2nd grade nonfiction passage about juries in a courtroom: 124 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionjuries in a courtroom124 words
Neighbors Who Sit on a Jury
Sometimes two people disagree in a big way. They may go to a court. There, someone fair can decide. In some courts, the deciders are not judges. They are a group of neighbors called a jury.
The people on a jury are chosen from the town. One may be a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. A jury does not know the people in the case. That is good. It helps the jury stay fair.
The jury sits together and listens. They hear from both sides. Then they talk in a quiet room and make a choice.
Serving on a jury is a job for a citizen. It is one way that people in a town help keep the rules fair for all.
Questions
What is a group of neighbors in a court called? in the text
Where are the people on a jury chosen from? in the text
What does the jury do before it makes a choice? in the text
What is one job that someone on a jury might have? in the text
Why is it good that a jury does not know the people in the case? think about it
Words to know
jury
a group of townspeople who help decide a case
court
a place where people go to settle a big disagreement
judge
a person who leads a court
citizen
a person who belongs to a town or a country
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Neighbors Who Sit on a Jury
2nd grade reading passage
Sometimes two people disagree in a big way. They may go to a court. There, someone fair can decide. In some courts, the deciders are not judges. They are a group of neighbors called a jury.
The people on a jury are chosen from the town. One may be a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. A jury does not know the people in the case. That is good. It helps the jury stay fair.
The jury sits together and listens. They hear from both sides. Then they talk in a quiet room and make a choice.
Serving on a jury is a job for a citizen. It is one way that people in a town help keep the rules fair for all.
Questions
What is a group of neighbors in a court called?
Where are the people on a jury chosen from?
What does the jury do before it makes a choice?
What is one job that someone on a jury might have?
Why is it good that a jury does not know the people in the case?
Words to know
jury: a group of townspeople who help decide a case
court: a place where people go to settle a big disagreement
judge: a person who leads a court
citizen: a person who belongs to a town or a country
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/neighbors-who-sit-on-a-jury
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 · 90 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5
Two people may not agree. They go to a court. In some courts, a group of neighbors decides. This group is a jury.
The jury is picked from the town. A jury may have a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. They do not know the people in the case. That helps them be fair.
The jury sits and listens to both sides. Then they talk in a quiet room. They make a choice.
Being on a jury is a job for a citizen. It helps keep rules fair.
▲ This passage · 124 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
Sometimes two people disagree in a big way. They may go to a court. There, someone fair can decide. In some courts, the deciders are not judges. They are a group of neighbors called a jury.
The people on a jury are chosen from the town. One may be a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. A jury does not know the people in the case. That is good. It helps the jury stay fair.
The jury sits together and listens. They hear from both sides. Then they talk in a quiet room and make a choice.
Serving on a jury is a job for a citizen. It is one way that people in a town help keep the rules fair for all.
■ Harder · 132 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.8
Occasionally two people disagree so strongly that they take their problem to a court, where someone fair can settle it. In certain courts, the people who decide are not judges at all. Instead, they are a group of neighbors known as a jury.
The members of a jury are chosen from among the people of the town. They might be a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. Jurors usually do not know the people in the case, which helps them to remain fair.
The jury sits together and listens carefully to both sides. Afterward, the members talk it over in a quiet room and make a choice.
Serving on a jury is an important job for a citizen. It is one way that townspeople help keep the rules fair for everyone.
Two people may not agree. They go to a court. In some courts, a group of neighbors decides. This group is a jury.
The jury is picked from the town. A jury may have a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. They do not know the people in the case. That helps them be fair.
The jury sits and listens to both sides. Then they talk in a quiet room. They make a choice.
Being on a jury is a job for a citizen. It helps keep rules fair.
Questions
What is a group of neighbors in a court called?
Where is a jury picked from?
What does the jury do before it makes a choice?
What is one job a person on a jury might have?
Why is it good that the jury does not know the people?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Neighbors Who Sit on a Jury
Sometimes two people disagree in a big way. They may go to a court. There, someone fair can decide. In some courts, the deciders are not judges. They are a group of neighbors called a jury.
The people on a jury are chosen from the town. One may be a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. A jury does not know the people in the case. That is good. It helps the jury stay fair.
The jury sits together and listens. They hear from both sides. Then they talk in a quiet room and make a choice.
Serving on a jury is a job for a citizen. It is one way that people in a town help keep the rules fair for all.
Questions
What is a group of neighbors in a court called?
Where are the people on a jury chosen from?
What does the jury do before it makes a choice?
What is one job that someone on a jury might have?
Why is it good that a jury does not know the people in the case?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Neighbors Who Sit on a Jury
Occasionally two people disagree so strongly that they take their problem to a court, where someone fair can settle it. In certain courts, the people who decide are not judges at all. Instead, they are a group of neighbors known as a jury.
The members of a jury are chosen from among the people of the town. They might be a baker, a bus driver, or a teacher. Jurors usually do not know the people in the case, which helps them to remain fair.
The jury sits together and listens carefully to both sides. Afterward, the members talk it over in a quiet room and make a choice.
Serving on a jury is an important job for a citizen. It is one way that townspeople help keep the rules fair for everyone.
Questions
What is the group of neighbors who decide a case called?
How are the members of a jury chosen?
What does the jury do before it makes a choice?
What kinds of jobs might the people on a jury have?
Why does it help that jurors do not know the people in the case?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Neighbors Who Sit on a Jury
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5)
A jury.
From the town.
It listens to both sides.
A baker, a bus driver, or a teacher.
It helps the jury be fair.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
A jury.
From the town.
It listens to both sides.
A baker, a bus driver, or a teacher.
It helps the jury stay fair.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.8)
A jury.
They are chosen from among the people of the town.
It listens carefully to both sides.
A baker, a bus driver, or a teacher.
It helps them remain fair.
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 jury, court, judge and citizen 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 "Neighbors Who Sit on a Jury"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 124 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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