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How a Body Learns to Handle Summer Heat

8th grade nonfiction passage about adjusting to hot weather: 257 words, seven questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

8th grade nonfiction adjusting to hot weather 257 words

How a Body Learns to Handle Summer Heat

The first hot day of summer can feel exhausting, yet a few weeks later the same temperature seems easier to bear. The reason is acclimatization, a set of changes by which the body gradually adjusts to a hot environment. It typically takes about one to two weeks of regular exposure, and it is one reason that sports teams hold gentle practices at the start of a hot season.

The body's main way to shed heat is sweating. Sweat cools the skin as it evaporates, carrying heat away with it. During acclimatization, people begin to sweat earlier and to sweat more, so the cooling starts sooner. The sweat glands also conserve salt, so the sweat becomes less salty and the body loses fewer of the minerals it needs. Blood volume rises a little, which helps the heart deliver blood to both the muscles and the skin, and the heart rate during work tends to be lower than before.

These changes help, but they have limits. Humid air slows evaporation, so sweat drips off without cooling as well, which is why a humid day feels worse. The adjustment also fades after a couple of weeks away from the heat.

Safe habits remain important. Drink water regularly, wear light and loose clothes, take breaks in the shade, and ease into hard activity rather than starting at full effort. If someone feels dizzy or sick, or stops sweating while hot, that person should rest in a cool place and tell an adult right away, because heat illness is serious but preventable.

Questions

  1. What is acclimatization? in the text

  2. How long does it typically take? in the text

  3. How does sweat cool the skin? in the text

  4. How does sweat change during acclimatization? in the text

  5. Why does a humid day feel worse than a dry day of the same temperature? think about it

  6. Why do sports teams hold gentle practices at the start of a hot season? think about it

  7. What should someone do if they feel dizzy while hot? in the text

Words to know

acclimatization
the body's gradual adjustment to a new climate
evaporates
changes from a liquid into a gas
humid
full of moisture, so the air feels damp
conserve
to save and use carefully
exposure
time spent in a certain kind of weather or place
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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 · 227 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 3.4

The first hot day of summer can wear you out. A few weeks later, the same heat feels easier. The reason is acclimatization. This means the body slowly adjusts to a hot place. It takes about one to two weeks of regular time in the heat. That is why sports teams start with gentle practices when the hot season begins.

The body cools itself mostly by sweating. Sweat cools the skin when it evaporates, because it carries heat away. When the body gets used to heat, people sweat sooner and sweat more. Cooling starts earlier. The sweat glands also save salt, so sweat is less salty. The body loses fewer minerals it needs. Blood volume goes up a little. That helps the heart send blood to the muscles and the skin. The heart beats a bit slower during work.

These changes have limits. Humid air slows evaporation. Sweat drips off without cooling you as well. That is why a humid day feels worse. The changes also fade after a couple of weeks away from the heat.

Stay safe in the heat. Drink water often. Wear light, loose clothes. Rest in the shade. Start hard activity slowly. If you feel dizzy or sick, or you stop sweating while hot, rest in a cool place. Tell an adult right away. Heat illness is serious, but you can prevent it.

▲ This passage · 257 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.8

The first hot day of summer can feel exhausting, yet a few weeks later the same temperature seems easier to bear. The reason is acclimatization, a set of changes by which the body gradually adjusts to a hot environment. It typically takes about one to two weeks of regular exposure, and it is one reason that sports teams hold gentle practices at the start of a hot season.

The body's main way to shed heat is sweating. Sweat cools the skin as it evaporates, carrying heat away with it. During acclimatization, people begin to sweat earlier and to sweat more, so the cooling starts sooner. The sweat glands also conserve salt, so the sweat becomes less salty and the body loses fewer of the minerals it needs. Blood volume rises a little, which helps the heart deliver blood to both the muscles and the skin, and the heart rate during work tends to be lower than before.

These changes help, but they have limits. Humid air slows evaporation, so sweat drips off without cooling as well, which is why a humid day feels worse. The adjustment also fades after a couple of weeks away from the heat.

Safe habits remain important. Drink water regularly, wear light and loose clothes, take breaks in the shade, and ease into hard activity rather than starting at full effort. If someone feels dizzy or sick, or stops sweating while hot, that person should rest in a cool place and tell an adult right away, because heat illness is serious but preventable.

■ Harder · 268 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 10.6

The first sweltering day of summer can feel utterly draining, yet a few weeks later the very same temperature seems far easier to tolerate. The reason is acclimatization, a collection of changes through which the body gradually adapts to a hot environment. The process typically requires about one to two weeks of regular exposure, and it is one reason that sports teams schedule gentle practices at the outset of a hot season.

The body's principal method of shedding heat is sweating. Sweat cools the skin as it evaporates, carrying heat away along with it. During acclimatization, people begin to sweat earlier and more abundantly, so the cooling begins sooner. The sweat glands also conserve salt, which makes the sweat less salty and means the body loses fewer of the minerals it needs. Blood volume rises slightly, which helps the heart deliver blood to both the muscles and the skin, and the heart rate during exertion tends to be lower than it was before.

These adjustments are helpful, but they have boundaries. Humid air slows evaporation, so sweat drips off without cooling the body nearly as well, which is why a humid day feels so much worse. The adaptation also fades after a couple of weeks away from the heat.

Sensible habits remain essential. Drink water regularly, wear light and loose clothing, take breaks in the shade, and ease into strenuous activity rather than starting at full effort. If someone feels dizzy or sick, or stops sweating while hot, that person should rest in a cool place and tell an adult immediately, because heat illness is serious yet preventable.

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 acclimatization, evaporates, humid, conserve and exposure 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 "How a Body Learns to Handle Summer Heat"?

It was written for 8th grade. It has 257 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 8.8. 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 seven. 5 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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