Skip to the content
Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Kelp, the Forest Under the Waves

5th grade nonfiction passage about kelp and seaweed: 212 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction kelp and seaweed 212 words

Kelp, the Forest Under the Waves

Off some cool, rocky coasts, there are forests that grow under the sea. They are made of kelp, a very large kind of seaweed. Kelp looks like a plant, but scientists place it in a different group called algae. Like plants, it makes its own food using sunlight.

Kelp has no true roots. Instead, it holds fast to the sea floor with a tangle of grippy parts called a holdfast. The holdfast does not take in food. Its only job is to keep the kelp from drifting away. Long stalks rise from it toward the surface, and each stalk has wide, ribbon-like blades. Small bladders filled with gas help hold the blades up so they can soak up sunlight near the top.

A kelp forest is a busy home. Fish swim among the stalks, snails crawl on the blades, and crabs hide near the bottom. Sea otters sometimes wrap themselves in kelp so they do not float away while they rest.

People use kelp, too. A substance taken from it is used to thicken foods such as ice cream and salad dressing. Some kinds of kelp can also be eaten as a vegetable.

Because it grows so quickly, kelp can recover fast, but it still needs clean, cool water to thrive.

Questions

  1. What group do scientists place kelp in? in the text

  2. What is the job of the holdfast? in the text

  3. How do the gas bladders help the kelp? think about it

  4. Which two animals live in or use a kelp forest? in the text

  5. How do people use kelp? in the text

  6. Why does kelp need to stay near the surface? think about it

Words to know

kelp
a very large kind of seaweed that grows in cool water
algae
plantlike living things that grow in water
holdfast
the grippy part that anchors kelp to the sea floor
stalks
long, thin stems
bladders
small sacs that hold gas
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 · 195 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6

Off some cool, rocky coasts, forests grow under the sea. They are made of kelp, a very large seaweed. Kelp looks like a plant, but scientists place it in a different group called algae. Like plants, it makes its own food from sunlight.

Kelp has no true roots. It holds on to the sea floor with a grippy tangle called a holdfast. The holdfast does not take in food. Its only job is to keep the kelp from drifting away. Long stalks rise from it toward the top of the water. Each stalk has wide, ribbon-like blades. Small bladders filled with gas help hold the blades up near the top, where they can soak up sunlight.

A kelp forest is a busy home. Fish swim among the stalks. Snails crawl on the blades. Crabs hide near the bottom. Sea otters sometimes wrap themselves in kelp so they do not float away while they rest.

People use kelp, too. A substance from it thickens foods such as ice cream and salad dressing. Some kinds of kelp are eaten as a vegetable.

Kelp grows quickly, so it can recover fast. It still needs clean, cool water.

▲ This passage · 212 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.9

Off some cool, rocky coasts, there are forests that grow under the sea. They are made of kelp, a very large kind of seaweed. Kelp looks like a plant, but scientists place it in a different group called algae. Like plants, it makes its own food using sunlight.

Kelp has no true roots. Instead, it holds fast to the sea floor with a tangle of grippy parts called a holdfast. The holdfast does not take in food. Its only job is to keep the kelp from drifting away. Long stalks rise from it toward the surface, and each stalk has wide, ribbon-like blades. Small bladders filled with gas help hold the blades up so they can soak up sunlight near the top.

A kelp forest is a busy home. Fish swim among the stalks, snails crawl on the blades, and crabs hide near the bottom. Sea otters sometimes wrap themselves in kelp so they do not float away while they rest.

People use kelp, too. A substance taken from it is used to thicken foods such as ice cream and salad dressing. Some kinds of kelp can also be eaten as a vegetable.

Because it grows so quickly, kelp can recover fast, but it still needs clean, cool water to thrive.

■ Harder · 209 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1

Along certain cool, rocky coastlines, entire forests flourish beneath the waves. These forests consist of kelp, an enormous kind of seaweed. Although kelp resembles a plant, scientists classify it in a separate group known as algae. Like plants, however, it produces its own food using sunlight.

Kelp lacks true roots. Instead, it clings to the sea floor with a grippy tangle called a holdfast, which does not absorb nourishment and exists solely to prevent the kelp from drifting away. Long stalks rise from the holdfast toward the surface, and each stalk bears wide, ribbon-like blades. Small bladders filled with gas keep the blades buoyant near the top, where they can capture sunlight.

A kelp forest is a bustling habitat. Fish weave among the stalks, snails creep along the blades, and crabs shelter near the bottom. Sea otters occasionally wrap themselves in kelp so that they do not float away while they rest.

People depend on kelp as well. A substance extracted from it is used to thicken foods such as ice cream and salad dressing, and certain kinds of kelp can be eaten as a vegetable.

Because kelp grows so rapidly, it can recover quickly from damage, but it still requires clean, cool water in order to thrive.

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 kelp, algae, holdfast, stalks and bladders 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 3 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 "Kelp, the Forest Under the Waves"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 212 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 3.9. 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.

Nothing you do here is sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.