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The Ibex and the Crumbling Ledge

5th grade fiction passage about a mountain goat asks for help: 232 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade fiction a mountain goat asks for help 232 words

The Ibex and the Crumbling Ledge

High on a precipitous mountain lived a young ibex named Dario. He was the most skilled climber in his entire herd, and he was thoroughly aware of it. He leaped from rock to rock without ever bothering to look down.

One crisp autumn day, the herd's leader, an old female named Sela, halted at the edge of a narrow ledge. "I have never walked this path before," she said. "The rains have been unusually heavy this season. Let us test the ledge before we all cross it."

Dario snorted impatiently. "I could cross it in a blink. I do not need to test anything."

"Wait," said Sela. "Even the strongest climber still depends on solid ground."

Dario did not wait. He trotted confidently onto the ledge, and with a soft crack, an entire slab of rock gave way beneath his back hooves. He scrambled desperately and clung to the wall, trembling all over. Below him there was nothing but empty air.

"Hold perfectly still," called Sela. She and two other ibex edged along the safer side of the ledge and pressed their shoulders firmly against his, guiding him carefully back onto solid rock.

Dario was silent for a long time. At last he said, "I believed that asking for advice was something only weak climbers did."

"The best climbers ask the most questions," replied Sela. "That is precisely how they grow old."

Questions

  1. What was Dario well known for among his herd? in the text

  2. Why did Sela insist on testing the ledge? in the text

  3. What happened when Dario trotted onto the ledge? in the text

  4. How did the other ibex rescue him? in the text

  5. Why did Dario ignore Sela's warning? think about it

  6. What does Sela mean when she says that is how the best climbers grow old? think about it

Words to know

ibex
a wild mountain goat with long curved horns
ledge
a narrow shelf of rock sticking out from a cliff
slab
a flat, thick piece of something
scrambled
moved quickly and awkwardly using hands or feet
herd
a group of animals that live together
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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 · 202 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6

High on a steep mountain lived a young ibex named Dario. He was the best climber in his herd, and he knew it. He leaped from rock to rock without ever looking down.

One autumn day, the herd's leader, an old female named Sela, stopped at the edge of a narrow ledge. "This path is new to me," she said. "The rains have been heavy. Let us test it before we all cross."

Dario snorted. "I can cross it in a blink. I do not need to test anything."

"Wait," said Sela. "A strong climber still needs good ground."

Dario did not wait. He trotted onto the ledge, and with a soft crack, a slab of rock slid out from beneath his back hooves. He scrambled and clung to the wall, trembling. Below him there was nothing but air.

"Hold still," called Sela. She and two others came along the safer edge of the ledge and pressed their shoulders against his, helping him step back to solid rock.

Dario was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "I thought asking for advice was for weak climbers."

"The best climbers ask the most questions," said Sela. "That is how they grow old."

▲ This passage · 232 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.3

High on a precipitous mountain lived a young ibex named Dario. He was the most skilled climber in his entire herd, and he was thoroughly aware of it. He leaped from rock to rock without ever bothering to look down.

One crisp autumn day, the herd's leader, an old female named Sela, halted at the edge of a narrow ledge. "I have never walked this path before," she said. "The rains have been unusually heavy this season. Let us test the ledge before we all cross it."

Dario snorted impatiently. "I could cross it in a blink. I do not need to test anything."

"Wait," said Sela. "Even the strongest climber still depends on solid ground."

Dario did not wait. He trotted confidently onto the ledge, and with a soft crack, an entire slab of rock gave way beneath his back hooves. He scrambled desperately and clung to the wall, trembling all over. Below him there was nothing but empty air.

"Hold perfectly still," called Sela. She and two other ibex edged along the safer side of the ledge and pressed their shoulders firmly against his, guiding him carefully back onto solid rock.

Dario was silent for a long time. At last he said, "I believed that asking for advice was something only weak climbers did."

"The best climbers ask the most questions," replied Sela. "That is precisely how they grow old."

■ Harder · 234 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6

High on a precipitous mountain lived a young ibex named Dario, who was the most skilled climber in his entire herd and who was thoroughly aware of it. He leaped from rock to rock without ever bothering to look down.

One crisp autumn day, the herd's leader, an old female named Sela, halted at the edge of a narrow ledge. "I have never walked this path before, and the rains have been unusually heavy this season," she said. "Let us test the ledge before we all cross it."

Dario snorted impatiently. "I could cross it in a blink. I do not need to test anything."

"Wait," said Sela. "Even the strongest climber still depends on solid ground."

Dario did not wait. He trotted confidently onto the ledge, and with a soft crack, an entire slab of rock gave way beneath his back hooves. He scrambled desperately and clung to the wall, trembling all over, while below him there was nothing but empty air.

"Hold perfectly still," called Sela. She and two other ibex edged along the safer side of the ledge and pressed their shoulders firmly against his, guiding him carefully back onto solid rock.

Dario was silent for a long time. At last he said, "I believed that asking for advice was something only weak climbers did."

"The best climbers ask the most questions," replied Sela. "That is precisely how they grow old."

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 ibex, ledge, slab, scrambled and herd on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the story 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 retell the story in three sentences: how it began, what the problem was, and how it ended.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Ibex and the Crumbling Ledge"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 232 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.3. 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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