2nd grade nonfiction passage about sunrises on the space station: 120 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionsunrises on the space station120 words
Many Sunrises in One Day
On Earth, we see one sunrise each day. Astronauts on the space station see many.
The space station is a big lab that circles high above Earth. It moves very fast. It goes all the way around our planet in about an hour and a half. As it goes around, it passes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side, and back again.
Each time, the astronauts see the sun rise. Each time, they see it set. They see this over and over in a single day.
This could make it hard to sleep. So the crew uses clocks to know when it is time for bed. They also cover the windows to make their sleeping spaces dark.
Questions
How many sunrises do we see on Earth each day? in the text
What is the space station? in the text
How long does the space station take to go around Earth? in the text
What do astronauts use to know when it is time for bed? in the text
Why do the astronauts cover their windows to sleep? think about it
Words to know
sunrise
the time when the sun first shows in the morning
circles
goes around in a ring
crew
a team of people who work together on a trip
planet
a big round world that travels around a star
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Many Sunrises in One Day
2nd grade reading passage
On Earth, we see one sunrise each day. Astronauts on the space station see many.
The space station is a big lab that circles high above Earth. It moves very fast. It goes all the way around our planet in about an hour and a half. As it goes around, it passes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side, and back again.
Each time, the astronauts see the sun rise. Each time, they see it set. They see this over and over in a single day.
This could make it hard to sleep. So the crew uses clocks to know when it is time for bed. They also cover the windows to make their sleeping spaces dark.
Questions
How many sunrises do we see on Earth each day?
What is the space station?
How long does the space station take to go around Earth?
What do astronauts use to know when it is time for bed?
Why do the astronauts cover their windows to sleep?
Words to know
sunrise: the time when the sun first shows in the morning
circles: goes around in a ring
crew: a team of people who work together on a trip
planet: a big round world that travels around a star
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/many-sunrises-in-one-day
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 · 110 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2
On Earth, we see one sunrise a day. Astronauts on the space station see many.
The space station is a big lab. It circles high above Earth. It moves very fast. It goes around our planet in about an hour and a half. It goes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side, and back again.
Each time, the astronauts see the sun rise. Each time, they see it set. They see this again and again in one day.
This can make it hard to sleep. So the crew uses clocks to know when to go to bed. They cover the windows to make the sleeping spaces dark.
▲ This passage · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8
On Earth, we see one sunrise each day. Astronauts on the space station see many.
The space station is a big lab that circles high above Earth. It moves very fast. It goes all the way around our planet in about an hour and a half. As it goes around, it passes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side, and back again.
Each time, the astronauts see the sun rise. Each time, they see it set. They see this over and over in a single day.
This could make it hard to sleep. So the crew uses clocks to know when it is time for bed. They also cover the windows to make their sleeping spaces dark.
■ Harder · 130 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.3
On Earth, we see a single sunrise each day, but astronauts aboard the space station see many of them.
The space station is a huge laboratory that circles high above our planet. It travels at tremendous speed and completes a trip around Earth in about an hour and a half. During each trip, it passes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side and then back again.
Every time it does, the astronauts watch the sun rise, and every time, they watch it set. They witness this over and over within a single day.
Such a schedule could make it difficult to sleep. For that reason, the crew relies on clocks to know when bedtime has arrived. They also cover the windows to keep their sleeping spaces dark.
On Earth, we see one sunrise a day. Astronauts on the space station see many.
The space station is a big lab. It circles high above Earth. It moves very fast. It goes around our planet in about an hour and a half. It goes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side, and back again.
Each time, the astronauts see the sun rise. Each time, they see it set. They see this again and again in one day.
This can make it hard to sleep. So the crew uses clocks to know when to go to bed. They cover the windows to make the sleeping spaces dark.
Questions
How many sunrises do we see on Earth each day?
What is the space station?
How long does the space station take to go around Earth?
What do astronauts use to know when to go to bed?
Why do the astronauts cover their windows to sleep?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Many Sunrises in One Day
On Earth, we see one sunrise each day. Astronauts on the space station see many.
The space station is a big lab that circles high above Earth. It moves very fast. It goes all the way around our planet in about an hour and a half. As it goes around, it passes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side, and back again.
Each time, the astronauts see the sun rise. Each time, they see it set. They see this over and over in a single day.
This could make it hard to sleep. So the crew uses clocks to know when it is time for bed. They also cover the windows to make their sleeping spaces dark.
Questions
How many sunrises do we see on Earth each day?
What is the space station?
How long does the space station take to go around Earth?
What do astronauts use to know when it is time for bed?
Why do the astronauts cover their windows to sleep?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Many Sunrises in One Day
On Earth, we see a single sunrise each day, but astronauts aboard the space station see many of them.
The space station is a huge laboratory that circles high above our planet. It travels at tremendous speed and completes a trip around Earth in about an hour and a half. During each trip, it passes from the sunny side of Earth to the dark side and then back again.
Every time it does, the astronauts watch the sun rise, and every time, they watch it set. They witness this over and over within a single day.
Such a schedule could make it difficult to sleep. For that reason, the crew relies on clocks to know when bedtime has arrived. They also cover the windows to keep their sleeping spaces dark.
Questions
How many sunrises do we see on Earth each day?
What is the space station?
About how long does one trip around Earth take the space station?
What does the crew rely on to know when bedtime has arrived?
Why do the astronauts cover the windows of their sleeping spaces?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Many Sunrises in One Day
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2)
One.
A big lab that circles high above Earth.
About an hour and a half.
Clocks.
Sunlight keeps coming in, so covering the windows makes it dark.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8)
One.
A big lab that circles high above Earth.
About an hour and a half.
Clocks.
Sunlight keeps coming in, so covering the windows makes it dark.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.3)
One.
A huge laboratory that circles high above our planet.
About an hour and a half.
Clocks.
Sunlight keeps coming in, so covering the windows keeps the spaces dark.
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 sunrise, circles, crew and planet 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 120 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.8. 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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