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Warp and Weft: The Two Threads of Every Cloth

7th grade nonfiction passage about how a loom weaves cloth: 278 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

7th grade nonfiction how a loom weaves cloth 278 words

Warp and Weft: The Two Threads of Every Cloth

Run your finger across a plain cotton shirt, and look carefully at the surface. If you could magnify it, you would see two sets of threads crossing each other at right angles, like a tiny basket. This is woven cloth, and every piece of it is built from two kinds of thread called the warp and the weft.

The warp threads run lengthwise and are stretched tight on a frame called a loom. They stay in place the entire time. The weft threads travel across, passing over some warp threads and under others. After each pass, the weaver pushes the new row snugly against the one before, so the rows pack together into a firm fabric.

The simplest pattern is called a plain weave, where the weft goes over one warp thread, under the next, and so on, switching on each row. Other patterns come from changing the order. If the weft skips over several warp threads at a time, the cloth gets a diagonal ridge, as in denim. Weavers who change the colors of the threads can form stripes, checks and pictures.

Long ago, passing the weft through by hand was a slow job. Weavers invented a shuttle, a small tool that carries the thread and slides smoothly through the gap. Later, machines took over and could work far faster, though the basic idea stayed the same. A handwoven scarf and a factory-made towel share the same structure.

Understanding warp and weft helps explain why cloth behaves as it does. Fabric stretches least along the threads and gives the most when pulled at an angle, which is one reason tailors often cut pieces along a slant.

Questions

  1. Which thread runs lengthwise and stays stretched on the loom? in the text

  2. What does the weaver do after each pass of the weft? in the text

  3. How does a plain weave work? in the text

  4. What is a shuttle used for? in the text

  5. How can weavers make stripes or checks? think about it

  6. Why might tailors cut cloth along a slant? think about it

Words to know

warp
the threads that run lengthwise on a loom
weft
the threads that cross over and under the warp
loom
a frame or machine used for weaving cloth
shuttle
a tool that carries thread through a weave
diagonal
slanting from one corner toward the opposite one
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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 · 236 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.6

Run your finger over a cotton shirt and look close. You would see two sets of threads crossing at right angles, like a tiny basket. This is woven cloth. It is made of two kinds of thread called the warp and the weft.

The warp threads run lengthwise. They are stretched tight on a frame called a loom. They stay in place. The weft threads go across. They pass over some warp threads and under others. After each pass, the weaver pushes the new row snug against the last. The rows pack into a firm cloth.

The simplest pattern is a plain weave. The weft goes over one warp thread and under the next. It switches on each row. Other patterns come from changing the order. If the weft skips over several warp threads, the cloth gets a diagonal ridge, as in denim. Weavers can change thread colors to make stripes, checks and pictures.

Long ago, passing the weft by hand was slow. So weavers made a shuttle. It is a small tool that carries the thread through the gap. Later, machines did it faster. But the idea stayed the same. A handwoven scarf and a towel from a factory share the same structure.

Warp and weft explain how cloth acts. Fabric stretches least along the threads. It gives most when pulled at an angle. That is one reason tailors often cut pieces on a slant.

▲ This passage · 278 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 6.3

Run your finger across a plain cotton shirt, and look carefully at the surface. If you could magnify it, you would see two sets of threads crossing each other at right angles, like a tiny basket. This is woven cloth, and every piece of it is built from two kinds of thread called the warp and the weft.

The warp threads run lengthwise and are stretched tight on a frame called a loom. They stay in place the entire time. The weft threads travel across, passing over some warp threads and under others. After each pass, the weaver pushes the new row snugly against the one before, so the rows pack together into a firm fabric.

The simplest pattern is called a plain weave, where the weft goes over one warp thread, under the next, and so on, switching on each row. Other patterns come from changing the order. If the weft skips over several warp threads at a time, the cloth gets a diagonal ridge, as in denim. Weavers who change the colors of the threads can form stripes, checks and pictures.

Long ago, passing the weft through by hand was a slow job. Weavers invented a shuttle, a small tool that carries the thread and slides smoothly through the gap. Later, machines took over and could work far faster, though the basic idea stayed the same. A handwoven scarf and a factory-made towel share the same structure.

Understanding warp and weft helps explain why cloth behaves as it does. Fabric stretches least along the threads and gives the most when pulled at an angle, which is one reason tailors often cut pieces along a slant.

■ Harder · 290 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 7.8

Run a finger across a plain cotton shirt and examine the surface closely. If you could magnify it, you would discover two sets of threads crossing one another at right angles, like a minute basket. This is woven cloth, and every portion of it is constructed from two kinds of thread known as the warp and the weft.

The warp threads run lengthwise and are stretched taut on a frame called a loom. They remain fixed throughout the entire process. The weft threads travel across them, passing over some warp threads and beneath others. After each pass, the weaver presses the new row snugly against the one before, so that the rows pack together into a firm, durable fabric.

The simplest design is called a plain weave, in which the weft goes over one warp thread, under the next, and continues in this way, reversing on each row. Other designs arise from altering the order. If the weft skips over several warp threads at a time, the cloth acquires a diagonal ridge, as in denim. Weavers who vary the colors of their threads can produce stripes, checks and even pictures.

Long ago, passing the weft through by hand was a laborious task. Weavers therefore invented a shuttle, a small tool that carries the thread and slides smoothly through the gap. Eventually, machines took over and worked far faster, though the fundamental principle never changed. A handwoven scarf and a factory-made towel share exactly the same structure.

Understanding warp and weft helps to explain why cloth behaves the way it does. Fabric stretches the least along the threads and yields the most when pulled at an angle, which is one reason tailors so often cut their pieces along a slant.

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 warp, weft, loom, shuttle and diagonal 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 3 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 "Warp and Weft: The Two Threads of Every Cloth"?

It was written for 7th grade. It has 278 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 6.3. 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 3 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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