2nd grade nonfiction passage about ice on ponds: 134 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionice on ponds134 words
Fish Keep Swimming Under Pond Ice
In winter, a pond can freeze on top. You may see a flat sheet of ice. You may wonder what happens to the fish.
Here is a surprise. Ice floats. It stays on top of the water, like a lid. The water under the ice stays liquid, so the fish have room to swim.
The ice also works like a blanket. It keeps the cold wind off the water below. So the pond does not freeze all the way to the bottom, at least not in most places.
The fish do not move much in the cold. They swim slowly and save their energy. They do not need much food until spring. When the ice melts, the fish speed up again.
Never walk on pond ice unless a grown-up says it is safe.
Questions
What happens to a pond in winter? in the text
Where does the ice stay? in the text
What does the ice work like? in the text
How do the fish move in the cold? in the text
Why is it a good thing that ice floats? think about it
Words to know
freeze
to turn into ice because it is very cold
floats
stays on top of water and does not sink
liquid
something wet that flows, like water
energy
the power an animal needs to move
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Fish Keep Swimming Under Pond Ice
2nd grade reading passage
In winter, a pond can freeze on top. You may see a flat sheet of ice. You may wonder what happens to the fish.
Here is a surprise. Ice floats. It stays on top of the water, like a lid. The water under the ice stays liquid, so the fish have room to swim.
The ice also works like a blanket. It keeps the cold wind off the water below. So the pond does not freeze all the way to the bottom, at least not in most places.
The fish do not move much in the cold. They swim slowly and save their energy. They do not need much food until spring. When the ice melts, the fish speed up again.
Never walk on pond ice unless a grown-up says it is safe.
Questions
What happens to a pond in winter?
Where does the ice stay?
What does the ice work like?
How do the fish move in the cold?
Why is it a good thing that ice floats?
Words to know
freeze: to turn into ice because it is very cold
floats: stays on top of water and does not sink
liquid: something wet that flows, like water
energy: the power an animal needs to move
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/fish-keep-swimming-under-pond-ice
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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 · 93 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4
In winter, a pond can freeze on top. You see a sheet of ice. Where are the fish?
Ice floats. It stays on top of the water. The water under it stays wet, so the fish can swim.
The ice is like a blanket. It keeps the cold wind away. So the pond does not freeze to the bottom.
The fish swim slowly in the cold. They save energy. In spring the ice melts, and the fish speed up.
Do not walk on pond ice unless a grown-up says it is safe.
▲ This passage · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5
In winter, a pond can freeze on top. You may see a flat sheet of ice. You may wonder what happens to the fish.
Here is a surprise. Ice floats. It stays on top of the water, like a lid. The water under the ice stays liquid, so the fish have room to swim.
The ice also works like a blanket. It keeps the cold wind off the water below. So the pond does not freeze all the way to the bottom, at least not in most places.
The fish do not move much in the cold. They swim slowly and save their energy. They do not need much food until spring. When the ice melts, the fish speed up again.
Never walk on pond ice unless a grown-up says it is safe.
■ Harder · 135 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9
During winter, the surface of a pond can freeze into a flat sheet of ice, and you may wonder what becomes of the fish beneath it.
Surprisingly, ice floats, so it stays on top of the water like a lid. The water below remains liquid, which gives the fish plenty of room to swim.
The ice also acts like a blanket by blocking the cold wind from the water underneath. As a result, the pond usually does not freeze all the way to the bottom.
In the cold, the fish move very little. They swim slowly to conserve their energy, and they do not need much food until spring arrives. When the ice finally melts, the fish become lively again.
Never step onto pond ice unless a grown-up has told you it is safe.
In winter, a pond can freeze on top. You see a sheet of ice. Where are the fish?
Ice floats. It stays on top of the water. The water under it stays wet, so the fish can swim.
The ice is like a blanket. It keeps the cold wind away. So the pond does not freeze to the bottom.
The fish swim slowly in the cold. They save energy. In spring the ice melts, and the fish speed up.
Do not walk on pond ice unless a grown-up says it is safe.
Questions
What can happen to a pond in winter?
Where does the ice stay?
What is the ice like?
How do the fish swim in the cold?
Why is it good that ice floats?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Fish Keep Swimming Under Pond Ice
In winter, a pond can freeze on top. You may see a flat sheet of ice. You may wonder what happens to the fish.
Here is a surprise. Ice floats. It stays on top of the water, like a lid. The water under the ice stays liquid, so the fish have room to swim.
The ice also works like a blanket. It keeps the cold wind off the water below. So the pond does not freeze all the way to the bottom, at least not in most places.
The fish do not move much in the cold. They swim slowly and save their energy. They do not need much food until spring. When the ice melts, the fish speed up again.
Never walk on pond ice unless a grown-up says it is safe.
Questions
What happens to a pond in winter?
Where does the ice stay?
What does the ice work like?
How do the fish move in the cold?
Why is it a good thing that ice floats?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Fish Keep Swimming Under Pond Ice
During winter, the surface of a pond can freeze into a flat sheet of ice, and you may wonder what becomes of the fish beneath it.
Surprisingly, ice floats, so it stays on top of the water like a lid. The water below remains liquid, which gives the fish plenty of room to swim.
The ice also acts like a blanket by blocking the cold wind from the water underneath. As a result, the pond usually does not freeze all the way to the bottom.
In the cold, the fish move very little. They swim slowly to conserve their energy, and they do not need much food until spring arrives. When the ice finally melts, the fish become lively again.
Never step onto pond ice unless a grown-up has told you it is safe.
Questions
What can happen to the surface of a pond in winter?
Where does the floating ice stay?
How does the ice act like a blanket?
How do the fish move in the cold, and why?
Why is it helpful that ice floats instead of sinking?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Fish Keep Swimming Under Pond Ice
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4)
It can freeze on top.
On top of the water.
A blanket that keeps the cold wind away.
Slowly, to save energy.
The water stays wet under it, so fish can swim.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5)
It can freeze on top.
It floats on top of the water.
A blanket that keeps the cold wind off the water.
They swim slowly to save energy.
The water stays liquid below it, so fish have room to swim.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9)
It can freeze into a flat sheet of ice.
On top of the water, like a lid.
It blocks the cold wind from the water underneath.
They swim slowly to conserve their energy.
The water below stays liquid, giving the fish room to swim.
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 freeze, floats, liquid and energy 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 "Fish Keep Swimming Under Pond Ice"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 134 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.5. 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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