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Root a Pothos Cutting in a Jar

6th grade nonfiction passage about growing a plant from a cutting: 223 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction growing a plant from a cutting 223 words

Root a Pothos Cutting in a Jar

You can make a brand new houseplant without buying a seed. All you need is a healthy pothos vine, a pair of clean scissors, a clear jar and some water. This method is called taking a cutting, and it works because many plants can grow roots from a piece of stem.

First, ask an adult before you cut a plant that belongs to someone else. Look for a vine with several leaves. Find a node, which is a small bump on the stem where a leaf joins. Roots will grow from nodes, so each cutting needs at least one. Snip about an inch below a node, and keep two or three leaves above it.

Next, fill the jar with room-temperature water and place the cutting inside so the node is under the water but the leaves stay dry. Set the jar in bright light, but not in harsh direct sun, which can overheat it. Every few days, pour out the old water and add fresh water so it stays clean.

Within a few weeks, you should see thin white roots emerging from the node. When the roots are a few inches long, move the cutting into a pot of soil and water it well. Because the new plant has the same genes as the original, it will look just like its parent.

Questions

  1. What is a node? in the text

  2. How far below a node should you snip the stem? in the text

  3. Why should the leaves stay out of the water? in the text

  4. How often should you change the water? in the text

  5. Why does each cutting need at least one node? think about it

  6. Why will the new plant look just like its parent? think about it

Words to know

cutting
a piece cut from a plant that can grow into a new plant
node
the spot on a stem where a leaf or branch grows out
snip
to cut with a quick small movement
emerging
coming out and becoming visible
healthy
strong and free from sickness
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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 · 201 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.1

You can make a new houseplant without buying a seed. You need a healthy pothos vine, clean scissors, a clear jar and water. This is called taking a cutting. It works because many plants can grow roots from a piece of stem.

First, ask an adult before you cut a plant that is not yours. Look for a vine with several leaves. Find a node. A node is a small bump on the stem where a leaf joins. Roots grow from nodes, so each cutting needs at least one. Snip about an inch below a node. Keep two or three leaves above it.

Next, fill the jar with water that is not hot or cold. Put the cutting in so the node is under the water. The leaves stay dry. Set the jar in bright light, but not in hard sun, which can overheat it. Every few days, pour out the old water and add fresh water.

In a few weeks, thin white roots will show. When they are a few inches long, move the cutting to a pot of soil. Water it well. The new plant has the same genes as its parent, so it will look just like it.

▲ This passage · 223 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.1

You can make a brand new houseplant without buying a seed. All you need is a healthy pothos vine, a pair of clean scissors, a clear jar and some water. This method is called taking a cutting, and it works because many plants can grow roots from a piece of stem.

First, ask an adult before you cut a plant that belongs to someone else. Look for a vine with several leaves. Find a node, which is a small bump on the stem where a leaf joins. Roots will grow from nodes, so each cutting needs at least one. Snip about an inch below a node, and keep two or three leaves above it.

Next, fill the jar with room-temperature water and place the cutting inside so the node is under the water but the leaves stay dry. Set the jar in bright light, but not in harsh direct sun, which can overheat it. Every few days, pour out the old water and add fresh water so it stays clean.

Within a few weeks, you should see thin white roots emerging from the node. When the roots are a few inches long, move the cutting into a pot of soil and water it well. Because the new plant has the same genes as the original, it will look just like its parent.

■ Harder · 234 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.1

You can produce a brand new houseplant without purchasing a single seed. All that is required is a healthy pothos vine, a pair of clean scissors, a transparent jar and some water. This method is known as taking a cutting, and it succeeds because many plants are able to grow roots from a piece of stem.

First, ask an adult for permission before you cut a plant that belongs to someone else. Look for a vine bearing several leaves. Locate a node, which is a small bump on the stem at the point where a leaf attaches. Roots develop from nodes, so every cutting must include at least one. Snip approximately an inch below a node, and retain two or three leaves above it.

Next, fill the jar with room-temperature water and lower the cutting inside so that the node is submerged while the leaves stay dry. Place the jar in bright light, but not in harsh direct sun, which could overheat it. Every few days, pour out the old water and replace it with fresh water so that it remains clean.

Within a few weeks, you should notice thin white roots emerging from the node. Once the roots are a few inches long, transfer the cutting into a pot of soil and water it thoroughly. Because the new plant carries the same genes as the original, it will resemble its parent exactly.

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 cutting, node, snip, emerging and healthy 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 "Root a Pothos Cutting in a Jar"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 223 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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