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The Ice Block in the Icebox

Kindergarten nonfiction passage about keeping food cold before fridges: 48 words, five questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

Kindergarten nonfiction keeping food cold before fridges 48 words

The Ice Block in the Icebox

Once, homes had no fridge. They had an icebox.

A big block of ice went inside the box. The ice kept the milk cold. It kept the eggs cold too.

A man brought new ice to the door. The old ice melted. So a new block went in.

Questions

  1. What did homes have in place of a fridge? in the text

  2. What went inside the icebox? in the text

  3. What two foods did the ice keep cold? in the text

  4. Who brought new ice to the door? in the text

  5. Why did the family need new ice? think about it

Words to know

icebox
a box that stayed cold with a block of ice
block
a thick piece of something solid
melted
turned from ice into water
fridge
a machine that keeps food cold
Share

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 · 40 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.9

Once, homes had no fridge. They had an icebox.

A big ice block went in the box. The ice kept milk cold. It kept eggs cold.

A man brought new ice. The old ice melted. A new block went in.

▲ This passage · 48 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade -0.5

Once, homes had no fridge. They had an icebox.

A big block of ice went inside the box. The ice kept the milk cold. It kept the eggs cold too.

A man brought new ice to the door. The old ice melted. So a new block went in.

■ Harder · 70 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4

A long time ago, most homes did not have a fridge. Instead, a family kept an icebox in the kitchen.

A big block of ice sat inside the wooden box, and the cold from the ice kept the milk and the eggs fresh.

Every so often, a delivery man carried a fresh block of ice to the door. The old block had melted, so a new one took its place.

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 icebox, block, melted and fridge 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 under a minute 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 Ice Block in the Icebox"?

It was written for Kindergarten. It has 48 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about below 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 five. 4 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?

Under a minute 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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