2nd grade nonfiction passage about sugar dissolving in water: 119 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionsugar dissolving in water119 words
Where Did the Sugar Go in the Tea?
Dan drops a spoon of sugar into a cup of warm tea. He stirs. The white grains get smaller and smaller. Then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke into pieces so tiny that you cannot see them. The tiny pieces spread out through the tea and mix in with the water. We say the sugar dissolved.
How do you know the sugar is still there? Take a sip. The tea tastes sweet! The sugar is still in the cup.
Not everything dissolves. Stir sand into water, and the sand falls to the bottom again. You can still see every grain.
Sugar dissolves faster in warm water than in cold water.
Questions
What does Dan do with the sugar? in the text
Why can you not see the sugar after you stir? in the text
What word means the sugar mixed into the water? in the text
What happens when you stir sand into water? in the text
How can you tell the sugar is still in the tea? think about it
Words to know
dissolved
mixed into a liquid so you cannot see it
grains
tiny bits, like bits of sugar or sand
vanish
to disappear completely
sip
a small taste of a drink
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Where Did the Sugar Go in the Tea?
2nd grade reading passage
Dan drops a spoon of sugar into a cup of warm tea. He stirs. The white grains get smaller and smaller. Then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke into pieces so tiny that you cannot see them. The tiny pieces spread out through the tea and mix in with the water. We say the sugar dissolved.
How do you know the sugar is still there? Take a sip. The tea tastes sweet! The sugar is still in the cup.
Not everything dissolves. Stir sand into water, and the sand falls to the bottom again. You can still see every grain.
Sugar dissolves faster in warm water than in cold water.
Questions
What does Dan do with the sugar?
Why can you not see the sugar after you stir?
What word means the sugar mixed into the water?
What happens when you stir sand into water?
How can you tell the sugar is still in the tea?
Words to know
dissolved: mixed into a liquid so you cannot see it
grains: tiny bits, like bits of sugar or sand
vanish: to disappear completely
sip: a small taste of a drink
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/where-did-the-sugar-go-in-the-tea
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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 · 87 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8
Dan puts sugar in warm tea. He stirs. The white grains get small. Then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke into tiny pieces. You cannot see them. They mix in with the water. We say the sugar dissolved.
How do you know the sugar is there? Take a sip. The tea is sweet!
Not all things dissolve. Stir sand into water. The sand falls to the bottom. You can still see it.
Sugar dissolves faster in warm water.
▲ This passage · 119 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2
Dan drops a spoon of sugar into a cup of warm tea. He stirs. The white grains get smaller and smaller. Then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke into pieces so tiny that you cannot see them. The tiny pieces spread out through the tea and mix in with the water. We say the sugar dissolved.
How do you know the sugar is still there? Take a sip. The tea tastes sweet! The sugar is still in the cup.
Not everything dissolves. Stir sand into water, and the sand falls to the bottom again. You can still see every grain.
Sugar dissolves faster in warm water than in cold water.
■ Harder · 131 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8
Dan drops a spoonful of sugar into a cup of warm tea and begins to stir. The white grains grow smaller and smaller, and then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke apart into pieces so tiny that no one can see them. Those tiny pieces spread throughout the tea and mingle with the water. Scientists say that the sugar has dissolved.
How can you be sure the sugar is still there? Take a sip. The tea tastes sweet, so the sugar must still be in the cup.
Not everything dissolves, however. If you stir sand into water, the sand sinks to the bottom again, and you can still see every grain.
Sugar also dissolves faster in warm water than in cold water.
Dan puts sugar in warm tea. He stirs. The white grains get small. Then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke into tiny pieces. You cannot see them. They mix in with the water. We say the sugar dissolved.
How do you know the sugar is there? Take a sip. The tea is sweet!
Not all things dissolve. Stir sand into water. The sand falls to the bottom. You can still see it.
Sugar dissolves faster in warm water.
Questions
What does Dan do with the sugar?
Why can you not see the sugar?
What word means the sugar mixed in the water?
What happens to sand in water?
How can you tell the sugar is still in the tea?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Where Did the Sugar Go in the Tea?
Dan drops a spoon of sugar into a cup of warm tea. He stirs. The white grains get smaller and smaller. Then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke into pieces so tiny that you cannot see them. The tiny pieces spread out through the tea and mix in with the water. We say the sugar dissolved.
How do you know the sugar is still there? Take a sip. The tea tastes sweet! The sugar is still in the cup.
Not everything dissolves. Stir sand into water, and the sand falls to the bottom again. You can still see every grain.
Sugar dissolves faster in warm water than in cold water.
Questions
What does Dan do with the sugar?
Why can you not see the sugar after you stir?
What word means the sugar mixed into the water?
What happens when you stir sand into water?
How can you tell the sugar is still in the tea?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Where Did the Sugar Go in the Tea?
Dan drops a spoonful of sugar into a cup of warm tea and begins to stir. The white grains grow smaller and smaller, and then they are gone! Where did the sugar go?
The sugar did not vanish. It broke apart into pieces so tiny that no one can see them. Those tiny pieces spread throughout the tea and mingle with the water. Scientists say that the sugar has dissolved.
How can you be sure the sugar is still there? Take a sip. The tea tastes sweet, so the sugar must still be in the cup.
Not everything dissolves, however. If you stir sand into water, the sand sinks to the bottom again, and you can still see every grain.
Sugar also dissolves faster in warm water than in cold water.
Questions
What does Dan do with the sugar?
Why can you not see the sugar after it is stirred?
What do scientists say the sugar has done?
What happens when you stir sand into water?
How can you be sure the sugar is still in the tea?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Where Did the Sugar Go in the Tea?
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8)
He puts it in warm tea and stirs.
It broke into pieces too tiny to see.
Dissolved.
It falls to the bottom.
The tea tastes sweet.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2)
He drops it in warm tea and stirs.
It broke into pieces too tiny to see.
Dissolved.
The sand falls to the bottom again.
The tea tastes sweet.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8)
He drops it into warm tea and stirs.
It broke apart into pieces too tiny to see.
It has dissolved.
The sand sinks to the bottom again.
The tea tastes sweet.
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 dissolved, grains, vanish and sip 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 "Where Did the Sugar Go in the Tea?"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 119 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.2. 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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