2nd grade nonfiction passage about being seen at dusk: 124 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionbeing seen at dusk124 words
Glow Stripes for Evening Walks
At dusk, the light is low and the street looks gray. A driver may not see a person in dark clothes. Dark colors blend in with the dark.
Bright clothes help. So do reflective stripes. A reflective stripe is made of tiny bits that bounce light straight back to where it came from. When a car's headlights hit the stripe, the light bounces back to the driver's eyes. The stripe seems to glow. It does not make light by itself. It needs headlights to shine on it.
Here are some ways to be seen. Wear bright colors. Add reflective tape to your backpack and shoes. Carry a small flashlight. Always walk with a grown-up, stay on the sidewalk, and cross at the crosswalk.
Questions
Why is it hard to see a person in dark clothes at dusk? in the text
What does a reflective stripe do with light? in the text
Does a reflective stripe make its own light? in the text
Name two ways to be seen when it is getting dark? in the text
When would the stripes on a backpack help the most? think about it
Words to know
dusk
the time in the evening when the light gets low
reflective
able to bounce light back
headlights
the bright lights on the front of a car
blend
look so much alike that it is hard to tell apart
crosswalk
a marked place for people to cross the street
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Glow Stripes for Evening Walks
2nd grade reading passage
At dusk, the light is low and the street looks gray. A driver may not see a person in dark clothes. Dark colors blend in with the dark.
Bright clothes help. So do reflective stripes. A reflective stripe is made of tiny bits that bounce light straight back to where it came from. When a car's headlights hit the stripe, the light bounces back to the driver's eyes. The stripe seems to glow. It does not make light by itself. It needs headlights to shine on it.
Here are some ways to be seen. Wear bright colors. Add reflective tape to your backpack and shoes. Carry a small flashlight. Always walk with a grown-up, stay on the sidewalk, and cross at the crosswalk.
Questions
Why is it hard to see a person in dark clothes at dusk?
What does a reflective stripe do with light?
Does a reflective stripe make its own light?
Name two ways to be seen when it is getting dark?
When would the stripes on a backpack help the most?
Words to know
dusk: the time in the evening when the light gets low
reflective: able to bounce light back
headlights: the bright lights on the front of a car
blend: look so much alike that it is hard to tell apart
crosswalk: a marked place for people to cross the street
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/glow-stripes-for-evening-walks
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 · 103 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4
At dusk, the light is low. The street looks gray. A driver may not see you in dark clothes. Dark colors blend in with the dark.
Bright clothes help. Reflective stripes help too. A stripe has tiny bits that bounce light back. A car's headlights hit the stripe. The light bounces back to the driver's eyes. The stripe seems to glow. It does not make light. It needs headlights.
Here is how to be seen. Wear bright colors. Put reflective tape on your backpack and shoes. Carry a small flashlight. Walk with a grown-up. Stay on the sidewalk. Cross at the crosswalk.
▲ This passage · 124 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6
At dusk, the light is low and the street looks gray. A driver may not see a person in dark clothes. Dark colors blend in with the dark.
Bright clothes help. So do reflective stripes. A reflective stripe is made of tiny bits that bounce light straight back to where it came from. When a car's headlights hit the stripe, the light bounces back to the driver's eyes. The stripe seems to glow. It does not make light by itself. It needs headlights to shine on it.
Here are some ways to be seen. Wear bright colors. Add reflective tape to your backpack and shoes. Carry a small flashlight. Always walk with a grown-up, stay on the sidewalk, and cross at the crosswalk.
■ Harder · 132 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1
At dusk, the daylight fades and the street looks gray. A driver may easily fail to notice a person wearing dark clothes, because dark colors blend in with the darkness.
Bright clothing helps, and so do reflective stripes. A reflective stripe is made of tiny pieces that bounce light straight back toward its source. When a car's headlights strike the stripe, the light returns to the driver's eyes, and the stripe appears to glow. In fact, it produces no light of its own. It depends on headlights shining upon it.
There are several ways to make sure you are seen. Wear bright colors, attach reflective tape to your backpack and shoes, and carry a small flashlight. Always walk with a grown-up, stay on the sidewalk, and cross only at the crosswalk.
At dusk, the light is low. The street looks gray. A driver may not see you in dark clothes. Dark colors blend in with the dark.
Bright clothes help. Reflective stripes help too. A stripe has tiny bits that bounce light back. A car's headlights hit the stripe. The light bounces back to the driver's eyes. The stripe seems to glow. It does not make light. It needs headlights.
Here is how to be seen. Wear bright colors. Put reflective tape on your backpack and shoes. Carry a small flashlight. Walk with a grown-up. Stay on the sidewalk. Cross at the crosswalk.
Questions
Why is it hard to see dark clothes at dusk?
What does a reflective stripe do with light?
Does a reflective stripe make its own light?
Name two ways to be seen in the dark?
When do stripes on a backpack help the most?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Glow Stripes for Evening Walks
At dusk, the light is low and the street looks gray. A driver may not see a person in dark clothes. Dark colors blend in with the dark.
Bright clothes help. So do reflective stripes. A reflective stripe is made of tiny bits that bounce light straight back to where it came from. When a car's headlights hit the stripe, the light bounces back to the driver's eyes. The stripe seems to glow. It does not make light by itself. It needs headlights to shine on it.
Here are some ways to be seen. Wear bright colors. Add reflective tape to your backpack and shoes. Carry a small flashlight. Always walk with a grown-up, stay on the sidewalk, and cross at the crosswalk.
Questions
Why is it hard to see a person in dark clothes at dusk?
What does a reflective stripe do with light?
Does a reflective stripe make its own light?
Name two ways to be seen when it is getting dark?
When would the stripes on a backpack help the most?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Glow Stripes for Evening Walks
At dusk, the daylight fades and the street looks gray. A driver may easily fail to notice a person wearing dark clothes, because dark colors blend in with the darkness.
Bright clothing helps, and so do reflective stripes. A reflective stripe is made of tiny pieces that bounce light straight back toward its source. When a car's headlights strike the stripe, the light returns to the driver's eyes, and the stripe appears to glow. In fact, it produces no light of its own. It depends on headlights shining upon it.
There are several ways to make sure you are seen. Wear bright colors, attach reflective tape to your backpack and shoes, and carry a small flashlight. Always walk with a grown-up, stay on the sidewalk, and cross only at the crosswalk.
Questions
Why might a driver fail to notice a person in dark clothes at dusk?
What does a reflective stripe do with light?
Does a reflective stripe make light of its own?
Name two ways to make sure you are seen when it is getting dark?
When would the stripes on a backpack help the most?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Glow Stripes for Evening Walks
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4)
Dark colors blend in with the dark.
It bounces the light back.
No. It needs headlights.
Wear bright colors, put on reflective tape, or carry a flashlight.
When it is dark and headlights shine on them.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6)
Dark colors blend in with the dark.
It bounces the light back to where it came from.
No. It needs headlights to shine on it.
Wear bright colors, add reflective tape, or carry a flashlight.
When it is dark and car headlights shine on them.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1)
Dark colors blend in with the darkness.
It bounces light straight back toward its source.
No. It depends on headlights shining upon it.
Wear bright colors, attach reflective tape, or carry a small flashlight.
When it is dark and car headlights shine on them.
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 dusk, reflective, headlights, blend and crosswalk 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 "Glow Stripes for Evening Walks"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 124 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.6. 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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