3rd grade nonfiction passage about measuring rain at home: 169 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionmeasuring rain at home169 words
How to Build a Rain Gauge from a Bottle
A rain gauge tells you how much rain has fallen. You can make one at home with the help of a grown-up.
You need a clear plastic bottle with straight sides, a ruler, a marker, and some small stones. Ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Then turn the top upside down and set it back inside like a funnel. It will keep leaves out and help the rain run in.
Put a few stones in the bottom of the bottle so it will not blow over. Pour in water until it just touches the bottom of the funnel. Use the ruler to mark the water line, and then mark every centimeter above it.
Now place your gauge outside in an open spot, away from trees and roofs. After a storm, look at the water line. Write down the number. Then empty the bottle and put it out again.
Keeping a record can show you which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
Questions
What does a rain gauge tell you? in the text
What do the small stones do? in the text
How is the top of the bottle used? in the text
Where should you put the gauge? in the text
Why should the gauge be away from trees and roofs? think about it
What can a record of the numbers show you? think about it
Words to know
gauge
a tool that measures something
funnel
a wide top that guides water into a narrow opening
centimeter
a small unit used to measure length
record
a written list of what you found out
open spot
a place with nothing overhead to block the rain
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
How to Build a Rain Gauge from a Bottle
3rd grade reading passage
A rain gauge tells you how much rain has fallen. You can make one at home with the help of a grown-up.
You need a clear plastic bottle with straight sides, a ruler, a marker, and some small stones. Ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Then turn the top upside down and set it back inside like a funnel. It will keep leaves out and help the rain run in.
Put a few stones in the bottom of the bottle so it will not blow over. Pour in water until it just touches the bottom of the funnel. Use the ruler to mark the water line, and then mark every centimeter above it.
Now place your gauge outside in an open spot, away from trees and roofs. After a storm, look at the water line. Write down the number. Then empty the bottle and put it out again.
Keeping a record can show you which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
Questions
What does a rain gauge tell you?
What do the small stones do?
How is the top of the bottle used?
Where should you put the gauge?
Why should the gauge be away from trees and roofs?
What can a record of the numbers show you?
Words to know
gauge: a tool that measures something
funnel: a wide top that guides water into a narrow opening
centimeter: a small unit used to measure length
record: a written list of what you found out
open spot: a place with nothing overhead to block the rain
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/how-to-build-a-rain-gauge-from-a-bottle
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 · 154 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7
A rain gauge tells you how much rain fell. You can make one with a grown-up.
You need a clear plastic bottle with straight sides. You need a ruler, a marker and some small stones. Ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Turn the top upside down. Set it back in the bottle like a funnel. It keeps out leaves. It helps the rain go in.
Put stones in the bottom of the bottle. Then it will not blow over. Pour in water until it just touches the funnel. Mark the water line with the marker. Mark each centimeter above it.
Put the gauge outside in an open spot. Keep it away from trees and roofs. After a storm, look at the water line. Write down the number. Empty the bottle and put it out again.
A record can show which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
▲ This passage · 169 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.5
A rain gauge tells you how much rain has fallen. You can make one at home with the help of a grown-up.
You need a clear plastic bottle with straight sides, a ruler, a marker, and some small stones. Ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Then turn the top upside down and set it back inside like a funnel. It will keep leaves out and help the rain run in.
Put a few stones in the bottom of the bottle so it will not blow over. Pour in water until it just touches the bottom of the funnel. Use the ruler to mark the water line, and then mark every centimeter above it.
Now place your gauge outside in an open spot, away from trees and roofs. After a storm, look at the water line. Write down the number. Then empty the bottle and put it out again.
Keeping a record can show you which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
■ Harder · 196 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7
A rain gauge tells you precisely how much rain has fallen, and with a grown-up to help you, it is easy to build one at home.
You will need a clear plastic bottle that has straight sides, a ruler, a marker and a handful of small stones. First, ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Then turn that top upside down and set it back inside the bottle so that it works as a funnel. The funnel keeps leaves out of the bottle and helps the rain run inside.
Place a few stones in the bottom of the bottle so that the wind cannot blow it over. Next, pour in water until it just touches the bottom of the funnel. Use the ruler to mark the water line with the marker, and then mark every centimeter above that line.
Set your gauge outside in an open spot, far from trees and roofs. After a storm, read the water line and write down the number. Afterward, empty the bottle and put it out again.
If you keep a careful record, you can discover which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
A rain gauge tells you how much rain fell. You can make one with a grown-up.
You need a clear plastic bottle with straight sides. You need a ruler, a marker and some small stones. Ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Turn the top upside down. Set it back in the bottle like a funnel. It keeps out leaves. It helps the rain go in.
Put stones in the bottom of the bottle. Then it will not blow over. Pour in water until it just touches the funnel. Mark the water line with the marker. Mark each centimeter above it.
Put the gauge outside in an open spot. Keep it away from trees and roofs. After a storm, look at the water line. Write down the number. Empty the bottle and put it out again.
A record can show which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
Questions
What does a rain gauge tell you?
What do the small stones do?
How is the top of the bottle used?
Where should you put the gauge?
Why keep the gauge away from trees and roofs?
What can a record of the numbers show you?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
How to Build a Rain Gauge from a Bottle
A rain gauge tells you how much rain has fallen. You can make one at home with the help of a grown-up.
You need a clear plastic bottle with straight sides, a ruler, a marker, and some small stones. Ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Then turn the top upside down and set it back inside like a funnel. It will keep leaves out and help the rain run in.
Put a few stones in the bottom of the bottle so it will not blow over. Pour in water until it just touches the bottom of the funnel. Use the ruler to mark the water line, and then mark every centimeter above it.
Now place your gauge outside in an open spot, away from trees and roofs. After a storm, look at the water line. Write down the number. Then empty the bottle and put it out again.
Keeping a record can show you which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
Questions
What does a rain gauge tell you?
What do the small stones do?
How is the top of the bottle used?
Where should you put the gauge?
Why should the gauge be away from trees and roofs?
What can a record of the numbers show you?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
How to Build a Rain Gauge from a Bottle
A rain gauge tells you precisely how much rain has fallen, and with a grown-up to help you, it is easy to build one at home.
You will need a clear plastic bottle that has straight sides, a ruler, a marker and a handful of small stones. First, ask a grown-up to cut off the top of the bottle. Then turn that top upside down and set it back inside the bottle so that it works as a funnel. The funnel keeps leaves out of the bottle and helps the rain run inside.
Place a few stones in the bottom of the bottle so that the wind cannot blow it over. Next, pour in water until it just touches the bottom of the funnel. Use the ruler to mark the water line with the marker, and then mark every centimeter above that line.
Set your gauge outside in an open spot, far from trees and roofs. After a storm, read the water line and write down the number. Afterward, empty the bottle and put it out again.
If you keep a careful record, you can discover which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
Questions
What does a rain gauge measure?
Why do you place small stones in the bottom of the bottle?
How does the top of the bottle work after it is turned upside down?
Where should the gauge be set?
Why should the gauge stay far from trees and roofs?
What can a careful record of the numbers reveal?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: How to Build a Rain Gauge from a Bottle
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.7)
How much rain fell.
They keep the bottle from blowing over.
It is turned upside down and set in like a funnel.
Outside in an open spot, away from trees and roofs.
Water dripping from them would add extra and give a wrong number.
Which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.5)
How much rain has fallen.
They help the bottle stay put so it will not blow over.
It is turned upside down and set inside like a funnel.
Outside in an open spot, away from trees and roofs.
Water dripping from them would add extra water and give a wrong number.
Which weeks were rainy and which were dry.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7)
How much rain has fallen.
So the wind cannot blow the bottle over.
It works as a funnel that keeps leaves out and helps rain run inside.
Outside in an open spot, far from trees and roofs.
Water dripping from them would add extra water and make the number wrong.
Which weeks were rainy and which were 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 gauge, funnel, centimeter, record and open spot 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 "How to Build a Rain Gauge from a Bottle"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 169 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.5. 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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