3rd grade nonfiction passage about pacific island sailors: 163 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionpacific island sailors163 words
Finding Islands Without a Map
Long ago, people sailed across the wide Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They traveled to tiny islands that were far apart. They did not have maps or compasses. How did they find their way?
These sailors learned to read the sky and the sea. After dark, they watched where the stars rose and set. A star came up at the same spot on the horizon each night. So the stars worked like road signs.
In the day, they used the sun. They also felt the waves under the canoe. Ocean swells roll in steady lines, and a sailor could feel which way they came from. Birds helped too. Some birds fly out to sea to find fish and return to land at night. If a sailor saw them flying home, land was near.
These expert sailors are called wayfinders. They kept all of this knowledge in their heads. Older wayfinders taught the young ones, and so the skill passed down through many families.
Questions
What tools did the island sailors not have? in the text
How did sailors use the stars at night? in the text
What could a sailor feel under the canoe? in the text
What are these expert sailors called? in the text
What did it mean if a sailor saw birds flying home at night? think about it
Why was it important for older wayfinders to teach young ones? think about it
Words to know
compass
a tool with a needle that shows which way is north
horizon
the line where the sky seems to meet the sea
swells
long, smooth waves that roll across the ocean
wayfinders
sailors who find their way by nature's signs
canoes
long, narrow boats
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Finding Islands Without a Map
3rd grade reading passage
Long ago, people sailed across the wide Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They traveled to tiny islands that were far apart. They did not have maps or compasses. How did they find their way?
These sailors learned to read the sky and the sea. After dark, they watched where the stars rose and set. A star came up at the same spot on the horizon each night. So the stars worked like road signs.
In the day, they used the sun. They also felt the waves under the canoe. Ocean swells roll in steady lines, and a sailor could feel which way they came from. Birds helped too. Some birds fly out to sea to find fish and return to land at night. If a sailor saw them flying home, land was near.
These expert sailors are called wayfinders. They kept all of this knowledge in their heads. Older wayfinders taught the young ones, and so the skill passed down through many families.
Questions
What tools did the island sailors not have?
How did sailors use the stars at night?
What could a sailor feel under the canoe?
What are these expert sailors called?
What did it mean if a sailor saw birds flying home at night?
Why was it important for older wayfinders to teach young ones?
Words to know
compass: a tool with a needle that shows which way is north
horizon: the line where the sky seems to meet the sea
swells: long, smooth waves that roll across the ocean
wayfinders: sailors who find their way by nature's signs
canoes: long, narrow boats
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/polynesian-wayfinders-no-map
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 · 136 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4
Long ago, people sailed across the Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They went to tiny islands that were far apart. They had no maps. They had no compasses. How did they find their way?
They read the sky and the sea. At night, they watched the stars. Each star rose in the same place every time. The sailors used the stars like road signs.
In the day, they used the sun. They also felt the waves under the canoe. The waves came from one way, and a sailor could feel it. Birds helped too. Some birds fly to sea for fish and go home to land at night. If a sailor saw them going home, land was near.
These sailors are called wayfinders. They kept all this in their heads. Older wayfinders taught the young ones.
▲ This passage · 163 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6
Long ago, people sailed across the wide Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They traveled to tiny islands that were far apart. They did not have maps or compasses. How did they find their way?
These sailors learned to read the sky and the sea. After dark, they watched where the stars rose and set. A star came up at the same spot on the horizon each night. So the stars worked like road signs.
In the day, they used the sun. They also felt the waves under the canoe. Ocean swells roll in steady lines, and a sailor could feel which way they came from. Birds helped too. Some birds fly out to sea to find fish and return to land at night. If a sailor saw them flying home, land was near.
These expert sailors are called wayfinders. They kept all of this knowledge in their heads. Older wayfinders taught the young ones, and so the skill passed down through many families.
■ Harder · 182 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1
Long ago, people crossed the enormous Pacific Ocean in large canoes, voyaging to tiny islands that lay far apart from one another. They had neither maps nor compasses. How, then, did they find their way?
They had learned to read the sky and the sea. After dark, they studied where the stars rose and set, and because each star climbed out of the horizon at the same place every time, the sailors could use the stars as a kind of road sign.
During the day, they steered by the sun. They also paid close attention to the waves beneath the canoe. Ocean swells travel in steady paths, and an experienced sailor could feel which direction they were coming from. Birds provided further clues. Some birds fly out to sea in search of fish and return to land at night, so if a sailor spotted them heading home, land was close by.
These skilled navigators are known as wayfinders. They carried all of this knowledge in their heads, and older wayfinders taught younger ones, so the skill was passed down through many families.
Long ago, people sailed across the Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They went to tiny islands that were far apart. They had no maps. They had no compasses. How did they find their way?
They read the sky and the sea. At night, they watched the stars. Each star rose in the same place every time. The sailors used the stars like road signs.
In the day, they used the sun. They also felt the waves under the canoe. The waves came from one way, and a sailor could feel it. Birds helped too. Some birds fly to sea for fish and go home to land at night. If a sailor saw them going home, land was near.
These sailors are called wayfinders. They kept all this in their heads. Older wayfinders taught the young ones.
Questions
What did the island sailors not have?
How did sailors use the stars?
What could a sailor feel under the canoe?
What are these sailors called?
What did it mean if a sailor saw birds flying home?
Why did older wayfinders teach the young ones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Finding Islands Without a Map
Long ago, people sailed across the wide Pacific Ocean in big canoes. They traveled to tiny islands that were far apart. They did not have maps or compasses. How did they find their way?
These sailors learned to read the sky and the sea. After dark, they watched where the stars rose and set. A star came up at the same spot on the horizon each night. So the stars worked like road signs.
In the day, they used the sun. They also felt the waves under the canoe. Ocean swells roll in steady lines, and a sailor could feel which way they came from. Birds helped too. Some birds fly out to sea to find fish and return to land at night. If a sailor saw them flying home, land was near.
These expert sailors are called wayfinders. They kept all of this knowledge in their heads. Older wayfinders taught the young ones, and so the skill passed down through many families.
Questions
What tools did the island sailors not have?
How did sailors use the stars at night?
What could a sailor feel under the canoe?
What are these expert sailors called?
What did it mean if a sailor saw birds flying home at night?
Why was it important for older wayfinders to teach young ones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Finding Islands Without a Map
Long ago, people crossed the enormous Pacific Ocean in large canoes, voyaging to tiny islands that lay far apart from one another. They had neither maps nor compasses. How, then, did they find their way?
They had learned to read the sky and the sea. After dark, they studied where the stars rose and set, and because each star climbed out of the horizon at the same place every time, the sailors could use the stars as a kind of road sign.
During the day, they steered by the sun. They also paid close attention to the waves beneath the canoe. Ocean swells travel in steady paths, and an experienced sailor could feel which direction they were coming from. Birds provided further clues. Some birds fly out to sea in search of fish and return to land at night, so if a sailor spotted them heading home, land was close by.
These skilled navigators are known as wayfinders. They carried all of this knowledge in their heads, and older wayfinders taught younger ones, so the skill was passed down through many families.
Questions
What tools did the island sailors lack?
How did the sailors use the stars after dark?
What could an experienced sailor feel beneath the canoe?
What are these skilled navigators known as?
What did it tell a sailor to see birds heading home at night?
Why was it important for older wayfinders to teach younger ones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Finding Islands Without a Map
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4)
Maps or compasses.
They watched where the stars rose, and used them like road signs.
The waves, and which way they came from.
Wayfinders.
Land was near.
The knowledge was only in their heads, so it would be lost if it was not taught.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6)
Maps or compasses.
They watched where the stars rose and set, and used them like road signs.
The waves, or ocean swells, and which way they were coming from.
Wayfinders.
Land was near.
The knowledge was only in their heads, so it would be lost if it was not taught.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1)
Maps and compasses.
They studied where the stars rose and set, and used them as a kind of road sign.
The ocean swells, and which direction they were coming from.
Wayfinders.
That land was close by.
The knowledge was carried only in their heads, so it would be lost if it was not taught.
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 compass, horizon, swells, wayfinders and canoes 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 "Finding Islands Without a Map"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 163 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.6. 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?
No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.