2nd grade nonfiction passage about keeping food in a root cellar: 101 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionkeeping food in a root cellar101 words
The Cool Dark Root Cellar
Long ago, many families had no refrigerator. How did they keep food fresh all winter? Many used a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room dug into the ground. It may be under a house or in a hill. The earth around it stays cool. It is dark too. That helps vegetables stay fresh.
In the fall, families filled the cellar with potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions. They put them on shelves and in bins. Some packed carrots in sand.
In the cold months, they walked down the steps to fetch dinner. Some people still use root cellars today.
Questions
What is a root cellar? in the text
Why does the root cellar stay cool? in the text
What foods did families store in a root cellar? in the text
How did some people store carrots? in the text
Why did families need a root cellar long ago? think about it
Words to know
cellar
a room under the ground
spoiling
going bad so it cannot be eaten
bins
big open boxes for holding things
fetch
to go and get something
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Cool Dark Root Cellar
2nd grade reading passage
Long ago, many families had no refrigerator. How did they keep food fresh all winter? Many used a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room dug into the ground. It may be under a house or in a hill. The earth around it stays cool. It is dark too. That helps vegetables stay fresh.
In the fall, families filled the cellar with potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions. They put them on shelves and in bins. Some packed carrots in sand.
In the cold months, they walked down the steps to fetch dinner. Some people still use root cellars today.
Questions
What is a root cellar?
Why does the root cellar stay cool?
What foods did families store in a root cellar?
How did some people store carrots?
Why did families need a root cellar long ago?
Words to know
cellar: a room under the ground
spoiling: going bad so it cannot be eaten
bins: big open boxes for holding things
fetch: to go and get something
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-cool-dark-root-cellar
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 · 80 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9
Long ago, many homes had no fridge. How did families keep food fresh in winter? They used a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room in the ground. It may be under a home or in a hill. The ground keeps it cool. It is dark too. That helps keep veggies fresh.
In the fall, families put in potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions. Some packed carrots in sand.
In winter, they went down the steps to get dinner.
▲ This passage · 101 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
Long ago, many families had no refrigerator. How did they keep food fresh all winter? Many used a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room dug into the ground. It may be under a house or in a hill. The earth around it stays cool. It is dark too. That helps vegetables stay fresh.
In the fall, families filled the cellar with potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions. They put them on shelves and in bins. Some packed carrots in sand.
In the cold months, they walked down the steps to fetch dinner. Some people still use root cellars today.
■ Harder · 123 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3
Long ago, many families did not own a refrigerator. How did they keep their food from spoiling all winter long? Many of them relied on a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room dug into the ground, perhaps beneath a house or into the side of a hill. The earth surrounding it stays cool throughout the year. The room is also dark, which helps vegetables stay fresh for a long time.
In the fall, families filled their cellars with potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions, storing them on shelves and in large bins. Sometimes they even packed carrots in sand.
During the cold months, they could simply walk down the steps and fetch their dinner. Some people still use root cellars today.
Long ago, many homes had no fridge. How did families keep food fresh in winter? They used a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room in the ground. It may be under a home or in a hill. The ground keeps it cool. It is dark too. That helps keep veggies fresh.
In the fall, families put in potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions. Some packed carrots in sand.
In winter, they went down the steps to get dinner.
Questions
What is a root cellar?
Why does a root cellar stay cool?
What foods did families keep in it?
What did some families pack carrots in?
Why did families need a root cellar long ago?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Cool Dark Root Cellar
Long ago, many families had no refrigerator. How did they keep food fresh all winter? Many used a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room dug into the ground. It may be under a house or in a hill. The earth around it stays cool. It is dark too. That helps vegetables stay fresh.
In the fall, families filled the cellar with potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions. They put them on shelves and in bins. Some packed carrots in sand.
In the cold months, they walked down the steps to fetch dinner. Some people still use root cellars today.
Questions
What is a root cellar?
Why does the root cellar stay cool?
What foods did families store in a root cellar?
How did some people store carrots?
Why did families need a root cellar long ago?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Cool Dark Root Cellar
Long ago, many families did not own a refrigerator. How did they keep their food from spoiling all winter long? Many of them relied on a root cellar.
A root cellar is a small room dug into the ground, perhaps beneath a house or into the side of a hill. The earth surrounding it stays cool throughout the year. The room is also dark, which helps vegetables stay fresh for a long time.
In the fall, families filled their cellars with potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions, storing them on shelves and in large bins. Sometimes they even packed carrots in sand.
During the cold months, they could simply walk down the steps and fetch their dinner. Some people still use root cellars today.
Questions
What is a root cellar?
Why does the root cellar stay cool all year?
Which foods did families store in their cellars?
What did some families pack carrots in?
Why did many families rely on a root cellar long ago?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Cool Dark Root Cellar
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9)
A small room in the ground.
The earth around it stays cool.
Potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions.
Sand.
They had no refrigerator, so they needed a cool place for food.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
A small room dug into the ground.
The earth around it stays cool all year.
Potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions.
They packed them in sand.
They had no refrigerator, so they needed a cool place to keep food from spoiling.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3)
A small room dug into the ground.
The earth surrounding it stays cool throughout the year.
Potatoes, carrots, apples, and onions.
Sand.
They did not have a refrigerator, so they needed a cool place to keep food from spoiling.
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 cellar, spoiling, bins and fetch 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 "The Cool Dark Root Cellar"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 101 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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