2nd grade nonfiction passage about planting garlic in the fall: 108 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionplanting garlic in the fall108 words
Garlic Hides in Winter Dirt
Most gardeners plant seeds in spring. Garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall, just before the ground gets cold.
A garlic bulb is made of small parts called cloves. To plant garlic, a gardener breaks the bulb apart. Each clove is pushed into the soil with the pointy end up. It is covered with dirt.
Over the winter, roots grow under the ground. A green shoot may poke up before the snow. In spring, the shoots grow tall and green.
In summer, the leaves start to turn brown. That tells the gardener the garlic is almost ready. The gardener lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
Questions
When do gardeners plant garlic? in the text
What are the small parts of a garlic bulb called? in the text
Which end of the clove points up when it is planted? in the text
What grows under the ground over the winter? in the text
How does the gardener know the garlic is almost ready? think about it
Words to know
bulb
a round plant part that grows under the ground
cloves
the small parts that make up a garlic bulb
shoot
the new green part of a plant that grows up
gardener
a person who grows plants
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Garlic Hides in Winter Dirt
2nd grade reading passage
Most gardeners plant seeds in spring. Garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall, just before the ground gets cold.
A garlic bulb is made of small parts called cloves. To plant garlic, a gardener breaks the bulb apart. Each clove is pushed into the soil with the pointy end up. It is covered with dirt.
Over the winter, roots grow under the ground. A green shoot may poke up before the snow. In spring, the shoots grow tall and green.
In summer, the leaves start to turn brown. That tells the gardener the garlic is almost ready. The gardener lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
Questions
When do gardeners plant garlic?
What are the small parts of a garlic bulb called?
Which end of the clove points up when it is planted?
What grows under the ground over the winter?
How does the gardener know the garlic is almost ready?
Words to know
bulb: a round plant part that grows under the ground
cloves: the small parts that make up a garlic bulb
shoot: the new green part of a plant that grows up
gardener: a person who grows plants
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/garlic-bulbs-grow-in-winter-dirt
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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 · 81 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1
Most gardeners plant seeds in spring. Garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall.
A garlic bulb has small parts called cloves. The gardener breaks the bulb apart. Each clove goes in the soil with the pointy end up. Then it is covered with dirt.
Over the winter, roots grow under the ground. In spring, green shoots grow tall.
In summer, the leaves turn brown. Now the garlic is almost ready. The gardener lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
▲ This passage · 108 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5
Most gardeners plant seeds in spring. Garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall, just before the ground gets cold.
A garlic bulb is made of small parts called cloves. To plant garlic, a gardener breaks the bulb apart. Each clove is pushed into the soil with the pointy end up. It is covered with dirt.
Over the winter, roots grow under the ground. A green shoot may poke up before the snow. In spring, the shoots grow tall and green.
In summer, the leaves start to turn brown. That tells the gardener the garlic is almost ready. The gardener lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
■ Harder · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.7
Most gardeners plant their seeds in the spring, but garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall, just before the ground turns cold.
A garlic bulb is made of small sections called cloves. To plant garlic, a gardener breaks the bulb apart and pushes each clove into the soil with its pointy end facing up. Then the clove is covered with dirt.
Throughout the winter, roots grow beneath the ground, and a green shoot may even poke up before the first snow. In the spring, the shoots grow tall and green.
By summer, the leaves begin to turn brown, which tells the gardener that the garlic is nearly ready. The gardener then lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
Most gardeners plant seeds in spring. Garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall.
A garlic bulb has small parts called cloves. The gardener breaks the bulb apart. Each clove goes in the soil with the pointy end up. Then it is covered with dirt.
Over the winter, roots grow under the ground. In spring, green shoots grow tall.
In summer, the leaves turn brown. Now the garlic is almost ready. The gardener lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
Questions
When do gardeners plant garlic?
What are the small parts of a garlic bulb called?
Which end of the clove points up?
What grows under the ground in winter?
How does the gardener know the garlic is almost ready?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Garlic Hides in Winter Dirt
Most gardeners plant seeds in spring. Garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall, just before the ground gets cold.
A garlic bulb is made of small parts called cloves. To plant garlic, a gardener breaks the bulb apart. Each clove is pushed into the soil with the pointy end up. It is covered with dirt.
Over the winter, roots grow under the ground. A green shoot may poke up before the snow. In spring, the shoots grow tall and green.
In summer, the leaves start to turn brown. That tells the gardener the garlic is almost ready. The gardener lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
Questions
When do gardeners plant garlic?
What are the small parts of a garlic bulb called?
Which end of the clove points up when it is planted?
What grows under the ground over the winter?
How does the gardener know the garlic is almost ready?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Garlic Hides in Winter Dirt
Most gardeners plant their seeds in the spring, but garlic is different. Gardeners plant it in the fall, just before the ground turns cold.
A garlic bulb is made of small sections called cloves. To plant garlic, a gardener breaks the bulb apart and pushes each clove into the soil with its pointy end facing up. Then the clove is covered with dirt.
Throughout the winter, roots grow beneath the ground, and a green shoot may even poke up before the first snow. In the spring, the shoots grow tall and green.
By summer, the leaves begin to turn brown, which tells the gardener that the garlic is nearly ready. The gardener then lifts the bulbs out of the dirt.
Questions
When do gardeners plant garlic?
What are the small sections of a garlic bulb called?
Which end of the clove faces up when it is planted?
What grows beneath the ground throughout the winter?
What tells the gardener that the garlic is nearly ready?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Garlic Hides in Winter Dirt
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1)
In the fall.
Cloves.
The pointy end.
Roots.
The leaves turn brown.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5)
In the fall, just before the ground gets cold.
Cloves.
The pointy end.
Roots.
The leaves start to turn brown.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.7)
In the fall, just before the ground turns cold.
Cloves.
The pointy end.
Roots.
The leaves begin to turn brown.
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 bulb, cloves, shoot and gardener 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 "Garlic Hides in Winter Dirt"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 108 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.5. 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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