2nd grade nonfiction passage about frost on windows: 116 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionfrost on windows116 words
Frost Draws Feathers on Your Window
On a very cold morning, you may see a surprise on a window. Pretty white feathers and ferns cover the glass. This is frost.
There is a little water in the air, even when you cannot see it. It is a gas called water vapor. On a cold night, the window glass gets very chilly. The water vapor touches the glass and turns into tiny bits of ice.
The ice bits do not stay in one place. They join together and grow into shapes that look like feathers. Each window can have its own pattern.
When the sun comes up, the glass warms. The frost melts into drops of water. Then the window is clear again.
Questions
What does frost look like on a window? in the text
What is water vapor? in the text
What happens when water vapor touches cold glass? in the text
What happens to frost when the sun warms the glass? in the text
Why do you not see frost on a window in the middle of a hot day? think about it
Words to know
frost
a thin cover of tiny ice on a cold surface
vapor
water that has turned into a gas in the air
pattern
shapes that make a design
melts
turns from ice into water as it warms
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Frost Draws Feathers on Your Window
2nd grade reading passage
On a very cold morning, you may see a surprise on a window. Pretty white feathers and ferns cover the glass. This is frost.
There is a little water in the air, even when you cannot see it. It is a gas called water vapor. On a cold night, the window glass gets very chilly. The water vapor touches the glass and turns into tiny bits of ice.
The ice bits do not stay in one place. They join together and grow into shapes that look like feathers. Each window can have its own pattern.
When the sun comes up, the glass warms. The frost melts into drops of water. Then the window is clear again.
Questions
What does frost look like on a window?
What is water vapor?
What happens when water vapor touches cold glass?
What happens to frost when the sun warms the glass?
Why do you not see frost on a window in the middle of a hot day?
Words to know
frost: a thin cover of tiny ice on a cold surface
vapor: water that has turned into a gas in the air
pattern: shapes that make a design
melts: turns from ice into water as it warms
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/frost-draws-feathers-on-your-window
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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 · 89 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8
On a cold morning, look at the window. You may see white feathers on the glass. This is frost.
There is a little water in the air. You cannot see it. It is called water vapor. At night, the glass gets cold. The vapor touches the glass. It turns into tiny bits of ice.
The ice bits join up. They grow into shapes like feathers. Each window gets its own pattern.
Then the sun comes up. The glass gets warm. The frost melts into drops. The window is clear.
▲ This passage · 116 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8
On a very cold morning, you may see a surprise on a window. Pretty white feathers and ferns cover the glass. This is frost.
There is a little water in the air, even when you cannot see it. It is a gas called water vapor. On a cold night, the window glass gets very chilly. The water vapor touches the glass and turns into tiny bits of ice.
The ice bits do not stay in one place. They join together and grow into shapes that look like feathers. Each window can have its own pattern.
When the sun comes up, the glass warms. The frost melts into drops of water. Then the window is clear again.
■ Harder · 135 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7
On an especially frigid morning, you might discover a wonderful surprise spread across a window. Delicate white feathers and ferns cover the glass like a painting. This is called frost.
Even when you cannot see it, there is always a little water in the air, in the form of a gas known as water vapor. During a cold night, the window glass becomes extremely chilly. When the water vapor touches the glass, it turns directly into tiny bits of ice.
Those bits of ice do not stay where they land. They join together and grow into shapes that resemble feathers, and every window can end up with its own special pattern.
When the sun rises and the glass warms up, the frost melts into small drops of water, and the window becomes clear once more.
On a cold morning, look at the window. You may see white feathers on the glass. This is frost.
There is a little water in the air. You cannot see it. It is called water vapor. At night, the glass gets cold. The vapor touches the glass. It turns into tiny bits of ice.
The ice bits join up. They grow into shapes like feathers. Each window gets its own pattern.
Then the sun comes up. The glass gets warm. The frost melts into drops. The window is clear.
Questions
What does frost look like?
What is water vapor?
What does vapor turn into on cold glass?
What happens to frost when the sun comes up?
Why is there no frost on a hot day?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Frost Draws Feathers on Your Window
On a very cold morning, you may see a surprise on a window. Pretty white feathers and ferns cover the glass. This is frost.
There is a little water in the air, even when you cannot see it. It is a gas called water vapor. On a cold night, the window glass gets very chilly. The water vapor touches the glass and turns into tiny bits of ice.
The ice bits do not stay in one place. They join together and grow into shapes that look like feathers. Each window can have its own pattern.
When the sun comes up, the glass warms. The frost melts into drops of water. Then the window is clear again.
Questions
What does frost look like on a window?
What is water vapor?
What happens when water vapor touches cold glass?
What happens to frost when the sun warms the glass?
Why do you not see frost on a window in the middle of a hot day?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Frost Draws Feathers on Your Window
On an especially frigid morning, you might discover a wonderful surprise spread across a window. Delicate white feathers and ferns cover the glass like a painting. This is called frost.
Even when you cannot see it, there is always a little water in the air, in the form of a gas known as water vapor. During a cold night, the window glass becomes extremely chilly. When the water vapor touches the glass, it turns directly into tiny bits of ice.
Those bits of ice do not stay where they land. They join together and grow into shapes that resemble feathers, and every window can end up with its own special pattern.
When the sun rises and the glass warms up, the frost melts into small drops of water, and the window becomes clear once more.
Questions
What does frost look like when it covers a window?
What is water vapor?
What does water vapor turn into when it touches very cold glass?
What happens to the frost after the sun rises and warms the glass?
Why would you not expect to find frost on a window during a hot afternoon?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Frost Draws Feathers on Your Window
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8)
White feathers on the glass.
Water in the air that you cannot see.
Tiny bits of ice.
It melts into drops.
The glass is too warm for ice.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8)
White feathers and ferns.
Water that is a gas in the air.
It turns into tiny bits of ice.
It melts into drops of water.
The glass is too warm for ice to form.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7)
Delicate white feathers and ferns.
A gas made of water that is in the air.
Tiny bits of ice.
It melts into small drops of water.
The glass would be too warm for ice to form.
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 frost, vapor, pattern and melts 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 "Frost Draws Feathers on Your Window"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 116 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.8. 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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