2nd grade nonfiction passage about music boxes: 113 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionmusic boxes113 words
How a Music Box Remembers a Song
Inside a music box, a small metal drum spins around. The drum is covered with tiny bumps called pins.
Next to the drum is a metal comb. The comb has thin teeth. Each tooth has a different length. A short tooth makes a high note. A long tooth makes a low note.
When you turn the key, the drum begins to spin. A pin bumps a tooth, and the tooth buzzes. That makes one note. The next pin bumps the next tooth. Soon the notes make a tune.
The pins are placed in just the right spots. That is how the music box remembers its song. It plays the same tune every time.
Questions
What is covered with tiny pins? in the text
What do the pins bump? in the text
What kind of note does a short tooth make? in the text
What do you turn to make the drum spin? in the text
Why does a music box play the same tune every time? think about it
Words to know
drum
a round part that spins like a barrel
pins
tiny metal bumps
comb
a strip with thin teeth in a row
tune
a group of notes that make a song
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
How a Music Box Remembers a Song
2nd grade reading passage
Inside a music box, a small metal drum spins around. The drum is covered with tiny bumps called pins.
Next to the drum is a metal comb. The comb has thin teeth. Each tooth has a different length. A short tooth makes a high note. A long tooth makes a low note.
When you turn the key, the drum begins to spin. A pin bumps a tooth, and the tooth buzzes. That makes one note. The next pin bumps the next tooth. Soon the notes make a tune.
The pins are placed in just the right spots. That is how the music box remembers its song. It plays the same tune every time.
Questions
What is covered with tiny pins?
What do the pins bump?
What kind of note does a short tooth make?
What do you turn to make the drum spin?
Why does a music box play the same tune every time?
Words to know
drum: a round part that spins like a barrel
pins: tiny metal bumps
comb: a strip with thin teeth in a row
tune: a group of notes that make a song
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/how-a-music-box-remembers-a-song
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 -0.4
Inside a music box is a small metal drum. It spins. It has tiny pins on it.
Next to the drum is a metal comb. The comb has thin teeth. Each tooth is a different size. A short tooth makes a high note. A long tooth makes a low note.
You turn the key. The drum spins. A pin bumps a tooth. The tooth buzzes. That is one note. Then the next pin bumps the next tooth. The notes make a tune.
The pins stay in the same spots. So the music box plays the same tune each time.
▲ This passage · 113 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8
Inside a music box, a small metal drum spins around. The drum is covered with tiny bumps called pins.
Next to the drum is a metal comb. The comb has thin teeth. Each tooth has a different length. A short tooth makes a high note. A long tooth makes a low note.
When you turn the key, the drum begins to spin. A pin bumps a tooth, and the tooth buzzes. That makes one note. The next pin bumps the next tooth. Soon the notes make a tune.
The pins are placed in just the right spots. That is how the music box remembers its song. It plays the same tune every time.
■ Harder · 133 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4
Inside a music box, a small metal drum spins around and around. The surface of the drum is covered with tiny bumps called pins.
Right beside the drum sits a metal comb with a row of thin teeth. Every tooth has a different length. A short tooth produces a high note, while a long tooth produces a low note.
When you wind the key, the drum begins to rotate. A pin catches a tooth, and the tooth buzzes, which makes a single note. Then the next pin bumps the next tooth. Before long, the notes join together into a tune.
The pins are placed in exactly the right spots, and that is how a music box remembers its song. Because the pins never move, it plays the very same tune every single time.
Inside a music box is a small metal drum. It spins. It has tiny pins on it.
Next to the drum is a metal comb. The comb has thin teeth. Each tooth is a different size. A short tooth makes a high note. A long tooth makes a low note.
You turn the key. The drum spins. A pin bumps a tooth. The tooth buzzes. That is one note. Then the next pin bumps the next tooth. The notes make a tune.
The pins stay in the same spots. So the music box plays the same tune each time.
Questions
What has tiny pins on it?
What do the pins bump?
What note does a short tooth make?
What do you turn to make the drum spin?
Why is the tune the same each time?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
How a Music Box Remembers a Song
Inside a music box, a small metal drum spins around. The drum is covered with tiny bumps called pins.
Next to the drum is a metal comb. The comb has thin teeth. Each tooth has a different length. A short tooth makes a high note. A long tooth makes a low note.
When you turn the key, the drum begins to spin. A pin bumps a tooth, and the tooth buzzes. That makes one note. The next pin bumps the next tooth. Soon the notes make a tune.
The pins are placed in just the right spots. That is how the music box remembers its song. It plays the same tune every time.
Questions
What is covered with tiny pins?
What do the pins bump?
What kind of note does a short tooth make?
What do you turn to make the drum spin?
Why does a music box play the same tune every time?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
How a Music Box Remembers a Song
Inside a music box, a small metal drum spins around and around. The surface of the drum is covered with tiny bumps called pins.
Right beside the drum sits a metal comb with a row of thin teeth. Every tooth has a different length. A short tooth produces a high note, while a long tooth produces a low note.
When you wind the key, the drum begins to rotate. A pin catches a tooth, and the tooth buzzes, which makes a single note. Then the next pin bumps the next tooth. Before long, the notes join together into a tune.
The pins are placed in exactly the right spots, and that is how a music box remembers its song. Because the pins never move, it plays the very same tune every single time.
Questions
What is the surface of the metal drum covered with?
What do the pins catch as the drum turns?
What kind of note does a short tooth produce?
What do you wind to make the drum rotate?
Why does a music box play the same tune every single time?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: How a Music Box Remembers a Song
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.4)
The metal drum.
The teeth of the comb.
A high note.
The key.
The pins stay in the same spots and bump the teeth in the same order.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8)
The metal drum.
The teeth of the metal comb.
A high note.
The key.
The pins stay in the same spots, so they bump the teeth in the same order.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4)
Tiny bumps called pins.
The teeth of the metal comb.
A high note.
The key.
The pins never move, so they bump the teeth in the same order.
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 drum, pins, comb and tune 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 "How a Music Box Remembers a Song"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 113 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.8. 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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