Age?
What was a mammoth?
What did people probably drape across the top of the bone walls?
What kept everyone warm inside the home?
Why did people build their homes with bones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: A House Built of Mammoth Bones
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1)
It was cold.
A huge animal with long tusks and thick hair.
Animal skins.
A small fire.
There were few trees, so there was not much wood.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2)
It was cold.
A huge animal with long tusks and thick hair.
Animal skins.
A small fire.
There were few trees, so there was not much wood.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.5)
It was bitterly cold.
A huge animal with long, curved tusks and thick hair.
Animal skins.
A small fire.
Hardly any trees grew, so there was very little wood.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
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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 mammoth, tusks, skins and scientists 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 House Built of Mammoth Bones"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 117 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.
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