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The Tiny Ruler Printed on Every Map

4th grade nonfiction passage about using a map scale bar: 188 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

4th grade nonfiction using a map scale bar 188 words

The Tiny Ruler Printed on Every Map

Every map is a shrunken picture of a huge place. To know how far apart two towns really are, you need the map's scale. Most maps print it in a corner, as a small bar that looks like a ruler.

The bar tells you how much real distance fits in one piece of the map. Say it shows that one inch stands for ten miles. Then two towns that are three inches apart on the paper are thirty miles apart on the ground.

Roads wind around, so a ruler is not always the best tool. Here is a way to measure a curvy road.

First, lay a piece of string along the road on the map. Follow every bend. Second, pinch the string where it ends and pull it straight. Third, hold it against the scale bar and read the distance. Last, remember that the answer is a good guess, not an exact number.

A scale bar is also a reminder that maps are models. They keep the shapes and the order of places, but they change the size so that we can carry them in our hands.

Questions

  1. Where do most maps print the scale? in the text

  2. What does the scale bar tell you? in the text

  3. If one inch stands for ten miles, how far apart are two towns three inches apart? in the text

  4. What is the first step in measuring a curvy road with string? in the text

  5. Why is string better than a ruler for a winding road? think about it

  6. Why does the passage call the answer a good guess? think about it

Words to know

scale
the part of a map that shows how map distance matches real distance
distance
how far apart two places are
winding
having many curves and turns
models
smaller copies that show how something really looks
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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 · 183 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.9

A map shows a big place on a small sheet of paper. So everything on it is shrunk. To know how far apart two places are, you need the map scale. Most maps print it in a corner. It is a small bar that looks like a ruler.

The scale bar shows how much real distance fits in one piece of the map. Say it tells you that one inch is ten miles. Two towns that are three inches apart on paper are thirty miles apart for real.

Roads bend, so a ruler is not always best. Here is how to measure a curvy road.

First, lay a string along the road on the map. Follow each bend. Next, hold the string where it ends and pull it straight. Then put it next to the scale bar and read the distance. Last, remember that the answer is a good guess, not an exact number.

A scale bar also reminds us that a map is a model. It keeps the shapes and the order of places, but it makes them small enough to hold.

▲ This passage · 188 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.8

Every map is a shrunken picture of a huge place. To know how far apart two towns really are, you need the map's scale. Most maps print it in a corner, as a small bar that looks like a ruler.

The bar tells you how much real distance fits in one piece of the map. Say it shows that one inch stands for ten miles. Then two towns that are three inches apart on the paper are thirty miles apart on the ground.

Roads wind around, so a ruler is not always the best tool. Here is a way to measure a curvy road.

First, lay a piece of string along the road on the map. Follow every bend. Second, pinch the string where it ends and pull it straight. Third, hold it against the scale bar and read the distance. Last, remember that the answer is a good guess, not an exact number.

A scale bar is also a reminder that maps are models. They keep the shapes and the order of places, but they change the size so that we can carry them in our hands.

■ Harder · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.4

A map portrays an enormous area on a single sheet of paper, which means that everything on it has been shrunk. To discover how far apart two places truly are, you must consult the map's scale. Most maps print the scale in a corner, usually as a small bar that resembles a ruler.

The scale bar tells you how much real distance is represented by each piece of the map. Suppose it states that one inch stands for ten miles. In that case, two towns that are three inches apart on the paper are actually thirty miles apart on the ground.

Roads rarely run straight, so a ruler is not always the best tool for the job. Here is a method for measuring a winding road.

First, lay a piece of string along the road on the map, following every bend and curve. Second, pinch the string where it ends and pull it straight. Third, hold it against the scale bar and read off the distance. Finally, keep in mind that the result is a good estimate rather than an exact figure.

A scale bar is also a reminder that maps are models. They preserve the shapes and the arrangement of places, but they change the size so that we can carry them around in our hands.

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 scale, distance, winding and models 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Tiny Ruler Printed on Every Map"?

It was written for 4th grade. It has 188 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.8. 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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