2nd grade nonfiction passage about floating markets: 117 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionfloating markets117 words
Shopping From a Boat in Thailand
In parts of Thailand, many towns have rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug to carry boats. For a long time, boats were the best way to get around.
Because of this, some markets are held on the water. They are called floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats. The boats are piled with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Some sellers cook food right in their boats. They make hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer can point at what she wants. The seller paddles close, and they trade across the water.
Today, visitors still come to the floating markets to shop and eat. It is a fun way to buy lunch!
Questions
What is a canal? in the text
Where do the sellers sit at a floating market? in the text
What do the boats carry? in the text
What do some sellers cook in their boats? in the text
Why were markets on the water a good idea in the past? think about it
Words to know
canal
a long, narrow waterway made by people
market
a place where people come to buy and sell things
paddles
moves a boat by pushing the water with an oar
noodles
long, thin strips of cooked dough
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Shopping From a Boat in Thailand
2nd grade reading passage
In parts of Thailand, many towns have rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug to carry boats. For a long time, boats were the best way to get around.
Because of this, some markets are held on the water. They are called floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats. The boats are piled with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Some sellers cook food right in their boats. They make hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer can point at what she wants. The seller paddles close, and they trade across the water.
Today, visitors still come to the floating markets to shop and eat. It is a fun way to buy lunch!
Questions
What is a canal?
Where do the sellers sit at a floating market?
What do the boats carry?
What do some sellers cook in their boats?
Why were markets on the water a good idea in the past?
Words to know
canal: a long, narrow waterway made by people
market: a place where people come to buy and sell things
paddles: moves a boat by pushing the water with an oar
noodles: long, thin strips of cooked dough
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/shopping-from-a-boat-in-thailand
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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 · 91 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.4
In parts of Thailand, towns have rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug for boats. Long ago, boats were the best way to get around.
So some markets are on the water. They are floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats. The boats are full of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Some sellers cook in their boats. They make hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer points at what she wants. The seller paddles close. They trade across the water.
Visitors still come to shop and eat.
▲ This passage · 117 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
In parts of Thailand, many towns have rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug to carry boats. For a long time, boats were the best way to get around.
Because of this, some markets are held on the water. They are called floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats. The boats are piled with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Some sellers cook food right in their boats. They make hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer can point at what she wants. The seller paddles close, and they trade across the water.
Today, visitors still come to the floating markets to shop and eat. It is a fun way to buy lunch!
■ Harder · 132 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9
In certain regions of Thailand, many towns are crisscrossed by rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug in order to carry boats. For a very long time, traveling by boat was the most convenient way to get around.
As a result, some markets were held right on the water. They are called floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats that are piled high with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Certain sellers even cook food aboard their boats, preparing hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer can simply point at what she wants, and the seller paddles close so that the two can trade across the water.
Even today, visitors come to the floating markets to shop and to eat. It is a delightful way to buy lunch!
In parts of Thailand, towns have rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug for boats. Long ago, boats were the best way to get around.
So some markets are on the water. They are floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats. The boats are full of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Some sellers cook in their boats. They make hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer points at what she wants. The seller paddles close. They trade across the water.
Visitors still come to shop and eat.
Questions
What is a canal?
Where do the sellers sit?
What do the boats carry?
What do some sellers cook?
Why were markets on the water a good idea long ago?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Shopping From a Boat in Thailand
In parts of Thailand, many towns have rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug to carry boats. For a long time, boats were the best way to get around.
Because of this, some markets are held on the water. They are called floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats. The boats are piled with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Some sellers cook food right in their boats. They make hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer can point at what she wants. The seller paddles close, and they trade across the water.
Today, visitors still come to the floating markets to shop and eat. It is a fun way to buy lunch!
Questions
What is a canal?
Where do the sellers sit at a floating market?
What do the boats carry?
What do some sellers cook in their boats?
Why were markets on the water a good idea in the past?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Shopping From a Boat in Thailand
In certain regions of Thailand, many towns are crisscrossed by rivers and canals. A canal is a waterway that people dug in order to carry boats. For a very long time, traveling by boat was the most convenient way to get around.
As a result, some markets were held right on the water. They are called floating markets. Sellers sit in small wooden boats that are piled high with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Certain sellers even cook food aboard their boats, preparing hot noodles and sweet treats. A buyer can simply point at what she wants, and the seller paddles close so that the two can trade across the water.
Even today, visitors come to the floating markets to shop and to eat. It is a delightful way to buy lunch!
Questions
What is a canal?
Where do the sellers sit at a floating market?
What are the boats piled high with?
What do certain sellers cook aboard their boats?
Why were markets held on the water in the past?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Shopping From a Boat in Thailand
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.4)
A waterway that people dug for boats.
In small wooden boats.
Fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Hot noodles and sweet treats.
Boats were the best way to get around, so people were on the water.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
A waterway that people dug to carry boats.
In small wooden boats.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Hot noodles and sweet treats.
Boats were the best way to get around, so the water was where people were.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9)
A waterway that people dug in order to carry boats.
In small wooden boats.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
Hot noodles and sweet treats.
Boats were the most convenient way to travel, so the water was where the people were.
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 canal, market, paddles and noodles 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 "Shopping From a Boat in Thailand"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 117 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?
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