3rd grade nonfiction passage about stonemason: 152 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionstonemason152 words
A Stonemason Builds a Wall That Stays Put
A stonemason builds with stone. Stones are heavy, and they do not bend. The mason has to plan each one.
First, she looks at her pile of stones. She picks one that fits the gap in the wall. If it is too big, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge. A mallet is a hammer with a big, flat head. A few taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place. Often she spreads mortar underneath. Mortar is a thick paste that dries hard and holds stones together.
The mason checks her work all the time. She uses a level to see if the top is flat. She hangs a string with a weight to see if the wall is straight up and down.
A good stone wall can stand for a very long time.
Questions
What tools does the mason use to shape a stone? in the text
What is mortar? in the text
What does a level show? in the text
How does the mason check that a wall is straight up and down? in the text
Why does the mason have to plan each stone? think about it
Why does the mason keep checking her work? think about it
Words to know
mason
a worker who builds with stone or brick
chisel
a steel tool with a sharp edge used to cut stone
mortar
a paste that dries hard and holds stones together
level
a tool that shows whether a surface is flat
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
A Stonemason Builds a Wall That Stays Put
3rd grade reading passage
A stonemason builds with stone. Stones are heavy, and they do not bend. The mason has to plan each one.
First, she looks at her pile of stones. She picks one that fits the gap in the wall. If it is too big, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge. A mallet is a hammer with a big, flat head. A few taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place. Often she spreads mortar underneath. Mortar is a thick paste that dries hard and holds stones together.
The mason checks her work all the time. She uses a level to see if the top is flat. She hangs a string with a weight to see if the wall is straight up and down.
A good stone wall can stand for a very long time.
Questions
What tools does the mason use to shape a stone?
What is mortar?
What does a level show?
How does the mason check that a wall is straight up and down?
Why does the mason have to plan each stone?
Why does the mason keep checking her work?
Words to know
mason: a worker who builds with stone or brick
chisel: a steel tool with a sharp edge used to cut stone
mortar: a paste that dries hard and holds stones together
level: a tool that shows whether a surface is flat
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/stonemason-builds-a-wall
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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 0.6
A stonemason builds with stone. Stones are heavy. They do not bend. The mason must plan each one.
First, she looks at her pile of stones. She picks one that fits the gap in the wall. If it is too big, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge. A mallet is a hammer with a big flat head. A few taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place. She often spreads mortar under it. Mortar is a thick paste. It dries hard and holds the stones.
She checks her work all the time. A level shows if the top is flat. A string with a weight shows if the wall is straight.
A good stone wall can stand a long time.
▲ This passage · 152 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6
A stonemason builds with stone. Stones are heavy, and they do not bend. The mason has to plan each one.
First, she looks at her pile of stones. She picks one that fits the gap in the wall. If it is too big, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge. A mallet is a hammer with a big, flat head. A few taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place. Often she spreads mortar underneath. Mortar is a thick paste that dries hard and holds stones together.
The mason checks her work all the time. She uses a level to see if the top is flat. She hangs a string with a weight to see if the wall is straight up and down.
A good stone wall can stand for a very long time.
■ Harder · 166 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1
A stonemason constructs walls and buildings out of stone. Stones are heavy and they cannot be bent, so the mason has to plan the position of every single one.
To begin, she studies her pile of stones and chooses one that fits a gap in the wall. If it is too large, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge, and a mallet is a hammer with a broad, flat head. A few careful taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place, frequently spreading mortar beneath it. Mortar is a thick paste that dries hard and holds the stones together.
Throughout the job, the mason checks her work. She uses a level to see whether the top is flat, and she hangs a string with a weight on it to learn whether the wall rises perfectly straight.
A well built stone wall can stand for a very long time.
A stonemason builds with stone. Stones are heavy. They do not bend. The mason must plan each one.
First, she looks at her pile of stones. She picks one that fits the gap in the wall. If it is too big, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge. A mallet is a hammer with a big flat head. A few taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place. She often spreads mortar under it. Mortar is a thick paste. It dries hard and holds the stones.
She checks her work all the time. A level shows if the top is flat. A string with a weight shows if the wall is straight.
A good stone wall can stand a long time.
Questions
What tools does the mason use to shape a stone?
What is mortar?
What does a level show?
How does the mason check that a wall is straight?
Why must the mason plan each stone?
Why does the mason keep checking her work?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
A Stonemason Builds a Wall That Stays Put
A stonemason builds with stone. Stones are heavy, and they do not bend. The mason has to plan each one.
First, she looks at her pile of stones. She picks one that fits the gap in the wall. If it is too big, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge. A mallet is a hammer with a big, flat head. A few taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place. Often she spreads mortar underneath. Mortar is a thick paste that dries hard and holds stones together.
The mason checks her work all the time. She uses a level to see if the top is flat. She hangs a string with a weight to see if the wall is straight up and down.
A good stone wall can stand for a very long time.
Questions
What tools does the mason use to shape a stone?
What is mortar?
What does a level show?
How does the mason check that a wall is straight up and down?
Why does the mason have to plan each stone?
Why does the mason keep checking her work?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
A Stonemason Builds a Wall That Stays Put
A stonemason constructs walls and buildings out of stone. Stones are heavy and they cannot be bent, so the mason has to plan the position of every single one.
To begin, she studies her pile of stones and chooses one that fits a gap in the wall. If it is too large, she taps it with a chisel and a mallet. A chisel is a steel tool with a sharp edge, and a mallet is a hammer with a broad, flat head. A few careful taps can knock off a small chunk.
Then she sets the stone in place, frequently spreading mortar beneath it. Mortar is a thick paste that dries hard and holds the stones together.
Throughout the job, the mason checks her work. She uses a level to see whether the top is flat, and she hangs a string with a weight on it to learn whether the wall rises perfectly straight.
A well built stone wall can stand for a very long time.
Questions
What tools does the mason use to shape a stone?
What is mortar?
What does a level show?
How does the mason learn whether a wall rises straight?
Why does the mason have to plan the position of every stone?
Why does the mason check her work throughout the job?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: A Stonemason Builds a Wall That Stays Put
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.6)
A chisel and a mallet.
A thick paste that dries hard and holds stones.
If the top of the wall is flat.
She uses a string with a weight.
Stones are heavy and do not bend, so each one must fit.
So the wall is flat and straight and will stand a long time.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.6)
A chisel and a mallet.
A thick paste that dries hard and holds stones together.
Whether the top of the wall is flat.
She hangs a string with a weight.
Stones are heavy and do not bend, so each one must fit.
So the wall is flat and straight and will stand for a long time.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1)
A chisel and a mallet.
A thick paste that dries hard and holds stones together.
Whether the top of the wall is flat.
She hangs a string with a weight on it.
Stones are heavy and cannot be bent, so each one has to fit.
So the wall is flat and straight and will stand for a very long time.
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 mason, chisel, mortar and level 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 "A Stonemason Builds a Wall That Stays Put"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 152 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 1.6. 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.
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