2nd grade nonfiction passage about why we sneeze: 121 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionwhy we sneeze121 words
Achoo! The Nose Cleaner
Inside your nose are tiny hairs and sticky mucus. They catch dust and germs when you breathe. Your nose is like a little filter.
Sometimes a bit of dust tickles the inside of your nose. Your body wants it out right away. A message zips to your brain. Then your brain tells your chest and throat to push air out in one quick burst. Achoo! The rush of air carries the dust away.
A sneeze sprays tiny drops that can hold germs. Those germs can make other people sick. So sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. Throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands.
A sneeze is not a bad thing. It is just your body cleaning house.
Questions
What catches dust inside your nose? in the text
What starts a sneeze? in the text
What does the burst of air do? in the text
Where should you sneeze? in the text
Why should you wash your hands after using a tissue? think about it
Words to know
mucus
the sticky wet stuff inside your nose
germs
tiny living things that can make you sick
tickles
makes a light, itchy feeling
burst
a sudden rush
tissue
a soft paper for wiping your nose
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Achoo! The Nose Cleaner
2nd grade reading passage
Inside your nose are tiny hairs and sticky mucus. They catch dust and germs when you breathe. Your nose is like a little filter.
Sometimes a bit of dust tickles the inside of your nose. Your body wants it out right away. A message zips to your brain. Then your brain tells your chest and throat to push air out in one quick burst. Achoo! The rush of air carries the dust away.
A sneeze sprays tiny drops that can hold germs. Those germs can make other people sick. So sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. Throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands.
A sneeze is not a bad thing. It is just your body cleaning house.
Questions
What catches dust inside your nose?
What starts a sneeze?
What does the burst of air do?
Where should you sneeze?
Why should you wash your hands after using a tissue?
Words to know
mucus: the sticky wet stuff inside your nose
germs: tiny living things that can make you sick
tickles: makes a light, itchy feeling
burst: a sudden rush
tissue: a soft paper for wiping your nose
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/achoo-the-nose-cleaner
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 · 97 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.5
Your nose has tiny hairs. It has sticky mucus too. They catch dust and germs when you breathe. Your nose is like a filter.
A bit of dust tickles inside your nose. Your body wants it out. A message goes to your brain. Your brain tells your chest to push air out fast. Achoo! The air carries the dust out.
A sneeze sprays tiny drops. They can have germs. Germs can make people sick. So sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. Throw the tissue away. Wash your hands.
A sneeze is good. It cleans your nose.
▲ This passage · 121 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1
Inside your nose are tiny hairs and sticky mucus. They catch dust and germs when you breathe. Your nose is like a little filter.
Sometimes a bit of dust tickles the inside of your nose. Your body wants it out right away. A message zips to your brain. Then your brain tells your chest and throat to push air out in one quick burst. Achoo! The rush of air carries the dust away.
A sneeze sprays tiny drops that can hold germs. Those germs can make other people sick. So sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. Throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands.
A sneeze is not a bad thing. It is just your body cleaning house.
■ Harder · 139 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.5
Inside your nose are many tiny hairs along with sticky mucus, and together they trap dust and germs whenever you breathe. In a way, your nose works like a small filter.
Occasionally a speck of dust tickles the inside of your nose, and your body wants to get rid of it immediately. A message races to your brain, and your brain instructs your chest and throat to push air out in one powerful burst. Achoo! The rush of air sweeps the dust away.
A sneeze also sprays tiny drops that may contain germs, and those germs can make other people sick. For that reason, you should sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. Throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands carefully.
A sneeze is nothing to be ashamed of. It is simply your body cleaning house.
Your nose has tiny hairs. It has sticky mucus too. They catch dust and germs when you breathe. Your nose is like a filter.
A bit of dust tickles inside your nose. Your body wants it out. A message goes to your brain. Your brain tells your chest to push air out fast. Achoo! The air carries the dust out.
A sneeze sprays tiny drops. They can have germs. Germs can make people sick. So sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. Throw the tissue away. Wash your hands.
A sneeze is good. It cleans your nose.
Questions
What catches dust in your nose?
What starts a sneeze?
What does the burst of air do?
Where should you sneeze?
Why should you wash your hands after you use a tissue?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Achoo! The Nose Cleaner
Inside your nose are tiny hairs and sticky mucus. They catch dust and germs when you breathe. Your nose is like a little filter.
Sometimes a bit of dust tickles the inside of your nose. Your body wants it out right away. A message zips to your brain. Then your brain tells your chest and throat to push air out in one quick burst. Achoo! The rush of air carries the dust away.
A sneeze sprays tiny drops that can hold germs. Those germs can make other people sick. So sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. Throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands.
A sneeze is not a bad thing. It is just your body cleaning house.
Questions
What catches dust inside your nose?
What starts a sneeze?
What does the burst of air do?
Where should you sneeze?
Why should you wash your hands after using a tissue?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Achoo! The Nose Cleaner
Inside your nose are many tiny hairs along with sticky mucus, and together they trap dust and germs whenever you breathe. In a way, your nose works like a small filter.
Occasionally a speck of dust tickles the inside of your nose, and your body wants to get rid of it immediately. A message races to your brain, and your brain instructs your chest and throat to push air out in one powerful burst. Achoo! The rush of air sweeps the dust away.
A sneeze also sprays tiny drops that may contain germs, and those germs can make other people sick. For that reason, you should sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. Throw the tissue away, and then wash your hands carefully.
A sneeze is nothing to be ashamed of. It is simply your body cleaning house.
Questions
What traps dust inside your nose?
What usually starts a sneeze?
What does the rush of air do?
Where should you sneeze so you do not spread germs?
Why should you wash your hands after using a tissue?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Achoo! The Nose Cleaner
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.5)
Tiny hairs and sticky mucus.
Dust that tickles inside your nose.
It carries the dust out.
Into a tissue or your elbow.
Germs may be on your hands.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1)
Tiny hairs and sticky mucus.
Dust that tickles the inside of your nose.
It carries the dust away.
Into a tissue or into your elbow.
Germs from the sneeze may be on your hands.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.5)
Tiny hairs and sticky mucus.
A speck of dust that tickles the inside of your nose.
It sweeps the dust away.
Into a tissue or into your elbow.
Germs from the sneeze may be on your hands.
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 mucus, germs, tickles, burst and tissue 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 121 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.1. 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.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.