5th grade nonfiction passage about fish and dams: 183 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
5th gradenonfictionfish and dams183 words
Fish Ladders: Stairs Built for Swimmers
Some fish must travel up rivers to reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs. A dam can stop them. A tall wall of concrete is too high to leap over, and the fish would be stuck below it. Engineers found a clever fix called a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not really a ladder at all. It is a series of connected pools, each one a bit higher than the last, like a staircase for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools. Fish swim against that flow, rest in a pool, and then dart or leap through a gap into the next one. Step by step, they climb past the dam.
Builders have to think about each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can handle tall steps, while smaller fish need gentler ones. The entrance must be easy to find, so it is placed where the flowing water will draw the fish in. At some dams, a viewing window lets workers watch and count the fish passing by, which tells them whether the ladder is working well.
Questions
Why do some fish need to travel up rivers? in the text
What problem does a dam cause for these fish? in the text
What is a fish ladder made of? in the text
Which way does the water flow through a fish ladder? in the text
Why must builders think about each kind of fish? think about it
Why is the entrance placed where the water flows? think about it
Words to know
dam
a strong wall built across a river to hold back water
engineers
people who plan and design things to solve problems
pools
small areas of still water
dart
to move forward very quickly
entrance
the place where something is entered
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
Fish Ladders: Stairs Built for Swimmers
5th grade reading passage
Some fish must travel up rivers to reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs. A dam can stop them. A tall wall of concrete is too high to leap over, and the fish would be stuck below it. Engineers found a clever fix called a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not really a ladder at all. It is a series of connected pools, each one a bit higher than the last, like a staircase for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools. Fish swim against that flow, rest in a pool, and then dart or leap through a gap into the next one. Step by step, they climb past the dam.
Builders have to think about each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can handle tall steps, while smaller fish need gentler ones. The entrance must be easy to find, so it is placed where the flowing water will draw the fish in. At some dams, a viewing window lets workers watch and count the fish passing by, which tells them whether the ladder is working well.
Questions
Why do some fish need to travel up rivers?
What problem does a dam cause for these fish?
What is a fish ladder made of?
Which way does the water flow through a fish ladder?
Why must builders think about each kind of fish?
Why is the entrance placed where the water flows?
Words to know
dam: a strong wall built across a river to hold back water
engineers: people who plan and design things to solve problems
pools: small areas of still water
dart: to move forward very quickly
entrance: the place where something is entered
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/5/fish-ladders-stairs-built-for-swimmers
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 · 161 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1
Some fish swim up rivers to lay their eggs in quiet places. A dam can stop them. The wall is too tall to leap over. The fish get stuck below it. Engineers made a fix. It is called a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not a real ladder. It is a row of pools. Each pool is a bit higher than the last. It is like a staircase for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools. Fish swim against the flow. They rest in a pool. Then they dart or leap into the next one. Step by step, they get past the dam.
Builders think about each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can take tall steps. Small fish need gentle steps. The entrance must be easy to find. It is put where the flowing water will draw the fish in. At some dams, a window lets workers count the fish. That shows if the ladder works.
▲ This passage · 183 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4
Some fish must travel up rivers to reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs. A dam can stop them. A tall wall of concrete is too high to leap over, and the fish would be stuck below it. Engineers found a clever fix called a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not really a ladder at all. It is a series of connected pools, each one a bit higher than the last, like a staircase for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools. Fish swim against that flow, rest in a pool, and then dart or leap through a gap into the next one. Step by step, they climb past the dam.
Builders have to think about each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can handle tall steps, while smaller fish need gentler ones. The entrance must be easy to find, so it is placed where the flowing water will draw the fish in. At some dams, a viewing window lets workers watch and count the fish passing by, which tells them whether the ladder is working well.
■ Harder · 206 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7
Certain fish must journey up rivers to reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs, and a dam can block their way entirely. A tall wall of concrete is far too high for them to leap over, so the fish would remain stranded below it. To solve this problem, engineers developed a clever structure known as a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not really a ladder at all. It is a series of connected pools, each one slightly higher than the one before, much like a staircase designed for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools, and the fish swim against that current, rest in a pool, and then dart or leap through a gap into the next. Step by step, they climb their way past the dam.
Builders have to consider the needs of each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can manage tall steps, whereas smaller fish require gentler ones. The entrance must also be easy to locate, so it is placed where the flowing water will draw the fish toward it. At some dams, a viewing window allows workers to watch and count the fish as they pass, which reveals whether the ladder is doing its job well.
Some fish swim up rivers to lay their eggs in quiet places. A dam can stop them. The wall is too tall to leap over. The fish get stuck below it. Engineers made a fix. It is called a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not a real ladder. It is a row of pools. Each pool is a bit higher than the last. It is like a staircase for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools. Fish swim against the flow. They rest in a pool. Then they dart or leap into the next one. Step by step, they get past the dam.
Builders think about each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can take tall steps. Small fish need gentle steps. The entrance must be easy to find. It is put where the flowing water will draw the fish in. At some dams, a window lets workers count the fish. That shows if the ladder works.
Questions
Why do some fish swim up rivers?
What problem does a dam cause for these fish?
What is a fish ladder made of?
Which way does water flow in a fish ladder?
Why must builders think about each kind of fish?
Why is the entrance put where the water flows?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
Fish Ladders: Stairs Built for Swimmers
Some fish must travel up rivers to reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs. A dam can stop them. A tall wall of concrete is too high to leap over, and the fish would be stuck below it. Engineers found a clever fix called a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not really a ladder at all. It is a series of connected pools, each one a bit higher than the last, like a staircase for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools. Fish swim against that flow, rest in a pool, and then dart or leap through a gap into the next one. Step by step, they climb past the dam.
Builders have to think about each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can handle tall steps, while smaller fish need gentler ones. The entrance must be easy to find, so it is placed where the flowing water will draw the fish in. At some dams, a viewing window lets workers watch and count the fish passing by, which tells them whether the ladder is working well.
Questions
Why do some fish need to travel up rivers?
What problem does a dam cause for these fish?
What is a fish ladder made of?
Which way does the water flow through a fish ladder?
Why must builders think about each kind of fish?
Why is the entrance placed where the water flows?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
Fish Ladders: Stairs Built for Swimmers
Certain fish must journey up rivers to reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs, and a dam can block their way entirely. A tall wall of concrete is far too high for them to leap over, so the fish would remain stranded below it. To solve this problem, engineers developed a clever structure known as a fish ladder.
A fish ladder is not really a ladder at all. It is a series of connected pools, each one slightly higher than the one before, much like a staircase designed for swimmers. Water from above the dam flows down through the pools, and the fish swim against that current, rest in a pool, and then dart or leap through a gap into the next. Step by step, they climb their way past the dam.
Builders have to consider the needs of each kind of fish. Strong swimmers can manage tall steps, whereas smaller fish require gentler ones. The entrance must also be easy to locate, so it is placed where the flowing water will draw the fish toward it. At some dams, a viewing window allows workers to watch and count the fish as they pass, which reveals whether the ladder is doing its job well.
Questions
Why do certain fish have to journey up rivers?
What problem does a dam cause for these fish?
What is a fish ladder made of?
Which way does the water flow through a fish ladder?
Why must builders consider the needs of each kind of fish?
Why is the entrance placed where the water is flowing?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: Fish Ladders: Stairs Built for Swimmers
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.1)
To lay their eggs in quiet places.
The wall is too tall to leap over, so they get stuck below it.
A row of pools, each one a bit higher than the last.
Down through the pools, so the fish swim against it.
Strong swimmers can take tall steps, but small fish need gentle ones.
Fish follow the flowing water, so it draws them to the entrance.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4)
To reach quiet places where they lay their eggs.
The wall is too high to leap over, so the fish get stuck below it.
A series of connected pools, each one a bit higher than the last.
Down through the pools, so the fish swim against it.
Strong swimmers can handle tall steps, but smaller fish need gentler ones.
Fish follow the flowing water, so it draws them to the entrance.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 7)
To reach the quiet places where they lay their eggs.
The wall is too high to leap over, so the fish remain stranded below it.
A series of connected pools, each one slightly higher than the one before.
Down through the pools, so the fish swim against the current.
Strong swimmers can manage tall steps, but smaller fish require gentler ones.
Fish follow the flowing water, so it draws them toward the entrance.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
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Ideas for class
Before reading, put dam, engineers, pools, dart and entrance 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 "Fish Ladders: Stairs Built for Swimmers"?
It was written for 5th grade. It has 183 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.4. 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.
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