2nd grade nonfiction passage about sprouting a bean seed: 112 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionsprouting a bean seed112 words
Grow a Bean in a Bag
You can watch a seed come to life. All you need is a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag. You are not going to eat this bean. It is just for watching.
First, wet the paper towel and fold it. It should be damp, not dripping. Next, put the bean inside the fold. Slide the paper towel into the bag.
Then tape the bag to a sunny window. Look at it each day.
In a few days, the bean gets bigger and its skin cracks open. A white root pokes out and grows down. Later, a green shoot grows up. Now the seed has become a baby plant.
Questions
What three things do you need to grow a bean in a bag? in the text
How wet should the paper towel be? in the text
Where should you tape the bag? in the text
What comes out of the bean first? in the text
Why is a clear bag a good choice? think about it
Words to know
damp
a little bit wet
root
the part of a plant that grows down into the ground
shoot
the new green part of a plant that grows up
tape
to stick something with sticky strips
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Grow a Bean in a Bag
2nd grade reading passage
You can watch a seed come to life. All you need is a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag. You are not going to eat this bean. It is just for watching.
First, wet the paper towel and fold it. It should be damp, not dripping. Next, put the bean inside the fold. Slide the paper towel into the bag.
Then tape the bag to a sunny window. Look at it each day.
In a few days, the bean gets bigger and its skin cracks open. A white root pokes out and grows down. Later, a green shoot grows up. Now the seed has become a baby plant.
Questions
What three things do you need to grow a bean in a bag?
How wet should the paper towel be?
Where should you tape the bag?
What comes out of the bean first?
Why is a clear bag a good choice?
Words to know
damp: a little bit wet
root: the part of a plant that grows down into the ground
shoot: the new green part of a plant that grows up
tape: to stick something with sticky strips
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/grow-a-bean-in-a-bag
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 · 93 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2
You can watch a seed come to life. You need a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear bag. Do not eat the bean. It is just for watching.
Wet the paper towel. It should be damp, not dripping. Put the bean in the fold. Slide the towel into the bag.
Tape the bag to a sunny window. Look at it each day.
In a few days, the bean gets big. Its skin cracks. A white root grows down. Later, a green shoot grows up. The seed is now a baby plant.
▲ This passage · 112 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.2
You can watch a seed come to life. All you need is a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag. You are not going to eat this bean. It is just for watching.
First, wet the paper towel and fold it. It should be damp, not dripping. Next, put the bean inside the fold. Slide the paper towel into the bag.
Then tape the bag to a sunny window. Look at it each day.
In a few days, the bean gets bigger and its skin cracks open. A white root pokes out and grows down. Later, a green shoot grows up. Now the seed has become a baby plant.
■ Harder · 125 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
You can watch a seed come to life right in front of you. All you need is a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag. You are not going to eat this bean, because it is only for observing.
First, wet the paper towel and fold it. It should feel damp, but it should not be dripping. Next, place the bean inside the fold and slide the paper towel into the bag.
Then tape the bag to a sunny window, and check on it every day.
After a few days, the bean swells and its skin cracks open. A white root pokes out and grows downward. Later, a green shoot rises upward. By then, the seed has turned into a baby plant.
You can watch a seed come to life. You need a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear bag. Do not eat the bean. It is just for watching.
Wet the paper towel. It should be damp, not dripping. Put the bean in the fold. Slide the towel into the bag.
Tape the bag to a sunny window. Look at it each day.
In a few days, the bean gets big. Its skin cracks. A white root grows down. Later, a green shoot grows up. The seed is now a baby plant.
Questions
What do you need to grow a bean in a bag?
How wet should the paper towel be?
Where do you tape the bag?
What grows out of the bean first?
Why is a clear bag a good choice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Grow a Bean in a Bag
You can watch a seed come to life. All you need is a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag. You are not going to eat this bean. It is just for watching.
First, wet the paper towel and fold it. It should be damp, not dripping. Next, put the bean inside the fold. Slide the paper towel into the bag.
Then tape the bag to a sunny window. Look at it each day.
In a few days, the bean gets bigger and its skin cracks open. A white root pokes out and grows down. Later, a green shoot grows up. Now the seed has become a baby plant.
Questions
What three things do you need to grow a bean in a bag?
How wet should the paper towel be?
Where should you tape the bag?
What comes out of the bean first?
Why is a clear bag a good choice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Grow a Bean in a Bag
You can watch a seed come to life right in front of you. All you need is a dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag. You are not going to eat this bean, because it is only for observing.
First, wet the paper towel and fold it. It should feel damp, but it should not be dripping. Next, place the bean inside the fold and slide the paper towel into the bag.
Then tape the bag to a sunny window, and check on it every day.
After a few days, the bean swells and its skin cracks open. A white root pokes out and grows downward. Later, a green shoot rises upward. By then, the seed has turned into a baby plant.
Questions
What three things do you need to grow a bean in a bag?
How wet should the paper towel feel?
Where should you tape the bag?
What comes out of the bean first?
Why is a clear plastic bag a smart choice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Grow a Bean in a Bag
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2)
A dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear bag.
Damp, not dripping.
To a sunny window.
A white root.
You can see the bean change.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.2)
A dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag.
Damp, not dripping.
To a sunny window.
A white root grows down.
You can see the bean change without opening the bag.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
A dry bean, a paper towel, and a clear plastic bag.
Damp, but not dripping.
To a sunny window.
A white root that grows downward.
You can watch the bean change without opening the bag.
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 damp, root, shoot and tape 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 112 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.2. 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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