2nd grade nonfiction passage about balance and dizziness: 127 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradenonfictionbalance and dizziness127 words
Why the World Spins After You Stop
Spin around and around in the yard. Then stop. The grass seems to tilt, and the trees seem to swirl. You feel dizzy!
Deep inside each ear is a tiny curved tube filled with liquid. This liquid helps you keep your balance. When your head turns, the liquid moves. It tells your brain which way you are going.
When you spin for a long time, the liquid keeps swirling even after you stop. Your eyes say that you are still, but your ears say that you are moving. Your brain gets mixed-up messages. That is why you feel dizzy.
Wait a little while. The liquid slows down and settles. Soon the world holds still again. Sit down on the grass until the dizzy feeling goes away.
Questions
What is inside each ear that helps you keep your balance? in the text
What does the liquid do when your head turns? in the text
Why does the world seem to swirl after you stop spinning? in the text
What should you do when you feel dizzy? in the text
Why does waiting help the dizzy feeling go away? think about it
Words to know
dizzy
feeling like the world is spinning
balance
staying steady so you do not fall over
liquid
something wet that flows, like water
tilt
lean to one side
settles
becomes calm and still
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why the World Spins After You Stop
2nd grade reading passage
Spin around and around in the yard. Then stop. The grass seems to tilt, and the trees seem to swirl. You feel dizzy!
Deep inside each ear is a tiny curved tube filled with liquid. This liquid helps you keep your balance. When your head turns, the liquid moves. It tells your brain which way you are going.
When you spin for a long time, the liquid keeps swirling even after you stop. Your eyes say that you are still, but your ears say that you are moving. Your brain gets mixed-up messages. That is why you feel dizzy.
Wait a little while. The liquid slows down and settles. Soon the world holds still again. Sit down on the grass until the dizzy feeling goes away.
Questions
What is inside each ear that helps you keep your balance?
What does the liquid do when your head turns?
Why does the world seem to swirl after you stop spinning?
What should you do when you feel dizzy?
Why does waiting help the dizzy feeling go away?
Words to know
dizzy: feeling like the world is spinning
balance: staying steady so you do not fall over
liquid: something wet that flows, like water
tilt: lean to one side
settles: becomes calm and still
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/why-the-world-spins-after-you-stop
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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 · 103 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.6
Spin and spin in the yard. Then stop. The grass tilts. The trees swirl. You feel dizzy!
Each ear has a tiny tube. The tube has liquid in it. The liquid helps you balance. You turn your head. The liquid moves. It tells your brain which way you go.
You spin a lot. The liquid keeps on swirling when you stop. Your eyes say, "I am still." Your ears say, "I am moving." Your brain gets mixed-up news. So you feel dizzy.
Wait a bit. The liquid slows down. Soon the world is still. Sit on the grass till you feel fine.
▲ This passage · 127 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7
Spin around and around in the yard. Then stop. The grass seems to tilt, and the trees seem to swirl. You feel dizzy!
Deep inside each ear is a tiny curved tube filled with liquid. This liquid helps you keep your balance. When your head turns, the liquid moves. It tells your brain which way you are going.
When you spin for a long time, the liquid keeps swirling even after you stop. Your eyes say that you are still, but your ears say that you are moving. Your brain gets mixed-up messages. That is why you feel dizzy.
Wait a little while. The liquid slows down and settles. Soon the world holds still again. Sit down on the grass until the dizzy feeling goes away.
■ Harder · 156 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2
Imagine spinning around and around in the yard until you cannot spin anymore. When you finally stop, the grass seems to tilt and the trees appear to swirl in circles. You feel dizzy!
Deep inside each of your ears is a tiny, curved tube filled with liquid, and that liquid helps you keep your balance. Whenever your head turns, the liquid moves, and it tells your brain exactly which way your body is going.
If you spin for a long time, the liquid continues to swirl even after you have stopped. Your eyes report that you are standing still, but your ears insist that you are still moving. Your brain receives mixed-up messages, and that confusion is the reason you feel dizzy.
Be patient for a little while. Gradually the liquid slows down and settles, and the world becomes steady again. Sit down on the soft grass until the dizzy feeling has completely gone away.
Spin and spin in the yard. Then stop. The grass tilts. The trees swirl. You feel dizzy!
Each ear has a tiny tube. The tube has liquid in it. The liquid helps you balance. You turn your head. The liquid moves. It tells your brain which way you go.
You spin a lot. The liquid keeps on swirling when you stop. Your eyes say, "I am still." Your ears say, "I am moving." Your brain gets mixed-up news. So you feel dizzy.
Wait a bit. The liquid slows down. Soon the world is still. Sit on the grass till you feel fine.
Questions
What is in each ear that helps you balance?
What does the liquid do when you turn your head?
Why does the world swirl when you stop spinning?
What should you do when you feel dizzy?
Why does waiting help?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why the World Spins After You Stop
Spin around and around in the yard. Then stop. The grass seems to tilt, and the trees seem to swirl. You feel dizzy!
Deep inside each ear is a tiny curved tube filled with liquid. This liquid helps you keep your balance. When your head turns, the liquid moves. It tells your brain which way you are going.
When you spin for a long time, the liquid keeps swirling even after you stop. Your eyes say that you are still, but your ears say that you are moving. Your brain gets mixed-up messages. That is why you feel dizzy.
Wait a little while. The liquid slows down and settles. Soon the world holds still again. Sit down on the grass until the dizzy feeling goes away.
Questions
What is inside each ear that helps you keep your balance?
What does the liquid do when your head turns?
Why does the world seem to swirl after you stop spinning?
What should you do when you feel dizzy?
Why does waiting help the dizzy feeling go away?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why the World Spins After You Stop
Imagine spinning around and around in the yard until you cannot spin anymore. When you finally stop, the grass seems to tilt and the trees appear to swirl in circles. You feel dizzy!
Deep inside each of your ears is a tiny, curved tube filled with liquid, and that liquid helps you keep your balance. Whenever your head turns, the liquid moves, and it tells your brain exactly which way your body is going.
If you spin for a long time, the liquid continues to swirl even after you have stopped. Your eyes report that you are standing still, but your ears insist that you are still moving. Your brain receives mixed-up messages, and that confusion is the reason you feel dizzy.
Be patient for a little while. Gradually the liquid slows down and settles, and the world becomes steady again. Sit down on the soft grass until the dizzy feeling has completely gone away.
Questions
What is inside each ear that helps you keep your balance?
What does the liquid tell your brain when your head turns?
Why does the world seem to swirl after you stop spinning?
What should you do while you feel dizzy?
Why does being patient make the dizzy feeling go away?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why the World Spins After You Stop
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.6)
A tiny tube with liquid in it.
It moves and tells your brain which way you go.
The liquid in your ears keeps swirling.
Sit down and wait.
The liquid slows down, so your ears and eyes agree again.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7)
A tiny curved tube filled with liquid.
It moves and tells your brain which way you are going.
The liquid in your ears keeps swirling.
Sit down and wait until the feeling goes away.
The liquid slows down and settles, so your ears and eyes agree again.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.2)
A tiny, curved tube filled with liquid.
Which way your body is going.
The liquid in your ears keeps swirling after you stop.
Sit down and wait until the feeling goes away.
The liquid slows down and settles, so your ears and eyes agree again.
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 dizzy, balance, liquid, tilt and settles 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 the World Spins After You Stop"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 127 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.7. 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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