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Cork: Bark That Grows Back

6th grade nonfiction passage about cork oak bark: 224 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction cork oak bark 224 words

Cork: Bark That Grows Back

Most trees would die if you stripped their bark. The cork oak is a rare exception. It grows around the western Mediterranean, and its thick, spongy outer bark can be removed without harming the tree. A new layer then grows to replace it.

Harvesters wait until a tree is about twenty-five years old before the first harvest. They cut through the bark with a special axe and pull away large curved planks. The planks are left to dry outdoors for months, then boiled and flattened. Workers punch stoppers for bottles out of the best pieces, and the scraps are ground up for floor tiles, bulletin boards and the insides of shoes.

Cork is useful because of how it is built. Its cells are tiny and filled with air, so the material is light, springy and a poor carrier of heat. It also pushes back against water. That is why a cork stopper can seal a bottle for years and why a cork floor feels warm under bare feet.

The trees are harvested again only after about nine years, which gives the bark time to thicken. Many cork forests are protected because they shelter birds and other wildlife. A tree that is cared for properly can be harvested many times in its long life, so the forest stays standing while people use its bark.

Questions

  1. What happens after cork bark is removed from a cork oak? in the text

  2. How old is a tree before its first harvest? in the text

  3. What are two things made from cork scraps? in the text

  4. Why is cork light and a poor carrier of heat? in the text

  5. Why do harvesters wait about nine years between harvests? think about it

  6. How does harvesting cork help keep forests standing? think about it

Words to know

harvest
to gather a crop or a natural material when it is ready
planks
long, flat pieces of wood or bark
stoppers
plugs that close the opening of a bottle
spongy
soft and springy, with many tiny holes
sheltered
gave protection or a safe home
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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 · 196 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.2

Most trees die if you strip off their bark. The cork oak is different. It grows near the western Mediterranean Sea. Its thick, spongy bark can be taken off and the tree is fine. A new layer grows back.

Workers wait until a tree is about twenty-five years old. Then they cut the bark with a special axe. They pull off big curved planks. The planks dry outside for months. Then they are boiled and flattened. Workers punch bottle stoppers out of the best pieces. The scraps are ground up. They make floor tiles, bulletin boards and the insides of shoes.

Cork is built in a useful way. Its cells are tiny and full of air. So cork is light and springy. It does not pass heat well. It also keeps water out. A cork stopper can seal a bottle for years. A cork floor feels warm on bare feet.

The trees are harvested again after about nine years. The bark needs time to grow thick. Many cork forests are protected. Birds and other wildlife live there. A cared-for tree can be harvested many times. The forest stays, and people still use the bark.

▲ This passage · 224 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6

Most trees would die if you stripped their bark. The cork oak is a rare exception. It grows around the western Mediterranean, and its thick, spongy outer bark can be removed without harming the tree. A new layer then grows to replace it.

Harvesters wait until a tree is about twenty-five years old before the first harvest. They cut through the bark with a special axe and pull away large curved planks. The planks are left to dry outdoors for months, then boiled and flattened. Workers punch stoppers for bottles out of the best pieces, and the scraps are ground up for floor tiles, bulletin boards and the insides of shoes.

Cork is useful because of how it is built. Its cells are tiny and filled with air, so the material is light, springy and a poor carrier of heat. It also pushes back against water. That is why a cork stopper can seal a bottle for years and why a cork floor feels warm under bare feet.

The trees are harvested again only after about nine years, which gives the bark time to thicken. Many cork forests are protected because they shelter birds and other wildlife. A tree that is cared for properly can be harvested many times in its long life, so the forest stays standing while people use its bark.

■ Harder · 229 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.9

Most trees would perish if their bark were stripped away, but the cork oak is a rare exception. It grows around the western Mediterranean, and its thick, spongy outer bark can be removed without harming the tree, because a new layer develops to replace it.

Harvesters wait until a tree is roughly twenty-five years old before the first harvest. They cut through the bark with a specialized axe and peel away large, curved planks. The planks are left to dry outdoors for several months, then boiled and flattened. Workers punch bottle stoppers out of the finest pieces, while the scraps are ground up and made into floor tiles, bulletin boards and the insides of shoes.

Cork is valuable because of the way it is constructed. Its cells are minute and filled with air, which makes the material light, springy and a poor conductor of heat. It also resists water. That explains why a cork stopper can seal a bottle for years and why a cork floor feels warm beneath bare feet.

The trees are harvested again only after about nine years, which allows the bark to thicken. Many cork forests are protected because they shelter birds and other wildlife. A tree that is looked after properly can be harvested many times during its long life, so the forest remains standing even as people make use of its bark.

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 harvest, planks, stoppers, spongy and sheltered 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 "Cork: Bark That Grows Back"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 224 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 6.0. 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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