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Packing a Wheelbarrow the Smart Way

3rd grade nonfiction passage about the wheelbarrow as a lever: 168 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

3rd grade nonfiction the wheelbarrow as a lever 168 words

Packing a Wheelbarrow the Smart Way

A wheelbarrow helps people carry heavy loads like soil, bricks, and fallen leaves. It is a kind of lever. A lever is a bar that turns around a point, and a wheelbarrow turns around its wheel and axle.

The handles are far from the wheel. The load sits in the tray, close to the wheel. That is why a small push on the handles can lift a heavy load.

Here is how to pack a wheelbarrow the smart way.

First, put the heaviest things near the front, close to the wheel. The wheel will carry most of that weight, and you will not have to.

Second, keep the load low. A tall, wobbly pile can tip over. A flat load stays steady.

Third, do not fill the tray too full. A load that is too heavy is hard to steer and hard to lift.

Last, lift the handles slowly and walk at an easy pace. The wheel does the rolling, so you only have to push and steer.

Questions

  1. What kind of simple machine is a wheelbarrow? in the text

  2. Where are the handles in relation to the wheel? in the text

  3. Where should the heaviest things go in the tray? in the text

  4. Why should you keep the load low? in the text

  5. What does the wheel do for the person using the wheelbarrow? in the text

  6. Why would a heavy load near the handles be harder to lift than one near the wheel? think about it

Words to know

wheelbarrow
a small cart with one wheel and two handles
lever
a bar that turns around a point to help lift things
load
the things that are being carried
steady
firm and not shaking or wobbling
steer
to guide which way something goes
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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 · 140 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.7

A wheelbarrow helps you carry heavy things. It can carry soil, bricks, or leaves. It is a lever. A lever is a bar that turns around a point. A wheelbarrow turns around its wheel.

The handles are far from the wheel. The load is in the tray, near the wheel. So a small push on the handles can lift a heavy load.

Here is how to pack it well.

First, put the heavy things at the front, near the wheel. The wheel holds most of that weight. You do not have to.

Next, keep the load low. A tall pile can tip over. A flat load is steady.

Then, do not fill the tray too full. A heavy load is hard to steer.

Last, lift the handles slowly. Walk at an easy pace. The wheel rolls. You push and steer.

▲ This passage · 168 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6

A wheelbarrow helps people carry heavy loads like soil, bricks, and fallen leaves. It is a kind of lever. A lever is a bar that turns around a point, and a wheelbarrow turns around its wheel and axle.

The handles are far from the wheel. The load sits in the tray, close to the wheel. That is why a small push on the handles can lift a heavy load.

Here is how to pack a wheelbarrow the smart way.

First, put the heaviest things near the front, close to the wheel. The wheel will carry most of that weight, and you will not have to.

Second, keep the load low. A tall, wobbly pile can tip over. A flat load stays steady.

Third, do not fill the tray too full. A load that is too heavy is hard to steer and hard to lift.

Last, lift the handles slowly and walk at an easy pace. The wheel does the rolling, so you only have to push and steer.

■ Harder · 179 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.8

A wheelbarrow helps people carry heavy loads such as soil, bricks, and fallen leaves. It is a kind of lever, which is a bar that turns around a fixed point. In the case of a wheelbarrow, the turning point is the wheel and its axle.

The handles are positioned far from the wheel, while the load rests in the tray close to it. Because of this arrangement, a small push on the handles is enough to lift a surprisingly heavy load.

Here is how to pack a wheelbarrow the smart way.

First, place the heaviest items near the front, close to the wheel. The wheel will support most of their weight, so you will not have to.

Second, keep the load low. A tall, wobbly pile may topple over, whereas a flat load stays steady.

Third, avoid filling the tray too full. An overloaded wheelbarrow is difficult both to steer and to lift.

Finally, raise the handles slowly and walk at an easy pace. Since the wheel does the rolling, all you need to do is push and steer.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put wheelbarrow, lever, load, steady and steer 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 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "Packing a Wheelbarrow the Smart Way"?

It was written for 3rd grade. It has 168 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.5. 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. 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 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?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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