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The Salmon Counter at the Viewing Window

6th grade nonfiction passage about fish counter at a dam: 221 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

6th grade nonfiction fish counter at a dam 221 words

The Salmon Counter at the Viewing Window

Many salmon are born in small streams, swim out to the ocean, and then travel back to the same rivers to lay eggs. A dam can block that trip, so some dams have a fish ladder. A fish ladder is a series of pools like steps, and the fish leap or swim from one pool to the next until they are above the dam.

At some dams, one part of the ladder has a large window. Behind it sits a fish counter. The counter's job is to watch each fish pass and write down what kind it is. Many days, the counter sits in a quiet room and watches the water for hours.

It takes sharp eyes. Fish of different kinds may look alike at a glance, so the counter notices the shape of the body, the pattern of spots, and the size. A fish may flash by in a second, and the counter must decide quickly. Murky water or bright reflections make the work harder.

Why count at all? The numbers tell managers how many fish are making the trip each year. If the count drops, people can look for the cause and try to help. Cameras can record the window too, but a trained counter can compare the video with the notes to make sure the totals are right.

Questions

  1. What is a fish ladder? in the text

  2. What does the fish counter write down? in the text

  3. What clues help the counter tell fish apart? in the text

  4. Why do managers want the yearly numbers? in the text

  5. Why might murky water make the job harder? think about it

  6. Why would a counter still be useful when cameras record the window? think about it

Words to know

ladder
a set of steps used to climb up
salmon
a large fish that swims from the sea up rivers to lay eggs
murky
cloudy and hard to see through
managers
people in charge of taking care of something
totals
the whole amounts when everything is added up
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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 · 204 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2

Many salmon are born in small streams. They swim out to the sea. Later they swim back to the same rivers to lay eggs. A dam can block the way. So some dams have a fish ladder. A fish ladder is a row of pools like steps. The fish swim or leap up from one pool to the next until they are past the dam.

At some dams, the ladder has a big window. A fish counter sits behind it. The counter watches each fish pass and writes down what kind it is. Some days, the counter sits in a quiet room and watches the water for hours.

The job needs sharp eyes. Some kinds of fish look alike. So the counter looks at the shape of the body, the spots, and the size. A fish may zip by in one second. The counter must choose fast. Cloudy water makes it harder.

Why count the fish? The numbers show how many fish make the trip each year. If the count drops, people can look for the reason and try to help. Cameras can record the window too. A trained counter can check the video with the notes to be sure the totals are right.

▲ This passage · 221 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.8

Many salmon are born in small streams, swim out to the ocean, and then travel back to the same rivers to lay eggs. A dam can block that trip, so some dams have a fish ladder. A fish ladder is a series of pools like steps, and the fish leap or swim from one pool to the next until they are above the dam.

At some dams, one part of the ladder has a large window. Behind it sits a fish counter. The counter's job is to watch each fish pass and write down what kind it is. Many days, the counter sits in a quiet room and watches the water for hours.

It takes sharp eyes. Fish of different kinds may look alike at a glance, so the counter notices the shape of the body, the pattern of spots, and the size. A fish may flash by in a second, and the counter must decide quickly. Murky water or bright reflections make the work harder.

Why count at all? The numbers tell managers how many fish are making the trip each year. If the count drops, people can look for the cause and try to help. Cameras can record the window too, but a trained counter can compare the video with the notes to make sure the totals are right.

■ Harder · 251 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.5

Many salmon are born in small headwater streams, migrate out to the ocean, and then travel all the way back to the same rivers to lay their eggs. A dam can block that journey, which is why some dams are built with a fish ladder. A fish ladder is a series of connected pools arranged like steps, and the fish leap or swim from one pool to the next until they have climbed above the dam.

At certain dams, one section of the ladder includes a large viewing window. Behind that window sits a fish counter, whose responsibility is to watch each fish go by and record exactly what kind it is. On many days, the counter sits in a quiet room and studies the moving water for hours at a time.

The work demands sharp eyes. Different kinds of fish can look remarkably alike at a glance, so the counter pays attention to the shape of the body, the pattern of spots, and the size. A fish may flash past in a single second, and the counter must reach a decision almost instantly. Murky water and bright reflections make that task even harder.

Why go to all this trouble? The numbers tell managers how many fish are completing the trip each year. If the count falls, people can investigate the cause and try to help. Cameras can also record the window, yet a trained counter can compare the footage with the written notes to confirm that the totals are accurate.

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 ladder, salmon, murky, managers and totals 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 "The Salmon Counter at the Viewing Window"?

It was written for 6th grade. It has 221 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.8. 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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