2nd grade nonfiction passage about station lunch boxes in japan: 112 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionstation lunch boxes in japan112 words
Lunch Boxes You Buy at a Train Station
In Japan, many people ride trains. A train ride can be long, so riders like to eat on the way.
Many stations have shops that sell lunch boxes for train trips. These boxes are called ekiben. Each box is small and neat. It is easy to hold on your lap.
Inside, there is usually rice, plus little bits of other foods. Each part sits in its own space, so the foods do not mix together.
Each region has its own boxes. A box from a town by the sea might hold fish. A box from a hilly town might hold mountain vegetables. So a rider can taste the place she is visiting.
Questions
What are ekiben? in the text
Where are the lunch boxes sold? in the text
What is usually inside the box? in the text
Why does each food sit in its own space? in the text
How can a rider taste the place she is visiting? think about it
Words to know
station
a place where trains stop for riders
region
a part of a country or the world
neat
tidy and in good order
lap
the flat place on top of your legs when you sit
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Lunch Boxes You Buy at a Train Station
2nd grade reading passage
In Japan, many people ride trains. A train ride can be long, so riders like to eat on the way.
Many stations have shops that sell lunch boxes for train trips. These boxes are called ekiben. Each box is small and neat. It is easy to hold on your lap.
Inside, there is usually rice, plus little bits of other foods. Each part sits in its own space, so the foods do not mix together.
Each region has its own boxes. A box from a town by the sea might hold fish. A box from a hilly town might hold mountain vegetables. So a rider can taste the place she is visiting.
Questions
What are ekiben?
Where are the lunch boxes sold?
What is usually inside the box?
Why does each food sit in its own space?
How can a rider taste the place she is visiting?
Words to know
station: a place where trains stop for riders
region: a part of a country or the world
neat: tidy and in good order
lap: the flat place on top of your legs when you sit
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/lunch-boxes-you-buy-at-a-train-station
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 · 94 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6
In Japan, many people ride trains. A train ride can be long. Riders like to eat on the way.
Many stations sell lunch boxes for train trips. They are called ekiben. The box is small and neat. It is easy to hold on your lap.
Inside, there is rice and a few other foods. Each food has its own space. The foods do not mix.
Each region has its own boxes. A town by the sea might sell fish. A hilly town might sell mountain vegetables. A rider can taste the place she visits.
▲ This passage · 112 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
In Japan, many people ride trains. A train ride can be long, so riders like to eat on the way.
Many stations have shops that sell lunch boxes for train trips. These boxes are called ekiben. Each box is small and neat. It is easy to hold on your lap.
Inside, there is usually rice, plus little bits of other foods. Each part sits in its own space, so the foods do not mix together.
Each region has its own boxes. A box from a town by the sea might hold fish. A box from a hilly town might hold mountain vegetables. So a rider can taste the place she is visiting.
■ Harder · 140 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6
In Japan, a great many people travel by train from one place to another. Since a train ride can last for hours, riders enjoy eating a meal along the way.
At numerous stations, shops sell lunch boxes designed especially for train journeys. These boxes are known as ekiben. Each box is small and neat, and it is easy to balance on your lap.
Inside, there is usually rice along with small portions of other foods. Every food sits in its own little space, so the different foods never mix together.
The most interesting part is that each region has its own special boxes. A box from a town beside the sea might contain fish, while a box from a hilly town might hold vegetables from the mountains. In this way, a rider can taste the place that she is visiting.
In Japan, many people ride trains. A train ride can be long. Riders like to eat on the way.
Many stations sell lunch boxes for train trips. They are called ekiben. The box is small and neat. It is easy to hold on your lap.
Inside, there is rice and a few other foods. Each food has its own space. The foods do not mix.
Each region has its own boxes. A town by the sea might sell fish. A hilly town might sell mountain vegetables. A rider can taste the place she visits.
Questions
What are ekiben?
Where are they sold?
What is inside the box?
Why does each food have its own space?
How can a rider taste the place she visits?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Lunch Boxes You Buy at a Train Station
In Japan, many people ride trains. A train ride can be long, so riders like to eat on the way.
Many stations have shops that sell lunch boxes for train trips. These boxes are called ekiben. Each box is small and neat. It is easy to hold on your lap.
Inside, there is usually rice, plus little bits of other foods. Each part sits in its own space, so the foods do not mix together.
Each region has its own boxes. A box from a town by the sea might hold fish. A box from a hilly town might hold mountain vegetables. So a rider can taste the place she is visiting.
Questions
What are ekiben?
Where are the lunch boxes sold?
What is usually inside the box?
Why does each food sit in its own space?
How can a rider taste the place she is visiting?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Lunch Boxes You Buy at a Train Station
In Japan, a great many people travel by train from one place to another. Since a train ride can last for hours, riders enjoy eating a meal along the way.
At numerous stations, shops sell lunch boxes designed especially for train journeys. These boxes are known as ekiben. Each box is small and neat, and it is easy to balance on your lap.
Inside, there is usually rice along with small portions of other foods. Every food sits in its own little space, so the different foods never mix together.
The most interesting part is that each region has its own special boxes. A box from a town beside the sea might contain fish, while a box from a hilly town might hold vegetables from the mountains. In this way, a rider can taste the place that she is visiting.
Questions
What are ekiben?
Where do shops sell these lunch boxes?
What is usually inside the box?
Why does every food sit in its own little space?
In what way can a rider taste the place she is visiting?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Lunch Boxes You Buy at a Train Station
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6)
Lunch boxes for train trips.
At train stations.
Rice and a few other foods.
So the foods do not mix.
She can buy a box with foods from that region.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
Lunch boxes made for train trips.
At train stations.
Rice and little bits of other foods.
So the foods do not mix together.
She can buy a box with foods from that region.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.6)
Lunch boxes designed especially for train journeys.
At stations.
Rice along with small portions of other foods.
So the different foods never mix together.
She can buy a box that holds foods from that region.
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 station, region, neat and lap 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 "Lunch Boxes You Buy at a Train Station"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 112 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.0. 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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