2nd grade nonfiction passage about pacific wayfinders: 128 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionpacific wayfinders128 words
Finding an Island by Stars and Waves
Long ago, sailors crossed the huge Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They had no maps. They had no compass. How did they find tiny islands?
They used clues from nature. At night, they watched the stars. A star rises in one spot and sets in another. This helped them keep going the right way.
In the day, they felt the waves. Waves can roll in a pattern. A sailor could feel the way the canoe rocked and know which way to steer.
They also watched birds. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning to find fish. At night, they fly back to land. So birds could point to an island that was close.
These sailors were called wayfinders. They had to learn every clue by heart.
Questions
What did the wayfinders cross in their canoes? in the text
What did the sailors watch at night? in the text
How did a sailor feel which way to steer? in the text
What are the sailors called? in the text
Why would birds flying back at night help a sailor? think about it
Words to know
compass
a tool with a needle that shows which way is north
clues
small signs that help you figure something out
steer
to make a boat go the way you want
wayfinders
sailors who find their way using stars, waves, and birds
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Finding an Island by Stars and Waves
2nd grade reading passage
Long ago, sailors crossed the huge Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They had no maps. They had no compass. How did they find tiny islands?
They used clues from nature. At night, they watched the stars. A star rises in one spot and sets in another. This helped them keep going the right way.
In the day, they felt the waves. Waves can roll in a pattern. A sailor could feel the way the canoe rocked and know which way to steer.
They also watched birds. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning to find fish. At night, they fly back to land. So birds could point to an island that was close.
These sailors were called wayfinders. They had to learn every clue by heart.
Questions
What did the wayfinders cross in their canoes?
What did the sailors watch at night?
How did a sailor feel which way to steer?
What are the sailors called?
Why would birds flying back at night help a sailor?
Words to know
compass: a tool with a needle that shows which way is north
clues: small signs that help you figure something out
steer: to make a boat go the way you want
wayfinders: sailors who find their way using stars, waves, and birds
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/finding-an-island-by-stars-and-waves
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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 · 104 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
Long ago, sailors crossed the huge Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They had no maps. They had no compass. How did they find tiny islands?
They used clues from nature. At night, they watched the stars. A star rises in one place and sets in another. This showed them the way.
In the day, they felt the waves. The canoe rocked in a pattern. That told a sailor which way to steer.
They watched birds too. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning. At night they fly back to land. So birds showed that an island was close.
These sailors were wayfinders.
▲ This passage · 128 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3
Long ago, sailors crossed the huge Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They had no maps. They had no compass. How did they find tiny islands?
They used clues from nature. At night, they watched the stars. A star rises in one spot and sets in another. This helped them keep going the right way.
In the day, they felt the waves. Waves can roll in a pattern. A sailor could feel the way the canoe rocked and know which way to steer.
They also watched birds. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning to find fish. At night, they fly back to land. So birds could point to an island that was close.
These sailors were called wayfinders. They had to learn every clue by heart.
■ Harder · 148 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1
Long ago, skilled sailors crossed the enormous Pacific Ocean in large canoes. They carried no maps and no compass, so how did they ever manage to find tiny islands in all that water?
They relied on clues from nature. At night, they studied the stars, because each star rises in one spot on the horizon and sets in another, which helped them hold a steady course.
During the day, they paid attention to the waves. Waves can travel in a pattern, and a sailor could feel the way the canoe rocked and know which direction to steer.
They also watched for birds. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning to find fish and return to land at night, so a bird heading home could point to an island nearby.
These sailors were called wayfinders, and they had to learn every one of these clues by heart.
Long ago, sailors crossed the huge Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They had no maps. They had no compass. How did they find tiny islands?
They used clues from nature. At night, they watched the stars. A star rises in one place and sets in another. This showed them the way.
In the day, they felt the waves. The canoe rocked in a pattern. That told a sailor which way to steer.
They watched birds too. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning. At night they fly back to land. So birds showed that an island was close.
These sailors were wayfinders.
Questions
What did the wayfinders cross in their canoes?
What did the sailors watch at night?
How did a sailor know which way to steer?
What are the sailors called?
Why would birds flying back at night help a sailor?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Finding an Island by Stars and Waves
Long ago, sailors crossed the huge Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They had no maps. They had no compass. How did they find tiny islands?
They used clues from nature. At night, they watched the stars. A star rises in one spot and sets in another. This helped them keep going the right way.
In the day, they felt the waves. Waves can roll in a pattern. A sailor could feel the way the canoe rocked and know which way to steer.
They also watched birds. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning to find fish. At night, they fly back to land. So birds could point to an island that was close.
These sailors were called wayfinders. They had to learn every clue by heart.
Questions
What did the wayfinders cross in their canoes?
What did the sailors watch at night?
How did a sailor feel which way to steer?
What are the sailors called?
Why would birds flying back at night help a sailor?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Finding an Island by Stars and Waves
Long ago, skilled sailors crossed the enormous Pacific Ocean in large canoes. They carried no maps and no compass, so how did they ever manage to find tiny islands in all that water?
They relied on clues from nature. At night, they studied the stars, because each star rises in one spot on the horizon and sets in another, which helped them hold a steady course.
During the day, they paid attention to the waves. Waves can travel in a pattern, and a sailor could feel the way the canoe rocked and know which direction to steer.
They also watched for birds. Some birds fly out to sea in the morning to find fish and return to land at night, so a bird heading home could point to an island nearby.
These sailors were called wayfinders, and they had to learn every one of these clues by heart.
Questions
What did the wayfinders cross in their large canoes?
What did the sailors study at night?
How could a sailor tell which direction to steer during the day?
What were these sailors called?
Why would a bird heading home at night help a sailor?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Finding an Island by Stars and Waves
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
The Pacific Ocean.
The stars.
By feeling how the canoe rocked in the waves.
Wayfinders.
They fly back to land, so an island is near.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3)
The Pacific Ocean.
The stars.
By feeling how the canoe rocked in the waves.
Wayfinders.
They fly back to land, so they show that an island is near.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1)
The enormous Pacific Ocean.
The stars.
By feeling how the canoe rocked in the waves.
Wayfinders.
Birds return to land at night, so a bird heading home could point to an island nearby.
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 compass, clues, steer and wayfinders 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 "Finding an Island by Stars and Waves"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 128 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.3. 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?
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