4th grade nonfiction passage about the brain and touch: 174 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
4th gradenonfictionthe brain and touch174 words
Why You Cannot Tickle Yourself
Try this. Run your fingers over your own arm. It probably feels fine. Now ask a friend to do the same thing. Many people say it feels very different, and sometimes it makes them giggle. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The answer is in your brain. When you plan to move, your brain sends a message to your muscles. It also makes a quick guess about how the movement will feel. When you touch your own arm, the guess matches the real feeling almost exactly. Your brain decides there is nothing new to notice, so it turns the signal down.
A friend's touch is different. Your brain cannot know exactly when or where it will happen. The feeling is a surprise, and surprises get your full attention.
Scientists think this skill is useful. Your brain does not need to pay attention to every little touch you cause yourself, like your clothes moving or your hand holding a pencil. That leaves more attention for things that are new, like a bug landing on your neck.
Questions
What happens when a friend runs their fingers over your arm? in the text
What does your brain send to your muscles when you plan to move? in the text
What quick guess does your brain make before you touch your own arm? in the text
Why does a friend's touch get your full attention? in the text
What is one touch you cause yourself that your brain does not need to notice? in the text
Why might it help you that your brain turns down touches you make yourself? think about it
Words to know
muscles
the parts of your body that pull and make you move
guess
an idea about what will happen before it does
surprise
something you did not expect
attention
careful notice that your mind gives to something
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Why You Cannot Tickle Yourself
4th grade reading passage
Try this. Run your fingers over your own arm. It probably feels fine. Now ask a friend to do the same thing. Many people say it feels very different, and sometimes it makes them giggle. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The answer is in your brain. When you plan to move, your brain sends a message to your muscles. It also makes a quick guess about how the movement will feel. When you touch your own arm, the guess matches the real feeling almost exactly. Your brain decides there is nothing new to notice, so it turns the signal down.
A friend's touch is different. Your brain cannot know exactly when or where it will happen. The feeling is a surprise, and surprises get your full attention.
Scientists think this skill is useful. Your brain does not need to pay attention to every little touch you cause yourself, like your clothes moving or your hand holding a pencil. That leaves more attention for things that are new, like a bug landing on your neck.
Questions
What happens when a friend runs their fingers over your arm?
What does your brain send to your muscles when you plan to move?
What quick guess does your brain make before you touch your own arm?
Why does a friend's touch get your full attention?
What is one touch you cause yourself that your brain does not need to notice?
Why might it help you that your brain turns down touches you make yourself?
Words to know
muscles: the parts of your body that pull and make you move
guess: an idea about what will happen before it does
surprise: something you did not expect
attention: careful notice that your mind gives to something
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/4/why-you-cannot-tickle-yourself
Share
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 · 140 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4
Try this. Rub your own arm with your fingers. It feels fine. Now ask a friend to do it. It feels very different. You might even giggle. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The answer is in your brain. When you plan to move, your brain tells your muscles what to do. It also makes a guess about how the move will feel. When you touch your own arm, the guess is right. Your brain sees nothing new. So it turns the feeling down.
A friend's touch is a surprise. Your brain does not know when or where it will come. Surprises get your full attention.
This is a useful trick. Your brain does not need to notice every touch you make, like your hand on a pencil. That saves attention for new things, like a bug landing on your neck.
▲ This passage · 174 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.1
Try this. Run your fingers over your own arm. It probably feels fine. Now ask a friend to do the same thing. Many people say it feels very different, and sometimes it makes them giggle. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The answer is in your brain. When you plan to move, your brain sends a message to your muscles. It also makes a quick guess about how the movement will feel. When you touch your own arm, the guess matches the real feeling almost exactly. Your brain decides there is nothing new to notice, so it turns the signal down.
A friend's touch is different. Your brain cannot know exactly when or where it will happen. The feeling is a surprise, and surprises get your full attention.
Scientists think this skill is useful. Your brain does not need to pay attention to every little touch you cause yourself, like your clothes moving or your hand holding a pencil. That leaves more attention for things that are new, like a bug landing on your neck.
■ Harder · 190 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.7
Try a small experiment. Slowly run your fingertips along your own forearm, and it will probably feel perfectly ordinary. Now ask a friend to repeat the same motion. Many people report that it feels strikingly different, and it may even make them giggle. Why is it impossible to tickle yourself?
The explanation lies in your brain. Whenever you decide to move, your brain sends instructions to your muscles, and at the same moment it makes a quick prediction about how the movement will feel. When you touch your own arm, the prediction matches the real sensation almost exactly. Your brain concludes that nothing unexpected is happening, so it turns down the signal.
A friend's touch is another matter. Your brain cannot know precisely when or where it will arrive, so the feeling comes as a surprise, and surprises receive your full attention.
Scientists believe this ability is valuable. Your brain does not have to notice every little touch you cause yourself, such as your clothes shifting or your hand resting on a pencil. That leaves more attention available for things that are new, like a bug landing on your neck.
Try this. Rub your own arm with your fingers. It feels fine. Now ask a friend to do it. It feels very different. You might even giggle. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The answer is in your brain. When you plan to move, your brain tells your muscles what to do. It also makes a guess about how the move will feel. When you touch your own arm, the guess is right. Your brain sees nothing new. So it turns the feeling down.
A friend's touch is a surprise. Your brain does not know when or where it will come. Surprises get your full attention.
This is a useful trick. Your brain does not need to notice every touch you make, like your hand on a pencil. That saves attention for new things, like a bug landing on your neck.
Questions
What happens when a friend rubs your arm?
What does your brain tell your muscles when you plan to move?
What does your brain guess before you touch your own arm?
Why does a friend's touch get your full attention?
What is one touch you make yourself that your brain can skip?
Why is it good that your brain turns down your own touches?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Why You Cannot Tickle Yourself
Try this. Run your fingers over your own arm. It probably feels fine. Now ask a friend to do the same thing. Many people say it feels very different, and sometimes it makes them giggle. Why can't you tickle yourself?
The answer is in your brain. When you plan to move, your brain sends a message to your muscles. It also makes a quick guess about how the movement will feel. When you touch your own arm, the guess matches the real feeling almost exactly. Your brain decides there is nothing new to notice, so it turns the signal down.
A friend's touch is different. Your brain cannot know exactly when or where it will happen. The feeling is a surprise, and surprises get your full attention.
Scientists think this skill is useful. Your brain does not need to pay attention to every little touch you cause yourself, like your clothes moving or your hand holding a pencil. That leaves more attention for things that are new, like a bug landing on your neck.
Questions
What happens when a friend runs their fingers over your arm?
What does your brain send to your muscles when you plan to move?
What quick guess does your brain make before you touch your own arm?
Why does a friend's touch get your full attention?
What is one touch you cause yourself that your brain does not need to notice?
Why might it help you that your brain turns down touches you make yourself?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Why You Cannot Tickle Yourself
Try a small experiment. Slowly run your fingertips along your own forearm, and it will probably feel perfectly ordinary. Now ask a friend to repeat the same motion. Many people report that it feels strikingly different, and it may even make them giggle. Why is it impossible to tickle yourself?
The explanation lies in your brain. Whenever you decide to move, your brain sends instructions to your muscles, and at the same moment it makes a quick prediction about how the movement will feel. When you touch your own arm, the prediction matches the real sensation almost exactly. Your brain concludes that nothing unexpected is happening, so it turns down the signal.
A friend's touch is another matter. Your brain cannot know precisely when or where it will arrive, so the feeling comes as a surprise, and surprises receive your full attention.
Scientists believe this ability is valuable. Your brain does not have to notice every little touch you cause yourself, such as your clothes shifting or your hand resting on a pencil. That leaves more attention available for things that are new, like a bug landing on your neck.
Questions
What often happens when a friend repeats the motion on your arm?
What does your brain send to your muscles whenever you decide to move?
What prediction does your brain make before you touch your own arm?
Why does a friend's touch receive your full attention?
Which touches that you cause yourself does your brain not need to notice?
How does ignoring touches you cause yourself help you?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Why You Cannot Tickle Yourself
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.4)
It feels different, and you may giggle.
What to do.
How the touch will feel.
It is a surprise, because your brain does not know when it will come.
Your hand on a pencil.
It saves attention for new things, like a bug on your neck.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.1)
It feels different, and it may make you giggle.
A message about the movement.
A guess about how the touch will feel.
Your brain cannot know when or where it will happen, so it is a surprise.
Clothes moving or a hand holding a pencil.
It saves attention for new things that might matter, like a bug on your neck.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.7)
It feels very different, and it may make you giggle.
Instructions about the movement.
How the movement will feel.
Your brain cannot know when or where it will arrive, so it is a surprise.
Clothes shifting or a hand resting on a pencil.
It leaves more attention for new things that might matter, like a bug on your neck.
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 muscles, guess, surprise and attention 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 6 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 You Cannot Tickle Yourself"?
It was written for 4th grade. It has 174 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.1. 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. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 1 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.
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