2nd grade nonfiction passage about how popcorn pops: 115 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionhow popcorn pops115 words
Inside a Popping Kernel
A popcorn kernel is small and hard. It looks like it could never be fluffy. But when it gets hot, something big happens.
Each kernel has a tiny bit of water inside. It also has a tough shell. When the kernel heats up, the water turns into steam. Steam takes up more room than water, so it pushes on the shell.
The push gets stronger and stronger. Then the shell breaks with a pop! The soft white inside puffs out and turns inside out.
Popcorn comes from a special kind of corn. Other kinds of corn do not pop the same way. That is why a bag of popcorn kernels is made just for popping.
Questions
What is inside a popcorn kernel? in the text
What does the water turn into when the kernel gets hot? in the text
What happens to the shell? in the text
What kind of corn is used to make popcorn? in the text
Why does the kernel need heat to pop? think about it
Words to know
kernel
one small seed of corn
steam
the hot gas that water makes when it gets very hot
shell
the hard outside covering of a seed
puffs
swells up and gets big and light
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Inside a Popping Kernel
2nd grade reading passage
A popcorn kernel is small and hard. It looks like it could never be fluffy. But when it gets hot, something big happens.
Each kernel has a tiny bit of water inside. It also has a tough shell. When the kernel heats up, the water turns into steam. Steam takes up more room than water, so it pushes on the shell.
The push gets stronger and stronger. Then the shell breaks with a pop! The soft white inside puffs out and turns inside out.
Popcorn comes from a special kind of corn. Other kinds of corn do not pop the same way. That is why a bag of popcorn kernels is made just for popping.
Questions
What is inside a popcorn kernel?
What does the water turn into when the kernel gets hot?
What happens to the shell?
What kind of corn is used to make popcorn?
Why does the kernel need heat to pop?
Words to know
kernel: one small seed of corn
steam: the hot gas that water makes when it gets very hot
shell: the hard outside covering of a seed
puffs: swells up and gets big and light
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/inside-a-popping-kernel
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 · 73 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7
A popcorn kernel is small and hard. It does not look fluffy. But when it gets hot, it pops!
The kernel has a little water inside. It has a hard shell too. The heat turns the water into steam. The steam pushes on the shell.
The push gets strong. Pop! The shell breaks. The soft white part puffs out.
Popcorn comes from a special corn. Other corn does not pop the same way.
▲ This passage · 115 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5
A popcorn kernel is small and hard. It looks like it could never be fluffy. But when it gets hot, something big happens.
Each kernel has a tiny bit of water inside. It also has a tough shell. When the kernel heats up, the water turns into steam. Steam takes up more room than water, so it pushes on the shell.
The push gets stronger and stronger. Then the shell breaks with a pop! The soft white inside puffs out and turns inside out.
Popcorn comes from a special kind of corn. Other kinds of corn do not pop the same way. That is why a bag of popcorn kernels is made just for popping.
■ Harder · 119 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.5
A popcorn kernel is small, hard, and dry. It seems impossible that it could ever turn into something light and fluffy. But when the kernel gets hot, something remarkable happens.
Inside each kernel is a tiny drop of water, surrounded by a tough shell. As the kernel heats up, the water turns into steam. Steam needs far more room than water does, so it pushes harder and harder against the shell.
Finally the shell bursts open with a pop! The soft, white inside puffs out and turns itself inside out.
Popcorn comes from a special variety of corn. Other kinds of corn do not pop in the same way, which is why popcorn kernels are sold just for popping.
A popcorn kernel is small and hard. It does not look fluffy. But when it gets hot, it pops!
The kernel has a little water inside. It has a hard shell too. The heat turns the water into steam. The steam pushes on the shell.
The push gets strong. Pop! The shell breaks. The soft white part puffs out.
Popcorn comes from a special corn. Other corn does not pop the same way.
Questions
What is inside a popcorn kernel?
What does the heat turn the water into?
What breaks when the kernel pops?
What kind of corn makes popcorn?
Why does the kernel need to get hot?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Inside a Popping Kernel
A popcorn kernel is small and hard. It looks like it could never be fluffy. But when it gets hot, something big happens.
Each kernel has a tiny bit of water inside. It also has a tough shell. When the kernel heats up, the water turns into steam. Steam takes up more room than water, so it pushes on the shell.
The push gets stronger and stronger. Then the shell breaks with a pop! The soft white inside puffs out and turns inside out.
Popcorn comes from a special kind of corn. Other kinds of corn do not pop the same way. That is why a bag of popcorn kernels is made just for popping.
Questions
What is inside a popcorn kernel?
What does the water turn into when the kernel gets hot?
What happens to the shell?
What kind of corn is used to make popcorn?
Why does the kernel need heat to pop?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Inside a Popping Kernel
A popcorn kernel is small, hard, and dry. It seems impossible that it could ever turn into something light and fluffy. But when the kernel gets hot, something remarkable happens.
Inside each kernel is a tiny drop of water, surrounded by a tough shell. As the kernel heats up, the water turns into steam. Steam needs far more room than water does, so it pushes harder and harder against the shell.
Finally the shell bursts open with a pop! The soft, white inside puffs out and turns itself inside out.
Popcorn comes from a special variety of corn. Other kinds of corn do not pop in the same way, which is why popcorn kernels are sold just for popping.
Questions
What is inside each popcorn kernel?
What does the water become when the kernel heats up?
What happens when the steam pushes hard enough against the shell?
What kind of corn is used to make popcorn?
Why will a kernel not pop if it stays cold?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Inside a Popping Kernel
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7)
A little water.
Steam.
The hard shell.
A special corn.
The heat makes steam, and the steam pushes the shell open.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5)
A tiny bit of water.
Steam.
The steam pushes on it until it breaks with a pop.
A special kind of corn.
Heat turns the water inside into steam, and the steam pushes the shell open.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.5)
A tiny drop of water, surrounded by a tough shell.
Steam.
The shell bursts open with a pop.
A special variety of corn.
Without heat, the water cannot turn into steam to push the shell open.
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 kernel, steam, shell and puffs 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 115 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.5. 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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