2nd grade nonfiction passage about shadow length and the sun: 122 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionshadow length and the sun122 words
The Shadow That Shrinks at Lunchtime
Stand outside on a sunny morning and look at your shadow. It is long and thin. Look again at lunchtime. Now it is short and round. Your shadow shrank!
A shadow is made when something blocks light. You block the sunlight, so a dark shape falls on the ground behind you.
The sun seems to move across the sky each day. In the morning it is low. Its light comes in sideways and stretches your shadow far along the ground. At midday the sun is high. Its light comes down from above, so your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun sinks low again. Then your shadow grows long once more. Never look right at the sun. Just watch the ground.
Questions
What happens to your shadow at lunchtime? in the text
What makes a shadow? in the text
Where is the sun in the morning? in the text
Why is your shadow long in the evening? in the text
A tree has its shortest shadow at midday. Where is the sun then? think about it
Words to know
shadow
a dark shape made when something blocks light
blocks
gets in the way so light cannot pass
midday
the middle of the day, around noon
stretches
makes longer
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Shadow That Shrinks at Lunchtime
2nd grade reading passage
Stand outside on a sunny morning and look at your shadow. It is long and thin. Look again at lunchtime. Now it is short and round. Your shadow shrank!
A shadow is made when something blocks light. You block the sunlight, so a dark shape falls on the ground behind you.
The sun seems to move across the sky each day. In the morning it is low. Its light comes in sideways and stretches your shadow far along the ground. At midday the sun is high. Its light comes down from above, so your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun sinks low again. Then your shadow grows long once more. Never look right at the sun. Just watch the ground.
Questions
What happens to your shadow at lunchtime?
What makes a shadow?
Where is the sun in the morning?
Why is your shadow long in the evening?
A tree has its shortest shadow at midday. Where is the sun then?
Words to know
shadow: a dark shape made when something blocks light
blocks: gets in the way so light cannot pass
midday: the middle of the day, around noon
stretches: makes longer
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-shadow-that-shrinks-at-lunchtime
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 · 98 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
Go outside on a sunny morning. Look at your shadow. It is long and thin. Look again at lunchtime. It is short! Your shadow shrank.
A shadow is made when something blocks light. You block the sun. A dark shape falls on the ground.
In the morning the sun is low. Its light comes in sideways. It stretches your shadow. At midday the sun is high. Its light comes from above. Your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun is low again. Your shadow is long again. Do not look at the sun. Look at the ground.
▲ This passage · 122 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8
Stand outside on a sunny morning and look at your shadow. It is long and thin. Look again at lunchtime. Now it is short and round. Your shadow shrank!
A shadow is made when something blocks light. You block the sunlight, so a dark shape falls on the ground behind you.
The sun seems to move across the sky each day. In the morning it is low. Its light comes in sideways and stretches your shadow far along the ground. At midday the sun is high. Its light comes down from above, so your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun sinks low again. Then your shadow grows long once more. Never look right at the sun. Just watch the ground.
■ Harder · 126 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3
Stand outside on a sunny morning and study your shadow. It is long and thin. If you check again at lunchtime, it will be short and round. Your shadow has shrunk!
A shadow forms whenever something blocks light. Your body blocks the sunlight, so a dark shape falls on the ground behind you.
The sun appears to travel across the sky each day. In the morning it hangs low, and its light arrives at a slant, stretching your shadow far along the ground. At midday the sun is high overhead. Its light pours down from above, so your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun sinks low once more, and your shadow grows long again. Never look straight at the sun. Simply watch the ground.
Go outside on a sunny morning. Look at your shadow. It is long and thin. Look again at lunchtime. It is short! Your shadow shrank.
A shadow is made when something blocks light. You block the sun. A dark shape falls on the ground.
In the morning the sun is low. Its light comes in sideways. It stretches your shadow. At midday the sun is high. Its light comes from above. Your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun is low again. Your shadow is long again. Do not look at the sun. Look at the ground.
Questions
What happens to your shadow at lunchtime?
What makes a shadow?
Where is the sun in the morning?
Why is your shadow long in the evening?
A tree has a short shadow at midday. Where is the sun?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Shadow That Shrinks at Lunchtime
Stand outside on a sunny morning and look at your shadow. It is long and thin. Look again at lunchtime. Now it is short and round. Your shadow shrank!
A shadow is made when something blocks light. You block the sunlight, so a dark shape falls on the ground behind you.
The sun seems to move across the sky each day. In the morning it is low. Its light comes in sideways and stretches your shadow far along the ground. At midday the sun is high. Its light comes down from above, so your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun sinks low again. Then your shadow grows long once more. Never look right at the sun. Just watch the ground.
Questions
What happens to your shadow at lunchtime?
What makes a shadow?
Where is the sun in the morning?
Why is your shadow long in the evening?
A tree has its shortest shadow at midday. Where is the sun then?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Shadow That Shrinks at Lunchtime
Stand outside on a sunny morning and study your shadow. It is long and thin. If you check again at lunchtime, it will be short and round. Your shadow has shrunk!
A shadow forms whenever something blocks light. Your body blocks the sunlight, so a dark shape falls on the ground behind you.
The sun appears to travel across the sky each day. In the morning it hangs low, and its light arrives at a slant, stretching your shadow far along the ground. At midday the sun is high overhead. Its light pours down from above, so your shadow is short.
In the evening the sun sinks low once more, and your shadow grows long again. Never look straight at the sun. Simply watch the ground.
Questions
What happens to your shadow by lunchtime?
What causes a shadow to form?
Where is the sun in the morning?
Why does your shadow grow long again in the evening?
A tree has its shortest shadow at midday. Where must the sun be then?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Shadow That Shrinks at Lunchtime
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
It gets short.
Something blocks the light.
Low in the sky.
The sun is low again.
High in the sky.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8)
It gets short and round.
Something blocks the light.
Low in the sky.
The sun is low again and its light comes in sideways.
High in the sky.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3)
It becomes short and round.
Something blocks the light.
Low in the sky.
The sun sinks low once more.
High overhead in the sky.
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 shadow, blocks, midday and stretches 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 Shadow That Shrinks at Lunchtime"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 122 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.8. 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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