4th grade nonfiction passage about terrace farming: 172 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
4th gradenonfictionterrace farming172 words
Farming on Steps Carved Into a Mountain
Imagine trying to grow rice on the side of a steep mountain. Rain would wash the soil downhill, and seeds would slide away with it. Farmers in many parts of the world found a clever answer. They built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf cut into a slope. Many shelves in a row look like a giant staircase. Each step is held up by a wall of stone or packed earth. The flat top of each step is where the crops grow.
Terraces solve several problems at once. The flat ground slows the water that runs down after a rain, so less soil is washed away. Some terraces hold the water in the field, which is just what rice plants need. Water can also trickle from one step to the next, so the whole mountain gets a drink.
Building terraces takes years of hard work, and the walls must be fixed often. Yet some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years. They turn land that looked useless into green fields.
Questions
Why is it hard to farm on a steep mountain? in the text
What is a terrace? in the text
What holds up each step of a terrace? in the text
How do terraces keep soil from washing away? in the text
Why are terraces good for growing rice? think about it
Why does the passage say terraces turn land that looked useless into green fields? think about it
Words to know
terraces
flat steps cut into the side of a hill for growing crops
slope
ground that slants up or down
trickle
to flow in a thin, slow stream
steep
rising or falling very sharply
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Farming on Steps Carved Into a Mountain
4th grade reading passage
Imagine trying to grow rice on the side of a steep mountain. Rain would wash the soil downhill, and seeds would slide away with it. Farmers in many parts of the world found a clever answer. They built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf cut into a slope. Many shelves in a row look like a giant staircase. Each step is held up by a wall of stone or packed earth. The flat top of each step is where the crops grow.
Terraces solve several problems at once. The flat ground slows the water that runs down after a rain, so less soil is washed away. Some terraces hold the water in the field, which is just what rice plants need. Water can also trickle from one step to the next, so the whole mountain gets a drink.
Building terraces takes years of hard work, and the walls must be fixed often. Yet some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years. They turn land that looked useless into green fields.
Questions
Why is it hard to farm on a steep mountain?
What is a terrace?
What holds up each step of a terrace?
How do terraces keep soil from washing away?
Why are terraces good for growing rice?
Why does the passage say terraces turn land that looked useless into green fields?
Words to know
terraces: flat steps cut into the side of a hill for growing crops
slope: ground that slants up or down
trickle: to flow in a thin, slow stream
steep: rising or falling very sharply
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/4/farming-on-steps-carved-into-a-mountain
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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 · 136 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7
Think about growing rice on a steep mountain. Rain would wash the soil downhill. Seeds would slide away. Farmers in many places found a clever fix. They built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf cut into a slope. Many shelves in a row look like a giant staircase. A wall of stone or packed earth holds up each step. Crops grow on the flat top of each step.
Terraces solve many problems. The flat ground slows the water after a rain. Less soil washes away. Some terraces hold water in the field, and rice needs water. Water can also trickle from one step to the next.
Building terraces takes years. The walls must be fixed often. But some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years. They turn land that looked useless into green fields.
▲ This passage · 172 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6
Imagine trying to grow rice on the side of a steep mountain. Rain would wash the soil downhill, and seeds would slide away with it. Farmers in many parts of the world found a clever answer. They built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf cut into a slope. Many shelves in a row look like a giant staircase. Each step is held up by a wall of stone or packed earth. The flat top of each step is where the crops grow.
Terraces solve several problems at once. The flat ground slows the water that runs down after a rain, so less soil is washed away. Some terraces hold the water in the field, which is just what rice plants need. Water can also trickle from one step to the next, so the whole mountain gets a drink.
Building terraces takes years of hard work, and the walls must be fixed often. Yet some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years. They turn land that looked useless into green fields.
■ Harder · 182 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1
Imagine attempting to grow rice on the side of a steep mountain. The rain would wash the soil downhill, and the seeds would slide away along with it. Farmers in many parts of the world discovered a clever solution: they built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf carved into a slope. When many shelves are arranged in a row, they resemble an enormous staircase. A wall of stone or packed earth supports each step, and the flat top of every step is where the crops are planted.
Terraces solve several problems at the same time. The level ground slows the water that rushes downhill after a storm, so far less soil is carried away. Certain terraces also hold water in the field, which is exactly what rice plants require. In addition, water can trickle from one step down to the next, so the entire mountainside receives a drink.
Building terraces demands years of hard labor, and the walls need frequent repair. Nevertheless, some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years, transforming land that once looked useless into lush green fields.
Think about growing rice on a steep mountain. Rain would wash the soil downhill. Seeds would slide away. Farmers in many places found a clever fix. They built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf cut into a slope. Many shelves in a row look like a giant staircase. A wall of stone or packed earth holds up each step. Crops grow on the flat top of each step.
Terraces solve many problems. The flat ground slows the water after a rain. Less soil washes away. Some terraces hold water in the field, and rice needs water. Water can also trickle from one step to the next.
Building terraces takes years. The walls must be fixed often. But some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years. They turn land that looked useless into green fields.
Questions
Why is it hard to farm on a steep mountain?
What is a terrace?
What holds up each step?
How do terraces keep soil from washing away?
Why are terraces good for rice?
Why do terraces turn useless land into green fields?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Farming on Steps Carved Into a Mountain
Imagine trying to grow rice on the side of a steep mountain. Rain would wash the soil downhill, and seeds would slide away with it. Farmers in many parts of the world found a clever answer. They built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf cut into a slope. Many shelves in a row look like a giant staircase. Each step is held up by a wall of stone or packed earth. The flat top of each step is where the crops grow.
Terraces solve several problems at once. The flat ground slows the water that runs down after a rain, so less soil is washed away. Some terraces hold the water in the field, which is just what rice plants need. Water can also trickle from one step to the next, so the whole mountain gets a drink.
Building terraces takes years of hard work, and the walls must be fixed often. Yet some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years. They turn land that looked useless into green fields.
Questions
Why is it hard to farm on a steep mountain?
What is a terrace?
What holds up each step of a terrace?
How do terraces keep soil from washing away?
Why are terraces good for growing rice?
Why does the passage say terraces turn land that looked useless into green fields?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Farming on Steps Carved Into a Mountain
Imagine attempting to grow rice on the side of a steep mountain. The rain would wash the soil downhill, and the seeds would slide away along with it. Farmers in many parts of the world discovered a clever solution: they built terraces.
A terrace is a flat shelf carved into a slope. When many shelves are arranged in a row, they resemble an enormous staircase. A wall of stone or packed earth supports each step, and the flat top of every step is where the crops are planted.
Terraces solve several problems at the same time. The level ground slows the water that rushes downhill after a storm, so far less soil is carried away. Certain terraces also hold water in the field, which is exactly what rice plants require. In addition, water can trickle from one step down to the next, so the entire mountainside receives a drink.
Building terraces demands years of hard labor, and the walls need frequent repair. Nevertheless, some terraces have been farmed for hundreds of years, transforming land that once looked useless into lush green fields.
Questions
Why is it difficult to farm on a steep mountain?
What is a terrace?
What supports each step of a terrace?
How do terraces reduce the amount of soil carried away?
Why are some terraces well suited to growing rice?
In what way do terraces transform land that looked useless?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Farming on Steps Carved Into a Mountain
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.7)
Rain washes the soil downhill and seeds slide away.
A flat shelf cut into a slope.
A wall of stone or packed earth.
The flat ground slows the water after a rain.
Some terraces hold water in the field, and rice needs water.
Steep land is hard to farm, but terraces make flat places for crops.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.6)
Rain washes the soil downhill and the seeds slide away.
A flat shelf cut into a slope.
A wall of stone or packed earth.
The flat ground slows the water that runs down after rain.
Some terraces hold water in the field, and rice plants need water.
Steep land seemed too hard to farm, but terraces make flat places where crops can grow.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1)
Rain washes the soil downhill and the seeds slide away.
A flat shelf carved into a slope.
A wall of stone or packed earth.
The level ground slows the water that rushes downhill after a storm.
They hold water in the field, which rice plants require.
Steep land seemed too hard to farm, but terraces create level places where crops can grow.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
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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 terraces, slope, trickle and steep 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 "Farming on Steps Carved Into a Mountain"?
It was written for 4th grade. It has 172 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.6. 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?
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