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Tick, Tock, Catch: The Escapement in a Clock

5th grade nonfiction passage about how an escapement keeps time: 221 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction how an escapement keeps time 221 words

Tick, Tock, Catch: The Escapement in a Clock

A heavy weight on a cord wants to drop to the floor. In an old pendulum clock, that falling weight supplies the power. If nothing held it back, the weight would crash down in seconds and spin the gears wildly. Instead, a small part called an escapement lets the weight fall in tiny, regular steps.

The escapement has two main pieces. The first is a wheel with sharp, slanted teeth. The second is a rocking piece, often shaped like an anchor, that swings back and forth over the wheel. As it rocks, one end catches a tooth and holds the wheel still. Then the rocker swings the other way, releases that tooth, and catches the next one a moment later.

The swinging is controlled by a pendulum, a rod with a weight at the bottom. A pendulum takes the same amount of time for each swing. This was a discovery made by a scientist named Galileo, according to a famous story. Each swing lets the wheel advance by exactly one tooth.

The tick and tock you hear are the sounds of the escapement catching and releasing. The wheel then moves the hands of the clock at a steady pace. Without it, the hands would race around. Because of this small clever part, a heavy weight can measure the hours very calmly.

Questions

  1. What supplies the power in an old pendulum clock? in the text

  2. What are the two main pieces of an escapement? in the text

  3. What controls the swinging of the rocking piece? in the text

  4. What are the tick and tock sounds? in the text

  5. What would happen to the weight if the escapement were missing? think about it

  6. Why is a pendulum good for keeping time? think about it

Words to know

escapement
a part that lets a clock's gears move one step at a time
pendulum
a weight that swings back and forth on a rod
slanted
tilted at an angle
release
to let go of something
steady
even and regular, not changing
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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 · 181 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6

A heavy weight on a cord wants to fall to the floor. In an old pendulum clock, the falling weight gives the power. If nothing held it back, the weight would crash down in seconds. The gears would spin wildly. A small part called an escapement lets the weight fall in tiny, even steps.

The escapement has two main pieces. One is a wheel with sharp, slanted teeth. The other is a rocking piece, often shaped like an anchor. It swings back and forth over the wheel. One end catches a tooth and holds the wheel still. Then the rocker swings back and lets go. A moment later it catches the next tooth.

A pendulum controls the swinging. A pendulum is a rod with a weight at the bottom. Each swing takes the same time. A famous story says Galileo found this out. Each swing lets the wheel move one tooth.

The tick and tock are the sounds of the catch and release. The wheel then moves the clock hands at a steady pace. Without it, the hands would race around.

▲ This passage · 221 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1

A heavy weight on a cord wants to drop to the floor. In an old pendulum clock, that falling weight supplies the power. If nothing held it back, the weight would crash down in seconds and spin the gears wildly. Instead, a small part called an escapement lets the weight fall in tiny, regular steps.

The escapement has two main pieces. The first is a wheel with sharp, slanted teeth. The second is a rocking piece, often shaped like an anchor, that swings back and forth over the wheel. As it rocks, one end catches a tooth and holds the wheel still. Then the rocker swings the other way, releases that tooth, and catches the next one a moment later.

The swinging is controlled by a pendulum, a rod with a weight at the bottom. A pendulum takes the same amount of time for each swing. This was a discovery made by a scientist named Galileo, according to a famous story. Each swing lets the wheel advance by exactly one tooth.

The tick and tock you hear are the sounds of the escapement catching and releasing. The wheel then moves the hands of the clock at a steady pace. Without it, the hands would race around. Because of this small clever part, a heavy weight can measure the hours very calmly.

■ Harder · 233 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.7

A heavy weight dangling from a cord naturally wants to plunge toward the floor. In an old pendulum clock, that falling weight supplies the power. If nothing restrained it, the weight would crash down within seconds and send the gears spinning wildly. Instead, a small component called an escapement permits the weight to descend in tiny, regular steps.

The escapement consists of two main pieces. The first is a wheel with sharp, slanted teeth. The second is a rocking piece, often shaped like an anchor, that swings back and forth over the wheel. As it rocks, one end catches a tooth and holds the wheel motionless. Then the rocker swings in the opposite direction, frees that tooth, and catches the next one a moment later.

The swinging is regulated by a pendulum, a rod with a weight at its lower end. A pendulum takes the same amount of time to complete each swing, a discovery that, according to a famous story, was made by a scientist named Galileo. Every swing allows the wheel to advance by precisely one tooth.

The tick and tock you hear are the sounds of the escapement catching and releasing. The wheel in turn moves the hands of the clock at a steady pace. Without this part, the hands would race around the dial. Thanks to one small, ingenious piece, a heavy weight can measure the hours very calmly.

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 escapement, pendulum, slanted, release and steady 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 "Tick, Tock, Catch: The Escapement in a Clock"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 221 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 5.1. 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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