4th grade nonfiction passage about deep ocean migration: 187 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
4th gradenonfictiondeep ocean migration187 words
The Ocean's Twilight Zone Elevator
Sunlight does not reach very far into the sea. The bright top layer is full of light, but deeper down it grows dim, and farther down it is completely dark. The dim layer in between is called the twilight zone, much like the time of day when the sun has just set.
Many animals live there, including small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Many of them have big eyes that help them see the faint light. Some can make their own light. This glow is called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a small light to confuse an enemy or to attract food.
Every night, an enormous parade of these animals swims upward. They rise toward the surface to eat tiny floating plants and other food. They go up in the dark, where it is harder for hunters to spot them. When the sun comes up, they swim back down into the dim water and hide for the day.
This daily trip is one of the biggest movements of animals on Earth. It is a bit like an elevator that rides up at dusk and down at dawn.
Questions
What is the twilight zone of the ocean? in the text
What do many animals in the twilight zone have to help them see? in the text
What is bioluminescence? in the text
When do the animals swim up toward the surface? in the text
Why might the animals go up in the dark instead of in the daytime? think about it
Why does the passage compare the trip to an elevator? think about it
Words to know
twilight
the dim light after the sun has set
bioluminescence
light made by a living animal
faint
weak and hard to see
parade
a long line of many things moving along together
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Ocean's Twilight Zone Elevator
4th grade reading passage
Sunlight does not reach very far into the sea. The bright top layer is full of light, but deeper down it grows dim, and farther down it is completely dark. The dim layer in between is called the twilight zone, much like the time of day when the sun has just set.
Many animals live there, including small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Many of them have big eyes that help them see the faint light. Some can make their own light. This glow is called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a small light to confuse an enemy or to attract food.
Every night, an enormous parade of these animals swims upward. They rise toward the surface to eat tiny floating plants and other food. They go up in the dark, where it is harder for hunters to spot them. When the sun comes up, they swim back down into the dim water and hide for the day.
This daily trip is one of the biggest movements of animals on Earth. It is a bit like an elevator that rides up at dusk and down at dawn.
Questions
What is the twilight zone of the ocean?
What do many animals in the twilight zone have to help them see?
What is bioluminescence?
When do the animals swim up toward the surface?
Why might the animals go up in the dark instead of in the daytime?
Why does the passage compare the trip to an elevator?
Words to know
twilight: the dim light after the sun has set
bioluminescence: light made by a living animal
faint: weak and hard to see
parade: a long line of many things moving along together
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/4/the-oceans-twilight-zone-elevator
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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 · 167 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
Sunlight does not go far into the sea. The top layer is bright. Deeper down it gets dim. Farther down it is all dark. The dim layer in the middle is called the twilight zone. Twilight is the dim light after the sun sets.
Many animals live there, such as small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Many have big eyes to see the faint light. Some make their own light. This glow is called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a small light to confuse an enemy or to find food.
Every night, a huge parade of these animals swims up. They rise toward the top to eat tiny floating plants and other food. They go up in the dark, where hunters cannot spot them as easily. When the sun comes up, they swim back down and hide in the dim water.
This daily trip is one of the biggest animal moves on Earth. It is like an elevator that rides up at dusk and down at dawn.
▲ This passage · 187 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.7
Sunlight does not reach very far into the sea. The bright top layer is full of light, but deeper down it grows dim, and farther down it is completely dark. The dim layer in between is called the twilight zone, much like the time of day when the sun has just set.
Many animals live there, including small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Many of them have big eyes that help them see the faint light. Some can make their own light. This glow is called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a small light to confuse an enemy or to attract food.
Every night, an enormous parade of these animals swims upward. They rise toward the surface to eat tiny floating plants and other food. They go up in the dark, where it is harder for hunters to spot them. When the sun comes up, they swim back down into the dim water and hide for the day.
This daily trip is one of the biggest movements of animals on Earth. It is a bit like an elevator that rides up at dusk and down at dawn.
■ Harder · 187 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.5
Sunlight penetrates only a limited distance into the sea. The uppermost layer is bright, but deeper down the light grows dim, and farther still the water is completely dark. The dim layer in between is known as the twilight zone, named for the time of day just after the sun has set.
A great many animals inhabit this region, including small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Numerous species have enormous eyes that help them detect the faint light. Others can produce their own light, a glow called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a tiny light to confuse an enemy or to lure in its food.
Every night, an enormous parade of these animals swims upward. They climb toward the surface to feed on tiny floating plants and other food, traveling under the cover of darkness, when it is harder for hunters to spot them. When the sun rises, they swim back down into the dim water and hide for the day.
This daily journey is one of the largest movements of animals on Earth. It resembles an elevator that rides upward at dusk and downward at dawn.
Sunlight does not go far into the sea. The top layer is bright. Deeper down it gets dim. Farther down it is all dark. The dim layer in the middle is called the twilight zone. Twilight is the dim light after the sun sets.
Many animals live there, such as small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Many have big eyes to see the faint light. Some make their own light. This glow is called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a small light to confuse an enemy or to find food.
Every night, a huge parade of these animals swims up. They rise toward the top to eat tiny floating plants and other food. They go up in the dark, where hunters cannot spot them as easily. When the sun comes up, they swim back down and hide in the dim water.
This daily trip is one of the biggest animal moves on Earth. It is like an elevator that rides up at dusk and down at dawn.
Questions
What is the twilight zone of the ocean?
What do many animals there have to help them see?
What is bioluminescence?
When do the animals swim up?
Why might they go up in the dark?
Why does the passage say it is like an elevator?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Ocean's Twilight Zone Elevator
Sunlight does not reach very far into the sea. The bright top layer is full of light, but deeper down it grows dim, and farther down it is completely dark. The dim layer in between is called the twilight zone, much like the time of day when the sun has just set.
Many animals live there, including small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Many of them have big eyes that help them see the faint light. Some can make their own light. This glow is called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a small light to confuse an enemy or to attract food.
Every night, an enormous parade of these animals swims upward. They rise toward the surface to eat tiny floating plants and other food. They go up in the dark, where it is harder for hunters to spot them. When the sun comes up, they swim back down into the dim water and hide for the day.
This daily trip is one of the biggest movements of animals on Earth. It is a bit like an elevator that rides up at dusk and down at dawn.
Questions
What is the twilight zone of the ocean?
What do many animals in the twilight zone have to help them see?
What is bioluminescence?
When do the animals swim up toward the surface?
Why might the animals go up in the dark instead of in the daytime?
Why does the passage compare the trip to an elevator?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Ocean's Twilight Zone Elevator
Sunlight penetrates only a limited distance into the sea. The uppermost layer is bright, but deeper down the light grows dim, and farther still the water is completely dark. The dim layer in between is known as the twilight zone, named for the time of day just after the sun has set.
A great many animals inhabit this region, including small fish and shrimp-like creatures. Numerous species have enormous eyes that help them detect the faint light. Others can produce their own light, a glow called bioluminescence. A fish may flash a tiny light to confuse an enemy or to lure in its food.
Every night, an enormous parade of these animals swims upward. They climb toward the surface to feed on tiny floating plants and other food, traveling under the cover of darkness, when it is harder for hunters to spot them. When the sun rises, they swim back down into the dim water and hide for the day.
This daily journey is one of the largest movements of animals on Earth. It resembles an elevator that rides upward at dusk and downward at dawn.
Questions
What is the twilight zone of the ocean?
What do numerous species have that helps them detect faint light?
What is bioluminescence?
When do these animals swim upward toward the surface?
Why might the animals travel under the cover of darkness?
Why does the passage compare the journey to an elevator?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Ocean's Twilight Zone Elevator
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
The dim layer of water between the bright top and the dark deep.
Big eyes.
The glow that some animals make themselves.
Every night.
Hunters cannot spot them as easily in the dark.
The animals ride up each evening and down each morning.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.7)
The dim layer of water between the bright top layer and the dark deep.
Big eyes.
The glow that some animals make themselves.
Every night.
It is harder for hunters to spot them in the dark.
The animals ride up each evening and back down each morning.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.5)
The dim layer of water between the bright upper layer and the dark deep.
Enormous eyes.
A glow that some animals produce themselves.
Every night.
It is harder for hunters to spot them in the dark.
The animals ride upward at dusk and downward at dawn.
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 twilight, bioluminescence, faint and parade 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 "The Ocean's Twilight Zone Elevator"?
It was written for 4th grade. It has 187 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.7. 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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