4th grade nonfiction passage about sea breeze and land breeze: 173 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
4th gradenonfictionsea breeze and land breeze173 words
Why the Beach Wind Changes Direction
If you spend a whole day at the beach, you may notice that the wind does not always blow the same way. In the afternoon it often comes in from the sea. After dark it may blow out toward the water. The cause is how fast sand and water warm up and cool down.
During the day, the sun heats the land quickly. The sea warms much more slowly. Warm air over the land rises, and cooler air from over the sea slides in to take its place. People feel this as a cool sea breeze on the beach.
At night the two switch jobs. The land loses its heat quickly, but the sea stays warmer for longer. Now the warmer air is over the water, and it rises. Cooler air from the land moves out to fill the space. That gives you a land breeze that blows toward the sea.
Sailors have long used these winds. A boat can head out in the morning with one breeze and come home with another.
Questions
Which way does the wind often blow at the beach in the afternoon? in the text
Which warms up faster in the sun, the land or the sea? in the text
What happens to warm air over the land? in the text
What is a breeze that blows toward the sea at night called? in the text
Why is the air over the water warmer than the air over the land at night? think about it
How could a sailor use both breezes in one day? think about it
Words to know
breeze
a gentle wind
switch
to change places or trade with each other
rises
goes up
sailors
people who work on boats at sea
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why the Beach Wind Changes Direction
4th grade reading passage
If you spend a whole day at the beach, you may notice that the wind does not always blow the same way. In the afternoon it often comes in from the sea. After dark it may blow out toward the water. The cause is how fast sand and water warm up and cool down.
During the day, the sun heats the land quickly. The sea warms much more slowly. Warm air over the land rises, and cooler air from over the sea slides in to take its place. People feel this as a cool sea breeze on the beach.
At night the two switch jobs. The land loses its heat quickly, but the sea stays warmer for longer. Now the warmer air is over the water, and it rises. Cooler air from the land moves out to fill the space. That gives you a land breeze that blows toward the sea.
Sailors have long used these winds. A boat can head out in the morning with one breeze and come home with another.
Questions
Which way does the wind often blow at the beach in the afternoon?
Which warms up faster in the sun, the land or the sea?
What happens to warm air over the land?
What is a breeze that blows toward the sea at night called?
Why is the air over the water warmer than the air over the land at night?
How could a sailor use both breezes in one day?
Words to know
breeze: a gentle wind
switch: to change places or trade with each other
rises: goes up
sailors: people who work on boats at sea
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/4/why-the-beach-wind-changes-direction
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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 · 138 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4
Stay at the beach all day. You may see the wind change. In the afternoon it often blows in from the sea. At night it may blow out to the water. Sand and water heat up and cool down at different speeds. That is why.
In the day, the sun heats the land fast. The sea heats slowly. Warm air over the land goes up. Cool air from the sea moves in. That is a sea breeze.
At night, it flips. The land cools fast. The sea stays warm longer. Warm air over the water goes up. Cool air from the land moves out. That is a land breeze. It blows toward the sea.
Sailors have used these winds for a long time. A boat can leave in the morning with one breeze and come home with another.
▲ This passage · 173 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3
If you spend a whole day at the beach, you may notice that the wind does not always blow the same way. In the afternoon it often comes in from the sea. After dark it may blow out toward the water. The cause is how fast sand and water warm up and cool down.
During the day, the sun heats the land quickly. The sea warms much more slowly. Warm air over the land rises, and cooler air from over the sea slides in to take its place. People feel this as a cool sea breeze on the beach.
At night the two switch jobs. The land loses its heat quickly, but the sea stays warmer for longer. Now the warmer air is over the water, and it rises. Cooler air from the land moves out to fill the space. That gives you a land breeze that blows toward the sea.
Sailors have long used these winds. A boat can head out in the morning with one breeze and come home with another.
■ Harder · 183 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1
If you spend an entire day at the beach, you might observe that the wind does not always blow in the same direction. In the afternoon it frequently arrives from the sea, while after dark it may drift out toward the water. The explanation lies in the different rates at which sand and water warm up and cool down.
During the day, the sun heats the land rapidly, whereas the sea warms far more slowly. Warm air above the land rises, and cooler air from over the sea flows in to replace it. People experience this as a refreshing sea breeze along the shore.
At night, the two roles are reversed. The land releases its heat quickly, but the sea remains warmer for much longer. Now the warmer air sits above the water and rises, and cooler air from the land moves outward to fill the gap. The result is a land breeze that blows toward the sea.
Sailors have relied on these winds for generations. A boat can set out in the morning with one breeze and return home with the other.
Stay at the beach all day. You may see the wind change. In the afternoon it often blows in from the sea. At night it may blow out to the water. Sand and water heat up and cool down at different speeds. That is why.
In the day, the sun heats the land fast. The sea heats slowly. Warm air over the land goes up. Cool air from the sea moves in. That is a sea breeze.
At night, it flips. The land cools fast. The sea stays warm longer. Warm air over the water goes up. Cool air from the land moves out. That is a land breeze. It blows toward the sea.
Sailors have used these winds for a long time. A boat can leave in the morning with one breeze and come home with another.
Questions
Which way does the wind often blow at the beach in the afternoon?
Which heats up faster in the sun, the land or the sea?
What does warm air over the land do?
What is the wind that blows toward the sea at night called?
Why is the air over the water warmer at night?
How can a sailor use both breezes in one day?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why the Beach Wind Changes Direction
If you spend a whole day at the beach, you may notice that the wind does not always blow the same way. In the afternoon it often comes in from the sea. After dark it may blow out toward the water. The cause is how fast sand and water warm up and cool down.
During the day, the sun heats the land quickly. The sea warms much more slowly. Warm air over the land rises, and cooler air from over the sea slides in to take its place. People feel this as a cool sea breeze on the beach.
At night the two switch jobs. The land loses its heat quickly, but the sea stays warmer for longer. Now the warmer air is over the water, and it rises. Cooler air from the land moves out to fill the space. That gives you a land breeze that blows toward the sea.
Sailors have long used these winds. A boat can head out in the morning with one breeze and come home with another.
Questions
Which way does the wind often blow at the beach in the afternoon?
Which warms up faster in the sun, the land or the sea?
What happens to warm air over the land?
What is a breeze that blows toward the sea at night called?
Why is the air over the water warmer than the air over the land at night?
How could a sailor use both breezes in one day?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why the Beach Wind Changes Direction
If you spend an entire day at the beach, you might observe that the wind does not always blow in the same direction. In the afternoon it frequently arrives from the sea, while after dark it may drift out toward the water. The explanation lies in the different rates at which sand and water warm up and cool down.
During the day, the sun heats the land rapidly, whereas the sea warms far more slowly. Warm air above the land rises, and cooler air from over the sea flows in to replace it. People experience this as a refreshing sea breeze along the shore.
At night, the two roles are reversed. The land releases its heat quickly, but the sea remains warmer for much longer. Now the warmer air sits above the water and rises, and cooler air from the land moves outward to fill the gap. The result is a land breeze that blows toward the sea.
Sailors have relied on these winds for generations. A boat can set out in the morning with one breeze and return home with the other.
Questions
Which way does the wind frequently blow at the beach in the afternoon?
Which warms up more rapidly in the sun, the land or the sea?
What happens to warm air above the land?
What name is given to a breeze that blows toward the sea at night?
Why is the air above the water warmer than the air above the land at night?
How might a sailor take advantage of both breezes in a single day?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why the Beach Wind Changes Direction
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.4)
It blows in from the sea.
The land.
It goes up.
A land breeze.
The sea stays warm longer than the land.
Leave with the morning breeze and come home with the evening one.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 3)
It blows in from the sea.
The land.
It rises.
A land breeze.
The sea cools down more slowly than the land.
A sailor could leave with the morning breeze and come home with the evening one.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1)
It arrives from the sea.
The land.
It rises.
A land breeze.
The sea cools down much more slowly than the land.
By setting out with the morning breeze and returning with the evening one.
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 breeze, switch, rises and sailors 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 "Why the Beach Wind Changes Direction"?
It was written for 4th grade. It has 173 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.0. 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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