2nd grade nonfiction passage about rice paddies: 117 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionrice paddies117 words
Rice Grows with Wet Feet
Many plants do not like to stand in water, but rice does. Rice is often grown in a paddy. A paddy is a flat field with low walls of earth around it. The walls hold in a shallow pool of water.
First, farmers plant small rice seedlings in the muddy ground. The seedlings stand in the water like tiny green blades of grass. As the weeks go by, the plants grow tall.
When the rice is ready, the plants turn golden. Farmers drain the water from the paddy. Then they cut the plants and shake out the grains.
Each grain has a husk, like a little coat. The husk is taken off before we cook the rice.
Questions
What is a paddy? in the text
What do farmers plant in the muddy ground? in the text
What color are the rice plants when the rice is ready? in the text
What do farmers do to the paddy before cutting the plants? in the text
Why does a paddy have walls around it? think about it
Words to know
paddy
a flooded field where rice grows
seedlings
very young plants that have just started to grow
husk
the dry outer covering of a grain
drain
to let water flow out
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Rice Grows with Wet Feet
2nd grade reading passage
Many plants do not like to stand in water, but rice does. Rice is often grown in a paddy. A paddy is a flat field with low walls of earth around it. The walls hold in a shallow pool of water.
First, farmers plant small rice seedlings in the muddy ground. The seedlings stand in the water like tiny green blades of grass. As the weeks go by, the plants grow tall.
When the rice is ready, the plants turn golden. Farmers drain the water from the paddy. Then they cut the plants and shake out the grains.
Each grain has a husk, like a little coat. The husk is taken off before we cook the rice.
Questions
What is a paddy?
What do farmers plant in the muddy ground?
What color are the rice plants when the rice is ready?
What do farmers do to the paddy before cutting the plants?
Why does a paddy have walls around it?
Words to know
paddy: a flooded field where rice grows
seedlings: very young plants that have just started to grow
husk: the dry outer covering of a grain
drain: to let water flow out
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/rice-grows-with-wet-feet
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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 · 87 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4
Many plants do not like water. But rice does. Rice grows in a paddy. A paddy is a flat field. It has low walls of earth. The walls hold in a pool of water.
Farmers plant small rice seedlings in the mud. The plants stand in the water. They grow tall.
When the rice is ready, it turns golden. The farmers drain the water. They cut the plants and shake out the grains.
Each grain has a husk. The husk comes off before we cook the rice.
▲ This passage · 117 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2
Many plants do not like to stand in water, but rice does. Rice is often grown in a paddy. A paddy is a flat field with low walls of earth around it. The walls hold in a shallow pool of water.
First, farmers plant small rice seedlings in the muddy ground. The seedlings stand in the water like tiny green blades of grass. As the weeks go by, the plants grow tall.
When the rice is ready, the plants turn golden. Farmers drain the water from the paddy. Then they cut the plants and shake out the grains.
Each grain has a husk, like a little coat. The husk is taken off before we cook the rice.
■ Harder · 124 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6
Most plants do not enjoy standing in water, but rice grows very well that way. Rice is often planted in a paddy, which is a flat field surrounded by low walls of earth. The walls trap a shallow pool of water in the field.
Farmers begin by planting young rice seedlings in the muddy ground. Standing in the water, the seedlings look like tiny blades of green grass, and over the following weeks they grow tall.
When the rice is ripe, the plants turn golden. The farmers drain the water out of the paddy, cut the plants, and shake the grains loose.
Every grain is wrapped in a husk, which works like a little coat. The husk is removed before the rice is cooked.
Many plants do not like water. But rice does. Rice grows in a paddy. A paddy is a flat field. It has low walls of earth. The walls hold in a pool of water.
Farmers plant small rice seedlings in the mud. The plants stand in the water. They grow tall.
When the rice is ready, it turns golden. The farmers drain the water. They cut the plants and shake out the grains.
Each grain has a husk. The husk comes off before we cook the rice.
Questions
What is a paddy?
What do farmers plant in the mud?
What color is the rice when it is ready?
What do farmers do with the water before they cut the plants?
Why does a paddy have walls?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Rice Grows with Wet Feet
Many plants do not like to stand in water, but rice does. Rice is often grown in a paddy. A paddy is a flat field with low walls of earth around it. The walls hold in a shallow pool of water.
First, farmers plant small rice seedlings in the muddy ground. The seedlings stand in the water like tiny green blades of grass. As the weeks go by, the plants grow tall.
When the rice is ready, the plants turn golden. Farmers drain the water from the paddy. Then they cut the plants and shake out the grains.
Each grain has a husk, like a little coat. The husk is taken off before we cook the rice.
Questions
What is a paddy?
What do farmers plant in the muddy ground?
What color are the rice plants when the rice is ready?
What do farmers do to the paddy before cutting the plants?
Why does a paddy have walls around it?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Rice Grows with Wet Feet
Most plants do not enjoy standing in water, but rice grows very well that way. Rice is often planted in a paddy, which is a flat field surrounded by low walls of earth. The walls trap a shallow pool of water in the field.
Farmers begin by planting young rice seedlings in the muddy ground. Standing in the water, the seedlings look like tiny blades of green grass, and over the following weeks they grow tall.
When the rice is ripe, the plants turn golden. The farmers drain the water out of the paddy, cut the plants, and shake the grains loose.
Every grain is wrapped in a husk, which works like a little coat. The husk is removed before the rice is cooked.
Questions
What is a paddy?
What do farmers plant in the muddy ground?
What color do the rice plants turn when the rice is ripe?
What do the farmers do to the paddy before they cut the plants?
Why are low walls built around a paddy?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Rice Grows with Wet Feet
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4)
A flat field with low walls that hold in water.
Small rice seedlings.
Golden.
They drain it.
The walls keep the water in.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2)
A flat field with low walls that hold in a shallow pool of water.
Small rice seedlings.
Golden.
They drain the water.
The walls keep the water from running away.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6)
A flat field surrounded by low walls of earth that trap a shallow pool of water.
Young rice seedlings.
Golden.
They drain the water out of it.
The walls trap the water so it cannot run out of the field.
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 paddy, seedlings, husk and drain 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 117 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.2. 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?
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