2nd grade nonfiction passage about lightning and thunder: 135 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionlightning and thunder135 words
Flash First, Boom Later
During a storm, you may see a bright flash in the sky. A few seconds later, you hear a loud boom. Why does the light come first?
The flash is lightning. It is a giant spark of electricity. The boom is thunder. Thunder is the sound the lightning makes when it heats the air very fast.
Both happen at the same moment. But light and sound travel at different speeds. Light is much, much faster. It reaches your eyes almost at once. Sound is slower, so it needs more time to reach your ears.
If the lightning is far away, you wait longer for the boom. If it is close, the boom comes fast.
Thunder is also a warning. When you hear it, go inside a building and stay there until the storm is over.
Questions
What is lightning? in the text
What makes the sound of thunder? in the text
Which travels faster, light or sound? in the text
What should you do when you hear thunder? in the text
You see a flash and the boom comes right away. Is the lightning close or far? think about it
Words to know
lightning
a giant spark of electricity in the sky
thunder
the loud boom after a flash of lightning
electricity
a kind of energy that can make sparks
warning
something that tells you to be careful
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Flash First, Boom Later
2nd grade reading passage
During a storm, you may see a bright flash in the sky. A few seconds later, you hear a loud boom. Why does the light come first?
The flash is lightning. It is a giant spark of electricity. The boom is thunder. Thunder is the sound the lightning makes when it heats the air very fast.
Both happen at the same moment. But light and sound travel at different speeds. Light is much, much faster. It reaches your eyes almost at once. Sound is slower, so it needs more time to reach your ears.
If the lightning is far away, you wait longer for the boom. If it is close, the boom comes fast.
Thunder is also a warning. When you hear it, go inside a building and stay there until the storm is over.
Questions
What is lightning?
What makes the sound of thunder?
Which travels faster, light or sound?
What should you do when you hear thunder?
You see a flash and the boom comes right away. Is the lightning close or far?
Words to know
lightning: a giant spark of electricity in the sky
thunder: the loud boom after a flash of lightning
electricity: a kind of energy that can make sparks
warning: something that tells you to be careful
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/flash-first-boom-later
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 · 99 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6
In a storm, you see a bright flash. Then you hear a loud boom. Why does the light come first?
The flash is lightning. It is a big spark of electricity. The boom is thunder. It is the sound lightning makes. The lightning heats the air very fast.
Both happen at once. But light is faster than sound. Light gets to your eyes right away. Sound takes more time.
If lightning is far, you wait for the boom. If it is close, the boom is fast.
Thunder is a warning. Go inside. Stay in until the storm is over.
▲ This passage · 135 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3
During a storm, you may see a bright flash in the sky. A few seconds later, you hear a loud boom. Why does the light come first?
The flash is lightning. It is a giant spark of electricity. The boom is thunder. Thunder is the sound the lightning makes when it heats the air very fast.
Both happen at the same moment. But light and sound travel at different speeds. Light is much, much faster. It reaches your eyes almost at once. Sound is slower, so it needs more time to reach your ears.
If the lightning is far away, you wait longer for the boom. If it is close, the boom comes fast.
Thunder is also a warning. When you hear it, go inside a building and stay there until the storm is over.
■ Harder · 148 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1
During a thunderstorm, you might notice a bright flash across the sky, followed a few seconds later by a loud boom. Why does the light always arrive before the sound?
The flash is lightning, which is a giant spark of electricity. The boom is thunder, the sound that lightning makes when it heats the air around it extremely fast.
Both of them happen at exactly the same moment, but light and sound travel at very different speeds. Light is much, much faster, so it reaches your eyes almost instantly. Sound moves more slowly, so it needs extra time to reach your ears.
When lightning is far away, you wait a longer time for the boom, but when it is close, the boom follows quickly.
Thunder is also an important warning. As soon as you hear it, go inside a building and stay there until the storm has passed.
In a storm, you see a bright flash. Then you hear a loud boom. Why does the light come first?
The flash is lightning. It is a big spark of electricity. The boom is thunder. It is the sound lightning makes. The lightning heats the air very fast.
Both happen at once. But light is faster than sound. Light gets to your eyes right away. Sound takes more time.
If lightning is far, you wait for the boom. If it is close, the boom is fast.
Thunder is a warning. Go inside. Stay in until the storm is over.
Questions
What is lightning?
What makes the sound of thunder?
Which is faster, light or sound?
What should you do when you hear thunder?
The boom comes right after the flash. Is the lightning close or far?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Flash First, Boom Later
During a storm, you may see a bright flash in the sky. A few seconds later, you hear a loud boom. Why does the light come first?
The flash is lightning. It is a giant spark of electricity. The boom is thunder. Thunder is the sound the lightning makes when it heats the air very fast.
Both happen at the same moment. But light and sound travel at different speeds. Light is much, much faster. It reaches your eyes almost at once. Sound is slower, so it needs more time to reach your ears.
If the lightning is far away, you wait longer for the boom. If it is close, the boom comes fast.
Thunder is also a warning. When you hear it, go inside a building and stay there until the storm is over.
Questions
What is lightning?
What makes the sound of thunder?
Which travels faster, light or sound?
What should you do when you hear thunder?
You see a flash and the boom comes right away. Is the lightning close or far?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Flash First, Boom Later
During a thunderstorm, you might notice a bright flash across the sky, followed a few seconds later by a loud boom. Why does the light always arrive before the sound?
The flash is lightning, which is a giant spark of electricity. The boom is thunder, the sound that lightning makes when it heats the air around it extremely fast.
Both of them happen at exactly the same moment, but light and sound travel at very different speeds. Light is much, much faster, so it reaches your eyes almost instantly. Sound moves more slowly, so it needs extra time to reach your ears.
When lightning is far away, you wait a longer time for the boom, but when it is close, the boom follows quickly.
Thunder is also an important warning. As soon as you hear it, go inside a building and stay there until the storm has passed.
Questions
What is lightning?
What causes the sound of thunder?
Which travels faster, light or sound?
What should you do as soon as you hear thunder?
If the boom follows the flash almost at once, is the lightning near or far away?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Flash First, Boom Later
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6)
A big spark of electricity.
Lightning heats the air very fast.
Light.
Go inside and stay there.
Close, because there was no long wait.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3)
A giant spark of electricity.
The lightning heats the air very fast.
Light.
Go inside a building and stay there.
Close, because there was no long wait.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1)
A giant spark of electricity.
The lightning heats the air around it extremely fast.
Light travels much faster.
Go inside a building and stay there until the storm has passed.
Near, because there is hardly any wait.
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 lightning, thunder, electricity and warning 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 135 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.3. 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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