3rd grade nonfiction passage about beaver dams and lodges: 167 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionbeaver dams and lodges167 words
Busy Beavers Build a Pond
A beaver lives near streams and ponds. It has big front teeth that never stop growing. Beavers use these teeth to cut down small trees.
A stream can be too shallow and too fast for a beaver family. So the beavers make a dam. They pile up sticks, mud, and stones across the stream. The water slows down and spreads out. Soon a pond forms behind the dam.
The pond is a good home. Deep water keeps wolves and other hunters away. The beavers build a lodge in the pond. A lodge is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. The way in is under the water, so it is hard for enemies to find.
In winter, the pond may freeze on top. The beavers stay snug inside the lodge. They swim under the ice to get to a pile of branches they saved to eat.
A beaver dam also helps other animals. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live in the new pond.
Questions
What do beavers use their big front teeth to do? in the text
What do beavers pile across a stream to make a dam? in the text
What is a lodge? in the text
Where is the way into the lodge? in the text
Why does a pond help keep beavers safe? think about it
How does a beaver dam help other animals? think about it
Words to know
dam
a wall of sticks and mud that holds back water
lodge
a beaver's home built of sticks and mud
shallow
not deep
snug
warm and cozy
pile
a heap of things stacked together
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Busy Beavers Build a Pond
3rd grade reading passage
A beaver lives near streams and ponds. It has big front teeth that never stop growing. Beavers use these teeth to cut down small trees.
A stream can be too shallow and too fast for a beaver family. So the beavers make a dam. They pile up sticks, mud, and stones across the stream. The water slows down and spreads out. Soon a pond forms behind the dam.
The pond is a good home. Deep water keeps wolves and other hunters away. The beavers build a lodge in the pond. A lodge is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. The way in is under the water, so it is hard for enemies to find.
In winter, the pond may freeze on top. The beavers stay snug inside the lodge. They swim under the ice to get to a pile of branches they saved to eat.
A beaver dam also helps other animals. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live in the new pond.
Questions
What do beavers use their big front teeth to do?
What do beavers pile across a stream to make a dam?
What is a lodge?
Where is the way into the lodge?
Why does a pond help keep beavers safe?
How does a beaver dam help other animals?
Words to know
dam: a wall of sticks and mud that holds back water
lodge: a beaver's home built of sticks and mud
shallow: not deep
snug: warm and cozy
pile: a heap of things stacked together
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/busy-beavers-build-a-pond
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 · 141 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5
A beaver lives by streams and ponds. It has big front teeth that keep growing. Beavers cut down small trees with them.
Some streams are too shallow and too fast. So beavers build a dam. They pile sticks, mud, and stones across the stream. The water slows down. A pond forms behind the dam.
The pond is a good home. Deep water keeps wolves away. The beavers build a lodge in the pond. A lodge is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. The way in is under the water. Enemies cannot find it easily.
In winter, the top of the pond may freeze. The beavers stay warm in the lodge. They swim under the ice to eat the branches they saved.
A dam helps other animals, too. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live in the pond.
▲ This passage · 167 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3
A beaver lives near streams and ponds. It has big front teeth that never stop growing. Beavers use these teeth to cut down small trees.
A stream can be too shallow and too fast for a beaver family. So the beavers make a dam. They pile up sticks, mud, and stones across the stream. The water slows down and spreads out. Soon a pond forms behind the dam.
The pond is a good home. Deep water keeps wolves and other hunters away. The beavers build a lodge in the pond. A lodge is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. The way in is under the water, so it is hard for enemies to find.
In winter, the pond may freeze on top. The beavers stay snug inside the lodge. They swim under the ice to get to a pile of branches they saved to eat.
A beaver dam also helps other animals. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live in the new pond.
■ Harder · 185 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1
A beaver makes its home near streams and ponds. It has enormous front teeth that never stop growing, and it uses them to cut down small trees.
Sometimes a stream is too shallow and swift for a beaver family to live in comfortably. In that case, the beavers construct a dam. They pile sticks, mud, and stones across the stream, and the water slows down and spreads out. Before long, a pond has formed behind the dam.
This pond makes an excellent home. The deep water keeps wolves and other hunters from getting close. Within the pond, the beavers build a lodge, which is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. Its entrance lies under the water, which makes it very difficult for enemies to find.
During winter, the surface of the pond may freeze over. The beavers remain snug inside their lodge, and they swim beneath the ice to reach a pile of branches that they stored earlier to eat.
A beaver dam benefits many other animals as well. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can all live in the new pond.
A beaver lives by streams and ponds. It has big front teeth that keep growing. Beavers cut down small trees with them.
Some streams are too shallow and too fast. So beavers build a dam. They pile sticks, mud, and stones across the stream. The water slows down. A pond forms behind the dam.
The pond is a good home. Deep water keeps wolves away. The beavers build a lodge in the pond. A lodge is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. The way in is under the water. Enemies cannot find it easily.
In winter, the top of the pond may freeze. The beavers stay warm in the lodge. They swim under the ice to eat the branches they saved.
A dam helps other animals, too. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live in the pond.
Questions
What do beavers cut down with their big front teeth?
What do beavers pile across a stream to make a dam?
What is a lodge?
Where is the way into the lodge?
Why does a pond keep beavers safe?
How does a dam help other animals?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Busy Beavers Build a Pond
A beaver lives near streams and ponds. It has big front teeth that never stop growing. Beavers use these teeth to cut down small trees.
A stream can be too shallow and too fast for a beaver family. So the beavers make a dam. They pile up sticks, mud, and stones across the stream. The water slows down and spreads out. Soon a pond forms behind the dam.
The pond is a good home. Deep water keeps wolves and other hunters away. The beavers build a lodge in the pond. A lodge is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. The way in is under the water, so it is hard for enemies to find.
In winter, the pond may freeze on top. The beavers stay snug inside the lodge. They swim under the ice to get to a pile of branches they saved to eat.
A beaver dam also helps other animals. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live in the new pond.
Questions
What do beavers use their big front teeth to do?
What do beavers pile across a stream to make a dam?
What is a lodge?
Where is the way into the lodge?
Why does a pond help keep beavers safe?
How does a beaver dam help other animals?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Busy Beavers Build a Pond
A beaver makes its home near streams and ponds. It has enormous front teeth that never stop growing, and it uses them to cut down small trees.
Sometimes a stream is too shallow and swift for a beaver family to live in comfortably. In that case, the beavers construct a dam. They pile sticks, mud, and stones across the stream, and the water slows down and spreads out. Before long, a pond has formed behind the dam.
This pond makes an excellent home. The deep water keeps wolves and other hunters from getting close. Within the pond, the beavers build a lodge, which is a heap of sticks and mud with a room inside. Its entrance lies under the water, which makes it very difficult for enemies to find.
During winter, the surface of the pond may freeze over. The beavers remain snug inside their lodge, and they swim beneath the ice to reach a pile of branches that they stored earlier to eat.
A beaver dam benefits many other animals as well. Fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can all live in the new pond.
Questions
What do beavers use their enormous front teeth to do?
What materials do beavers pile across a stream to build a dam?
What is a lodge?
Where is the entrance to the lodge located?
Why does a deep pond help keep beavers safe?
In what way does a beaver dam benefit other animals?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Busy Beavers Build a Pond
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5)
Small trees.
Sticks, mud, and stones.
A heap of sticks and mud with a room inside.
Under the water.
Deep water keeps wolves away.
It makes a pond where fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.3)
Cut down small trees.
Sticks, mud, and stones.
A heap of sticks and mud with a room inside.
Under the water.
Deep water keeps hunters such as wolves away.
It makes a pond where fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1)
Cut down small trees.
Sticks, mud, and stones.
A heap of sticks and mud with a room inside.
Under the water.
The deep water keeps wolves and other hunters from getting close.
It forms a pond where fish, frogs, ducks, and insects can live.
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 dam, lodge, shallow, snug and pile 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 2 minutes 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 "Busy Beavers Build a Pond"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 167 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.3. 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 six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 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 2 minutes 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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