3rd grade nonfiction passage about paper marbling: 137 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionpaper marbling137 words
Floating Paint and Marbled Paper
Marbling is a way to make paper that looks like swirled stone. Artists have marbled paper for hundreds of years. It begins with a shallow tray of water.
The water is made thick and slippery, so paint stays on top of it. The artist drops tiny bits of paint onto the surface. The paint does not sink. It floats in little rings and spreads out.
Next, the artist drags a stick or a comb through the paint. The colors stretch into waves, curls and feathery lines. No two patterns are ever the same.
Last, a sheet of paper is laid gently on the water. The paint sticks to the paper. When the paper is lifted, the pattern comes up with it. After the sheet dries, it can be used to cover a book or make a card.
Questions
What does marbled paper look like? in the text
What does the artist put in the tray? in the text
What happens when paint is dropped onto the water? in the text
How does the artist make waves and curls in the colors? in the text
Why is every marbled sheet different from the others? think about it
What is the last step before the paper is used? in the text
Words to know
marbling
making swirled patterns that look like stone
shallow
not deep
surface
the top layer of something
feathery
thin and soft, like a feather
pattern
a design made of lines, shapes or colors
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Floating Paint and Marbled Paper
3rd grade reading passage
Marbling is a way to make paper that looks like swirled stone. Artists have marbled paper for hundreds of years. It begins with a shallow tray of water.
The water is made thick and slippery, so paint stays on top of it. The artist drops tiny bits of paint onto the surface. The paint does not sink. It floats in little rings and spreads out.
Next, the artist drags a stick or a comb through the paint. The colors stretch into waves, curls and feathery lines. No two patterns are ever the same.
Last, a sheet of paper is laid gently on the water. The paint sticks to the paper. When the paper is lifted, the pattern comes up with it. After the sheet dries, it can be used to cover a book or make a card.
Questions
What does marbled paper look like?
What does the artist put in the tray?
What happens when paint is dropped onto the water?
How does the artist make waves and curls in the colors?
Why is every marbled sheet different from the others?
What is the last step before the paper is used?
Words to know
marbling: making swirled patterns that look like stone
shallow: not deep
surface: the top layer of something
feathery: thin and soft, like a feather
pattern: a design made of lines, shapes or colors
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/floating-paint-and-marbled-paper
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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 · 122 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6
Marbling is a way to make paper that looks like swirled stone. Artists have done it for hundreds of years. It starts with a shallow tray of water.
The water is thick and slippery. The paint stays on top. The artist drops tiny bits of paint on the water. The paint does not sink. It floats in little rings and spreads out.
Then the artist drags a stick or a comb through the paint. The colors stretch into waves and curls. No two patterns are the same.
Last, the artist lays a sheet of paper on the water. The paint sticks to it. The pattern comes up with the paper. When it dries, it can cover a book or make a card.
▲ This passage · 137 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8
Marbling is a way to make paper that looks like swirled stone. Artists have marbled paper for hundreds of years. It begins with a shallow tray of water.
The water is made thick and slippery, so paint stays on top of it. The artist drops tiny bits of paint onto the surface. The paint does not sink. It floats in little rings and spreads out.
Next, the artist drags a stick or a comb through the paint. The colors stretch into waves, curls and feathery lines. No two patterns are ever the same.
Last, a sheet of paper is laid gently on the water. The paint sticks to the paper. When the paper is lifted, the pattern comes up with it. After the sheet dries, it can be used to cover a book or make a card.
■ Harder · 145 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.3
Marbling is a technique for producing paper that resembles swirled stone, and artists have practiced it for hundreds of years. The process begins with a shallow tray filled with water.
The water is made thick and slippery so that paint remains on its surface. The artist dabs tiny drops of paint onto the water. Instead of sinking, the paint floats in small rings and gradually spreads outward.
Next, the artist draws a stick or a comb through the floating paint. The colors stretch into waves, curls and feathery lines, and no two patterns ever turn out exactly alike.
Finally, a sheet of paper is laid carefully on top of the water, and the paint clings to it. When the paper is lifted, the pattern rises with it. Once the sheet has dried, it can be used to cover a book or to create a card.
Marbling is a way to make paper that looks like swirled stone. Artists have done it for hundreds of years. It starts with a shallow tray of water.
The water is thick and slippery. The paint stays on top. The artist drops tiny bits of paint on the water. The paint does not sink. It floats in little rings and spreads out.
Then the artist drags a stick or a comb through the paint. The colors stretch into waves and curls. No two patterns are the same.
Last, the artist lays a sheet of paper on the water. The paint sticks to it. The pattern comes up with the paper. When it dries, it can cover a book or make a card.
Questions
What does marbled paper look like?
What goes in the tray?
What happens when paint is dropped on the water?
How does the artist make waves and curls?
Why is every sheet different?
What must happen before the paper is used?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Floating Paint and Marbled Paper
Marbling is a way to make paper that looks like swirled stone. Artists have marbled paper for hundreds of years. It begins with a shallow tray of water.
The water is made thick and slippery, so paint stays on top of it. The artist drops tiny bits of paint onto the surface. The paint does not sink. It floats in little rings and spreads out.
Next, the artist drags a stick or a comb through the paint. The colors stretch into waves, curls and feathery lines. No two patterns are ever the same.
Last, a sheet of paper is laid gently on the water. The paint sticks to the paper. When the paper is lifted, the pattern comes up with it. After the sheet dries, it can be used to cover a book or make a card.
Questions
What does marbled paper look like?
What does the artist put in the tray?
What happens when paint is dropped onto the water?
How does the artist make waves and curls in the colors?
Why is every marbled sheet different from the others?
What is the last step before the paper is used?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Floating Paint and Marbled Paper
Marbling is a technique for producing paper that resembles swirled stone, and artists have practiced it for hundreds of years. The process begins with a shallow tray filled with water.
The water is made thick and slippery so that paint remains on its surface. The artist dabs tiny drops of paint onto the water. Instead of sinking, the paint floats in small rings and gradually spreads outward.
Next, the artist draws a stick or a comb through the floating paint. The colors stretch into waves, curls and feathery lines, and no two patterns ever turn out exactly alike.
Finally, a sheet of paper is laid carefully on top of the water, and the paint clings to it. When the paper is lifted, the pattern rises with it. Once the sheet has dried, it can be used to cover a book or to create a card.
Questions
What does marbled paper resemble?
What is placed in the shallow tray?
What does the paint do when it touches the water?
How does the artist create waves, curls and feathery lines?
Why does no marbled sheet turn out exactly like another?
What must happen to the sheet before it can be used?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Floating Paint and Marbled Paper
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6)
Swirled stone.
Thick, slippery water.
It floats and spreads in little rings.
By dragging a stick or a comb through the paint.
The swirls are made by hand, so no two match.
It has to dry.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8)
Swirled stone.
Thick, slippery water.
It floats and spreads out in little rings.
By dragging a stick or a comb through the paint.
The swirls are made by hand, so no two patterns match.
The sheet has to dry.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.3)
Swirled stone.
Thick, slippery water.
It floats in small rings and spreads outward.
By drawing a stick or a comb through the floating paint.
The swirls are shaped by hand, so each pattern is different.
It has to dry.
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 marbling, shallow, surface, feathery and pattern 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.
What reading level is "Floating Paint and Marbled Paper"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 137 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.8. 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. 5 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?
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