3rd grade nonfiction passage about light bending in water: 158 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionlight bending in water158 words
Why a Spoon Looks Bent in Your Water Glass
Put a spoon in a clear glass of water and look at it from the side. The spoon seems to bend right where the water begins. But the spoon is not bent at all. Lift it out and it is straight again.
What you see is a trick of light. Light travels in straight lines through the air. When it moves from water into air, it changes speed and turns a little. Scientists say the light bends.
Your eyes do not know that the light bent. They think the light came straight from the spoon. So your brain places the underwater part of the spoon in the wrong spot, and the spoon looks broken.
Light bends the same way when it passes through a drinking glass or a puddle. A fish in a pond may look closer to the surface than it really is. The bending of light is a big reason why things look odd under water.
Questions
Where does the spoon seem to bend? in the text
What happens when you lift the spoon out of the water? in the text
How does light travel through the air? in the text
What does light do when it moves from water into air? in the text
Why does your brain place the spoon in the wrong spot? think about it
What might look closer to the surface than it really is? in the text
Words to know
bend
to turn so something is not straight
surface
the top of the water
puddle
a small pool of water on the ground
scientist
a person who studies how things work
trick
something that fools your eyes
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why a Spoon Looks Bent in Your Water Glass
3rd grade reading passage
Put a spoon in a clear glass of water and look at it from the side. The spoon seems to bend right where the water begins. But the spoon is not bent at all. Lift it out and it is straight again.
What you see is a trick of light. Light travels in straight lines through the air. When it moves from water into air, it changes speed and turns a little. Scientists say the light bends.
Your eyes do not know that the light bent. They think the light came straight from the spoon. So your brain places the underwater part of the spoon in the wrong spot, and the spoon looks broken.
Light bends the same way when it passes through a drinking glass or a puddle. A fish in a pond may look closer to the surface than it really is. The bending of light is a big reason why things look odd under water.
Questions
Where does the spoon seem to bend?
What happens when you lift the spoon out of the water?
How does light travel through the air?
What does light do when it moves from water into air?
Why does your brain place the spoon in the wrong spot?
What might look closer to the surface than it really is?
Words to know
bend: to turn so something is not straight
surface: the top of the water
puddle: a small pool of water on the ground
scientist: a person who studies how things work
trick: something that fools your eyes
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/why-a-spoon-looks-bent-in-water
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 · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3
Put a spoon in a glass of water. Look at it from the side. The spoon looks bent. It looks bent right where the water starts. But the spoon is not bent. Lift it out. It is straight again.
This is a trick of light. Light goes in straight lines in the air. Then it goes from water into air. It turns a little. We say the light bends.
Your eyes do not know the light bent. They think the light came straight from the spoon. So your brain puts the spoon in the wrong spot. The spoon looks broken.
Light bends in a puddle too. A fish in a pond may look closer to the top than it is.
▲ This passage · 158 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5
Put a spoon in a clear glass of water and look at it from the side. The spoon seems to bend right where the water begins. But the spoon is not bent at all. Lift it out and it is straight again.
What you see is a trick of light. Light travels in straight lines through the air. When it moves from water into air, it changes speed and turns a little. Scientists say the light bends.
Your eyes do not know that the light bent. They think the light came straight from the spoon. So your brain places the underwater part of the spoon in the wrong spot, and the spoon looks broken.
Light bends the same way when it passes through a drinking glass or a puddle. A fish in a pond may look closer to the surface than it really is. The bending of light is a big reason why things look odd under water.
■ Harder · 184 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5
Place a spoon in a clear glass of water and look at it from the side. The spoon appears to bend sharply at the exact spot where the water begins. In truth, the spoon has not changed shape at all. When you lift it out of the glass, it is perfectly straight again.
What you are seeing is an illusion caused by light. Light normally travels in straight lines through the air. However, when it passes from water into air, it changes speed and turns slightly. Scientists describe this by saying that the light bends.
Your eyes have no way of knowing that the light has bent. They assume it traveled straight from the spoon to you. As a result, your brain places the underwater part of the spoon in the wrong position, and the spoon looks broken.
Light bends in the same way when it passes through a drinking glass or a puddle. A fish swimming in a pond may look closer to the surface than it actually is. The bending of light is a major reason why objects look strange under water.
Put a spoon in a glass of water. Look at it from the side. The spoon looks bent. It looks bent right where the water starts. But the spoon is not bent. Lift it out. It is straight again.
This is a trick of light. Light goes in straight lines in the air. Then it goes from water into air. It turns a little. We say the light bends.
Your eyes do not know the light bent. They think the light came straight from the spoon. So your brain puts the spoon in the wrong spot. The spoon looks broken.
Light bends in a puddle too. A fish in a pond may look closer to the top than it is.
Questions
Where does the spoon look bent?
What happens when you lift the spoon out?
How does light go in the air?
What does light do when it goes from water into air?
Why does your brain put the spoon in the wrong spot?
What may look closer to the top than it is?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why a Spoon Looks Bent in Your Water Glass
Put a spoon in a clear glass of water and look at it from the side. The spoon seems to bend right where the water begins. But the spoon is not bent at all. Lift it out and it is straight again.
What you see is a trick of light. Light travels in straight lines through the air. When it moves from water into air, it changes speed and turns a little. Scientists say the light bends.
Your eyes do not know that the light bent. They think the light came straight from the spoon. So your brain places the underwater part of the spoon in the wrong spot, and the spoon looks broken.
Light bends the same way when it passes through a drinking glass or a puddle. A fish in a pond may look closer to the surface than it really is. The bending of light is a big reason why things look odd under water.
Questions
Where does the spoon seem to bend?
What happens when you lift the spoon out of the water?
How does light travel through the air?
What does light do when it moves from water into air?
Why does your brain place the spoon in the wrong spot?
What might look closer to the surface than it really is?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why a Spoon Looks Bent in Your Water Glass
Place a spoon in a clear glass of water and look at it from the side. The spoon appears to bend sharply at the exact spot where the water begins. In truth, the spoon has not changed shape at all. When you lift it out of the glass, it is perfectly straight again.
What you are seeing is an illusion caused by light. Light normally travels in straight lines through the air. However, when it passes from water into air, it changes speed and turns slightly. Scientists describe this by saying that the light bends.
Your eyes have no way of knowing that the light has bent. They assume it traveled straight from the spoon to you. As a result, your brain places the underwater part of the spoon in the wrong position, and the spoon looks broken.
Light bends in the same way when it passes through a drinking glass or a puddle. A fish swimming in a pond may look closer to the surface than it actually is. The bending of light is a major reason why objects look strange under water.
Questions
Where does the spoon appear to bend?
What happens when you lift the spoon out of the glass?
How does light normally travel through the air?
What does light do when it passes from water into air?
Why does your brain place the spoon in the wrong position?
What may look closer to the surface than it actually is?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why a Spoon Looks Bent in Your Water Glass
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.3)
Right where the water starts.
It is straight again.
In straight lines.
It turns a little.
Your eyes think the light came straight from the spoon, but it bent.
A fish in a pond.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.5)
Right where the water begins.
It is straight again.
In straight lines.
It changes speed and turns a little.
Your eyes think the light came straight from the spoon, but it had bent.
A fish in a pond.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5)
At the exact spot where the water begins.
It is perfectly straight again.
In straight lines.
It changes speed and turns slightly.
Your eyes assume the light traveled straight from the spoon, but it had bent.
A fish swimming in a pond.
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 bend, surface, puddle, scientist and trick 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 "Why a Spoon Looks Bent in Your Water Glass"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 158 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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