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How the Dutch Turned Sea Floor Into Farmland

5th grade nonfiction passage about land below sea level: 203 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction land below sea level 203 words

How the Dutch Turned Sea Floor Into Farmland

A large part of the Netherlands lies lower than the level of the sea. Without protection, water from the North Sea and from rivers would flood these places again and again. Over many centuries, the Dutch learned to hold the water back and even to make new land.

The first step is to build a dike, a long, strong wall of earth that keeps the water out. Next, people dig canals and pump the water out of the enclosed area. For hundreds of years, windmills turned to power the pumps. Later, engines and electric pumps took over the job. When the area is dry, the old sea floor is rich soil that is good for farming. A piece of land made this way is called a polder.

Polders still need care. Rain keeps falling, and rivers keep flowing, so pumps and canals must carry the extra water away. Special local groups called water boards check that the dikes are sturdy and the canals are working.

Because water shaped their country, the Dutch became famous for their skill in managing it. Engineers from many lands travel to the Netherlands to study how its dikes, gates, and pumps keep so many people safe and dry.

Questions

  1. What is a dike? in the text

  2. What is a polder? in the text

  3. What powered the pumps for hundreds of years? in the text

  4. Why is the soil of a new polder good for farming? think about it

  5. Why do polders still need pumps after they are dry? think about it

  6. Why do engineers from other lands visit the Netherlands? in the text

Words to know

dike
a wall built to hold back water
canal
a long channel dug for water to flow through
enclosed
shut in on all sides
engineer
a person who plans and builds things like machines and bridges
sturdy
strong and solid
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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 · 154 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.1

Much of the Netherlands lies lower than the sea. Without help, water from the North Sea and rivers would flood the land. Over many years, the Dutch learned to hold the water back. They even made new land.

First, people build a dike. A dike is a strong wall of earth that keeps the water out. Next, they dig canals and pump the water out of the walled area. For hundreds of years, windmills powered the pumps. Later, engines and electric pumps did the job. When the land is dry, the old sea floor has rich soil that is good for farming. This new land is called a polder.

Polders still need care. Rain keeps falling, and rivers keep flowing. Pumps and canals carry the extra water away. Water boards check that the dikes are strong.

Engineers from many lands visit the Netherlands. They study how its dikes, gates, and pumps keep people safe.

▲ This passage · 203 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.9

A large part of the Netherlands lies lower than the level of the sea. Without protection, water from the North Sea and from rivers would flood these places again and again. Over many centuries, the Dutch learned to hold the water back and even to make new land.

The first step is to build a dike, a long, strong wall of earth that keeps the water out. Next, people dig canals and pump the water out of the enclosed area. For hundreds of years, windmills turned to power the pumps. Later, engines and electric pumps took over the job. When the area is dry, the old sea floor is rich soil that is good for farming. A piece of land made this way is called a polder.

Polders still need care. Rain keeps falling, and rivers keep flowing, so pumps and canals must carry the extra water away. Special local groups called water boards check that the dikes are sturdy and the canals are working.

Because water shaped their country, the Dutch became famous for their skill in managing it. Engineers from many lands travel to the Netherlands to study how its dikes, gates, and pumps keep so many people safe and dry.

■ Harder · 217 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.8

A large portion of the Netherlands lies lower than the level of the sea. Without protection, water from the North Sea and from the country's rivers would flood these regions again and again. Over many centuries, the Dutch learned not only to hold the water back but also to create entirely new land.

The first step is to construct a dike, a long and powerful wall of earth that keeps the water out. Next, people dig canals and pump the water out of the enclosed area. For hundreds of years, windmills turned to drive the pumps, until engines and electric pumps eventually took over the work. Once the area is dry, the former sea floor becomes rich soil that is excellent for farming. A piece of land made in this way is known as a polder.

Polders still require constant care. Rain continues to fall and rivers continue to flow, so pumps and canals must carry the surplus water away. Special local groups called water boards make sure that the dikes are sturdy and the canals are working properly.

Because water shaped their country, the Dutch became famous for their skill in managing it. Engineers from many nations travel to the Netherlands to study how its dikes, gates, and pumps keep so many people safe and dry.

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 dike, canal, enclosed, engineer and sturdy 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 "How the Dutch Turned Sea Floor Into Farmland"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 203 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.9. 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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