2nd grade fiction passage about drawing a map of a creek: 131 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
2nd gradefictiondrawing a map of a creek131 words
Wren Maps the Creek Behind the School
Wren's class went on a walk to the creek behind the school. Their teacher gave each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw what you find," she said.
Wren drew the creek first. It was a long, wiggly line. Then she added a flat stone for stepping across. She drew a log that lay like a bridge and a big tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked a boy named Ty.
"There is no treasure," said Wren. "But a map shows where things are."
At the end of the day, Wren made a small x by the hollow tree. A squirrel had hidden a pile of acorns inside it.
Ty looked at the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
Questions
Where did Wren's class walk? in the text
What did the teacher give each child? in the text
What did Wren draw for stepping across the water? in the text
What was inside the hollow tree? in the text
What does Wren mean when she says a map shows where things are? think about it
Words to know
clipboard
a flat board with a clip to hold paper
creek
a small stream of water
trunk
the thick main stem of a tree
acorns
the nuts that grow on oak trees
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Wren Maps the Creek Behind the School
2nd grade reading passage
Wren's class went on a walk to the creek behind the school. Their teacher gave each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw what you find," she said.
Wren drew the creek first. It was a long, wiggly line. Then she added a flat stone for stepping across. She drew a log that lay like a bridge and a big tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked a boy named Ty.
"There is no treasure," said Wren. "But a map shows where things are."
At the end of the day, Wren made a small x by the hollow tree. A squirrel had hidden a pile of acorns inside it.
Ty looked at the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
Questions
Where did Wren's class walk?
What did the teacher give each child?
What did Wren draw for stepping across the water?
What was inside the hollow tree?
What does Wren mean when she says a map shows where things are?
Words to know
clipboard: a flat board with a clip to hold paper
creek: a small stream of water
trunk: the thick main stem of a tree
acorns: the nuts that grow on oak trees
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/2/wren-maps-the-creek-behind-the-school
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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 · 127 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6
Wren's class went for a walk to the creek behind the school. The teacher gave each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw what you see," she said.
Wren drew the creek first. It was a long, wiggly line. Then she drew a flat stone to step on. She drew a log like a bridge. She drew a big tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked Ty.
"There is no treasure," said Wren. "But a map shows where things are."
At the end of the day, Wren made a small x by the hollow tree. A squirrel had hid a pile of acorns in it.
Ty looked at the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
▲ This passage · 131 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3
Wren's class went on a walk to the creek behind the school. Their teacher gave each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw what you find," she said.
Wren drew the creek first. It was a long, wiggly line. Then she added a flat stone for stepping across. She drew a log that lay like a bridge and a big tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked a boy named Ty.
"There is no treasure," said Wren. "But a map shows where things are."
At the end of the day, Wren made a small x by the hollow tree. A squirrel had hidden a pile of acorns inside it.
Ty looked at the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
■ Harder · 134 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3
Wren's class took a walk to the creek behind the school, and their teacher handed each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw everything that you discover," she told them.
Wren sketched the creek first, a long and wiggly line. Then she added a flat stone for stepping across the water. She drew a log that lay across the stream like a bridge, and a huge tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked a boy named Ty.
"There is no treasure," replied Wren. "But a map shows where everything is."
Before the day ended, Wren drew a small x beside the hollow tree. A squirrel had hidden a pile of acorns inside it.
Ty studied the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
Wren's class went for a walk to the creek behind the school. The teacher gave each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw what you see," she said.
Wren drew the creek first. It was a long, wiggly line. Then she drew a flat stone to step on. She drew a log like a bridge. She drew a big tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked Ty.
"There is no treasure," said Wren. "But a map shows where things are."
At the end of the day, Wren made a small x by the hollow tree. A squirrel had hid a pile of acorns in it.
Ty looked at the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
Questions
Where did Wren's class walk?
What did the teacher give each child?
What did Wren draw to step on?
What was inside the hollow tree?
What does Wren mean when she says a map shows where things are?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Wren Maps the Creek Behind the School
Wren's class went on a walk to the creek behind the school. Their teacher gave each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw what you find," she said.
Wren drew the creek first. It was a long, wiggly line. Then she added a flat stone for stepping across. She drew a log that lay like a bridge and a big tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked a boy named Ty.
"There is no treasure," said Wren. "But a map shows where things are."
At the end of the day, Wren made a small x by the hollow tree. A squirrel had hidden a pile of acorns inside it.
Ty looked at the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
Questions
Where did Wren's class walk?
What did the teacher give each child?
What did Wren draw for stepping across the water?
What was inside the hollow tree?
What does Wren mean when she says a map shows where things are?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Wren Maps the Creek Behind the School
Wren's class took a walk to the creek behind the school, and their teacher handed each child a clipboard and a pencil. "Draw everything that you discover," she told them.
Wren sketched the creek first, a long and wiggly line. Then she added a flat stone for stepping across the water. She drew a log that lay across the stream like a bridge, and a huge tree with a hole in its trunk.
"Where is the treasure?" asked a boy named Ty.
"There is no treasure," replied Wren. "But a map shows where everything is."
Before the day ended, Wren drew a small x beside the hollow tree. A squirrel had hidden a pile of acorns inside it.
Ty studied the map and smiled. "I found it," he said. "That is the squirrel's treasure."
Questions
Where did Wren's class take their walk?
What did the teacher hand to each child?
What did Wren draw for stepping across the water?
What was hidden inside the hollow tree?
What does Wren mean when she says a map shows where everything is?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Wren Maps the Creek Behind the School
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6)
To the creek behind the school.
A clipboard and a pencil.
A flat stone.
A pile of acorns that a squirrel hid.
A map helps you find places and things.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.3)
To the creek behind the school.
A clipboard and a pencil.
A flat stone.
A pile of acorns that a squirrel hid.
A map helps you remember and find places and things.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.3)
To the creek behind the school.
A clipboard and a pencil.
A flat stone.
A pile of acorns that a squirrel hid.
A map helps you remember and find places and things.
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 clipboard, creek, trunk and acorns on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the story 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 retell the story in three sentences: how it began, what the problem was, and how it ended.
Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.
What reading level is "Wren Maps the Creek Behind the School"?
It was written for 2nd grade. It has 131 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.3. 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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