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Who Decides the Number on the Speed Limit Sign?

5th grade nonfiction passage about how speed limits are set: 219 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

5th grade nonfiction how speed limits are set 219 words

Who Decides the Number on the Speed Limit Sign?

The number on a speed limit sign may look as if someone just picked it. In fact, a town usually thinks about many things before it chooses a limit.

Traffic engineers often start by watching the road. They may measure how fast most drivers go when nothing is in the way. People tend to drive at a speed that feels safe for the road, so this tells engineers a lot.

Next, they look at what is around the road. Are there sharp curves or steep hills that make it hard to see ahead? Are there driveways where cars pull out? Do many people walk or bike nearby? A road with homes, a park and a school needs a lower limit than a long, straight road with few buildings.

Engineers also look at the record of past crashes. If a road has had many, they may suggest changes, such as a lower limit or a new crosswalk.

The engineers give their advice, but the limit is not set by one person alone. A town board or another group of leaders usually votes on it, and the rule is then put into the law. After that, workers put up signs so every driver knows the number.

Slower limits give drivers more time to stop. That matters most where children are crossing.

Questions

  1. What do traffic engineers often measure at first? in the text

  2. What are two things near a road that can lead to a lower limit? in the text

  3. Who usually votes on the final speed limit? in the text

  4. What do workers do after the limit becomes law? in the text

  5. Why would a road near a school get a lower limit? think about it

  6. Why do engineers look at past crashes? think about it

Words to know

engineers
people who use math and science to plan and solve problems
limit
the most that is allowed
driveways
short roads that lead from a street to a house
crashes
times when vehicles hit something
board
a group of people chosen to make decisions
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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 · 185 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.9

The number on a speed limit sign may look like a random pick. But a town thinks about many things before it picks a limit.

Traffic engineers often start by watching the road. They may measure how fast most drivers go when nothing is in the way. People tend to drive at a speed that feels safe, so this tells engineers a lot.

Next, they look at what is near the road. Are there sharp curves or steep hills? Are there driveways where cars pull out? Do many people walk or bike? A road with homes, a park and a school needs a lower limit than a long, straight road with few buildings.

Engineers also look at past crashes. If a road has had many, they may suggest a lower limit or a new crosswalk.

The engineers give advice, but one person does not set the limit. A town board or other leaders usually vote on it. Then it becomes law. Workers put up signs so every driver knows the number.

Slower limits give drivers more time to stop. That matters most where children cross.

▲ This passage · 219 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1

The number on a speed limit sign may look as if someone just picked it. In fact, a town usually thinks about many things before it chooses a limit.

Traffic engineers often start by watching the road. They may measure how fast most drivers go when nothing is in the way. People tend to drive at a speed that feels safe for the road, so this tells engineers a lot.

Next, they look at what is around the road. Are there sharp curves or steep hills that make it hard to see ahead? Are there driveways where cars pull out? Do many people walk or bike nearby? A road with homes, a park and a school needs a lower limit than a long, straight road with few buildings.

Engineers also look at the record of past crashes. If a road has had many, they may suggest changes, such as a lower limit or a new crosswalk.

The engineers give their advice, but the limit is not set by one person alone. A town board or another group of leaders usually votes on it, and the rule is then put into the law. After that, workers put up signs so every driver knows the number.

Slower limits give drivers more time to stop. That matters most where children are crossing.

■ Harder · 232 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.8

The number on a speed limit sign may look as though someone simply picked it at random. In reality, a town usually weighs a great many factors before it settles on a limit.

Traffic engineers often begin by observing the road itself. They may measure how fast most drivers travel when nothing is in their way. Because people tend to drive at a speed that feels safe for the road, this information tells engineers a good deal.

Next, they study what surrounds the road. Are there sharp curves or steep hills that make it hard to see ahead? Are there driveways where cars pull out into traffic? Do many people walk or ride bicycles nearby? A road lined with homes, a park and a school calls for a lower limit than a long, straight road with few buildings.

Engineers also examine the record of past crashes. If a road has had many of them, they may recommend changes, such as a lower limit or a new crosswalk.

Engineers offer their advice, but the limit is not decided by any one person. A town board or another group of leaders usually votes on it, and the rule is then written into the law. After that, workers put up signs so that every driver knows the number.

Lower limits give drivers more time to stop, which matters most in places where children are crossing.

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 engineers, limit, driveways, crashes and board 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 "Who Decides the Number on the Speed Limit Sign?"?

It was written for 5th grade. It has 219 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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