3rd grade nonfiction passage about carillon player: 150 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictioncarillon player150 words
The Bell Player Who Uses Fists and Feet
High in a tower, there may be a whole set of bells. Together they are called a carillon. A person who plays them is a carillon player. She does not pull ropes. She plays them like a piano.
The player sits at a keyboard that looks a bit odd. It has wooden handles, called batons, instead of keys. She strikes the batons with her fists. Each one is connected by wires to a bell high above.
She uses her feet too. The pedals under the bench play the biggest bells, which make deep sounds. The small bells make high, sparkling ones.
Because bells are loud, the music can travel across a whole town. People outside can hear it while they walk or shop. Players often pick songs that many people know.
Playing takes strong hands and careful timing. A bell player has to practice for many years to play well.
Questions
What is a whole set of tower bells called? in the text
What are the wooden handles called? in the text
How does the player strike the batons? in the text
What do the foot pedals play? in the text
Why can people all over town hear the music? think about it
Why does a carillon player need years of practice? think about it
Words to know
carillon
a set of bells played from a keyboard in a tower
batons
wooden handles that a bell player strikes
pedals
levers that you press with your feet
timing
doing something at just the right moment
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Bell Player Who Uses Fists and Feet
3rd grade reading passage
High in a tower, there may be a whole set of bells. Together they are called a carillon. A person who plays them is a carillon player. She does not pull ropes. She plays them like a piano.
The player sits at a keyboard that looks a bit odd. It has wooden handles, called batons, instead of keys. She strikes the batons with her fists. Each one is connected by wires to a bell high above.
She uses her feet too. The pedals under the bench play the biggest bells, which make deep sounds. The small bells make high, sparkling ones.
Because bells are loud, the music can travel across a whole town. People outside can hear it while they walk or shop. Players often pick songs that many people know.
Playing takes strong hands and careful timing. A bell player has to practice for many years to play well.
Questions
What is a whole set of tower bells called?
What are the wooden handles called?
How does the player strike the batons?
What do the foot pedals play?
Why can people all over town hear the music?
Why does a carillon player need years of practice?
Words to know
carillon: a set of bells played from a keyboard in a tower
batons: wooden handles that a bell player strikes
pedals: levers that you press with your feet
timing: doing something at just the right moment
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/carillon-player-fists-and-feet
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 · 138 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9
High in a tower, there may be a set of bells. All of them together are a carillon. A person who plays them is a carillon player. She does not pull ropes. She plays them like a piano.
She sits at an odd keyboard. It has wooden handles, called batons, in place of keys. She hits the batons with her fists. Wires link each one to a bell far above.
She uses her feet, too. Pedals under the bench play the big bells. They make deep sounds. The small bells make high, bright sounds.
Bells are loud. The music can travel over the whole town. People outside can hear it as they walk or shop. Players often pick songs that many people know.
It takes strong hands and good timing. A bell player must practice for many years.
▲ This passage · 150 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
High in a tower, there may be a whole set of bells. Together they are called a carillon. A person who plays them is a carillon player. She does not pull ropes. She plays them like a piano.
The player sits at a keyboard that looks a bit odd. It has wooden handles, called batons, instead of keys. She strikes the batons with her fists. Each one is connected by wires to a bell high above.
She uses her feet too. The pedals under the bench play the biggest bells, which make deep sounds. The small bells make high, sparkling ones.
Because bells are loud, the music can travel across a whole town. People outside can hear it while they walk or shop. Players often pick songs that many people know.
Playing takes strong hands and careful timing. A bell player has to practice for many years to play well.
■ Harder · 171 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3
High inside a tower, there may be an entire set of bells, which together are known as a carillon. The person who plays them is called a carillon player. She does not pull on ropes. Instead, she plays the bells in much the same way that a pianist plays a piano.
She sits at a keyboard that looks rather unusual. It has wooden handles, called batons, in place of keys, and she strikes the batons with her fists. Each baton is connected by wires to a bell far above her head.
She uses her feet as well. The pedals beneath the bench play the largest bells, which produce deep sounds, while the small bells make high, sparkling ones.
Because bells are so loud, the music can travel across an entire town. People outdoors can hear it while they walk or shop. Players frequently choose songs that many people already know.
Playing requires strong hands and careful timing, and a bell player must practice for many years before she can play well.
High in a tower, there may be a set of bells. All of them together are a carillon. A person who plays them is a carillon player. She does not pull ropes. She plays them like a piano.
She sits at an odd keyboard. It has wooden handles, called batons, in place of keys. She hits the batons with her fists. Wires link each one to a bell far above.
She uses her feet, too. Pedals under the bench play the big bells. They make deep sounds. The small bells make high, bright sounds.
Bells are loud. The music can travel over the whole town. People outside can hear it as they walk or shop. Players often pick songs that many people know.
It takes strong hands and good timing. A bell player must practice for many years.
Questions
What is a set of tower bells called?
What are the wooden handles called?
How does the player hit the batons?
What do the foot pedals play?
Why can people all over town hear the music?
Why does a carillon player need years of practice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Bell Player Who Uses Fists and Feet
High in a tower, there may be a whole set of bells. Together they are called a carillon. A person who plays them is a carillon player. She does not pull ropes. She plays them like a piano.
The player sits at a keyboard that looks a bit odd. It has wooden handles, called batons, instead of keys. She strikes the batons with her fists. Each one is connected by wires to a bell high above.
She uses her feet too. The pedals under the bench play the biggest bells, which make deep sounds. The small bells make high, sparkling ones.
Because bells are loud, the music can travel across a whole town. People outside can hear it while they walk or shop. Players often pick songs that many people know.
Playing takes strong hands and careful timing. A bell player has to practice for many years to play well.
Questions
What is a whole set of tower bells called?
What are the wooden handles called?
How does the player strike the batons?
What do the foot pedals play?
Why can people all over town hear the music?
Why does a carillon player need years of practice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Bell Player Who Uses Fists and Feet
High inside a tower, there may be an entire set of bells, which together are known as a carillon. The person who plays them is called a carillon player. She does not pull on ropes. Instead, she plays the bells in much the same way that a pianist plays a piano.
She sits at a keyboard that looks rather unusual. It has wooden handles, called batons, in place of keys, and she strikes the batons with her fists. Each baton is connected by wires to a bell far above her head.
She uses her feet as well. The pedals beneath the bench play the largest bells, which produce deep sounds, while the small bells make high, sparkling ones.
Because bells are so loud, the music can travel across an entire town. People outdoors can hear it while they walk or shop. Players frequently choose songs that many people already know.
Playing requires strong hands and careful timing, and a bell player must practice for many years before she can play well.
Questions
What is an entire set of tower bells called?
What are the wooden handles called?
How does the player strike the batons?
What do the foot pedals play?
Why can people all over town hear the music?
Why does a carillon player need many years of practice?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Bell Player Who Uses Fists and Feet
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9)
A carillon.
Batons.
With her fists.
The big bells, which make deep sounds.
Bells are loud, so the sound goes far.
It takes strong hands and good timing.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
A carillon.
Batons.
With her fists.
The biggest bells, which make deep sounds.
Bells are loud, so the sound travels far.
Playing takes strong hands and careful timing.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3)
A carillon.
Batons.
With her fists.
The largest bells, which produce deep sounds.
Bells are so loud that the sound travels far.
Playing requires strong hands and careful timing.
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 carillon, batons, pedals and timing 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 "The Bell Player Who Uses Fists and Feet"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 150 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.0. 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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