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The Hedgehog and the Leaf Umbrella

2nd grade fiction passage about a hedgehog who gives back: 127 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

2nd grade fiction a hedgehog who gives back 127 words

The Hedgehog and the Leaf Umbrella

Hazel the hedgehog found a huge, wide leaf on the ground one rainy day. She held it over her head like an umbrella. Her spines stayed dry, and she felt very clever.

A cold, wet mouse came by. "May I stand under your leaf?" he asked.

"Oh, no," said Hazel. "It is only big enough for me."

But as she walked on, the wind tugged the leaf, and a puddle splashed over her toes. She shivered. Then she noticed the mouse had stopped and was shivering, too.

Hazel turned around. "I was wrong," she said. "Come under. Two can fit if we stand close."

They squeezed together and walked home side by side. The leaf was just as big as before, but it felt warmer with company.

Questions

  1. What did Hazel use as an umbrella? in the text

  2. What did the mouse ask Hazel? in the text

  3. What did Hazel say at first? in the text

  4. What made Hazel shiver? in the text

  5. Why did Hazel change her mind? think about it

  6. What lesson does the story teach? think about it

Words to know

umbrella
something held over your head to keep rain off
spines
sharp, stiff points on the back of a hedgehog
puddle
a small pool of water on the ground
shivered
shook a little because of cold
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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 · 112 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4

Hazel the hedgehog found a big, wide leaf on a rainy day. She held it over her head like an umbrella. Her spines stayed dry. She felt clever.

A cold, wet mouse came by. "May I stand under your leaf?" he asked.

"No," said Hazel. "It is only big enough for me."

She walked on. The wind pulled the leaf. A puddle splashed her toes. She shivered. Then she saw the mouse. He was shivering, too.

Hazel turned back. "I was wrong," she said. "Come under. We can fit if we stand close."

They went home side by side. The leaf was the same size, but it felt warmer with a friend.

▲ This passage · 127 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9

Hazel the hedgehog found a huge, wide leaf on the ground one rainy day. She held it over her head like an umbrella. Her spines stayed dry, and she felt very clever.

A cold, wet mouse came by. "May I stand under your leaf?" he asked.

"Oh, no," said Hazel. "It is only big enough for me."

But as she walked on, the wind tugged the leaf, and a puddle splashed over her toes. She shivered. Then she noticed the mouse had stopped and was shivering, too.

Hazel turned around. "I was wrong," she said. "Come under. Two can fit if we stand close."

They squeezed together and walked home side by side. The leaf was just as big as before, but it felt warmer with company.

■ Harder · 143 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8

On a drizzly afternoon Hazel the hedgehog discovered an enormous, wide leaf lying on the ground. She held it above her head like an umbrella, and her spines stayed perfectly dry. She felt rather clever.

A cold, soaking wet mouse wandered by. "Might I stand beneath your leaf?" he asked politely.

"Certainly not," said Hazel. "It is only large enough for one."

But as she walked on, the wind tugged at the leaf, and a puddle splashed over her toes. She shivered. Then she noticed that the mouse had stopped in the road and was trembling, too.

Hazel turned around. "I was mistaken," she admitted. "Please come under. Two of us can fit if we stand close together."

They squeezed together and strolled home side by side. The leaf was exactly the same size as before, but it felt much warmer with company.

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 umbrella, spines, puddle and shivered on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the story 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 retell the story in three sentences: how it began, what the problem was, and how it ended.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Hedgehog and the Leaf Umbrella"?

It was written for 2nd grade. It has 127 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.9. 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 six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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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