3rd grade nonfiction passage about why the ocean is salty: 145 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionwhy the ocean is salty145 words
Salt Hiding in Rocks: Why the Sea Is Salty
Rain water tastes fresh, and so does most river water. So why is the ocean salty? The answer starts on land.
Rain falls on rocks. It is a little acidic, so it slowly wears tiny bits out of the stone. Some of those bits are salts. Rain water and rivers carry them downhill, and the rivers flow into the sea.
The amount of salt in a river is very small, so you cannot taste it. But the river never stops pouring in. Year after year, more salt reaches the ocean.
When the sun warms the sea, water rises into the air as vapor. The vapor leaves the salt behind. Later it makes clouds and falls again as rain. The salt stays in the ocean, and it builds up over a very long time.
That is why the sea is salty, but the rain is not.
Questions
Where does the story of the salty sea begin? in the text
What do rivers carry to the sea? in the text
Why can you not taste salt in river water? in the text
What happens to the salt when sea water rises as vapor? in the text
Why does the ocean get saltier over a long time? think about it
Why is rain not salty even though it comes from the sea? think about it
Words to know
acidic
having a sour, slightly sharp quality that can wear away stone
salts
tiny bits of minerals that can dissolve in water
vapor
water that has turned into a gas in the air
fresh
not salty
builds up
slowly gathers and grows in amount
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Salt Hiding in Rocks: Why the Sea Is Salty
3rd grade reading passage
Rain water tastes fresh, and so does most river water. So why is the ocean salty? The answer starts on land.
Rain falls on rocks. It is a little acidic, so it slowly wears tiny bits out of the stone. Some of those bits are salts. Rain water and rivers carry them downhill, and the rivers flow into the sea.
The amount of salt in a river is very small, so you cannot taste it. But the river never stops pouring in. Year after year, more salt reaches the ocean.
When the sun warms the sea, water rises into the air as vapor. The vapor leaves the salt behind. Later it makes clouds and falls again as rain. The salt stays in the ocean, and it builds up over a very long time.
That is why the sea is salty, but the rain is not.
Questions
Where does the story of the salty sea begin?
What do rivers carry to the sea?
Why can you not taste salt in river water?
What happens to the salt when sea water rises as vapor?
Why does the ocean get saltier over a long time?
Why is rain not salty even though it comes from the sea?
Words to know
acidic: having a sour, slightly sharp quality that can wear away stone
salts: tiny bits of minerals that can dissolve in water
vapor: water that has turned into a gas in the air
fresh: not salty
builds up: slowly gathers and grows in amount
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/salt-hiding-in-rocks-why-the-sea-is-salty
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 · 110 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1
Rain tastes fresh. Most river water does too. So why is the sea salty? It starts on land.
Rain falls on rocks. It wears tiny bits out of the stone. Some bits are salt. Rain and rivers carry them downhill. Rivers flow into the sea.
A river has only a little salt. You cannot taste it. But rivers never stop. Year after year, more salt goes to the sea.
The sun warms the sea. Water rises into the air as vapor. The salt stays behind. Later, the vapor makes clouds and falls as rain.
The salt stays in the sea. So the sea is salty, but the rain is not.
▲ This passage · 145 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.2
Rain water tastes fresh, and so does most river water. So why is the ocean salty? The answer starts on land.
Rain falls on rocks. It is a little acidic, so it slowly wears tiny bits out of the stone. Some of those bits are salts. Rain water and rivers carry them downhill, and the rivers flow into the sea.
The amount of salt in a river is very small, so you cannot taste it. But the river never stops pouring in. Year after year, more salt reaches the ocean.
When the sun warms the sea, water rises into the air as vapor. The vapor leaves the salt behind. Later it makes clouds and falls again as rain. The salt stays in the ocean, and it builds up over a very long time.
That is why the sea is salty, but the rain is not.
■ Harder · 153 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7
Rain water tastes fresh, and so does the water in most rivers. Why, then, is the ocean salty? The explanation begins on dry land.
When rain falls on rocks, it is slightly acidic, so it gradually wears tiny fragments out of the stone. Some of those fragments are salts. Rain water and rivers carry them downhill, and eventually the rivers empty into the sea.
The amount of salt in any single river is so small that you cannot taste it. However, rivers never stop flowing, and year after year more salt arrives in the ocean.
When the sun warms the sea, water rises into the air as vapor, and the vapor leaves the salt behind. Later it forms clouds and falls again as rain. The salt remains in the ocean, where it has been building up over an extremely long time.
That explains why the sea is salty although the rain is not.
Rain tastes fresh. Most river water does too. So why is the sea salty? It starts on land.
Rain falls on rocks. It wears tiny bits out of the stone. Some bits are salt. Rain and rivers carry them downhill. Rivers flow into the sea.
A river has only a little salt. You cannot taste it. But rivers never stop. Year after year, more salt goes to the sea.
The sun warms the sea. Water rises into the air as vapor. The salt stays behind. Later, the vapor makes clouds and falls as rain.
The salt stays in the sea. So the sea is salty, but the rain is not.
Questions
Where does the story of the salty sea start?
What do rivers carry to the sea?
Why can you not taste salt in a river?
What happens to the salt when sea water rises as vapor?
Why does the sea get saltier over time?
Why is rain not salty, even though it comes from the sea?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Salt Hiding in Rocks: Why the Sea Is Salty
Rain water tastes fresh, and so does most river water. So why is the ocean salty? The answer starts on land.
Rain falls on rocks. It is a little acidic, so it slowly wears tiny bits out of the stone. Some of those bits are salts. Rain water and rivers carry them downhill, and the rivers flow into the sea.
The amount of salt in a river is very small, so you cannot taste it. But the river never stops pouring in. Year after year, more salt reaches the ocean.
When the sun warms the sea, water rises into the air as vapor. The vapor leaves the salt behind. Later it makes clouds and falls again as rain. The salt stays in the ocean, and it builds up over a very long time.
That is why the sea is salty, but the rain is not.
Questions
Where does the story of the salty sea begin?
What do rivers carry to the sea?
Why can you not taste salt in river water?
What happens to the salt when sea water rises as vapor?
Why does the ocean get saltier over a long time?
Why is rain not salty even though it comes from the sea?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Salt Hiding in Rocks: Why the Sea Is Salty
Rain water tastes fresh, and so does the water in most rivers. Why, then, is the ocean salty? The explanation begins on dry land.
When rain falls on rocks, it is slightly acidic, so it gradually wears tiny fragments out of the stone. Some of those fragments are salts. Rain water and rivers carry them downhill, and eventually the rivers empty into the sea.
The amount of salt in any single river is so small that you cannot taste it. However, rivers never stop flowing, and year after year more salt arrives in the ocean.
When the sun warms the sea, water rises into the air as vapor, and the vapor leaves the salt behind. Later it forms clouds and falls again as rain. The salt remains in the ocean, where it has been building up over an extremely long time.
That explains why the sea is salty although the rain is not.
Questions
Where does the explanation for the salty sea begin?
What do the rivers carry down to the sea?
Why can nobody taste the salt in a river?
What happens to the salt when sea water rises as vapor?
Why does the ocean become saltier over a long time?
Why is rain fresh even though it begins as sea water?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Salt Hiding in Rocks: Why the Sea Is Salty
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1)
On land, where rain falls on rocks.
Tiny bits of rock, including salt.
A river has only a little salt.
The salt stays behind in the sea.
Rivers keep bringing salt, and the salt does not rise with the vapor.
The vapor leaves the salt behind.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.2)
On land, with rain falling on rocks.
Tiny bits of rock, including salts.
The amount of salt in a river is very small.
The salt is left behind in the ocean.
Rivers keep bringing in salt, and the salt does not leave with the vapor.
The vapor leaves the salt behind when it rises.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7)
On dry land, when rain falls on rocks.
Tiny fragments of rock, including salts.
The amount of salt in a single river is very small.
The vapor leaves the salt behind in the ocean.
Rivers keep adding salt, and none of it leaves with the vapor.
The salt is left behind when the water turns to vapor.
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 acidic, salts, vapor, fresh and builds up 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.
What reading level is "Salt Hiding in Rocks: Why the Sea Is Salty"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 145 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.1. 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.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.