3rd grade nonfiction passage about painting with dots: 155 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionpainting with dots155 words
Dots That Mix Inside Your Eyes
Some painters make a picture out of thousands of tiny dots. Up close, you see separate spots of paint. A yellow dot sits next to a blue dot, and a red dot sits next to an orange one. But step back, and the dots seem to blend.
This style is called pointillism. The painter does not mix the colors on a palette first. Instead, the painter places dots of pure color side by side. When you stand far away, your eyes join the dots together. Blue and yellow dots can look like green.
Painting this way takes a very long time. Every dot has to be put down one by one with the tip of a small brush. A picture can have many thousands of them.
The next time you see a screen or a newspaper picture, look very closely. Many of them are also made of tiny dots, and your eyes do the mixing.
Questions
What do pointillist painters use to make a picture? in the text
What happens when you step back from the painting? in the text
What do the painters place side by side? in the text
What might blue and yellow dots look like from far away? in the text
Why does this kind of painting take so long? think about it
Who does the mixing of colors in this kind of art? think about it
Words to know
pointillism
a way of painting with small dots of color
blend
to mix together so the parts are hard to tell apart
palette
a board where a painter mixes colors
pure
not mixed with anything else
separate
apart from each other
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Dots That Mix Inside Your Eyes
3rd grade reading passage
Some painters make a picture out of thousands of tiny dots. Up close, you see separate spots of paint. A yellow dot sits next to a blue dot, and a red dot sits next to an orange one. But step back, and the dots seem to blend.
This style is called pointillism. The painter does not mix the colors on a palette first. Instead, the painter places dots of pure color side by side. When you stand far away, your eyes join the dots together. Blue and yellow dots can look like green.
Painting this way takes a very long time. Every dot has to be put down one by one with the tip of a small brush. A picture can have many thousands of them.
The next time you see a screen or a newspaper picture, look very closely. Many of them are also made of tiny dots, and your eyes do the mixing.
Questions
What do pointillist painters use to make a picture?
What happens when you step back from the painting?
What do the painters place side by side?
What might blue and yellow dots look like from far away?
Why does this kind of painting take so long?
Who does the mixing of colors in this kind of art?
Words to know
pointillism: a way of painting with small dots of color
blend: to mix together so the parts are hard to tell apart
palette: a board where a painter mixes colors
pure: not mixed with anything else
separate: apart from each other
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/dots-that-mix-inside-your-eyes
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 · 123 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9
Some painters make a picture from thousands of tiny dots. Up close, you see spots of paint. A yellow dot sits by a blue dot. A red dot sits by an orange one. But step back, and the dots seem to blend.
This style is called pointillism. The painter does not mix colors first. The painter puts dots of pure color side by side. From far away, your eyes join the dots. Blue and yellow dots can look green.
This kind of painting takes a long time. Each dot is put down one by one with a small brush. A picture can have many thousands.
Look closely at a newspaper picture. Many are made of tiny dots too. Your eyes do the mixing.
▲ This passage · 155 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6
Some painters make a picture out of thousands of tiny dots. Up close, you see separate spots of paint. A yellow dot sits next to a blue dot, and a red dot sits next to an orange one. But step back, and the dots seem to blend.
This style is called pointillism. The painter does not mix the colors on a palette first. Instead, the painter places dots of pure color side by side. When you stand far away, your eyes join the dots together. Blue and yellow dots can look like green.
Painting this way takes a very long time. Every dot has to be put down one by one with the tip of a small brush. A picture can have many thousands of them.
The next time you see a screen or a newspaper picture, look very closely. Many of them are also made of tiny dots, and your eyes do the mixing.
■ Harder · 160 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1
Certain painters build an entire picture out of thousands of tiny dots. Viewed up close, the picture breaks into separate spots of paint. A yellow dot sits beside a blue dot, and a red dot sits beside an orange one. Yet when you step back, the dots seem to blend together.
This style is known as pointillism. The painter does not combine the colors on a palette beforehand. Instead, dots of pure color are placed side by side, and when you stand at a distance, your eyes merge them. Blue and yellow dots can appear to be green.
Painting this way takes an enormous amount of time, because every dot must be applied individually with the tip of a small brush. A single picture can contain many thousands of them.
The next time you notice a screen or a newspaper photograph, examine it very closely. Many of them are also built from tiny dots, and your eyes do the mixing.
Some painters make a picture from thousands of tiny dots. Up close, you see spots of paint. A yellow dot sits by a blue dot. A red dot sits by an orange one. But step back, and the dots seem to blend.
This style is called pointillism. The painter does not mix colors first. The painter puts dots of pure color side by side. From far away, your eyes join the dots. Blue and yellow dots can look green.
This kind of painting takes a long time. Each dot is put down one by one with a small brush. A picture can have many thousands.
Look closely at a newspaper picture. Many are made of tiny dots too. Your eyes do the mixing.
Questions
What do these painters use to make a picture?
What happens when you step back?
What do the painters put side by side?
What can blue and yellow dots look like from far away?
Why does this painting take so long?
Who does the mixing of colors?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Dots That Mix Inside Your Eyes
Some painters make a picture out of thousands of tiny dots. Up close, you see separate spots of paint. A yellow dot sits next to a blue dot, and a red dot sits next to an orange one. But step back, and the dots seem to blend.
This style is called pointillism. The painter does not mix the colors on a palette first. Instead, the painter places dots of pure color side by side. When you stand far away, your eyes join the dots together. Blue and yellow dots can look like green.
Painting this way takes a very long time. Every dot has to be put down one by one with the tip of a small brush. A picture can have many thousands of them.
The next time you see a screen or a newspaper picture, look very closely. Many of them are also made of tiny dots, and your eyes do the mixing.
Questions
What do pointillist painters use to make a picture?
What happens when you step back from the painting?
What do the painters place side by side?
What might blue and yellow dots look like from far away?
Why does this kind of painting take so long?
Who does the mixing of colors in this kind of art?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Dots That Mix Inside Your Eyes
Certain painters build an entire picture out of thousands of tiny dots. Viewed up close, the picture breaks into separate spots of paint. A yellow dot sits beside a blue dot, and a red dot sits beside an orange one. Yet when you step back, the dots seem to blend together.
This style is known as pointillism. The painter does not combine the colors on a palette beforehand. Instead, dots of pure color are placed side by side, and when you stand at a distance, your eyes merge them. Blue and yellow dots can appear to be green.
Painting this way takes an enormous amount of time, because every dot must be applied individually with the tip of a small brush. A single picture can contain many thousands of them.
The next time you notice a screen or a newspaper photograph, examine it very closely. Many of them are also built from tiny dots, and your eyes do the mixing.
Questions
What do pointillist painters use to build a picture?
What happens to the dots when you step back?
What do the painters place side by side?
What might blue and yellow dots appear to be from a distance?
Why does this style of painting take so much time?
Who or what combines the colors in this kind of art?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Dots That Mix Inside Your Eyes
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9)
Thousands of tiny dots of paint.
The dots seem to blend.
Dots of pure color.
Green.
Each dot is put down one at a time.
Your own eyes do the mixing.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6)
Thousands of tiny dots of paint.
The dots seem to blend together.
Dots of pure color.
Green.
Every dot has to be put down one at a time with a small brush.
Your own eyes do the mixing.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1)
Thousands of tiny dots of paint.
They seem to blend together.
Dots of pure color.
Green.
Each dot must be applied one at a time with a small brush.
The viewer's own eyes combine them.
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 pointillism, blend, palette, pure and separate 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 "Dots That Mix Inside Your Eyes"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 155 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.6. 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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