3rd grade nonfiction passage about orchard grafting: 155 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionorchard grafting155 words
Why the Orchard Grafter Joins Two Trees
Say you love one kind of apple. You plant its seeds and wait. The new tree may give you a different apple. Seeds do not always grow into a tree just like the parent.
So an orchard worker uses a trick called grafting. She joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how it works. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree with the apples she likes. This twig is called the scion. Then she cuts the top off a young tree that has strong roots. That part is called the rootstock.
She cuts both so they match. She presses them together and wraps the joint in tape. Over time, the two parts grow into one.
The scion then grows into the branches. It gives the very same kind of apples as the tree it came from. The rootstock gives the new tree its strong roots.
Questions
Why does planting an apple seed not always work? in the text
What is the twig from the tree with good apples called? in the text
What does the rootstock give the new tree? in the text
What does the grafter use to hold the joint together? in the text
Why does the grafter cut the two parts so they match? think about it
What kind of apples will the grafted tree give? think about it
Words to know
orchard
a place where fruit trees are grown
grafting
joining a piece of one plant to another so they grow together
scion
a young twig that is joined to another tree
rootstock
the roots and base that a scion is joined to
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why the Orchard Grafter Joins Two Trees
3rd grade reading passage
Say you love one kind of apple. You plant its seeds and wait. The new tree may give you a different apple. Seeds do not always grow into a tree just like the parent.
So an orchard worker uses a trick called grafting. She joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how it works. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree with the apples she likes. This twig is called the scion. Then she cuts the top off a young tree that has strong roots. That part is called the rootstock.
She cuts both so they match. She presses them together and wraps the joint in tape. Over time, the two parts grow into one.
The scion then grows into the branches. It gives the very same kind of apples as the tree it came from. The rootstock gives the new tree its strong roots.
Questions
Why does planting an apple seed not always work?
What is the twig from the tree with good apples called?
What does the rootstock give the new tree?
What does the grafter use to hold the joint together?
Why does the grafter cut the two parts so they match?
What kind of apples will the grafted tree give?
Words to know
orchard: a place where fruit trees are grown
grafting: joining a piece of one plant to another so they grow together
scion: a young twig that is joined to another tree
rootstock: the roots and base that a scion is joined to
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/orchard-grafter-joins-two-trees
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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 · 139 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1
Say you love one kind of apple. You plant its seeds. The new tree may give a different apple. Seeds do not always grow into a tree like the parent.
So an orchard worker uses a trick. It is called grafting. She joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree with the apples she likes. The twig is called the scion. Then she cuts the top off a young tree with strong roots. That part is the rootstock.
She cuts both so they match. She presses them together. She wraps the joint in tape. In time, the two parts grow as one.
The scion grows into the branches. It gives the same apples as its parent tree. The rootstock gives strong roots.
▲ This passage · 155 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8
Say you love one kind of apple. You plant its seeds and wait. The new tree may give you a different apple. Seeds do not always grow into a tree just like the parent.
So an orchard worker uses a trick called grafting. She joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how it works. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree with the apples she likes. This twig is called the scion. Then she cuts the top off a young tree that has strong roots. That part is called the rootstock.
She cuts both so they match. She presses them together and wraps the joint in tape. Over time, the two parts grow into one.
The scion then grows into the branches. It gives the very same kind of apples as the tree it came from. The rootstock gives the new tree its strong roots.
■ Harder · 181 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8
Suppose you are very fond of one particular kind of apple, so you plant its seeds and wait patiently. The tree that sprouts may produce an entirely different apple, because seeds do not always grow into a tree just like the parent.
For this reason, an orchard worker relies on a technique called grafting, in which she joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how the technique works. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree that bears the apples she likes, and this twig is known as the scion. Next, she cuts the top off a young tree that has strong roots, and that lower part is called the rootstock.
She cuts both pieces so that they match, presses them firmly together, and wraps the joint in tape. As time passes, the two parts grow together into a single tree.
The scion eventually develops into the branches and produces exactly the same kind of apples as the tree it came from, while the rootstock supplies the new tree with strong roots.
Say you love one kind of apple. You plant its seeds. The new tree may give a different apple. Seeds do not always grow into a tree like the parent.
So an orchard worker uses a trick. It is called grafting. She joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree with the apples she likes. The twig is called the scion. Then she cuts the top off a young tree with strong roots. That part is the rootstock.
She cuts both so they match. She presses them together. She wraps the joint in tape. In time, the two parts grow as one.
The scion grows into the branches. It gives the same apples as its parent tree. The rootstock gives strong roots.
Questions
Why does planting an apple seed not always work?
What is the twig from the tree with good apples called?
What does the rootstock give the new tree?
What does the grafter use to hold the joint?
Why does the grafter cut the two parts to match?
What kind of apples will the grafted tree give?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why the Orchard Grafter Joins Two Trees
Say you love one kind of apple. You plant its seeds and wait. The new tree may give you a different apple. Seeds do not always grow into a tree just like the parent.
So an orchard worker uses a trick called grafting. She joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how it works. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree with the apples she likes. This twig is called the scion. Then she cuts the top off a young tree that has strong roots. That part is called the rootstock.
She cuts both so they match. She presses them together and wraps the joint in tape. Over time, the two parts grow into one.
The scion then grows into the branches. It gives the very same kind of apples as the tree it came from. The rootstock gives the new tree its strong roots.
Questions
Why does planting an apple seed not always work?
What is the twig from the tree with good apples called?
What does the rootstock give the new tree?
What does the grafter use to hold the joint together?
Why does the grafter cut the two parts so they match?
What kind of apples will the grafted tree give?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why the Orchard Grafter Joins Two Trees
Suppose you are very fond of one particular kind of apple, so you plant its seeds and wait patiently. The tree that sprouts may produce an entirely different apple, because seeds do not always grow into a tree just like the parent.
For this reason, an orchard worker relies on a technique called grafting, in which she joins a piece of one tree to the roots of another.
Here is how the technique works. In late winter, she cuts a young twig from the tree that bears the apples she likes, and this twig is known as the scion. Next, she cuts the top off a young tree that has strong roots, and that lower part is called the rootstock.
She cuts both pieces so that they match, presses them firmly together, and wraps the joint in tape. As time passes, the two parts grow together into a single tree.
The scion eventually develops into the branches and produces exactly the same kind of apples as the tree it came from, while the rootstock supplies the new tree with strong roots.
Questions
Why does planting an apple seed not always work?
What is the twig from the tree with the good apples called?
What does the rootstock supply to the new tree?
What does the grafter use to hold the joint together?
Why does the grafter cut both pieces so that they match?
What kind of apples will the grafted tree produce?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why the Orchard Grafter Joins Two Trees
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1)
The new tree may give a different apple.
The scion.
Strong roots.
Tape.
So they press together and grow as one tree.
The same kind as the tree the scion came from.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8)
The new tree may give a different kind of apple.
The scion.
Strong roots.
Tape.
So they press together and can grow into one tree.
The same kind as the tree the scion came from.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 8)
The new tree may produce a different kind of apple.
The scion.
Strong roots.
Tape.
So they press together firmly and can grow into a single tree.
The same kind as the tree the scion came from.
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 orchard, grafting, scion and rootstock 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 "Why the Orchard Grafter Joins Two Trees"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 155 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.8. 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. 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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