2nd grade nonfiction passage about a game from ancient greece: 113 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictiona game from ancient greece113 words
Playing Knucklebones in Ancient Greece
Children in ancient Greece did not have video games or plastic toys. But they still loved to play. One favorite game was called knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones from the ankles of sheep. They were about the size of a pebble. Some were painted or polished. A player kept a handful of them.
A player tossed the bones in the air. Then the player tried to catch them on the back of the hand. Sometimes players scattered the bones on the ground and picked them up one by one.
Children in ancient Rome played this game, too. It is a lot like the game of jacks that some children play today.
Questions
What was the game called? in the text
What were the game pieces? in the text
Where did players try to catch the bones? in the text
Which game today is a lot like knucklebones? in the text
How do we know that children long ago liked to play? think about it
Words to know
ancient
from a very, very long time ago
polished
rubbed until smooth and shiny
tossed
threw something lightly into the air
scattered
threw things so they spread out in many places
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Playing Knucklebones in Ancient Greece
2nd grade reading passage
Children in ancient Greece did not have video games or plastic toys. But they still loved to play. One favorite game was called knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones from the ankles of sheep. They were about the size of a pebble. Some were painted or polished. A player kept a handful of them.
A player tossed the bones in the air. Then the player tried to catch them on the back of the hand. Sometimes players scattered the bones on the ground and picked them up one by one.
Children in ancient Rome played this game, too. It is a lot like the game of jacks that some children play today.
Questions
What was the game called?
What were the game pieces?
Where did players try to catch the bones?
Which game today is a lot like knucklebones?
How do we know that children long ago liked to play?
Words to know
ancient: from a very, very long time ago
polished: rubbed until smooth and shiny
tossed: threw something lightly into the air
scattered: threw things so they spread out in many places
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/playing-knucklebones-in-ancient-greece
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 · 99 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
Kids in ancient Greece had no video games. They had no plastic toys. But they still loved to play. One game was knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones from the ankles of sheep. They were about the size of a pebble. Some were painted. A player kept a handful.
A player tossed the bones in the air. Then the player tried to catch them on the back of the hand. Sometimes players dropped the bones on the ground and picked them up one by one.
Kids in ancient Rome played too. It is like the game of jacks.
▲ This passage · 113 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3
Children in ancient Greece did not have video games or plastic toys. But they still loved to play. One favorite game was called knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones from the ankles of sheep. They were about the size of a pebble. Some were painted or polished. A player kept a handful of them.
A player tossed the bones in the air. Then the player tried to catch them on the back of the hand. Sometimes players scattered the bones on the ground and picked them up one by one.
Children in ancient Rome played this game, too. It is a lot like the game of jacks that some children play today.
■ Harder · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2
Children in ancient Greece had neither video games nor plastic toys, yet they still loved to play. One of their favorite games was called knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones taken from the ankles of sheep, and each was about the size of a pebble. Some were painted or polished until they gleamed, and every player kept a handful.
A player would toss the bones into the air and try to catch them on the back of the hand. At other times, players scattered the bones across the ground and picked them up one at a time.
Children in ancient Rome played this game as well, and it closely resembles the game of jacks that some children enjoy today.
Kids in ancient Greece had no video games. They had no plastic toys. But they still loved to play. One game was knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones from the ankles of sheep. They were about the size of a pebble. Some were painted. A player kept a handful.
A player tossed the bones in the air. Then the player tried to catch them on the back of the hand. Sometimes players dropped the bones on the ground and picked them up one by one.
Kids in ancient Rome played too. It is like the game of jacks.
Questions
What was the game called?
What were the game pieces?
Where did players try to catch the bones?
Which game today is like knucklebones?
How do we know kids long ago liked to play?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Playing Knucklebones in Ancient Greece
Children in ancient Greece did not have video games or plastic toys. But they still loved to play. One favorite game was called knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones from the ankles of sheep. They were about the size of a pebble. Some were painted or polished. A player kept a handful of them.
A player tossed the bones in the air. Then the player tried to catch them on the back of the hand. Sometimes players scattered the bones on the ground and picked them up one by one.
Children in ancient Rome played this game, too. It is a lot like the game of jacks that some children play today.
Questions
What was the game called?
What were the game pieces?
Where did players try to catch the bones?
Which game today is a lot like knucklebones?
How do we know that children long ago liked to play?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Playing Knucklebones in Ancient Greece
Children in ancient Greece had neither video games nor plastic toys, yet they still loved to play. One of their favorite games was called knucklebones.
The game pieces were small bones taken from the ankles of sheep, and each was about the size of a pebble. Some were painted or polished until they gleamed, and every player kept a handful.
A player would toss the bones into the air and try to catch them on the back of the hand. At other times, players scattered the bones across the ground and picked them up one at a time.
Children in ancient Rome played this game as well, and it closely resembles the game of jacks that some children enjoy today.
Questions
What was one of their favorite games called?
What were the game pieces?
Where did players try to catch the bones?
Which game today closely resembles knucklebones?
What does this game show about children long ago?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Playing Knucklebones in Ancient Greece
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
Knucklebones.
Small bones from the ankles of sheep.
On the back of the hand.
Jacks.
They made games like knucklebones from things they could find.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3)
Knucklebones.
Small bones from the ankles of sheep.
On the back of the hand.
Jacks.
They made games like knucklebones from things they could find.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2)
Knucklebones.
Small bones taken from the ankles of sheep.
On the back of the hand.
Jacks.
They loved to play and made games from things they could find.
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 ancient, polished, tossed and scattered 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 "Playing Knucklebones in Ancient Greece"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 113 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.3. 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.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.