A 5-page 2nd grade science reading about the Grand Canyon. The passage names Arizona, calls a canyon a deep valley with very steep rock sides, and gives the canyon as about a mile deep and about 277 miles long. It says moving water and wind wore the rock away over millions of years, and that the walls show colored layers. Nine questions follow, tied to NGSS 2-ESS1-1 and RI.2.1. Page 5 is the answer key.
2-ESS1-1
“Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.”
Question 5 asks whether carving the canyon was fast or slow. Statement 2 in the table has students use the text to show the canyon is still changing. The evidence comes from one passage, not several sources.
RI.2.1
“Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.”
Questions 1 to 4 answer where, what and how deep or long from the passage. Questions 7 to 9 ask why and ask students to point to details.
Four paragraphs with the bold words canyon, Colorado River, slow change and colored layers. It ends with visitors looking from the top or hiking down to the river.
Question 1 asks which state, question 2 what a canyon is and question 3 what made the Grand Canyon. In question 4 students fill in how deep and how long the canyon is. A photo of the canyon sits at the top right.
Question 5 is fast or slow change. Question 6 asks what "wearing it away" means, and question 7 asks why the author compares the walls to a "slice of layer cake", on three lines.
Two statements to mark True or False, with two lines to say how students know. Question 9 asks whether they would look from the top or hike down, using two details from the passage.
Letters for the multiple choice, the depth and length, text evidence for questions 7 and 8, and what to look for in question 9.
Two reads
Read the passage aloud once, then have students read it again and underline the four bold words. Most need both passes to find 277 miles and a mile deep.
Model the evidence
Questions 7 and 8 ask for a phrase from the text. Copy "many colored layers of rock" on the board as an example, then let students find their own for the table.
Split over two days
The passage is longer than a usual 2nd grade reading. Give pages 1 and 2 in one session and save pages 3 and 4 for the next day.
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