3rd grade nonfiction passage about making maple syrup: 136 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionmaking maple syrup136 words
Maple Sap Is Almost Like Water
In late winter, the days start to warm up, but the nights are still cold. This is the time to make maple syrup. A farmer drills a small hole in the trunk of a sugar maple tree. A tap in the hole lets the sap drip into a bucket.
Maple sap looks almost like water. It tastes only a little sweet. To make syrup, the farmer boils the sap in a big, flat pan. As it boils, steam rises, and the water slowly leaves. What is left gets thicker, darker, and much sweeter.
It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup. The tree is not hurt by a small tap. In spring, the farmer pulls the tap out, and the hole closes up over time. Then the tree grows its leaves as usual.
Questions
When does a farmer collect maple sap? in the text
What does the farmer put in the hole in the tree? in the text
What does maple sap look and taste like? in the text
What happens to the sap when it boils? in the text
How much sap does it take to make syrup? in the text
Why might a farmer boil the sap in a big, flat pan? think about it
Words to know
sap
the liquid that flows inside a tree
tap
a small pipe that lets liquid drip out
trunk
the thick main stem of a tree
syrup
a thick, sweet liquid
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Maple Sap Is Almost Like Water
3rd grade reading passage
In late winter, the days start to warm up, but the nights are still cold. This is the time to make maple syrup. A farmer drills a small hole in the trunk of a sugar maple tree. A tap in the hole lets the sap drip into a bucket.
Maple sap looks almost like water. It tastes only a little sweet. To make syrup, the farmer boils the sap in a big, flat pan. As it boils, steam rises, and the water slowly leaves. What is left gets thicker, darker, and much sweeter.
It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup. The tree is not hurt by a small tap. In spring, the farmer pulls the tap out, and the hole closes up over time. Then the tree grows its leaves as usual.
Questions
When does a farmer collect maple sap?
What does the farmer put in the hole in the tree?
What does maple sap look and taste like?
What happens to the sap when it boils?
How much sap does it take to make syrup?
Why might a farmer boil the sap in a big, flat pan?
Words to know
sap: the liquid that flows inside a tree
tap: a small pipe that lets liquid drip out
trunk: the thick main stem of a tree
syrup: a thick, sweet liquid
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/maple-sap-is-almost-like-water
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 · 111 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8
In late winter, the days get warm, but the nights are still cold. This is the time to make maple syrup. A farmer makes a small hole in a maple tree. A tap in the hole lets sap drip into a bucket.
Maple sap looks like water. It is only a little sweet. The farmer boils the sap in a big, flat pan. Steam rises, and the water leaves. The sap gets thick, dark, and sweet.
It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup. The tap does not hurt the tree. In spring, the farmer takes the tap out. The hole closes up, and the tree grows leaves.
▲ This passage · 136 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
In late winter, the days start to warm up, but the nights are still cold. This is the time to make maple syrup. A farmer drills a small hole in the trunk of a sugar maple tree. A tap in the hole lets the sap drip into a bucket.
Maple sap looks almost like water. It tastes only a little sweet. To make syrup, the farmer boils the sap in a big, flat pan. As it boils, steam rises, and the water slowly leaves. What is left gets thicker, darker, and much sweeter.
It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup. The tree is not hurt by a small tap. In spring, the farmer pulls the tap out, and the hole closes up over time. Then the tree grows its leaves as usual.
■ Harder · 144 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.7
Late winter brings warmer days, though the nights remain cold, and that is exactly the right weather for making maple syrup. A farmer drills a small hole into the trunk of a sugar maple tree and fits a tap into it, so the sap can drip steadily into a bucket.
Maple sap looks almost like plain water and tastes only faintly sweet. To turn it into syrup, the farmer boils it in a big, flat pan. As the sap bubbles, steam rises and the water slowly escapes, leaving behind a liquid that grows thicker, darker, and far sweeter.
It takes a large amount of sap to make a small amount of syrup. Fortunately, a small tap does not harm the tree. When spring arrives, the farmer removes the tap, the hole gradually closes up, and the tree grows its leaves as it always does.
In late winter, the days get warm, but the nights are still cold. This is the time to make maple syrup. A farmer makes a small hole in a maple tree. A tap in the hole lets sap drip into a bucket.
Maple sap looks like water. It is only a little sweet. The farmer boils the sap in a big, flat pan. Steam rises, and the water leaves. The sap gets thick, dark, and sweet.
It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup. The tap does not hurt the tree. In spring, the farmer takes the tap out. The hole closes up, and the tree grows leaves.
Questions
When does a farmer collect maple sap?
What goes in the hole in the tree?
What does maple sap look like?
What happens to the sap when it boils?
How much sap does it take to make syrup?
Why might the farmer use a big, flat pan?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Maple Sap Is Almost Like Water
In late winter, the days start to warm up, but the nights are still cold. This is the time to make maple syrup. A farmer drills a small hole in the trunk of a sugar maple tree. A tap in the hole lets the sap drip into a bucket.
Maple sap looks almost like water. It tastes only a little sweet. To make syrup, the farmer boils the sap in a big, flat pan. As it boils, steam rises, and the water slowly leaves. What is left gets thicker, darker, and much sweeter.
It takes a lot of sap to make a little syrup. The tree is not hurt by a small tap. In spring, the farmer pulls the tap out, and the hole closes up over time. Then the tree grows its leaves as usual.
Questions
When does a farmer collect maple sap?
What does the farmer put in the hole in the tree?
What does maple sap look and taste like?
What happens to the sap when it boils?
How much sap does it take to make syrup?
Why might a farmer boil the sap in a big, flat pan?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Maple Sap Is Almost Like Water
Late winter brings warmer days, though the nights remain cold, and that is exactly the right weather for making maple syrup. A farmer drills a small hole into the trunk of a sugar maple tree and fits a tap into it, so the sap can drip steadily into a bucket.
Maple sap looks almost like plain water and tastes only faintly sweet. To turn it into syrup, the farmer boils it in a big, flat pan. As the sap bubbles, steam rises and the water slowly escapes, leaving behind a liquid that grows thicker, darker, and far sweeter.
It takes a large amount of sap to make a small amount of syrup. Fortunately, a small tap does not harm the tree. When spring arrives, the farmer removes the tap, the hole gradually closes up, and the tree grows its leaves as it always does.
Questions
At what time of year does a farmer gather maple sap?
What does the farmer fit into the hole in the trunk?
How does maple sap look and taste?
What happens to the sap as it boils in the pan?
How does the amount of sap compare to the amount of syrup it makes?
Why would a wide, flat pan work better than a tall, narrow pot for boiling sap?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Maple Sap Is Almost Like Water
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8)
In late winter, when days are warm and nights are cold.
A tap.
It looks like water and is only a little sweet.
The water leaves as steam, and the sap gets thick, dark, and sweet.
A lot of sap makes a little syrup.
A wide pan lets steam rise fast, so the water leaves sooner.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
In late winter, when the days are warm and the nights are cold.
A tap.
It looks almost like water and tastes only a little sweet.
The water leaves as steam, and the sap gets thicker, darker, and sweeter.
A lot of sap makes a little syrup.
A wide pan lets the steam rise fast, so the water leaves sooner.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.7)
In late winter, when the days are warmer but the nights are cold.
A tap.
It looks almost like plain water and tastes only faintly sweet.
The water escapes as steam, and the sap grows thicker, darker, and sweeter.
A large amount of sap makes only a small amount of syrup.
A wide pan lets more steam rise at once, so the water leaves faster.
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 sap, tap, trunk and syrup 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 6 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 "Maple Sap Is Almost Like Water"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 136 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. 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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