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One Square of Paper and a Sharp Crease

4th grade nonfiction passage about origami folding: 205 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

4th grade nonfiction origami folding 205 words

One Square of Paper and a Sharp Crease

Origami is the art of folding paper into shapes. The word comes from Japan. It joins two Japanese words, one meaning "fold" and one meaning "paper." Many origami folders try to make a bird, a frog, or a flower from a single square sheet. In the traditional style, they use no glue and no scissors.

Good origami depends on one simple skill, which is a crisp crease. To make one, fold the paper so the edges line up exactly. Then run your thumbnail along the fold and press it flat. A sloppy fold makes all the later folds drift out of place. A sharp one keeps everything neat.

Origami models are built step by step. A common first step is to fold the square in half to make a triangle. Other steps make a small point or turn the paper inside out. A paper crane, for example, takes many folds, and each fold must be made in the right order.

Paper choice matters, too. Thin paper folds easily and holds tiny details. Thick paper is stronger but can be harder to fold many times. Many folders keep a pack of square paper in a bag so they can fold whenever they have a quiet moment.

Questions

  1. Where does the word origami come from? in the text

  2. What do traditional folders use instead of glue and scissors? in the text

  3. How do you make a crisp crease? in the text

  4. Why does a sloppy fold cause trouble later? think about it

  5. What is one common first step in a model? in the text

  6. Why might a folder pick thin paper for a tiny detail? think about it

Words to know

origami
the art of folding paper into shapes
crease
a sharp line made by folding
traditional
done the way it was done long ago
crane
a tall bird with long legs and a long neck
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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 · 156 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.4

Origami is the art of folding paper. The word comes from Japan. It joins a word for "fold" and a word for "paper." Many folders make a bird, a frog, or a flower from one square sheet. In the old style, they use no glue and no scissors.

Good origami needs one skill, a sharp crease. Fold the paper so the edges line up. Then run your thumbnail on the fold and press it flat. A sloppy fold makes the next folds go wrong. A sharp fold keeps it neat.

A model is made step by step. One first step is to fold the square in half to make a triangle. Other steps make a point or turn the paper inside out. A paper crane takes many folds. They must be in the right order.

Paper matters, too. Thin paper folds easily and keeps small parts. Thick paper is strong but hard to fold many times.

▲ This passage · 205 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5

Origami is the art of folding paper into shapes. The word comes from Japan. It joins two Japanese words, one meaning "fold" and one meaning "paper." Many origami folders try to make a bird, a frog, or a flower from a single square sheet. In the traditional style, they use no glue and no scissors.

Good origami depends on one simple skill, which is a crisp crease. To make one, fold the paper so the edges line up exactly. Then run your thumbnail along the fold and press it flat. A sloppy fold makes all the later folds drift out of place. A sharp one keeps everything neat.

Origami models are built step by step. A common first step is to fold the square in half to make a triangle. Other steps make a small point or turn the paper inside out. A paper crane, for example, takes many folds, and each fold must be made in the right order.

Paper choice matters, too. Thin paper folds easily and holds tiny details. Thick paper is stronger but can be harder to fold many times. Many folders keep a pack of square paper in a bag so they can fold whenever they have a quiet moment.

■ Harder · 198 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.8

Origami is the art of folding paper into shapes, and the word itself comes from Japan. It combines two Japanese words, one meaning "fold" and the other meaning "paper." Many folders strive to create a bird, a frog, or a flower out of a single square sheet. In the traditional style, they rely on neither glue nor scissors.

Skillful origami depends on one simple ability, which is making a crisp crease. To do so, fold the paper so that the edges align precisely, then run your thumbnail along the fold and press it flat. A careless fold causes every later fold to drift out of position, whereas a sharp one keeps the entire model tidy.

Origami models are constructed step by step. A common opening move is to fold the square in half to form a triangle. Other steps create a small point or turn a section of the paper inside out. A paper crane, for instance, requires many folds, and each must be made in the correct order.

The choice of paper matters as well. Thin paper folds readily and holds tiny details, while thick paper is sturdier but can be more difficult to fold many times.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put origami, crease, traditional and crane 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 4 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "One Square of Paper and a Sharp Crease"?

It was written for 4th grade. It has 205 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.0. 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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