2nd grade nonfiction passage about movie sound effects worker: 133 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionmovie sound effects worker133 words
The Sound Artist Who Cracks Celery
When you watch a movie, you hear footsteps, creaking doors, and the crunch of snow. Many of these sounds were not made on the set. A sound artist makes them later.
She works in a quiet room full of odd things. She has old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. She watches the movie on a screen. She makes each sound at just the right time.
Sometimes she uses a trick. Snapping a stalk of celery can sound like a bone cracking. Shaking a pair of gloves can sound like a bird flapping its wings. Walking in a tub of cornstarch can sound like footsteps in snow.
She has to listen very well. The sound must fit the picture. If it does, nobody notices it, and the movie feels real.
Questions
Who makes many of the sounds in movies? in the text
What objects does the sound artist keep in her room? in the text
What can shaking a pair of gloves sound like? in the text
Why does the sound artist watch the movie while she works? think about it
What happens when a sound fits the picture well? in the text
Words to know
squeaky
making a short, high sound when it moves
gravel
tiny pieces of rock
stalk
the long stem of a plant
trick
a clever way to get something done
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Sound Artist Who Cracks Celery
2nd grade reading passage
When you watch a movie, you hear footsteps, creaking doors, and the crunch of snow. Many of these sounds were not made on the set. A sound artist makes them later.
She works in a quiet room full of odd things. She has old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. She watches the movie on a screen. She makes each sound at just the right time.
Sometimes she uses a trick. Snapping a stalk of celery can sound like a bone cracking. Shaking a pair of gloves can sound like a bird flapping its wings. Walking in a tub of cornstarch can sound like footsteps in snow.
She has to listen very well. The sound must fit the picture. If it does, nobody notices it, and the movie feels real.
Questions
Who makes many of the sounds in movies?
What objects does the sound artist keep in her room?
What can shaking a pair of gloves sound like?
Why does the sound artist watch the movie while she works?
What happens when a sound fits the picture well?
Words to know
squeaky: making a short, high sound when it moves
gravel: tiny pieces of rock
stalk: the long stem of a plant
trick: a clever way to get something done
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/the-sound-artist-who-cracks-celery
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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 · 107 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6
In a movie, you hear steps and creaky doors. Many of these sounds are made later. A sound artist makes them.
The sound artist works in a quiet room. She has old shoes, gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. She watches the movie on a screen. She makes each sound at the right time.
She uses tricks. A snapped celery stalk can sound like a cracking bone. Shaking gloves can sound like a bird flapping. Walking in a tub of cornstarch can sound like steps in snow.
She has to listen well. The sound must match the picture. Then no one notices it. The movie feels real.
▲ This passage · 133 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8
When you watch a movie, you hear footsteps, creaking doors, and the crunch of snow. Many of these sounds were not made on the set. A sound artist makes them later.
She works in a quiet room full of odd things. She has old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. She watches the movie on a screen. She makes each sound at just the right time.
Sometimes she uses a trick. Snapping a stalk of celery can sound like a bone cracking. Shaking a pair of gloves can sound like a bird flapping its wings. Walking in a tub of cornstarch can sound like footsteps in snow.
She has to listen very well. The sound must fit the picture. If it does, nobody notices it, and the movie feels real.
■ Harder · 140 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2
As you watch a movie, you hear footsteps, creaking doors, and the crunch of snow. Many of these sounds were never captured on the set. A sound artist creates them afterward.
She works in a quiet room filled with peculiar objects, such as old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. While she watches the movie on a screen, she produces each sound at precisely the right moment.
Sometimes she relies on clever tricks. Snapping a stalk of celery can sound like a bone cracking, and shaking a pair of gloves can sound like a bird flapping its wings. Stepping in a tub of cornstarch can sound just like footsteps in snow.
A sound artist has to listen extremely carefully. Every sound must fit the picture. When it does, nobody notices it, and the movie feels completely real.
In a movie, you hear steps and creaky doors. Many of these sounds are made later. A sound artist makes them.
The sound artist works in a quiet room. She has old shoes, gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. She watches the movie on a screen. She makes each sound at the right time.
She uses tricks. A snapped celery stalk can sound like a cracking bone. Shaking gloves can sound like a bird flapping. Walking in a tub of cornstarch can sound like steps in snow.
She has to listen well. The sound must match the picture. Then no one notices it. The movie feels real.
Questions
Who makes many sounds in movies?
What things does the sound artist have in her room?
What can shaking gloves sound like?
Why does she watch the movie while she works?
What happens when a sound matches the picture?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Sound Artist Who Cracks Celery
When you watch a movie, you hear footsteps, creaking doors, and the crunch of snow. Many of these sounds were not made on the set. A sound artist makes them later.
She works in a quiet room full of odd things. She has old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. She watches the movie on a screen. She makes each sound at just the right time.
Sometimes she uses a trick. Snapping a stalk of celery can sound like a bone cracking. Shaking a pair of gloves can sound like a bird flapping its wings. Walking in a tub of cornstarch can sound like footsteps in snow.
She has to listen very well. The sound must fit the picture. If it does, nobody notices it, and the movie feels real.
Questions
Who makes many of the sounds in movies?
What objects does the sound artist keep in her room?
What can shaking a pair of gloves sound like?
Why does the sound artist watch the movie while she works?
What happens when a sound fits the picture well?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Sound Artist Who Cracks Celery
As you watch a movie, you hear footsteps, creaking doors, and the crunch of snow. Many of these sounds were never captured on the set. A sound artist creates them afterward.
She works in a quiet room filled with peculiar objects, such as old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door. While she watches the movie on a screen, she produces each sound at precisely the right moment.
Sometimes she relies on clever tricks. Snapping a stalk of celery can sound like a bone cracking, and shaking a pair of gloves can sound like a bird flapping its wings. Stepping in a tub of cornstarch can sound just like footsteps in snow.
A sound artist has to listen extremely carefully. Every sound must fit the picture. When it does, nobody notices it, and the movie feels completely real.
Questions
Who creates many of the sounds in movies?
What objects does the sound artist keep in her room?
What can shaking a pair of gloves sound like?
Why does the sound artist watch the movie while she works?
What happens when a sound fits the picture well?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Sound Artist Who Cracks Celery
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6)
A sound artist.
Old shoes, gravel, bells, and a squeaky door.
A bird flapping.
She must make each sound at the right time.
No one notices it, and the movie feels real.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8)
A sound artist.
Old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door.
A bird flapping its wings.
She must make each sound at just the right time.
Nobody notices it, and the movie feels real.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2)
A sound artist.
Old shoes, boxes of gravel, bells, and a squeaky door.
A bird flapping its wings.
She has to produce each sound at precisely the right moment.
Nobody notices it, and the movie feels completely real.
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 squeaky, gravel, stalk and trick 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 4 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 Sound Artist Who Cracks Celery"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 133 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.8. 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?
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