2nd grade nonfiction passage about how hummingbirds fly and eat: 126 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionhow hummingbirds fly and eat126 words
Hummingbirds Hover and Sip
A hummingbird is a very small bird. It is so light that it seems to float in the air. It can fly in a way most birds cannot.
A hummingbird can hover. That means it stays in one spot in the air. Its wings move so fast that they look like a blur. They make a humming sound, and that is how the bird got its name.
A hummingbird can also fly backward. Most birds cannot do that.
The hummingbird has a long, thin beak. It sticks its beak into a flower. Then it licks up the sweet nectar with its tongue. It also eats tiny bugs.
All that flapping takes a lot of energy. A hummingbird must eat many times a day to keep going.
Questions
What does it mean to hover? in the text
How did the hummingbird get its name? in the text
What can a hummingbird do that most birds cannot? in the text
What does a hummingbird eat? in the text
Why does a hummingbird need to eat so often? think about it
Words to know
hover
to stay in one place in the air
blur
something that moves so fast it is hard to see clearly
beak
the hard mouth part of a bird
nectar
the sweet juice inside flowers
energy
the power your body uses to move
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Hummingbirds Hover and Sip
2nd grade reading passage
A hummingbird is a very small bird. It is so light that it seems to float in the air. It can fly in a way most birds cannot.
A hummingbird can hover. That means it stays in one spot in the air. Its wings move so fast that they look like a blur. They make a humming sound, and that is how the bird got its name.
A hummingbird can also fly backward. Most birds cannot do that.
The hummingbird has a long, thin beak. It sticks its beak into a flower. Then it licks up the sweet nectar with its tongue. It also eats tiny bugs.
All that flapping takes a lot of energy. A hummingbird must eat many times a day to keep going.
Questions
What does it mean to hover?
How did the hummingbird get its name?
What can a hummingbird do that most birds cannot?
What does a hummingbird eat?
Why does a hummingbird need to eat so often?
Words to know
hover: to stay in one place in the air
blur: something that moves so fast it is hard to see clearly
beak: the hard mouth part of a bird
nectar: the sweet juice inside flowers
energy: the power your body uses to move
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/hummingbirds-hover-and-sip
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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 · 105 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
A hummingbird is a very small bird. It is so light that it seems to float. It can fly in a way most birds cannot.
A hummingbird can hover. It stays in one spot in the air. Its wings move so fast they look like a blur. They make a hum. That is how the bird got its name.
A hummingbird can fly backward too. Most birds cannot.
It has a long, thin beak. It puts its beak in a flower. It licks up sweet nectar. It eats tiny bugs too.
Flapping takes a lot of energy. The hummingbird must eat many times a day.
▲ This passage · 126 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2
A hummingbird is a very small bird. It is so light that it seems to float in the air. It can fly in a way most birds cannot.
A hummingbird can hover. That means it stays in one spot in the air. Its wings move so fast that they look like a blur. They make a humming sound, and that is how the bird got its name.
A hummingbird can also fly backward. Most birds cannot do that.
The hummingbird has a long, thin beak. It sticks its beak into a flower. Then it licks up the sweet nectar with its tongue. It also eats tiny bugs.
All that flapping takes a lot of energy. A hummingbird must eat many times a day to keep going.
■ Harder · 142 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.2
A hummingbird is an extremely small bird, and it is so light that it seems to float through the air. It can also fly in ways that almost no other bird can.
For one thing, a hummingbird can hover, which means it holds itself in one spot in the air. Its wings beat so quickly that they look like a blur, and they produce a humming sound. That sound is how the bird earned its name.
A hummingbird can even fly backward, something most birds are unable to do.
It has a long, thin beak that it pushes deep into a flower. With its tongue, it licks up the sweet nectar inside. It also catches tiny bugs to eat.
All of that rapid flapping uses a great deal of energy, so a hummingbird must eat many times every day to keep going.
A hummingbird is a very small bird. It is so light that it seems to float. It can fly in a way most birds cannot.
A hummingbird can hover. It stays in one spot in the air. Its wings move so fast they look like a blur. They make a hum. That is how the bird got its name.
A hummingbird can fly backward too. Most birds cannot.
It has a long, thin beak. It puts its beak in a flower. It licks up sweet nectar. It eats tiny bugs too.
Flapping takes a lot of energy. The hummingbird must eat many times a day.
Questions
What does it mean to hover?
How did the hummingbird get its name?
What can a hummingbird do that most birds cannot?
What does a hummingbird eat?
Why does a hummingbird eat so often?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Hummingbirds Hover and Sip
A hummingbird is a very small bird. It is so light that it seems to float in the air. It can fly in a way most birds cannot.
A hummingbird can hover. That means it stays in one spot in the air. Its wings move so fast that they look like a blur. They make a humming sound, and that is how the bird got its name.
A hummingbird can also fly backward. Most birds cannot do that.
The hummingbird has a long, thin beak. It sticks its beak into a flower. Then it licks up the sweet nectar with its tongue. It also eats tiny bugs.
All that flapping takes a lot of energy. A hummingbird must eat many times a day to keep going.
Questions
What does it mean to hover?
How did the hummingbird get its name?
What can a hummingbird do that most birds cannot?
What does a hummingbird eat?
Why does a hummingbird need to eat so often?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Hummingbirds Hover and Sip
A hummingbird is an extremely small bird, and it is so light that it seems to float through the air. It can also fly in ways that almost no other bird can.
For one thing, a hummingbird can hover, which means it holds itself in one spot in the air. Its wings beat so quickly that they look like a blur, and they produce a humming sound. That sound is how the bird earned its name.
A hummingbird can even fly backward, something most birds are unable to do.
It has a long, thin beak that it pushes deep into a flower. With its tongue, it licks up the sweet nectar inside. It also catches tiny bugs to eat.
All of that rapid flapping uses a great deal of energy, so a hummingbird must eat many times every day to keep going.
Questions
What does it mean when a bird hovers?
How did the hummingbird earn its name?
What can a hummingbird do that most birds are unable to do?
What does a hummingbird eat, and how does it get the nectar?
Why must a hummingbird eat many times every day?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Hummingbirds Hover and Sip
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
To stay in one spot in the air.
Its fast wings make a hum.
Fly backward.
Sweet nectar and tiny bugs.
Flapping takes a lot of energy.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2)
To stay in one spot in the air.
Its fast wings make a humming sound.
Fly backward.
Sweet nectar from flowers and tiny bugs.
Flapping its wings so fast takes a lot of energy.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.2)
It holds itself in one spot in the air.
Its quick wings produce a humming sound.
Fly backward.
It eats nectar and tiny bugs, and it licks the nectar up with its tongue after pushing its beak into a flower.
Its rapid flapping uses a great deal of energy.
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 hover, blur, beak, nectar and energy 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 "Hummingbirds Hover and Sip"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 126 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.0. 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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