2nd grade nonfiction passage about cello and violin: 110 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictioncello and violin110 words
Why a Cello Is Bigger Than a Violin
A violin and a cello look a lot alike. Both have strings and a smooth wooden body. But the two are not the same size.
A violin is small. A player holds it under the chin. A cello is much bigger. A player sits down and rests it on the floor.
The size changes the sound. Short strings make high sounds. Long strings make low sounds. The violin has short strings, so it sings with a high, bright voice. The cello has long strings, so it hums with a deep, warm voice.
Many bands use both. The high violin and the low cello play together and sound rich and full.
Questions
Where does a player hold a violin? in the text
Where does a cello rest while it is played? in the text
What kind of sound do short strings make? in the text
Which instrument has a deep, warm voice? in the text
Why does a cello sound lower than a violin? think about it
Words to know
strings
thin cords that make sound when they are plucked or rubbed
violin
a small wooden instrument that is played under the chin
cello
a large wooden instrument that is played sitting down
deep
low in sound
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why a Cello Is Bigger Than a Violin
2nd grade reading passage
A violin and a cello look a lot alike. Both have strings and a smooth wooden body. But the two are not the same size.
A violin is small. A player holds it under the chin. A cello is much bigger. A player sits down and rests it on the floor.
The size changes the sound. Short strings make high sounds. Long strings make low sounds. The violin has short strings, so it sings with a high, bright voice. The cello has long strings, so it hums with a deep, warm voice.
Many bands use both. The high violin and the low cello play together and sound rich and full.
Questions
Where does a player hold a violin?
Where does a cello rest while it is played?
What kind of sound do short strings make?
Which instrument has a deep, warm voice?
Why does a cello sound lower than a violin?
Words to know
strings: thin cords that make sound when they are plucked or rubbed
violin: a small wooden instrument that is played under the chin
cello: a large wooden instrument that is played sitting down
deep: low in sound
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/why-a-cello-is-bigger-than-a-violin
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 0.5
A violin and a cello are a lot alike. Both have strings. Both have a wooden body.
A violin is small. A player holds it under the chin. A cello is big. A player sits and rests it on the floor.
Short strings make high sounds. Long strings make low sounds. The violin has short strings. It sounds high and bright. The cello has long strings. It sounds deep and warm.
A band can use both. They sound good together.
▲ This passage · 110 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5
A violin and a cello look a lot alike. Both have strings and a smooth wooden body. But the two are not the same size.
A violin is small. A player holds it under the chin. A cello is much bigger. A player sits down and rests it on the floor.
The size changes the sound. Short strings make high sounds. Long strings make low sounds. The violin has short strings, so it sings with a high, bright voice. The cello has long strings, so it hums with a deep, warm voice.
Many bands use both. The high violin and the low cello play together and sound rich and full.
■ Harder · 138 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1
A violin and a cello resemble each other in many ways. Both of them have strings, and both have a smooth, curved wooden body. Even so, the two instruments are very different in size.
A violin is quite small, so a musician holds it tucked under the chin. A cello is far larger. The musician has to sit in a chair and rest the instrument on the floor while playing it.
The size of an instrument changes its sound. Short strings make high sounds, while long strings make low sounds. Because the violin has short strings, it sings with a high, bright voice. Because the cello has long strings, it hums with a deep, warm voice.
Many bands use both instruments, and when the high violin and the low cello play together, the music sounds rich and full.
A violin and a cello are a lot alike. Both have strings. Both have a wooden body.
A violin is small. A player holds it under the chin. A cello is big. A player sits and rests it on the floor.
Short strings make high sounds. Long strings make low sounds. The violin has short strings. It sounds high and bright. The cello has long strings. It sounds deep and warm.
A band can use both. They sound good together.
Questions
Where does a player hold a violin?
Where does a cello rest when it is played?
What sound do short strings make?
Which one has a deep, warm sound?
Why is the cello lower than the violin?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why a Cello Is Bigger Than a Violin
A violin and a cello look a lot alike. Both have strings and a smooth wooden body. But the two are not the same size.
A violin is small. A player holds it under the chin. A cello is much bigger. A player sits down and rests it on the floor.
The size changes the sound. Short strings make high sounds. Long strings make low sounds. The violin has short strings, so it sings with a high, bright voice. The cello has long strings, so it hums with a deep, warm voice.
Many bands use both. The high violin and the low cello play together and sound rich and full.
Questions
Where does a player hold a violin?
Where does a cello rest while it is played?
What kind of sound do short strings make?
Which instrument has a deep, warm voice?
Why does a cello sound lower than a violin?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why a Cello Is Bigger Than a Violin
A violin and a cello resemble each other in many ways. Both of them have strings, and both have a smooth, curved wooden body. Even so, the two instruments are very different in size.
A violin is quite small, so a musician holds it tucked under the chin. A cello is far larger. The musician has to sit in a chair and rest the instrument on the floor while playing it.
The size of an instrument changes its sound. Short strings make high sounds, while long strings make low sounds. Because the violin has short strings, it sings with a high, bright voice. Because the cello has long strings, it hums with a deep, warm voice.
Many bands use both instruments, and when the high violin and the low cello play together, the music sounds rich and full.
Questions
Where does a musician hold a violin while playing it?
Where does a cello rest while a musician plays it?
What kind of sounds do short strings make?
Which instrument has a deep, warm voice?
Why does a cello sound lower than a violin?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why a Cello Is Bigger Than a Violin
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.5)
Under the chin.
On the floor.
High sounds.
The cello.
Its strings are longer, and long strings make low sounds.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5)
Under the chin.
On the floor.
High sounds.
The cello.
Its strings are longer, and long strings make low sounds.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1)
Tucked under the chin.
On the floor.
High sounds.
The cello.
Its strings are longer, and long strings make low sounds.
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 strings, violin, cello and deep 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 "Why a Cello Is Bigger Than a Violin"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 110 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.5. 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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