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The Inspector's Sticker on the Grocery Scale

5th grade nonfiction passage about weights and measures inspectors: 199 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction weights and measures inspectors 199 words

The Inspector's Sticker on the Grocery Scale

Have you ever watched a grocery worker weigh apples on a scale? You trust the scale to tell the truth. If it showed too much, you would pay for apples you never got. If it showed too little, the store would lose money. Either way, someone is cheated.

To keep things fair, many places send an inspector to check scales, gas pumps and other measuring tools. This person is often called a weights and measures inspector. The inspector carries a set of special test weights. Each one has been checked against a standard, which is an example that everyone agrees to trust. The inspector sets the weights on a scale to see whether it reads correctly.

Gas pumps get a similar test. The inspector pumps fuel into a container that holds an exact, known amount. If the pump says one amount and the container shows another, the pump needs repair.

When a scale or pump passes, the inspector puts a small sticker on it with a date. If it fails, the owner must fix it before using it again. Because of this simple check, shoppers can buy by weight or by the gallon and know the measure is fair.

Questions

  1. What does a weights and measures inspector check? in the text

  2. What does the inspector use to test a scale? in the text

  3. How is a gas pump tested? in the text

  4. What must an owner do if a scale fails the test? in the text

  5. Why does a fair scale help both shoppers and stores? think about it

  6. Why must the test weights be checked against a standard? think about it

Words to know

inspector
a person whose job is to check that things are done right
standard
an example that everyone agrees to trust
cheated
treated in an unfair way
repair
to fix something that is broken
fuel
something burned to make an engine run, like gasoline
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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 · 157 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.5

Have you seen a worker weigh apples on a scale? You trust the scale to be right. If it showed too much, you would pay for apples you did not get. If it showed too little, the store would lose money. Either way, someone is cheated.

Many places send an inspector to check scales and gas pumps. The inspector brings test weights. These weights were checked against a standard. A standard is an example that everyone trusts. The inspector puts the weights on the scale. Then the inspector sees if the scale reads right.

Gas pumps get a test too. The inspector pumps fuel into a container. The container holds an exact amount. If the pump and the container do not match, the pump needs repair.

If a scale or pump passes, the inspector puts a sticker on it with a date. If it fails, the owner must fix it first. This check keeps the measure fair.

▲ This passage · 199 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.6

Have you ever watched a grocery worker weigh apples on a scale? You trust the scale to tell the truth. If it showed too much, you would pay for apples you never got. If it showed too little, the store would lose money. Either way, someone is cheated.

To keep things fair, many places send an inspector to check scales, gas pumps and other measuring tools. This person is often called a weights and measures inspector. The inspector carries a set of special test weights. Each one has been checked against a standard, which is an example that everyone agrees to trust. The inspector sets the weights on a scale to see whether it reads correctly.

Gas pumps get a similar test. The inspector pumps fuel into a container that holds an exact, known amount. If the pump says one amount and the container shows another, the pump needs repair.

When a scale or pump passes, the inspector puts a small sticker on it with a date. If it fails, the owner must fix it before using it again. Because of this simple check, shoppers can buy by weight or by the gallon and know the measure is fair.

■ Harder · 221 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.3

Have you ever watched a grocery worker weigh a bag of apples on a scale? Without thinking about it, you trust that scale to tell the truth. If it displayed too much, you would be charged for apples you never received. If it displayed too little, the store would quietly lose money. In either case, somebody is being cheated.

To keep trade fair, many communities employ an inspector to examine scales, gas pumps and other measuring tools. This person is often called a weights and measures inspector. The inspector brings along a collection of special test weights, each of which has been checked against a standard, meaning an example that everyone has agreed to trust. By placing those weights on a scale, the inspector can tell whether it reads correctly.

Gas pumps are tested in a similar manner. The inspector pumps fuel into a container that holds an exact, known amount. If the pump claims one amount while the container shows another, the pump must be repaired.

When a scale or pump passes the test, the inspector attaches a small sticker with a date. When it fails, the owner has to fix it before it can be used again. Thanks to this simple check, shoppers can buy by weight or by the gallon and feel confident that the measure is fair.

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 inspector, standard, cheated, repair and fuel 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.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Inspector's Sticker on the Grocery Scale"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 199 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.6. 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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