3rd grade nonfiction passage about steel pan drums: 145 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionsteel pan drums145 words
Music from an Oil Barrel
The steel pan is a musical instrument that began on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. People there made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A barrel that once held oil became something that holds music.
To make a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel until it sinks into a bowl shape. Then the maker marks out sections on the bowl. Each section is shaped to make one note. Larger sections make lower notes. Smaller sections make higher notes.
The player holds two sticks with soft rubber tips and taps the sections. The tapped section rings with a bright, ringing sound that is a little like a bell.
Players often make a whole steel band. Some pans play the tune, and others play the low notes that fill in the bottom of the music. Together, they sound sunny and full.
Questions
Where did the steel pan begin? in the text
What were the first steel pans made from? in the text
How does the maker shape the top of the barrel? in the text
Which sections make the lower notes? in the text
What do the sticks have on their tips, and why might that matter? think about it
Why does a steel band use pans of different sizes? think about it
Words to know
barrels
large round containers that hold liquid
sections
separate parts of a whole
ringing
making a clear sound that lasts a moment
pounds
hits again and again with force
tune
the main song that you can hum
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Music from an Oil Barrel
3rd grade reading passage
The steel pan is a musical instrument that began on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. People there made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A barrel that once held oil became something that holds music.
To make a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel until it sinks into a bowl shape. Then the maker marks out sections on the bowl. Each section is shaped to make one note. Larger sections make lower notes. Smaller sections make higher notes.
The player holds two sticks with soft rubber tips and taps the sections. The tapped section rings with a bright, ringing sound that is a little like a bell.
Players often make a whole steel band. Some pans play the tune, and others play the low notes that fill in the bottom of the music. Together, they sound sunny and full.
Questions
Where did the steel pan begin?
What were the first steel pans made from?
How does the maker shape the top of the barrel?
Which sections make the lower notes?
What do the sticks have on their tips, and why might that matter?
Why does a steel band use pans of different sizes?
Words to know
barrels: large round containers that hold liquid
sections: separate parts of a whole
ringing: making a clear sound that lasts a moment
pounds: hits again and again with force
tune: the main song that you can hum
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/music-from-an-oil-barrel
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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 · 115 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1
The steel pan is an instrument that began on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. People there made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A barrel that held oil came to hold music.
To make a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel into a bowl shape. Then the maker marks sections on the bowl. Each section makes one note. Big sections make low notes. Small sections make high notes.
The player holds two sticks with soft rubber tips. The player taps the sections. Each one rings like a bell.
Players make a steel band. Some pans play the tune. Others play the low notes. Together they sound sunny and full.
▲ This passage · 145 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.2
The steel pan is a musical instrument that began on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. People there made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A barrel that once held oil became something that holds music.
To make a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel until it sinks into a bowl shape. Then the maker marks out sections on the bowl. Each section is shaped to make one note. Larger sections make lower notes. Smaller sections make higher notes.
The player holds two sticks with soft rubber tips and taps the sections. The tapped section rings with a bright, ringing sound that is a little like a bell.
Players often make a whole steel band. Some pans play the tune, and others play the low notes that fill in the bottom of the music. Together, they sound sunny and full.
■ Harder · 148 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.9
The steel pan is a musical instrument that originated on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where people made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A container that once held oil was transformed into something that holds music.
To build a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel until it sinks into the shape of a bowl. The maker then marks out sections across the bowl, and each section is shaped to sound one note. Larger sections produce lower notes, while smaller sections produce higher ones.
The player grips two sticks with soft rubber tips and taps the sections. Each tapped section rings with a bright sound that is somewhat like a bell.
Musicians often form an entire steel band. Some pans carry the melody, and others supply the low notes that support the bottom of the music. Together, they sound sunny and full.
The steel pan is an instrument that began on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. People there made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A barrel that held oil came to hold music.
To make a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel into a bowl shape. Then the maker marks sections on the bowl. Each section makes one note. Big sections make low notes. Small sections make high notes.
The player holds two sticks with soft rubber tips. The player taps the sections. Each one rings like a bell.
Players make a steel band. Some pans play the tune. Others play the low notes. Together they sound sunny and full.
Questions
Where did the steel pan begin?
What were the first pans made from?
How is the top of the barrel shaped?
Which sections make the low notes?
Why might the sticks have soft rubber tips?
Why does a band use pans of different sizes?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Music from an Oil Barrel
The steel pan is a musical instrument that began on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. People there made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A barrel that once held oil became something that holds music.
To make a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel until it sinks into a bowl shape. Then the maker marks out sections on the bowl. Each section is shaped to make one note. Larger sections make lower notes. Smaller sections make higher notes.
The player holds two sticks with soft rubber tips and taps the sections. The tapped section rings with a bright, ringing sound that is a little like a bell.
Players often make a whole steel band. Some pans play the tune, and others play the low notes that fill in the bottom of the music. Together, they sound sunny and full.
Questions
Where did the steel pan begin?
What were the first steel pans made from?
How does the maker shape the top of the barrel?
Which sections make the lower notes?
What do the sticks have on their tips, and why might that matter?
Why does a steel band use pans of different sizes?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Music from an Oil Barrel
The steel pan is a musical instrument that originated on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where people made the first ones from empty oil barrels. A container that once held oil was transformed into something that holds music.
To build a steel pan, a maker pounds the top of the barrel until it sinks into the shape of a bowl. The maker then marks out sections across the bowl, and each section is shaped to sound one note. Larger sections produce lower notes, while smaller sections produce higher ones.
The player grips two sticks with soft rubber tips and taps the sections. Each tapped section rings with a bright sound that is somewhat like a bell.
Musicians often form an entire steel band. Some pans carry the melody, and others supply the low notes that support the bottom of the music. Together, they sound sunny and full.
Questions
Where did the steel pan originate?
What were the first steel pans made from?
How does the maker shape the top of the barrel?
Which sections produce the lower notes?
Why might the sticks have soft rubber tips?
Why does a steel band include pans of different sizes?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Music from an Oil Barrel
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1)
On the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Empty oil barrels.
It is pounded into a bowl shape.
The big sections.
To make a ringing sound instead of a harsh bang.
Some play the tune and some play low notes, so it sounds full.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.2)
On the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Empty oil barrels.
By pounding it into a bowl shape.
The larger sections.
Soft rubber, which gives a ringing sound instead of a harsh bang.
Some play the tune and others play the low notes, so the music sounds full.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.9)
On the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Empty oil barrels.
By pounding it into the shape of a bowl.
The larger sections.
Soft tips produce a bright ringing sound instead of a harsh bang.
Some carry the melody and others supply low notes, which makes the music sound full.
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 barrels, sections, ringing, pounds and tune 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.
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 145 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.2. 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 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
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