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At the Time Bank, an Hour Is the Money

5th grade nonfiction passage about neighbors trading hours: 201 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction neighbors trading hours 201 words

At the Time Bank, an Hour Is the Money

Most banks keep money. A time bank keeps something different. In a time bank, people trade hours of help instead of dollars. Some neighborhoods and towns have started them so that neighbors can share their skills.

Here is how one might work. A man named Mr. Ortiz is good at fixing bicycles. He spends one hour repairing a neighbor's bike. For that hour, the time bank gives him one time credit. Later, Mr. Ortiz needs help learning to use his new computer. He spends his credit, and a member who knows computers comes to teach him for one hour.

The special rule is that every hour is worth the same. An hour spent raking leaves counts the same as an hour spent tutoring math or cooking a meal. This means people who do not have much money can still earn credits. It also shows that every kind of skill matters.

Members usually sign up with a list of what they can offer and what they need. A coordinator, who is often a volunteer, helps match them.

Time banks do not replace jobs or stores. Their purpose is to help neighbors meet each other and notice that everyone has something to give.

Questions

  1. What do people trade in a time bank? in the text

  2. How many credits does Mr. Ortiz earn for fixing a bike for one hour? in the text

  3. What does Mr. Ortiz buy with his credit? in the text

  4. What does a coordinator do? in the text

  5. Why can people without much money still take part? think about it

  6. Why does the passage say every hour is worth the same? think about it

Words to know

credit
a point you earn that you can use later
tutoring
teaching someone one on one to help them learn
skills
things a person knows how to do well
coordinator
a person who organizes people and helps them work together
neighborhoods
parts of a town where people live near each other
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 · 179 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.4

Most banks keep money. A time bank keeps something else. People trade hours of help, not dollars. Some towns have started them so neighbors can share skills.

Here is how one might work. Mr. Ortiz is good at fixing bikes. He spends one hour fixing a neighbor's bike. The time bank gives him one time credit. Later, Mr. Ortiz needs help with his new computer. He spends his credit. A member who knows computers comes to teach him for one hour.

The special rule is that every hour is worth the same. An hour of raking leaves counts the same as an hour of tutoring math or cooking a meal. So people who do not have much money can still earn credits. It also shows that every skill matters.

Members sign up with a list of what they can offer and what they need. A coordinator helps match them. The coordinator is often a volunteer.

Time banks do not replace jobs or stores. They help neighbors meet each other. They help people see that everyone has something to give.

▲ This passage · 201 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5

Most banks keep money. A time bank keeps something different. In a time bank, people trade hours of help instead of dollars. Some neighborhoods and towns have started them so that neighbors can share their skills.

Here is how one might work. A man named Mr. Ortiz is good at fixing bicycles. He spends one hour repairing a neighbor's bike. For that hour, the time bank gives him one time credit. Later, Mr. Ortiz needs help learning to use his new computer. He spends his credit, and a member who knows computers comes to teach him for one hour.

The special rule is that every hour is worth the same. An hour spent raking leaves counts the same as an hour spent tutoring math or cooking a meal. This means people who do not have much money can still earn credits. It also shows that every kind of skill matters.

Members usually sign up with a list of what they can offer and what they need. A coordinator, who is often a volunteer, helps match them.

Time banks do not replace jobs or stores. Their purpose is to help neighbors meet each other and notice that everyone has something to give.

■ Harder · 223 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.5

Most banks store money, but a time bank stores something entirely different. In a time bank, people exchange hours of assistance instead of dollars. Some neighborhoods and towns have organized them so that neighbors can share their skills with one another.

Here is how one might function. A man named Mr. Ortiz is talented at repairing bicycles. He spends one hour fixing a neighbor's bike, and in return the time bank awards him one time credit. Some weeks later, Mr. Ortiz needs help learning to use his new computer. He spends his credit, and a member who understands computers comes over to teach him for an hour.

The distinctive rule is that every hour is valued equally. An hour spent raking leaves counts the same as an hour spent tutoring math or preparing a meal. As a result, people who have little money can still earn credits, and the arrangement also demonstrates that every kind of skill matters.

Members typically sign up with a list of what they are able to offer and what they need. A coordinator, who is often a volunteer, helps to match them with one another.

Time banks are not meant to replace jobs or stores. Their purpose is to help neighbors get to know each other and to remind everyone that each person has something valuable to give.

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 credit, tutoring, skills, coordinator and neighborhoods 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 "At the Time Bank, an Hour Is the Money"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 201 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.5. 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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