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Shadow Puppets with a Lamp and a Wall

2nd grade nonfiction passage about shadow puppet shows: 113 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

2nd grade nonfiction shadow puppet shows 113 words

Shadow Puppets with a Lamp and a Wall

You can put on a puppet show with just a lamp and a blank wall. Here is how.

First, find a dim room. Turn on a lamp or a flashlight and aim it at the wall. Next, hold a paper puppet between the light and the wall. The puppet blocks the light, so a dark shadow shows on the wall.

Move the puppet closer to the lamp. The shadow gets bigger. Move it closer to the wall. The shadow gets smaller and sharper.

You can also make shadows with your hands. Two hands can make a bird that flaps its wings. Add a story and a few voices, and you have a show!

Questions

  1. What do you need for a shadow puppet show? in the text

  2. What kind of room should you find? in the text

  3. What happens when the puppet is close to the lamp? in the text

  4. What can two hands make? in the text

  5. Why does the puppet make a shadow? think about it

Words to know

shadow
a dark shape made when something blocks light
puppet
a small figure that you move with your hands
dim
not very bright
blocks
keeps something from getting through
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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 · 101 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.2

You can put on a puppet show with a lamp and a wall. Here is how.

First, find a dim room. Turn on a lamp. Aim it at the wall. Next, hold a paper puppet in front of the light. The puppet blocks the light. A dark shadow shows on the wall.

Move the puppet close to the lamp. The shadow gets big. Move it close to the wall. The shadow gets small and sharp.

You can use your hands too. Two hands can make a bird that flaps. Add a story and a few voices. Now you have a show!

▲ This passage · 113 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6

You can put on a puppet show with just a lamp and a blank wall. Here is how.

First, find a dim room. Turn on a lamp or a flashlight and aim it at the wall. Next, hold a paper puppet between the light and the wall. The puppet blocks the light, so a dark shadow shows on the wall.

Move the puppet closer to the lamp. The shadow gets bigger. Move it closer to the wall. The shadow gets smaller and sharper.

You can also make shadows with your hands. Two hands can make a bird that flaps its wings. Add a story and a few voices, and you have a show!

■ Harder · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3

You can put on an entire puppet show with nothing more than a lamp and a blank wall. Here is how it works.

First, find a room that is dim. Switch on a lamp or a flashlight and aim it toward the wall. Next, hold a paper puppet in the space between the light and the wall. The puppet blocks the light from reaching the wall, so a dark shadow appears there.

Now try moving the puppet closer to the lamp. The shadow grows larger. If you move the puppet closer to the wall, the shadow becomes smaller and much sharper.

You can also make shadows using only your hands. Two hands can form a bird that flaps its wings. Add a story and a few funny voices, and you have a complete show!

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put shadow, puppet, dim and blocks 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Shadow Puppets with a Lamp and a Wall"?

It was written for 2nd grade. It has 113 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.6. 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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