3rd grade nonfiction passage about ear pressure: 152 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
3rd gradenonfictionear pressure152 words
Why Your Ears Pop on a Mountain Road
Imagine a car climbing a steep mountain road. Suddenly, pop! Your ears make a small click, and sounds seem clear again. What just happened?
Behind each eardrum is a little space filled with air. A thin tube links that space to the back of your throat. The tube is usually shut, but it opens a tiny bit now and then.
The air pressure outside your body changes when you go up a mountain or ride in a plane. Air pressure is how hard the air pushes. Your eardrum feels the difference. It bends outward, and your ears may feel full or a bit muffled.
To fix this, you can swallow, yawn, or chew gum. These actions open the tube for a moment. Air flows through, and the pressure on both sides of the eardrum becomes equal. That is the pop you hear. Then your eardrum relaxes, and your ears feel normal again.
Questions
What links the space behind the eardrum to the back of the throat? in the text
When does the air pressure outside your body change? in the text
What does the eardrum do when the air pressure changes? in the text
What is one thing you can do to make your ears pop? in the text
What do you hear when air flows through the tube? in the text
Why might chewing gum help on a plane ride? think about it
Words to know
eardrum
a thin skin inside the ear that shakes when sound reaches it
tube
a long, narrow, hollow pipe
pressure
the push of air or water against something
muffled
sounding soft and hard to hear clearly
equal
the same on both sides
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why Your Ears Pop on a Mountain Road
3rd grade reading passage
Imagine a car climbing a steep mountain road. Suddenly, pop! Your ears make a small click, and sounds seem clear again. What just happened?
Behind each eardrum is a little space filled with air. A thin tube links that space to the back of your throat. The tube is usually shut, but it opens a tiny bit now and then.
The air pressure outside your body changes when you go up a mountain or ride in a plane. Air pressure is how hard the air pushes. Your eardrum feels the difference. It bends outward, and your ears may feel full or a bit muffled.
To fix this, you can swallow, yawn, or chew gum. These actions open the tube for a moment. Air flows through, and the pressure on both sides of the eardrum becomes equal. That is the pop you hear. Then your eardrum relaxes, and your ears feel normal again.
Questions
What links the space behind the eardrum to the back of the throat?
When does the air pressure outside your body change?
What does the eardrum do when the air pressure changes?
What is one thing you can do to make your ears pop?
What do you hear when air flows through the tube?
Why might chewing gum help on a plane ride?
Words to know
eardrum: a thin skin inside the ear that shakes when sound reaches it
tube: a long, narrow, hollow pipe
pressure: the push of air or water against something
muffled: sounding soft and hard to hear clearly
equal: the same on both sides
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/3/why-your-ears-pop-on-a-mountain-road
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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 · 118 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8
A car climbs a steep mountain road. Pop! Your ears click, and sounds get clear again. What happened?
Behind each eardrum is a small space full of air. A thin tube joins that space to the back of your throat. The tube is mostly shut. It opens a tiny bit now and then.
Air pressure is how hard the air pushes. It changes when you go up a mountain or fly in a plane. Your eardrum feels it and bends out. Your ears feel full.
You can swallow, yawn, or chew gum. This opens the tube for a moment. Air flows through. The pressure becomes equal on both sides. That is the pop! Then your ears feel fine.
▲ This passage · 152 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1
Imagine a car climbing a steep mountain road. Suddenly, pop! Your ears make a small click, and sounds seem clear again. What just happened?
Behind each eardrum is a little space filled with air. A thin tube links that space to the back of your throat. The tube is usually shut, but it opens a tiny bit now and then.
The air pressure outside your body changes when you go up a mountain or ride in a plane. Air pressure is how hard the air pushes. Your eardrum feels the difference. It bends outward, and your ears may feel full or a bit muffled.
To fix this, you can swallow, yawn, or chew gum. These actions open the tube for a moment. Air flows through, and the pressure on both sides of the eardrum becomes equal. That is the pop you hear. Then your eardrum relaxes, and your ears feel normal again.
■ Harder · 167 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.2
Imagine riding in a car as it winds up a steep mountain road. All at once, pop! Your ears make a small click, and the sounds around you become clear again. What exactly just happened?
Behind each of your eardrums is a small space filled with air. A narrow tube connects that space to the back of your throat. The tube usually stays closed, but it opens slightly every now and then.
The air pressure outside your body, which is how hard the air pushes, changes when you climb a mountain or travel in an airplane. Your eardrum feels the difference and bends outward, so your ears may seem full or a little muffled.
You can solve this problem by swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. Those actions open the tube for a moment, and air rushes through until the pressure on both sides of the eardrum is equal. That rush of air is the pop you hear. Afterward, your eardrum relaxes, and your hearing returns to normal.
A car climbs a steep mountain road. Pop! Your ears click, and sounds get clear again. What happened?
Behind each eardrum is a small space full of air. A thin tube joins that space to the back of your throat. The tube is mostly shut. It opens a tiny bit now and then.
Air pressure is how hard the air pushes. It changes when you go up a mountain or fly in a plane. Your eardrum feels it and bends out. Your ears feel full.
You can swallow, yawn, or chew gum. This opens the tube for a moment. Air flows through. The pressure becomes equal on both sides. That is the pop! Then your ears feel fine.
Questions
What joins the space behind the eardrum to the back of the throat?
When does air pressure change?
What does the eardrum do when the pressure changes?
What is one thing you can do to make your ears pop?
What do you hear when air flows through the tube?
Why does chewing gum help on a plane?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why Your Ears Pop on a Mountain Road
Imagine a car climbing a steep mountain road. Suddenly, pop! Your ears make a small click, and sounds seem clear again. What just happened?
Behind each eardrum is a little space filled with air. A thin tube links that space to the back of your throat. The tube is usually shut, but it opens a tiny bit now and then.
The air pressure outside your body changes when you go up a mountain or ride in a plane. Air pressure is how hard the air pushes. Your eardrum feels the difference. It bends outward, and your ears may feel full or a bit muffled.
To fix this, you can swallow, yawn, or chew gum. These actions open the tube for a moment. Air flows through, and the pressure on both sides of the eardrum becomes equal. That is the pop you hear. Then your eardrum relaxes, and your ears feel normal again.
Questions
What links the space behind the eardrum to the back of the throat?
When does the air pressure outside your body change?
What does the eardrum do when the air pressure changes?
What is one thing you can do to make your ears pop?
What do you hear when air flows through the tube?
Why might chewing gum help on a plane ride?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why Your Ears Pop on a Mountain Road
Imagine riding in a car as it winds up a steep mountain road. All at once, pop! Your ears make a small click, and the sounds around you become clear again. What exactly just happened?
Behind each of your eardrums is a small space filled with air. A narrow tube connects that space to the back of your throat. The tube usually stays closed, but it opens slightly every now and then.
The air pressure outside your body, which is how hard the air pushes, changes when you climb a mountain or travel in an airplane. Your eardrum feels the difference and bends outward, so your ears may seem full or a little muffled.
You can solve this problem by swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. Those actions open the tube for a moment, and air rushes through until the pressure on both sides of the eardrum is equal. That rush of air is the pop you hear. Afterward, your eardrum relaxes, and your hearing returns to normal.
Questions
What connects the space behind the eardrum to the back of the throat?
When does the air pressure outside your body change?
What does the eardrum do when the air pressure changes?
What is one action that can make your ears pop?
What causes the pop you hear?
Why might chewing gum help during an airplane flight?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why Your Ears Pop on a Mountain Road
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.8)
A thin tube.
When you go up a mountain or fly in a plane.
It bends out.
Swallow, yawn, or chew gum.
A pop or click.
Chewing makes you swallow, which opens the tube.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1)
A thin tube.
When you go up a mountain or ride in a plane.
It bends outward.
Swallow, yawn, or chew gum.
A pop or click.
Chewing makes you swallow, which opens the tube so the pressure can even out.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.2)
A narrow tube.
When you climb a mountain or travel in an airplane.
It bends outward.
Swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum.
Air rushing through the tube until the pressure is equal.
Chewing makes you swallow, which opens the tube so the pressure can even out.
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 eardrum, tube, pressure, muffled and equal 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 6 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 Your Ears Pop on a Mountain Road"?
It was written for 3rd grade. It has 152 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. 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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