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The Forecaster Who Reads Layers of Snow

5th grade nonfiction passage about avalanche forecasters: 205 words, seven questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction avalanche forecasters 205 words

The Forecaster Who Reads Layers of Snow

On a snowy mountain, someone has to ask a hard question every morning: is it safe out there today? An avalanche forecaster answers it. Skiers, hikers, and road crews read the forecaster's report before they head out.

The work begins early. The forecaster checks the weather first, because new snow, strong wind, and sudden warmth can all change how snow behaves. Then the forecaster climbs a slope to study the snow itself. A pit is dug down through the snow, and one wall is smoothed flat. The wall shows layers, much like the layers of a cake. Each layer formed during a different storm or cold spell.

Some layers are firm, and some are weak and crumbly. A weak layer buried under a heavy one can be a problem, because the top layers may slide. To test for this, the forecaster cuts out a column of snow and taps it gently to see whether it breaks along a weak layer.

At the end of the day, the forecaster puts every clue together and posts a danger rating, from low to extreme. The rating does not tell people to stay home. It helps them decide where they can travel safely and where they should not go.

Questions

  1. What question does an avalanche forecaster answer every morning? in the text

  2. What does the forecaster check before climbing the slope? in the text

  3. What does the smooth wall of the snow pit show? in the text

  4. How does the forecaster test whether a weak layer is hiding in the snow? in the text

  5. What is posted at the end of the day? in the text

  6. Why is a weak layer under a heavy layer a problem? think about it

  7. Why does the rating help people instead of just telling them to stay home? think about it

Words to know

avalanche
a large amount of snow sliding down a mountain
forecaster
a person who tells what is likely to happen
layer
one flat level lying on top of another
crumbly
easily broken into small pieces
rating
a score or level that tells how much of something there is
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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 · 180 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6

On a snowy mountain, one question must be asked each morning. Is it safe out there today? An avalanche forecaster answers it. Skiers, hikers, and road crews read the report before they go.

The day starts early. The forecaster checks the weather. New snow, strong wind, and sudden warmth can change how snow acts. Then the forecaster climbs a slope to study the snow. A pit is dug down through the snow. One wall is made smooth. The wall shows layers, like a cake. Each layer came from a different storm or cold spell.

Some layers are firm. Some are weak and crumbly. A weak layer under a heavy layer is a problem. The top can slide. To test it, the forecaster cuts out a column of snow. Then the forecaster taps it to see if it breaks at a weak layer.

At the end of the day, the forecaster puts all the clues together. A danger rating is posted, from low to extreme. It does not tell people to stay home. It helps them pick safe places to go.

▲ This passage · 205 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.5

On a snowy mountain, someone has to ask a hard question every morning: is it safe out there today? An avalanche forecaster answers it. Skiers, hikers, and road crews read the forecaster's report before they head out.

The work begins early. The forecaster checks the weather first, because new snow, strong wind, and sudden warmth can all change how snow behaves. Then the forecaster climbs a slope to study the snow itself. A pit is dug down through the snow, and one wall is smoothed flat. The wall shows layers, much like the layers of a cake. Each layer formed during a different storm or cold spell.

Some layers are firm, and some are weak and crumbly. A weak layer buried under a heavy one can be a problem, because the top layers may slide. To test for this, the forecaster cuts out a column of snow and taps it gently to see whether it breaks along a weak layer.

At the end of the day, the forecaster puts every clue together and posts a danger rating, from low to extreme. The rating does not tell people to stay home. It helps them decide where they can travel safely and where they should not go.

■ Harder · 223 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.6

On a snow-covered mountain, someone must confront a difficult question each morning: is it safe to travel out there today? An avalanche forecaster provides the answer. Skiers, hikers, and road crews all study the forecaster's report before they set out.

The work begins at dawn. The forecaster first examines the weather, since fresh snow, strong wind, and sudden warmth can each alter the way snow behaves. Next, the forecaster climbs a slope to investigate the snow itself. A pit is dug down through the snowpack, and one wall is smoothed flat. That wall reveals distinct layers, much like the layers of a cake, and every layer was laid down during a different storm or cold spell.

Some layers are firm, while others are weak and crumbly. A fragile layer buried beneath a heavy one can create a hazard, because the layers above it may slide away. To check for this, the forecaster cuts out an isolated column of snow and taps it gently to find out whether it fractures along a weak layer.

By the end of the day, the forecaster has combined every clue into a single danger rating that ranges from low to extreme. The rating does not command people to stay home. Instead, it helps them decide where they can travel safely and which places they ought to avoid.

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 avalanche, forecaster, layer, crumbly and rating 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Forecaster Who Reads Layers of Snow"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 205 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.5. 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 seven. 5 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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