3rd grade nonfiction passage about thumb piano: 147 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionthumb piano147 words
The Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Tongues
A thumb piano is a small instrument that you hold in both hands. You play it with your thumbs. People in parts of Africa have made thumb pianos for a very long time, and some call the instrument a kalimba or an mbira.
On top of the instrument is a row of thin metal strips. These strips are called tines. Each tine is a different length. When you press one down with a thumb and let it go, it shakes back and forth. That shaking makes a sound.
The short tines make high notes. The long tines make low notes. The tines are fixed to a wooden board, and the board sits on a hollow box or a gourd. The hollow space helps the sound grow louder.
Some players add little bits of metal that buzz on purpose. The buzzing gives the music a lively, shimmering sound.
Questions
How do you play a thumb piano? in the text
What are the thin metal strips called? in the text
Which tines make the high notes? in the text
What makes the sound when a tine is released? in the text
Why does the instrument sit on a hollow box or gourd? think about it
Why might a player add bits of metal that buzz? think about it
Words to know
tines
thin strips of metal that make notes
hollow
empty on the inside
gourd
a hard fruit shell that can be dried and used as a bowl
shimmering
shining or sounding with a quick, soft flicker
notes
single musical sounds
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Tongues
3rd grade reading passage
A thumb piano is a small instrument that you hold in both hands. You play it with your thumbs. People in parts of Africa have made thumb pianos for a very long time, and some call the instrument a kalimba or an mbira.
On top of the instrument is a row of thin metal strips. These strips are called tines. Each tine is a different length. When you press one down with a thumb and let it go, it shakes back and forth. That shaking makes a sound.
The short tines make high notes. The long tines make low notes. The tines are fixed to a wooden board, and the board sits on a hollow box or a gourd. The hollow space helps the sound grow louder.
Some players add little bits of metal that buzz on purpose. The buzzing gives the music a lively, shimmering sound.
Questions
How do you play a thumb piano?
What are the thin metal strips called?
Which tines make the high notes?
What makes the sound when a tine is released?
Why does the instrument sit on a hollow box or gourd?
Why might a player add bits of metal that buzz?
Words to know
tines: thin strips of metal that make notes
hollow: empty on the inside
gourd: a hard fruit shell that can be dried and used as a bowl
shimmering: shining or sounding with a quick, soft flicker
notes: single musical sounds
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/thumb-piano-and-its-buzzing-tongues
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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 · 126 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4
A thumb piano is a small instrument. You hold it in both hands. You play it with your thumbs. People in parts of Africa have made thumb pianos for a very long time. Some call it a kalimba or an mbira.
On top is a row of thin metal strips called tines. Each tine is a different length. You press one down with a thumb and let it go. It shakes back and forth. That makes a sound.
Short tines make high notes. Long tines make low notes. The tines sit on a wooden board. The board sits on a hollow box or a gourd. The hollow space makes the sound louder.
Some players add bits of metal that buzz. The buzz makes the music lively.
▲ This passage · 147 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
A thumb piano is a small instrument that you hold in both hands. You play it with your thumbs. People in parts of Africa have made thumb pianos for a very long time, and some call the instrument a kalimba or an mbira.
On top of the instrument is a row of thin metal strips. These strips are called tines. Each tine is a different length. When you press one down with a thumb and let it go, it shakes back and forth. That shaking makes a sound.
The short tines make high notes. The long tines make low notes. The tines are fixed to a wooden board, and the board sits on a hollow box or a gourd. The hollow space helps the sound grow louder.
Some players add little bits of metal that buzz on purpose. The buzzing gives the music a lively, shimmering sound.
■ Harder · 146 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.9
A thumb piano is a compact instrument that a player cradles in both hands and plays with the thumbs. People in parts of Africa have been making thumb pianos for a remarkably long time, and the instrument is sometimes called a kalimba or an mbira.
Across the top runs a row of thin metal strips known as tines. Every tine has a different length. When the player presses one down with a thumb and then releases it, the tine vibrates back and forth, and that vibration produces a sound.
The short tines sound high, whereas the long tines sound low. The tines are fastened to a wooden board, which rests on a hollow box or a gourd. The empty space inside helps the sound swell and carry.
Certain players attach small pieces of metal that buzz deliberately. The buzzing gives the music a lively, shimmering quality.
A thumb piano is a small instrument. You hold it in both hands. You play it with your thumbs. People in parts of Africa have made thumb pianos for a very long time. Some call it a kalimba or an mbira.
On top is a row of thin metal strips called tines. Each tine is a different length. You press one down with a thumb and let it go. It shakes back and forth. That makes a sound.
Short tines make high notes. Long tines make low notes. The tines sit on a wooden board. The board sits on a hollow box or a gourd. The hollow space makes the sound louder.
Some players add bits of metal that buzz. The buzz makes the music lively.
Questions
How do you play a thumb piano?
What are the metal strips called?
Which tines make the high notes?
What makes the sound when you let go of a tine?
Why is there a hollow box or gourd under the board?
Why might a player add bits of metal that buzz?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Tongues
A thumb piano is a small instrument that you hold in both hands. You play it with your thumbs. People in parts of Africa have made thumb pianos for a very long time, and some call the instrument a kalimba or an mbira.
On top of the instrument is a row of thin metal strips. These strips are called tines. Each tine is a different length. When you press one down with a thumb and let it go, it shakes back and forth. That shaking makes a sound.
The short tines make high notes. The long tines make low notes. The tines are fixed to a wooden board, and the board sits on a hollow box or a gourd. The hollow space helps the sound grow louder.
Some players add little bits of metal that buzz on purpose. The buzzing gives the music a lively, shimmering sound.
Questions
How do you play a thumb piano?
What are the thin metal strips called?
Which tines make the high notes?
What makes the sound when a tine is released?
Why does the instrument sit on a hollow box or gourd?
Why might a player add bits of metal that buzz?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Tongues
A thumb piano is a compact instrument that a player cradles in both hands and plays with the thumbs. People in parts of Africa have been making thumb pianos for a remarkably long time, and the instrument is sometimes called a kalimba or an mbira.
Across the top runs a row of thin metal strips known as tines. Every tine has a different length. When the player presses one down with a thumb and then releases it, the tine vibrates back and forth, and that vibration produces a sound.
The short tines sound high, whereas the long tines sound low. The tines are fastened to a wooden board, which rests on a hollow box or a gourd. The empty space inside helps the sound swell and carry.
Certain players attach small pieces of metal that buzz deliberately. The buzzing gives the music a lively, shimmering quality.
Questions
How is a thumb piano played?
What name is given to the thin metal strips?
Which tines sound high?
What produces the sound when a tine is released?
Why does the board rest on a hollow box or gourd?
Why would a player attach pieces of metal that buzz on purpose?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Tongues
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4)
You press the metal strips with your thumbs.
Tines.
The short ones.
The tine shakes back and forth.
The hollow space makes the sound louder.
To make the music more lively.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
You press the metal strips with your thumbs.
Tines.
The short ones.
The tine shakes back and forth.
The hollow space makes the sound grow louder.
To give the music a lively, shimmering sound.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.9)
The player presses the metal strips with the thumbs.
Tines.
The short tines.
The tine vibrates back and forth.
The empty space helps the sound swell and carry, so it is louder.
To give the music a lively, shimmering quality.
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 tines, hollow, gourd, shimmering and notes 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 "The Thumb Piano and Its Buzzing Tongues"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 147 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.
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