2nd grade nonfiction passage about bubbles in pancake batter: 121 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionbubbles in pancake batter121 words
Why Pancakes Make Bubbles
Watch a pancake cook in a pan, and you will see something fun. Little bubbles pop up on top. Why do they come?
Pancake batter has a helper in it. It is a white powder called baking powder. When the powder gets wet and warm, it makes tiny bubbles of gas. The bubbles are too small to see at first.
In the hot pan, the batter starts to get firm. The bubbles try to rise to the top. They make small holes in the pancake. That is why a pancake is soft and fluffy inside.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, it is time to flip the pancake. A grown-up should always help at the stove.
Questions
What do you see on top of a pancake as it cooks? in the text
What is the white powder in pancake batter called? in the text
What does the powder make when it gets wet and warm? in the text
When is it time to flip the pancake? in the text
Why is a pancake soft and fluffy inside? think about it
Words to know
batter
a thin mix of flour, milk, and eggs before it is cooked
powder
a dry food that has been ground up very fine
gas
something like air that is not a solid or a liquid
fluffy
light and soft
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why Pancakes Make Bubbles
2nd grade reading passage
Watch a pancake cook in a pan, and you will see something fun. Little bubbles pop up on top. Why do they come?
Pancake batter has a helper in it. It is a white powder called baking powder. When the powder gets wet and warm, it makes tiny bubbles of gas. The bubbles are too small to see at first.
In the hot pan, the batter starts to get firm. The bubbles try to rise to the top. They make small holes in the pancake. That is why a pancake is soft and fluffy inside.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, it is time to flip the pancake. A grown-up should always help at the stove.
Questions
What do you see on top of a pancake as it cooks?
What is the white powder in pancake batter called?
What does the powder make when it gets wet and warm?
When is it time to flip the pancake?
Why is a pancake soft and fluffy inside?
Words to know
batter: a thin mix of flour, milk, and eggs before it is cooked
powder: a dry food that has been ground up very fine
gas: something like air that is not a solid or a liquid
fluffy: light and soft
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/why-pancakes-make-bubbles
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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 · 89 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8
Watch a pancake cook. You will see little bubbles pop up on top. Why do they come?
Pancake batter has a helper in it. It is a white powder. It is called baking powder. When it gets wet and warm, it makes tiny bubbles of gas.
In the hot pan, the batter gets firm. The bubbles make small holes. That is why a pancake is soft and fluffy.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, flip the pancake. A grown-up should help at the stove.
▲ This passage · 121 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5
Watch a pancake cook in a pan, and you will see something fun. Little bubbles pop up on top. Why do they come?
Pancake batter has a helper in it. It is a white powder called baking powder. When the powder gets wet and warm, it makes tiny bubbles of gas. The bubbles are too small to see at first.
In the hot pan, the batter starts to get firm. The bubbles try to rise to the top. They make small holes in the pancake. That is why a pancake is soft and fluffy inside.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, it is time to flip the pancake. A grown-up should always help at the stove.
■ Harder · 123 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1
If you watch a pancake cooking in a hot pan, you will notice something entertaining. Little bubbles keep popping up across the top. Where do they come from?
Pancake batter contains a helpful ingredient, a white powder called baking powder. When the powder becomes wet and warm, it releases tiny bubbles of gas. At first, the bubbles are far too small to see.
As the batter in the hot pan begins to turn firm, the bubbles rise toward the top and leave small holes behind them. That is why a finished pancake is soft and fluffy inside.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, it is time to flip the pancake. A grown-up should always help at the stove.
Watch a pancake cook. You will see little bubbles pop up on top. Why do they come?
Pancake batter has a helper in it. It is a white powder. It is called baking powder. When it gets wet and warm, it makes tiny bubbles of gas.
In the hot pan, the batter gets firm. The bubbles make small holes. That is why a pancake is soft and fluffy.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, flip the pancake. A grown-up should help at the stove.
Questions
What do you see on top of a cooking pancake?
What is the white powder called?
What does the powder make when it gets wet and warm?
When should you flip the pancake?
Why is a pancake soft and fluffy?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why Pancakes Make Bubbles
Watch a pancake cook in a pan, and you will see something fun. Little bubbles pop up on top. Why do they come?
Pancake batter has a helper in it. It is a white powder called baking powder. When the powder gets wet and warm, it makes tiny bubbles of gas. The bubbles are too small to see at first.
In the hot pan, the batter starts to get firm. The bubbles try to rise to the top. They make small holes in the pancake. That is why a pancake is soft and fluffy inside.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, it is time to flip the pancake. A grown-up should always help at the stove.
Questions
What do you see on top of a pancake as it cooks?
What is the white powder in pancake batter called?
What does the powder make when it gets wet and warm?
When is it time to flip the pancake?
Why is a pancake soft and fluffy inside?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why Pancakes Make Bubbles
If you watch a pancake cooking in a hot pan, you will notice something entertaining. Little bubbles keep popping up across the top. Where do they come from?
Pancake batter contains a helpful ingredient, a white powder called baking powder. When the powder becomes wet and warm, it releases tiny bubbles of gas. At first, the bubbles are far too small to see.
As the batter in the hot pan begins to turn firm, the bubbles rise toward the top and leave small holes behind them. That is why a finished pancake is soft and fluffy inside.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry, it is time to flip the pancake. A grown-up should always help at the stove.
Questions
What do you notice on top of a pancake as it cooks?
What is the white powder in the batter called?
What does the powder release when it becomes wet and warm?
How can you tell it is time to flip the pancake?
Why is a finished pancake soft and fluffy inside?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why Pancakes Make Bubbles
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8)
Little bubbles.
Baking powder.
Tiny bubbles of gas.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry.
The bubbles make small holes in it.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5)
Little bubbles.
Baking powder.
Tiny bubbles of gas.
When the bubbles stay open and the edges look dry.
The bubbles make small holes in it as the batter gets firm.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1)
Little bubbles that keep popping up.
Baking powder.
Tiny bubbles of gas.
The bubbles stay open and the edges look dry.
The rising bubbles leave small holes behind as the batter turns firm.
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 batter, powder, gas and fluffy 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 Pancakes Make Bubbles"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 121 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.5. 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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