2nd grade nonfiction passage about canyons and rivers: 129 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictioncanyons and rivers129 words
A River Carves a Canyon
A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides. Some canyons are so deep that the river at the bottom looks like a thin ribbon. How could a river make a hole that big?
The river did it with time. Water by itself is soft. But a river carries sand and small stones. As the river flows, these bits scrape the rock below. Each scrape takes away a tiny bit of stone.
One scrape is too small to see. But the river keeps flowing day after day, year after year. Slowly, it cuts down into the ground. The canyon gets deeper and deeper.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a famous example. The Colorado River cut it over a very long time. The river is still flowing there today.
Questions
What is a canyon? in the text
What does a river carry that helps it cut the rock? in the text
How long does it take a river to make a canyon? in the text
Which river cut the Grand Canyon? in the text
Why can water cut rock even though water is soft? think about it
Words to know
canyon
a deep valley with steep rock sides
steep
very sharply slanted, almost straight up
scrape
to rub against something and wear it away
carries
takes something along from place to place
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
A River Carves a Canyon
2nd grade reading passage
A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides. Some canyons are so deep that the river at the bottom looks like a thin ribbon. How could a river make a hole that big?
The river did it with time. Water by itself is soft. But a river carries sand and small stones. As the river flows, these bits scrape the rock below. Each scrape takes away a tiny bit of stone.
One scrape is too small to see. But the river keeps flowing day after day, year after year. Slowly, it cuts down into the ground. The canyon gets deeper and deeper.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a famous example. The Colorado River cut it over a very long time. The river is still flowing there today.
Questions
What is a canyon?
What does a river carry that helps it cut the rock?
How long does it take a river to make a canyon?
Which river cut the Grand Canyon?
Why can water cut rock even though water is soft?
Words to know
canyon: a deep valley with steep rock sides
steep: very sharply slanted, almost straight up
scrape: to rub against something and wear it away
carries: takes something along from place to place
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/a-river-carves-a-canyon
Share
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 · 104 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4
A canyon is a deep valley. Its sides are steep. Some are so deep that the river looks like a thin ribbon. How can a river make a hole so big?
It takes time. Water is soft. But a river carries sand and small stones. They scrape the rock. Each scrape takes off a tiny bit.
One scrape is too small to see. But the river flows day after day for years. It cuts down into the ground. The canyon gets deeper.
The Grand Canyon is in Arizona. The Colorado River cut it. It took a very long time. The river still flows there.
▲ This passage · 129 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.4
A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides. Some canyons are so deep that the river at the bottom looks like a thin ribbon. How could a river make a hole that big?
The river did it with time. Water by itself is soft. But a river carries sand and small stones. As the river flows, these bits scrape the rock below. Each scrape takes away a tiny bit of stone.
One scrape is too small to see. But the river keeps flowing day after day, year after year. Slowly, it cuts down into the ground. The canyon gets deeper and deeper.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a famous example. The Colorado River cut it over a very long time. The river is still flowing there today.
■ Harder · 147 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.2
A canyon is a deep valley with extremely steep sides. In some canyons, the river at the very bottom looks like a thin ribbon far below. How could a river possibly carve such an enormous hole?
The river accomplished it with time. Water by itself is soft, but a flowing river carries sand and small stones along with it. As the river rushes forward, these bits scrape against the rock beneath, and every scrape removes a tiny piece of stone.
A single scrape is far too small to notice. However, the river keeps flowing day after day and year after year, slowly cutting down into the ground, until the canyon grows deeper and deeper.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a famous example of this. It was carved by the Colorado River over a very long span of time, and that river is still flowing there today.
A canyon is a deep valley. Its sides are steep. Some are so deep that the river looks like a thin ribbon. How can a river make a hole so big?
It takes time. Water is soft. But a river carries sand and small stones. They scrape the rock. Each scrape takes off a tiny bit.
One scrape is too small to see. But the river flows day after day for years. It cuts down into the ground. The canyon gets deeper.
The Grand Canyon is in Arizona. The Colorado River cut it. It took a very long time. The river still flows there.
Questions
What is a canyon?
What does a river carry that scrapes rock?
How long does a canyon take to form?
Which river cut the Grand Canyon?
Water is soft. How can it cut rock?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
A River Carves a Canyon
A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides. Some canyons are so deep that the river at the bottom looks like a thin ribbon. How could a river make a hole that big?
The river did it with time. Water by itself is soft. But a river carries sand and small stones. As the river flows, these bits scrape the rock below. Each scrape takes away a tiny bit of stone.
One scrape is too small to see. But the river keeps flowing day after day, year after year. Slowly, it cuts down into the ground. The canyon gets deeper and deeper.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a famous example. The Colorado River cut it over a very long time. The river is still flowing there today.
Questions
What is a canyon?
What does a river carry that helps it cut the rock?
How long does it take a river to make a canyon?
Which river cut the Grand Canyon?
Why can water cut rock even though water is soft?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
A River Carves a Canyon
A canyon is a deep valley with extremely steep sides. In some canyons, the river at the very bottom looks like a thin ribbon far below. How could a river possibly carve such an enormous hole?
The river accomplished it with time. Water by itself is soft, but a flowing river carries sand and small stones along with it. As the river rushes forward, these bits scrape against the rock beneath, and every scrape removes a tiny piece of stone.
A single scrape is far too small to notice. However, the river keeps flowing day after day and year after year, slowly cutting down into the ground, until the canyon grows deeper and deeper.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a famous example of this. It was carved by the Colorado River over a very long span of time, and that river is still flowing there today.
Questions
How would you describe a canyon?
What does a river carry along that helps it cut the rock?
How much time does it take for a river to carve a canyon?
Which river carved the Grand Canyon in Arizona?
Why is a river able to cut through rock even though water is soft?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: A River Carves a Canyon
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4)
A deep valley with steep sides.
Sand and small stones.
A very long time.
The Colorado River.
The sand and stones in it scrape the rock.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.4)
A deep valley with steep sides.
Sand and small stones.
A very long time.
The Colorado River.
The sand and stones in the water scrape the rock.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.2)
A deep valley with very steep sides.
Sand and small stones.
A very long time.
The Colorado River.
The sand and stones it carries scrape the rock.
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 canyon, steep, scrape and carries 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.
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 129 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.4. 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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