Skip to the content
Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

The Volcano That Would Not Erupt

5th grade fiction passage about a science fair problem: 241 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade fiction a science fair problem 241 words

The Volcano That Would Not Erupt

Priya had been looking forward to the science fair for several weeks. Her project was a model volcano made of clay, which she had painted brown and gray and given a deep crater at the top. She had practiced the eruption at home three times, and every time the red foam had bubbled over the sides exactly like real lava.

On the morning of the fair, Priya carried the volcano into the gymnasium and set it on her table. A crowd of parents and students wandered between the displays. When the judge arrived, Priya poured vinegar into the crater, just as she had done at home, and then she waited. Nothing happened. Not a single bubble appeared.

Her cheeks grew hot. "It always works," she whispered. The judge smiled kindly and said, "Take your time. Scientists have problems like this every day."

Priya took a deep breath and thought about the steps. Baking soda and vinegar make the foam. She peeked inside the crater and saw the answer at once. In her hurry that morning, she had forgotten to put in the baking soda.

She spooned some into the crater and poured in the vinegar again. This time, red foam bubbled up and ran down the slopes of the volcano. The judge clapped and said, "You checked your steps and found the mistake, and that is what good scientists do." Priya grinned, and she wrote the lesson on her display card.

Questions

  1. What was Priya's science fair project? in the text

  2. What happened when Priya poured the vinegar into the crater the first time? in the text

  3. What had Priya forgotten to do? in the text

  4. Why did Priya's cheeks grow hot? think about it

  5. What did the judge mean by saying that is what good scientists do? think about it

Words to know

crater
the bowl-shaped hole at the top of a volcano
eruption
a burst of lava, gas, or foam from a volcano
display
something put out for people to look at
judge
a person who decides how good something is
mistake
something done wrong by accident
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 · 219 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.9

Priya had waited for the science fair for weeks. Her project was a model volcano made of clay. She had painted it brown and gray, and it had a deep crater at the top. She had tried the eruption at home three times. Each time, red foam bubbled over the sides like real lava.

On the morning of the fair, Priya carried the volcano into the gym. She set it on her table. Parents and students walked between the displays. The judge came. Priya poured vinegar into the crater, just as she had at home. She waited. Nothing happened. Not one bubble came up.

Her cheeks got hot. "It always works," she whispered. The judge smiled. "Take your time," she said. "Scientists have problems like this every day."

Priya took a deep breath. She thought about the steps. Baking soda and vinegar make the foam. She looked into the crater and saw the answer. That morning she had been in a hurry. She had forgotten the baking soda!

She put some in the crater. She poured in the vinegar again. This time, red foam bubbled up and ran down the sides. The judge clapped. "You checked your steps and found your mistake," she said. "That is what good scientists do." Priya grinned. She wrote the lesson on her card.

▲ This passage · 241 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.7

Priya had been looking forward to the science fair for several weeks. Her project was a model volcano made of clay, which she had painted brown and gray and given a deep crater at the top. She had practiced the eruption at home three times, and every time the red foam had bubbled over the sides exactly like real lava.

On the morning of the fair, Priya carried the volcano into the gymnasium and set it on her table. A crowd of parents and students wandered between the displays. When the judge arrived, Priya poured vinegar into the crater, just as she had done at home, and then she waited. Nothing happened. Not a single bubble appeared.

Her cheeks grew hot. "It always works," she whispered. The judge smiled kindly and said, "Take your time. Scientists have problems like this every day."

Priya took a deep breath and thought about the steps. Baking soda and vinegar make the foam. She peeked inside the crater and saw the answer at once. In her hurry that morning, she had forgotten to put in the baking soda.

She spooned some into the crater and poured in the vinegar again. This time, red foam bubbled up and ran down the slopes of the volcano. The judge clapped and said, "You checked your steps and found the mistake, and that is what good scientists do." Priya grinned, and she wrote the lesson on her display card.

■ Harder · 237 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.1

Priya had been eagerly anticipating the science fair for weeks. Her project was a model volcano sculpted from clay, painted brown and gray, with a deep crater at its summit. She had rehearsed the eruption at home three times, and on each occasion red foam had bubbled over the sides exactly like real lava.

On the morning of the fair, Priya carried the volcano into the gymnasium and positioned it on her table. A crowd of parents and students wandered among the displays. When the judge arrived, Priya poured vinegar into the crater, just as she had done at home. She waited, but nothing happened. Not a single bubble appeared.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "It always works," she whispered. The judge smiled warmly and replied, "Take your time. Scientists encounter problems like this every day."

Priya drew a deep breath and methodically reviewed the procedure in her mind. Baking soda and vinegar combine to make the foam. She peered into the crater and immediately discovered the explanation: in her hurry that morning, she had neglected to put in the baking soda.

She spooned some into the crater and poured in the vinegar once more. This time, red foam surged upward and streamed down the slopes. The judge applauded. "You examined your steps and located the mistake," she said. "That is precisely what good scientists do." Priya beamed, and she wrote the lesson on her display card.

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 crater, eruption, display, judge and mistake 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 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 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 Volcano That Would Not Erupt"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 241 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.7. 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 five. 3 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.