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The Moon Looks Giant Near the Rooftops

5th grade nonfiction passage about the moon illusion: 242 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction the moon illusion 242 words

The Moon Looks Giant Near the Rooftops

Have you ever seen the moon rise on a clear evening and thought it looked enormous? Low over the rooftops or trees, it seems to fill a big part of the sky. A few hours later, high overhead, it looks much smaller. Yet the moon has not changed size at all.

You can prove this with a simple test. Hold a small coin at arm's length and slide it until it just covers the moon when the moon is low. Do the same thing when the moon is high. The coin covers it in the same way both times. A camera shows the same result, because photographs taken at both times show the moon at the same size.

So the big moon is a trick of the mind, called the moon illusion. Scientists still talk about exactly why it happens. One idea is that when the moon sits near the horizon, we can compare it with buildings, hills, and trees. Those things make it seem larger. High in an empty sky, the moon has nothing near it to compare with, so it looks smaller.

Another clue is that the moon often looks yellow or orange when it is low. This color comes from the thick layer of air that its light passes through, and it adds to the feeling that the moon is special. The next time you see a giant moon, try the coin test and let your eyes be fooled.

Questions

  1. What do many people think they see when the moon rises low in the sky? in the text

  2. How can you prove that the moon does not change size? in the text

  3. What does a camera show about the moon's size? in the text

  4. What is the idea about buildings, hills, and trees? think about it

  5. Why might the moon look smaller high in an empty sky? think about it

  6. What is the name for this trick of the mind? in the text

Words to know

enormous
very, very large
illusion
something that seems real but is a trick of the eyes or mind
horizon
the line where the sky seems to meet the ground
compare
to look at how two things are alike or different
clue
a small sign that helps you work something out
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 · 206 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.8

Have you ever seen the moon rise and thought it looked huge? Low over the rooftops or trees, it seems to fill a big part of the sky. A few hours later, high up, it looks much smaller. But the moon has not changed size at all.

You can test this. Hold a small coin at arm's length. Slide it until it just covers the moon when the moon is low. Do the same thing when the moon is high. The coin covers it the same way both times. A camera shows the same thing. Photos of the moon low and high show the same size.

So the big moon is a trick of the mind. It is called the moon illusion. Scientists still talk about why it happens. One idea is this. When the moon is near the horizon, we can compare it with buildings, hills, and trees. They make it seem bigger. High in an empty sky, the moon has nothing near it to compare with. So it looks smaller.

The moon also often looks yellow or orange when it is low. That color comes from the thick air its light passes through. Next time you see a giant moon, try the coin test.

▲ This passage · 242 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.2

Have you ever seen the moon rise on a clear evening and thought it looked enormous? Low over the rooftops or trees, it seems to fill a big part of the sky. A few hours later, high overhead, it looks much smaller. Yet the moon has not changed size at all.

You can prove this with a simple test. Hold a small coin at arm's length and slide it until it just covers the moon when the moon is low. Do the same thing when the moon is high. The coin covers it in the same way both times. A camera shows the same result, because photographs taken at both times show the moon at the same size.

So the big moon is a trick of the mind, called the moon illusion. Scientists still talk about exactly why it happens. One idea is that when the moon sits near the horizon, we can compare it with buildings, hills, and trees. Those things make it seem larger. High in an empty sky, the moon has nothing near it to compare with, so it looks smaller.

Another clue is that the moon often looks yellow or orange when it is low. This color comes from the thick layer of air that its light passes through, and it adds to the feeling that the moon is special. The next time you see a giant moon, try the coin test and let your eyes be fooled.

■ Harder · 258 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7

Have you ever watched the moon rise on a clear evening and marveled at how gigantic it appears? Hanging low over the rooftops or the treetops, it seems to occupy a vast portion of the sky. A few hours later, high overhead, it looks considerably smaller. Nevertheless, the moon has not changed size in the slightest.

You can demonstrate this with a simple experiment. Hold a small coin at arm's length and slide it until it just covers the moon while the moon is low. Then repeat the same step when the moon is high. The coin covers it in exactly the same way both times. A camera confirms the result, because photographs taken at both times show the moon at an identical size.

The enormous moon is therefore a trick of the mind, known as the moon illusion. Scientists continue to debate exactly why it occurs. One idea is that when the moon sits near the horizon, we are able to compare it with buildings, hills, and trees, and those familiar objects make it appear larger. High in an empty sky, the moon has nothing nearby to measure it against, so it seems smaller.

Another clue is that the moon often looks yellow or orange when it is low. This color comes from the thick layer of air through which its light must pass, and it adds to the impression that the moon is something special. The next time you notice a giant moon, perform the coin test and see how easily your eyes can be fooled.

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 enormous, illusion, horizon, compare and clue 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 "The Moon Looks Giant Near the Rooftops"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 242 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.2. 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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