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Keep a Weather Diary for One Week

2nd grade nonfiction passage about how to track weather: 134 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

2nd grade nonfiction how to track weather 134 words

Keep a Weather Diary for One Week

You can be a weather watcher. All you need is a notebook, a pencil, and a week of days.

First, pick a time. Check the weather at the same time each day, such as right after breakfast. Next, look up at the sky. Is the sun out? Are there clouds? Are they white and puffy, or gray and flat?

Then step outside for a moment. Is it windy? Do the tree branches move? Does the air feel warm, cool, or cold? Is rain or snow falling?

Last, draw a small picture in your notebook. A sun, a cloud, or a raindrop works well. Write the day beside it.

After seven days, look at your pages. Did it rain more than once? Was one day much colder? You have made a record of the weather.

Questions

  1. What three things do you need for a weather diary? in the text

  2. When should you check the weather each day? in the text

  3. What can tree branches tell you about the weather? in the text

  4. What can you draw in your notebook? in the text

  5. Why is it helpful to look at all seven pages at the end? think about it

Words to know

weather
what the air and sky are like outside
diary
a book where you write down things each day
clouds
white or gray puffs of tiny water drops in the sky
record
a written list of what happened
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 · 103 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.2

You can be a weather watcher. You need a notebook and a pencil. You need one week.

First, pick a time. Look at the weather at the same time each day. Look up at the sky. Is the sun out? Are there clouds? Are they puffy or flat?

Next, step outside. Is it windy? Do the branches move? Is the air warm or cold? Is rain falling?

Then draw a small picture. Draw a sun, a cloud, or a raindrop. Write the day.

After seven days, read your pages. Did it rain? Was one day cold? You made a record of the weather.

▲ This passage · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1

You can be a weather watcher. All you need is a notebook, a pencil, and a week of days.

First, pick a time. Check the weather at the same time each day, such as right after breakfast. Next, look up at the sky. Is the sun out? Are there clouds? Are they white and puffy, or gray and flat?

Then step outside for a moment. Is it windy? Do the tree branches move? Does the air feel warm, cool, or cold? Is rain or snow falling?

Last, draw a small picture in your notebook. A sun, a cloud, or a raindrop works well. Write the day beside it.

After seven days, look at your pages. Did it rain more than once? Was one day much colder? You have made a record of the weather.

■ Harder · 158 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6

Anyone can become a weather watcher. All you need is a notebook, a pencil, and a week of ordinary days.

To begin, choose a time of day and check the weather at that same time every day, perhaps right after breakfast. Look up at the sky and ask yourself some questions. Is the sun shining? Are there any clouds, and are they white and puffy or gray and flat?

Next, step outside for a moment to notice more. Is it windy, and are the tree branches swaying? Does the air feel warm, cool, or cold? Is rain or snow falling from the sky?

Finally, draw a small picture in your notebook, such as a sun, a cloud, or a raindrop, and write the day beside it.

After seven days, flip through your pages and compare them. Did it rain more than once? Was one day much colder than the others? You have created a record of the weather.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put weather, diary, clouds and record 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Keep a Weather Diary for One Week"?

It was written for 2nd grade. It has 134 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.0. 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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