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The Notary Who Watches You Sign

5th grade nonfiction passage about what a notary public does: 214 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction what a notary public does 214 words

The Notary Who Watches You Sign

Some papers are too important to fake. A paper that moves a car or a house to a new owner is one example. If someone could sign another person's name and get away with it, people could lose things that belong to them. A notary public helps stop that.

A notary is a person approved by the state to be a trusted witness. You can often find one at a bank, a shipping store or a town office. When you bring a paper to a notary, the notary does a few things in order.

First, the notary asks to see your photo identification, such as a driver's license. The notary looks at the picture and compares it to your face. This makes sure you are the person named on the paper.

Second, the notary watches you sign. You must sign the paper while the notary is looking, not before.

Third, the notary signs it and adds a stamp or seal. Many notaries also write the event in a record book, with the date.

A notary does not decide whether the paper is a good idea or a good deal. The only job is to check who you are and see that you signed. That job gives other people reason to trust the paper later.

Questions

  1. Who approves a notary public? in the text

  2. What does a notary check first? in the text

  3. When must you sign the paper? in the text

  4. What does the notary add after signing? in the text

  5. Why does the notary compare the photo to your face? think about it

  6. Does a notary say whether a paper is a good deal? How do you know? think about it

Words to know

notary
a person approved to watch people sign important papers
witness
a person who sees something happen
identification
a card or paper that shows who you are
seal
a special mark pressed on a paper to show it is official
approved
given permission by someone in charge
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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 · 191 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.6

Some papers are too important to fake. A paper that gives a car or a house to a new owner is one. If someone could sign another person's name, people could lose things that are theirs. A notary public helps stop that.

A notary is a person the state has approved to be a trusted witness. You can often find one at a bank, a shipping store or a town office. A notary does a few things in order.

First, the notary asks for your photo ID, like a driver's license. The notary looks at the picture and at your face. This makes sure you are the person named on the paper.

Second, the notary watches you sign. You must sign while the notary is looking.

Third, the notary signs the paper and adds a stamp or seal. Many notaries also write it in a record book with the date.

A notary does not say if the paper is a good idea or a good deal. The only job is to check who you are and see that you signed. That gives other people a reason to trust the paper later.

▲ This passage · 214 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.6

Some papers are too important to fake. A paper that moves a car or a house to a new owner is one example. If someone could sign another person's name and get away with it, people could lose things that belong to them. A notary public helps stop that.

A notary is a person approved by the state to be a trusted witness. You can often find one at a bank, a shipping store or a town office. When you bring a paper to a notary, the notary does a few things in order.

First, the notary asks to see your photo identification, such as a driver's license. The notary looks at the picture and compares it to your face. This makes sure you are the person named on the paper.

Second, the notary watches you sign. You must sign the paper while the notary is looking, not before.

Third, the notary signs it and adds a stamp or seal. Many notaries also write the event in a record book, with the date.

A notary does not decide whether the paper is a good idea or a good deal. The only job is to check who you are and see that you signed. That job gives other people reason to trust the paper later.

■ Harder · 226 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.9

Certain documents are too important to risk being forged. A paper that transfers a car or a house to a new owner is one example. If someone could sign another person's name and get away with it, people might lose property that rightfully belongs to them. A notary public helps prevent this.

A notary is a person approved by the state to serve as a trusted witness. You can frequently find one at a bank, a shipping store or a town office. When you bring a document to a notary, the notary carries out several steps in a particular order.

First, the notary asks to see your photo identification, such as a driver's license. The notary studies the picture and compares it with your face, which confirms that you are the person named on the paper.

Second, the notary watches you sign. You are required to sign the paper in the notary's presence, not beforehand.

Third, the notary signs the document and adds a stamp or seal. Many notaries also record the event in a log book, along with the date.

A notary does not judge whether the paper is a wise decision or a fair deal. The sole responsibility is to verify who you are and to see that you signed, and that gives other people good reason to trust the document in the future.

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 notary, witness, identification, seal and approved 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 Notary Who Watches You Sign"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 214 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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