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Why Too Many Paints Make Mud

2nd grade nonfiction passage about mixing paint colors: 120 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

2nd grade nonfiction mixing paint colors 120 words

Why Too Many Paints Make Mud

Mixing paint is fun. Blue and yellow make green. Red and yellow make orange. Red and blue make purple. Each new color is bright and clear.

But what if you keep adding more colors? Red, blue, yellow, and green all go into one cup. The mix turns a dull brown or gray. Artists call this mud.

Why does this happen? Each paint takes in some of the light that hits it. When you mix many paints, they take in even more light. Less light bounces back to your eyes, so the color looks dark and dull.

Artists mix just two or three colors at a time. A little white can also make a color lighter. That keeps the colors fresh.

Questions

  1. What two colors make green? in the text

  2. What do artists call a dull brown mix? in the text

  3. What happens to light when you mix many paints? in the text

  4. What can you add to make a color lighter? in the text

  5. Why do artists mix only two or three colors at a time? think about it

Words to know

mix
to stir things together
dull
not bright
artists
people who make paintings and other art
light
the brightness that lets your eyes see color
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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 · 93 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6

Mixing paint is fun. Blue and yellow make green. Red and yellow make orange. Red and blue make purple. The new colors are bright.

What if you add more and more colors? Red, blue, yellow, and green go in one cup. The mix turns dull brown or gray. Artists call this mud.

Why? Paint takes in some light. Many paints take in even more light. Less light comes back to your eyes. So the color looks dark and dull.

Artists mix just two or three colors. A little white makes a color lighter.

▲ This passage · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4

Mixing paint is fun. Blue and yellow make green. Red and yellow make orange. Red and blue make purple. Each new color is bright and clear.

But what if you keep adding more colors? Red, blue, yellow, and green all go into one cup. The mix turns a dull brown or gray. Artists call this mud.

Why does this happen? Each paint takes in some of the light that hits it. When you mix many paints, they take in even more light. Less light bounces back to your eyes, so the color looks dark and dull.

Artists mix just two or three colors at a time. A little white can also make a color lighter. That keeps the colors fresh.

■ Harder · 146 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.9

Mixing paint is an enjoyable way to discover new colors. Blue and yellow combine to make green. Red and yellow make orange, and red and blue make purple. Each of these new colors looks bright and clear.

But what happens if you keep stirring in more and more colors? Suppose red, blue, yellow, and green all end up in the same cup. The mixture turns a dull brown or gray, which artists call mud.

The reason has to do with light. Every paint absorbs some of the light that shines on it. When you blend many paints together, they absorb even more light. Less light bounces back to your eyes, so the color looks dark and dull.

That is why artists usually mix only two or three colors at a time. Adding a little white can also make a color lighter and help keep it fresh.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put mix, dull, artists and light 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Why Too Many Paints Make Mud"?

It was written for 2nd grade. It has 120 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.4. 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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