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The Surveyor and the Missing Corner

8th grade nonfiction passage about land surveying: 266 words, seven questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

8th grade nonfiction land surveying 266 words

The Surveyor and the Missing Corner

A property owner wants to build a fence, but no one is sure exactly where the land ends. A land surveyor is hired to solve the puzzle, and the first step happens in an office, not in the field. The surveyor reads the deed, which describes the property in words, and studies older maps and earlier surveys of the same land. Some old descriptions give distances and directions from one marker to the next, such as "from the stone, north along the creek to the oak."

In the field, the surveyor hunts for evidence of the original corners. These may be iron pins, concrete monuments, or old stones that have been buried by decades of leaves and soil. A metal detector often helps to find iron. When a marker turns up, the surveyor measures from it to other markers and compares the results with the records.

Sometimes the records disagree with each other, or a marker has vanished. Then the surveyor must weigh the evidence. Found markers and long-standing fences usually count for more than a guess, and the oldest careful measurements usually count for more than later copies. The surveyor also talks with neighbors and makes sure the work follows the laws of that state.

The measuring itself uses a total station, an instrument that records angles and distances precisely, along with satellite positioning receivers. When the boundary is settled, the surveyor sets new markers, draws a plat, which is a scaled map of the property, and signs it. The result lets the owner build with confidence and can prevent arguments before they start.

Questions

  1. Where does the surveyor begin the work? in the text

  2. What might an original corner marker look like? in the text

  3. What tool often helps a surveyor find buried iron markers? in the text

  4. What does a total station do? in the text

  5. What is a plat? in the text

  6. What must a surveyor do when the records disagree or a marker is gone? in the text

  7. How can a survey prevent arguments between neighbors? think about it

Words to know

surveyor
a person who measures land to find its exact boundaries
deed
a legal paper that shows who owns a piece of land
monuments
markers set in the ground to show where a boundary is
evidence
facts or clues that help prove something
plat
a map that shows how a piece of land is divided
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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 · 248 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.7

A property owner wants to build a fence, but no one is sure where the land ends. A land surveyor is hired to solve the puzzle. The first step is in an office, not in the field. The surveyor reads the deed, which describes the land in words. The surveyor also studies old maps and past surveys. Some old notes give distances and directions from one marker to the next, such as "from the stone, north along the creek to the oak."

In the field, the surveyor looks for the original corners. These may be iron pins, concrete monuments, or old stones buried by years of leaves and soil. A metal detector often helps find iron. When a marker turns up, the surveyor measures from it to other markers and compares the numbers with the records.

Sometimes the records do not agree, or a marker is gone. Then the surveyor must weigh the evidence. Markers that are found and fences that have stood a long time usually count for more than a guess. The oldest careful measurements usually count for more than later copies. The surveyor also talks with neighbors and follows the state's laws.

For measuring, the surveyor uses a total station, a tool that records angles and distances exactly, and satellite receivers. When the line is set, the surveyor places new markers and draws a plat, a scaled map of the land. Then the owner can build with trust. Arguments can be stopped before they start.

▲ This passage · 266 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.5

A property owner wants to build a fence, but no one is sure exactly where the land ends. A land surveyor is hired to solve the puzzle, and the first step happens in an office, not in the field. The surveyor reads the deed, which describes the property in words, and studies older maps and earlier surveys of the same land. Some old descriptions give distances and directions from one marker to the next, such as "from the stone, north along the creek to the oak."

In the field, the surveyor hunts for evidence of the original corners. These may be iron pins, concrete monuments, or old stones that have been buried by decades of leaves and soil. A metal detector often helps to find iron. When a marker turns up, the surveyor measures from it to other markers and compares the results with the records.

Sometimes the records disagree with each other, or a marker has vanished. Then the surveyor must weigh the evidence. Found markers and long-standing fences usually count for more than a guess, and the oldest careful measurements usually count for more than later copies. The surveyor also talks with neighbors and makes sure the work follows the laws of that state.

The measuring itself uses a total station, an instrument that records angles and distances precisely, along with satellite positioning receivers. When the boundary is settled, the surveyor sets new markers, draws a plat, which is a scaled map of the property, and signs it. The result lets the owner build with confidence and can prevent arguments before they start.

■ Harder · 286 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 9.6

A property owner wishes to build a fence, but no one is entirely certain where the land actually ends. A land surveyor is hired to solve the puzzle, and the first step takes place in an office rather than in the field. The surveyor reads the deed, which describes the property in words, and studies older maps and earlier surveys of the same parcel. Some old descriptions give distances and directions from one marker to the next, such as "from the stone, north along the creek to the oak."

In the field, the surveyor searches for evidence of the original corners. These may be iron pins, concrete monuments, or old stones that have been buried beneath decades of leaves and soil. A metal detector frequently helps to locate iron. Whenever a marker turns up, the surveyor measures from it to other markers and compares the results with the written records.

Occasionally the records contradict one another, or a marker has vanished entirely. In that case the surveyor must carefully weigh the evidence. Markers that are found and fences that have stood for many years usually count for more than a guess, and the oldest careful measurements usually count for more than later copies. The surveyor also consults with neighbors and ensures that the work complies with the laws of that state.

The measuring itself relies on a total station, an instrument that records angles and distances with great precision, along with satellite positioning receivers. Once the boundary is settled, the surveyor sets new markers, draws a plat, which is a scaled map of the property, and signs it. The result allows the owner to build with confidence and can head off disputes before they ever begin.

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 surveyor, deed, monuments, evidence and plat 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 7 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 Surveyor and the Missing Corner"?

It was written for 8th grade. It has 266 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 8.4. 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. 6 ask for something the text says directly and 1 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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