2nd grade nonfiction passage about equal shares and fourths: 114 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionequal shares and fourths114 words
Sharing a Sandwich in Fourths
Four friends sit down for lunch. They have one big sandwich to share. How can they make it fair?
They cut the sandwich into four equal pieces. Equal means each piece is the same size. Each piece is called a fourth, or a quarter. Four fourths make one whole sandwich.
First, cut the sandwich in half from top to bottom. Now there are two halves. Then cut each half in half again. Now there are four pieces.
If one piece is bigger, the friends are not sharing fairly. The pieces must be the same size to be fourths.
Each friend takes one fourth. A whole sandwich is gone, and no one feels left out.
Questions
How many friends share the sandwich? in the text
What does equal mean? in the text
What is another name for a fourth? in the text
How do you cut a sandwich into fourths? in the text
Why is a sandwich with one big piece not cut into fourths? think about it
Words to know
equal
the same in size or amount
fourth
one of four equal parts
whole
all of a thing, with nothing missing
fair
the same for everyone
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Sharing a Sandwich in Fourths
2nd grade reading passage
Four friends sit down for lunch. They have one big sandwich to share. How can they make it fair?
They cut the sandwich into four equal pieces. Equal means each piece is the same size. Each piece is called a fourth, or a quarter. Four fourths make one whole sandwich.
First, cut the sandwich in half from top to bottom. Now there are two halves. Then cut each half in half again. Now there are four pieces.
If one piece is bigger, the friends are not sharing fairly. The pieces must be the same size to be fourths.
Each friend takes one fourth. A whole sandwich is gone, and no one feels left out.
Questions
How many friends share the sandwich?
What does equal mean?
What is another name for a fourth?
How do you cut a sandwich into fourths?
Why is a sandwich with one big piece not cut into fourths?
Words to know
equal: the same in size or amount
fourth: one of four equal parts
whole: all of a thing, with nothing missing
fair: the same for everyone
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/sharing-a-sandwich-in-fourths
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 · 94 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6
Four friends sit down to eat. They have one big sandwich. How can they share it fairly?
They cut it into four equal pieces. Equal means the same size. Each piece is a fourth. A fourth is also a quarter. Four fourths make one whole sandwich.
First, cut the sandwich in half. Now there are two halves. Then cut each half in half. Now there are four pieces.
If one piece is bigger, it is not fair. The pieces must be the same size.
Each friend takes one fourth. No one is left out.
▲ This passage · 114 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5
Four friends sit down for lunch. They have one big sandwich to share. How can they make it fair?
They cut the sandwich into four equal pieces. Equal means each piece is the same size. Each piece is called a fourth, or a quarter. Four fourths make one whole sandwich.
First, cut the sandwich in half from top to bottom. Now there are two halves. Then cut each half in half again. Now there are four pieces.
If one piece is bigger, the friends are not sharing fairly. The pieces must be the same size to be fourths.
Each friend takes one fourth. A whole sandwich is gone, and no one feels left out.
■ Harder · 137 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9
Four friends sit down together for lunch, and they have a single large sandwich to share among them. How can they divide it so that everyone is treated fairly?
They cut the sandwich into four equal pieces. Equal means that every piece is exactly the same size. Each piece is called a fourth, or sometimes a quarter, and four fourths make up one whole sandwich.
To begin, slice the sandwich in half from top to bottom, so that there are two halves. Then slice each half in half once more, and you will have four pieces.
If one piece is bigger than the others, the friends are not sharing fairly, because the pieces must all be the same size to count as fourths.
Each friend takes one fourth, the whole sandwich disappears, and nobody feels left out.
Four friends sit down to eat. They have one big sandwich. How can they share it fairly?
They cut it into four equal pieces. Equal means the same size. Each piece is a fourth. A fourth is also a quarter. Four fourths make one whole sandwich.
First, cut the sandwich in half. Now there are two halves. Then cut each half in half. Now there are four pieces.
If one piece is bigger, it is not fair. The pieces must be the same size.
Each friend takes one fourth. No one is left out.
Questions
How many friends share the sandwich?
What does equal mean?
What is another name for a fourth?
How do you cut fourths?
Why is a sandwich with one big piece not in fourths?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Sharing a Sandwich in Fourths
Four friends sit down for lunch. They have one big sandwich to share. How can they make it fair?
They cut the sandwich into four equal pieces. Equal means each piece is the same size. Each piece is called a fourth, or a quarter. Four fourths make one whole sandwich.
First, cut the sandwich in half from top to bottom. Now there are two halves. Then cut each half in half again. Now there are four pieces.
If one piece is bigger, the friends are not sharing fairly. The pieces must be the same size to be fourths.
Each friend takes one fourth. A whole sandwich is gone, and no one feels left out.
Questions
How many friends share the sandwich?
What does equal mean?
What is another name for a fourth?
How do you cut a sandwich into fourths?
Why is a sandwich with one big piece not cut into fourths?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Sharing a Sandwich in Fourths
Four friends sit down together for lunch, and they have a single large sandwich to share among them. How can they divide it so that everyone is treated fairly?
They cut the sandwich into four equal pieces. Equal means that every piece is exactly the same size. Each piece is called a fourth, or sometimes a quarter, and four fourths make up one whole sandwich.
To begin, slice the sandwich in half from top to bottom, so that there are two halves. Then slice each half in half once more, and you will have four pieces.
If one piece is bigger than the others, the friends are not sharing fairly, because the pieces must all be the same size to count as fourths.
Each friend takes one fourth, the whole sandwich disappears, and nobody feels left out.
Questions
How many friends share the sandwich?
What does the word equal mean?
What is another name for a fourth?
How do you slice a sandwich into fourths?
Why is a sandwich with one big piece not cut into fourths?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Sharing a Sandwich in Fourths
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6)
Four friends.
The same size.
A quarter.
Cut it in half, then cut each half in half.
The pieces are not the same size.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5)
Four friends.
Each piece is the same size.
A quarter.
Cut it in half, then cut each half in half again.
The pieces are not all the same size.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9)
Four friends.
Every piece is exactly the same size.
A quarter.
Slice it in half, then slice each half in half once more.
Its pieces are not all the same size.
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 equal, fourth, whole and fair 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 "Sharing a Sandwich in Fourths"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 114 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.4. 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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