2nd grade nonfiction passage about heat and melting ice: 123 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionheat and melting ice123 words
Ice Cube Race: Sun Against Shade
Here is a race with no running. Two ice cubes will race to melt. Which one will win?
Put one ice cube on a plate in a sunny spot outside. Put the other ice cube on a matching plate in the shade. Make sure the two cubes are the same size. That makes the race fair.
Now wait and watch. The cube in the sun gets smaller fast. Its edges turn round and a puddle grows. The cube in the shade melts too, but slowly.
The sun gives off heat. Heat is a kind of energy that makes things warmer. Heat moves into the ice, and the ice turns into water. Sunny spots get more heat, so the sun cube wins the race.
Questions
Where do you put the two ice cubes? in the text
Why should the two cubes be the same size? in the text
Which cube melts faster? in the text
What does heat do to ice? in the text
A snowman stands in the shade of a tree. Will it melt faster or slower than one in the sun? think about it
Words to know
melt
to change from ice into water as it gets warmer
shade
a spot where something blocks the sun
energy
the power that makes things move or change
puddle
a small pool of water
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Ice Cube Race: Sun Against Shade
2nd grade reading passage
Here is a race with no running. Two ice cubes will race to melt. Which one will win?
Put one ice cube on a plate in a sunny spot outside. Put the other ice cube on a matching plate in the shade. Make sure the two cubes are the same size. That makes the race fair.
Now wait and watch. The cube in the sun gets smaller fast. Its edges turn round and a puddle grows. The cube in the shade melts too, but slowly.
The sun gives off heat. Heat is a kind of energy that makes things warmer. Heat moves into the ice, and the ice turns into water. Sunny spots get more heat, so the sun cube wins the race.
Questions
Where do you put the two ice cubes?
Why should the two cubes be the same size?
Which cube melts faster?
What does heat do to ice?
A snowman stands in the shade of a tree. Will it melt faster or slower than one in the sun?
Words to know
melt: to change from ice into water as it gets warmer
shade: a spot where something blocks the sun
energy: the power that makes things move or change
puddle: a small pool of water
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/ice-cube-race-sun-against-shade
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 · 95 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.6
Here is a race with no running. Two ice cubes race to melt. Which one wins?
Put one ice cube on a plate in the sun. Put one on a plate in the shade. Make the cubes the same size. Then the race is fair.
Wait and watch. The cube in the sun melts fast. A puddle grows. The cube in the shade melts slowly.
The sun gives off heat. Heat is energy that makes things warm. Heat goes into the ice. The ice turns to water. The sun has more heat, so it wins.
▲ This passage · 123 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9
Here is a race with no running. Two ice cubes will race to melt. Which one will win?
Put one ice cube on a plate in a sunny spot outside. Put the other ice cube on a matching plate in the shade. Make sure the two cubes are the same size. That makes the race fair.
Now wait and watch. The cube in the sun gets smaller fast. Its edges turn round and a puddle grows. The cube in the shade melts too, but slowly.
The sun gives off heat. Heat is a kind of energy that makes things warmer. Heat moves into the ice, and the ice turns into water. Sunny spots get more heat, so the sun cube wins the race.
■ Harder · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3
Here is a race that requires no running at all. Two ice cubes will compete to see which one melts first. Which will win?
Place one ice cube on a plate in a sunny spot outdoors, and place the other on an identical plate in the shade. Be sure the two cubes are exactly the same size, so that the race is fair.
Now wait and watch carefully. The cube in the sun shrinks quickly, its edges turn round, and a puddle spreads beneath it. The cube in the shade melts as well, but much more slowly.
The sun gives off heat, a kind of energy that makes things warmer. Heat flows into the ice and turns it into water. Sunny spots receive more heat, so the cube in the sun wins the race.
Here is a race with no running. Two ice cubes race to melt. Which one wins?
Put one ice cube on a plate in the sun. Put one on a plate in the shade. Make the cubes the same size. Then the race is fair.
Wait and watch. The cube in the sun melts fast. A puddle grows. The cube in the shade melts slowly.
The sun gives off heat. Heat is energy that makes things warm. Heat goes into the ice. The ice turns to water. The sun has more heat, so it wins.
Questions
Where do you put the ice cubes?
Why are the cubes the same size?
Which cube melts faster?
What does heat do to ice?
Will a snowman melt slower in the shade or in the sun?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Ice Cube Race: Sun Against Shade
Here is a race with no running. Two ice cubes will race to melt. Which one will win?
Put one ice cube on a plate in a sunny spot outside. Put the other ice cube on a matching plate in the shade. Make sure the two cubes are the same size. That makes the race fair.
Now wait and watch. The cube in the sun gets smaller fast. Its edges turn round and a puddle grows. The cube in the shade melts too, but slowly.
The sun gives off heat. Heat is a kind of energy that makes things warmer. Heat moves into the ice, and the ice turns into water. Sunny spots get more heat, so the sun cube wins the race.
Questions
Where do you put the two ice cubes?
Why should the two cubes be the same size?
Which cube melts faster?
What does heat do to ice?
A snowman stands in the shade of a tree. Will it melt faster or slower than one in the sun?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Ice Cube Race: Sun Against Shade
Here is a race that requires no running at all. Two ice cubes will compete to see which one melts first. Which will win?
Place one ice cube on a plate in a sunny spot outdoors, and place the other on an identical plate in the shade. Be sure the two cubes are exactly the same size, so that the race is fair.
Now wait and watch carefully. The cube in the sun shrinks quickly, its edges turn round, and a puddle spreads beneath it. The cube in the shade melts as well, but much more slowly.
The sun gives off heat, a kind of energy that makes things warmer. Heat flows into the ice and turns it into water. Sunny spots receive more heat, so the cube in the sun wins the race.
Questions
Where should you place the two ice cubes?
Why must the two cubes be the same size?
Which cube melts more quickly?
What does heat do to ice?
Would a snowman in the shade of a tree melt faster or slower than one in the sun?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Ice Cube Race: Sun Against Shade
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.6)
One in the sun and one in the shade.
It makes the race fair.
The cube in the sun.
It turns the ice into water.
Slower in the shade, because there is less heat.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.9)
One in the sun and one in the shade.
It makes the race fair.
The one in the sun.
It turns the ice into water.
Slower, because the shade gets less heat.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3)
One in a sunny spot and one in the shade.
That makes the race fair.
The cube in the sun.
It turns the ice into water.
Slower, because the shade receives less heat.
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 melt, shade, energy and puddle 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 "Ice Cube Race: Sun Against Shade"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 123 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 0.9. 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.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.