Reading Passages: Grade 2

Transcription

1 Reading Passages: Grade 2 Passage Type Description A Dancer s Day Literary: Fiction/Drama A description of Fred s desire to dance. A Long Way to Travel Literary: Fiction/Drama Alex and his mother find a treasure along the beach. A Meal with Baby Literary: Poetry Eating with baby can be messy. A New Book Literary: Fiction/Drama A boy and his father look for a book on stars. A Penny Trick Informational: Instructive/Exp Learn a new magic trick to play on your friends. A Piece of Cake Literary: Poetry That chocolate cake looks really yummy, too late big brother got it first. A Rainy Day with Grandma Literary: Fiction/Drama A girl and her grandmother prepare for a walk after the rain. A Wonderful Time of the Year Literary: Fiction/Drama Lee enjoys the view of the animals and the weather in the springtime. At the Library Informational: Instructive/Exp You need to get a Library Card to check things out at the Library. Baby Geese Informational: Instructive/Exp The life cycle of geese. Bedtime for Alice and Joan Literary: Fiction/Drama Alice is avoiding going to bed. Blowing out an Egg Informational: Instructive/Exp How to blow an egg out of the shell. Butterfly Gardens Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make a butterfly garden. Cat and Dog Literary: Fiction/Drama Cat and Dog are good friends. Caves Informational: Instructive/Exp How some caves are made. Choosing Colors Literary: Poetry Anthropomorphized tree chooses new colors to wear for fall. Clara Barton Informational: Instructive/Exp All about Clara Barton and the creation of the American Red Cross. Cold Air Literary: Fiction/Drama John wants to get some sleep but his brother is too loud! The cold air seems to help both boys rest. Colorful Eggs Informational: Instructive/Exp Making colorful eggs with food! Coming Home Literary: Fiction/Drama Missy is glad to be home. Cooking Noodles Informational: Instructive/Exp The different kinds of noodles you can make. Corn is an Important Food Informational: Instructive/Exp A description of the foods that come from corn. Counting Money Informational: Instructive/Exp How to add up and count money. Do-it-Yourself Telephone Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make a telephone. Dreaming of Cookies Literary: Poetry A wild dream about cookies and walking upside down. Eclipses Informational: Instructive/Exp All about eclipses. Fairy Rings Informational: Instructive/Exp What are fairy rings? They are created by fungus! Finding Seeds in Fall Informational: Instructive/Exp How to get seeds ready to plant in the spring. Page 1 of 33

2 Passage Type Description Fire! Literary: Fiction/Drama At first the children all think they are having another fire drill, but then they see fire engines! Fritz the Brave and the Foolish Troll Literary: Fiction/Drama Fritz outsmarts a troll Hanami A Special Holiday Informational: Instructive/Exp A description of the cherry blossom festival in Japan. How Balls Bounce Informational: Instructive/Exp All about a bouncing ball. Jake s Dinner Literary: Fiction/Drama Jake isn t sure about his dinner at first, but he finds it isn t so bad after he gives it a try. Kites Informational: Instructive/Exp All about kites. Little Bear s Gift Literary: Fiction/Drama Little Bear helps the clouds rain. Looking at a Ladybug Informational: Instructive/Exp All about ladybugs. Lunchtime Problem Literary: Fiction/Drama Rosa and Greg can t decide what to buy for lunch. Making a Clay Snake Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make a clay snake. Making a Leaf Picture Informational: Instructive/Exp Creating a picture of a leaf with a crayon and a leaf. Making New Friends Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make new friends. Making Orange Juice Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make your own orange juice. Many Places to Live Informational: Instructive/Exp The different places that people live. Meg s Job Literary: Fiction/Drama Meg s job is to collect the eggs from the hen house, but her sister helps out when Meg sleeps in. Mixing Colors Informational: Instructive/Exp You can mix colors to make new colors when you are painting. Morning Words Literary: Fiction/Drama The morning of Julie s first day of school. Noisy and Quiet Literary: Poetry The sounds and quiet of the day and night. On the Beach Literary: Fiction/Drama Carlos and Mari find something amazing on the beach. Osprey Informational: Instructive/Exp All about Osprey. Our Body Parts Informational: Instructive/Exp A description of the importance of the various body parts. Playing Marbles Literary: Fiction/Drama A group of students are playing marbles. Playing with Cars Literary: Fiction/Drama Ben and Gretchen play with cars. Pumpkin Seeds Informational: Instructive/Exp How to bake Pumpkin Seeds. Rafael and the Cat Literary: Fiction/Drama Rafael makes new friends through a friendly cat. Rain Rivers Literary: Fiction/Drama Lucy likes to watch the patterns the rain makes as it falls on the windows. Recipe for Giant Bubbles Informational: Instructive/Exp How to make giant bubbles with only things you have at home. Salmon Informational: Instructive/Exp All about Salmon. Seeing a Rainbow Informational: Instructive/Exp A description of how a rainbow is made. Page 2 of 33

3 Passage Type Description Smiles Literary: Fiction/Drama Teddy finds his smile when he finds his lost puppy. Snakes Informational: Instructive/Exp All about snakes. Snow on the Mountain Tops Informational: Instructive/Exp A description of snow-capped mountains. Summer and Fall Fun Literary: Poetry Fun things to do when summer ends and school is about to start. Summer Swimming Literary: Poetry Fun summer swimming. Taking Care of the Earth Informational: Instructive/Exp Always take care of the earth. The Giant and the Princess Literary: Fiction/Drama A giant saves a princess and she brings a girl giant for him to marry. The Great Sock Hunt Literary: Fiction/Drama Jenny and her mom play a game to find Jenny s socks. Jenny wins, and her prize is a clean room! The Hand Game Informational: Instructive/Exp Playing a guessing game. The Moon Informational: Instructive/Exp Explanation of the historical ideas about the moon and what it actually is. The Morning Run Literary: Poetry Keeping up with Peanuts (the dog) in the morning. The Snowfall Literary: Fiction/Drama Lili sees the first snowfall of the year. Thomas Goes for a Walk Literary: Fiction/Drama Thomas goes for a walk and climbs an old familiar tree. To Camp Literary: Fiction/Drama A group of boys sit around a camp fire after a days hike. Too Much Homework Literary: Fiction/Drama A girl does more than she is asked to for homework. Waiting for the Mail Literary: Poetry Waiting in anticipation for a letter in the mail. What s in a Name? Informational: Instructive/Exp A craft project to make a mirrored image of your name. What s Wrong With Rosa? Literary: Fiction/Drama A sick girl takes a nap and feels better. When You Grow Up Informational: Instructive/Exp A list of jobs you can do, based on likes. Who Will Feed the Animals? Literary: Fiction/Drama Mike and his brother are drawing straws to see who will feed the animals. Winter Fun Informational: Instructive/Exp How to build a snow person. Wondering Literary: Fiction/Drama A boy and his aunt prepare for a canoeing trip. Your Name on a Pumpkin Informational: Instructive/Exp How to carve your name into a pumpkin. Page 3 of 33

4 A Dancer s Day Fred wants to be a dancer when he grows up. He has been dancing since he was five years old. Fred goes to a dance studio every day before school. In the locker room, he changes into his special dance clothes. He pulls on his tights. They are snug around his legs. Next he pulls on his leotard. It covers his body but not his arms or legs. Then he opens the door to the studio and takes his place on the wooden floor. Brr it s chilly! But soon he is stretching and warming up to the music. Dancing has given Fred very strong legs. He can out-run and out-jump most of the other children in his class. A Long Way to Travel Alex and his mother were walking on the beach one day after a storm. Look, Alex said. He pointed to a piece of round, blue glass almost covered with sand. They dug around it and found a round, glass ball. It was bigger than a softball, but smaller than a soccer ball. What is it? Alex asked. It s a fisherman s float, his mother said. I haven t seen one in years. Japanese fishermen used to use them to keep their nets from sinking. Then this came all the way from Japan? Alex asked. Wow! It s traveled more than I have! A Meal with Baby Bang! The spoon hit the table. Plop! The cup dropped to the floor. Swish! The plate slid onto the chair. Then the baby crawled out the door. Wipe, wipe the table. Sweep, sweep the floor. Clean, clean the chair. Then the mommy followed baby out the door. Laugh, laugh tickled the baby. Smile, smile laughed the mommy. Page 4 of 33

5 Giggle, giggle they rolled on the floor. Happy, happy they both ran out the door. A New Book Chris asked his father to read him a new book. What would you like to read about? his father asked. I want to read about stars, Chris said. So they went looking for a book about stars. They looked in the kitchen. They looked in the hall. They checked in the bedroom. They looked on the table. They even searched under a chair. They could not find a book about stars. Then they had an idea. They went to the bookstore. There they found many books about stars. A Penny Trick Here is a surprising trick! Get five pennies and put them in a small box. Close your eyes and ask a friend to pick up a penny. Have your friend look at the year on the penny. Your friend should not tell you the year. Ask your friend to squeeze the penny. Now tell your friend to put the penny back in the box. Open your eyes. Pick up one penny at a time. The penny that feels warmest is the penny your friend had. It is warm because your friend s hand was warm. Show your friend the year on the penny. Your friend will be surprised! A Piece of Cake There it was for me to take The last piece of yummy chocolate cake. High up on the tallest shelf It sat all by itself. My belly began to grumble. The frosting was dark and rich. My fingers began to itch and itch. I licked my lips And put my hands on my skinny hips. How could I grow any taller? Page 5 of 33

6 The shelf was so high. I sat down with a sigh. Then my brother walked in He was so tall and thin. He gobbled that cake before I could speak. A Rainy Day with Grandma Grandma looked up from her work. It is raining cats and dogs, said Grandma smiling. Carol looked out the window. The rain was pouring down outside. Carol wondered how Grandma could be happy. Carol was tired of the rain. There was nothing to do. The house was as quiet as Grandpa sleeping in his chair. Carol looked unhappy. Do not be so sad, said Grandma. The rain is almost over. We can go for a walk. It was Carol s turn to smile now. She put on her boots and her raincoat. There was nothing better than going for a walk with Grandma. A Wonderful Time of the Year It was raining outside. Lee was reading a book. The rain stopped, and Lee opened his window. The earth smelled wonderful after the rain. The apple tree had flowers. Lee took a break from reading and went outside. There were drops of rain on the purple flowers. Robins were busy pulling worms out of the ground. White butterflies flew on their way. The trees had new green leaves on them. Children were coming outside. They started to play. They got out their bicycles. It was a wonderful time of year, Lee thought to himself. Then he joined his friends to play. At the Library Welcome! The library is your door to fun and facts. You will see new faces and new places! If you need help, please ask a librarian. Please don t eat or drink in the library. And please be quiet while others are reading and studying. Page 6 of 33

7 To check out books, or DVDs, you need a library card. To get a library card, you need to: 1. ask a librarian for a library card form 2. fill out the form 3. ask your parent or guardian to sign it 4. give the finished form to any librarian Then you will get your own library card! Your library card opens new worlds found in the library. Baby Geese A mother goose makes its nest in a spot hidden by plants. It is not easy to see the nest. The nest is made of sticks, grass, and other plants. The goose uses its soft feathers to line the nest. The goose then lays the eggs in the nest. The goose can leave the nest at times. The eggs will stay safe, warm, and dry. After many days, the baby geese come out of the eggs. They are covered with fluffy down. The new birds soon leave the nest. They follow their mother and father into the water. They will stay with their mother and father for almost a year. Bedtime for Alice and Joan It was time for bed. Mom said so. Joan ran into the living room. Alice went to put her toys away. Mom came into the living room. She did not see Joan there. Alice was already in bed. Mom looked for Joan. She found her behind a chair. Mom told her to go to bed. Can I get a drink of water first? Joan asked. Mom said, Yes. After that Joan said, I need to feed my fish. No. You have to go to bed, Mom said. Joan was sad. But she went to bed. Alice was already asleep. Page 7 of 33

8 Blowing out an Egg Do you know how to blow an egg out of its shell? You will need an egg, a sharp pin, a small bowl, and glue. Hold the egg in your hand. Ask a grown-up to use the sharp pin to poke a hole in each end. Make the hole at one end larger. Hold the egg over the bowl. Blow into the small hole. The insides of the egg will come out the larger hole. Run a little water through the egg to clean it. If you do not clean the egg, it will smell bad. Wait until the egg is dry. Cover the holes with glue. Now you can paint the egg. Butterfly Gardens Do you like butterflies? You can make a summer garden for them to visit. You will need: A sunny place to plant flower seeds or seedlings. A shallow dish of water. First: Choose a sunny place. Choose a place with little or no wind. Second: Choose the flowers you want to plant. Butterflies like pink and white flowers with broad, flat blossoms. Third: Plant the flowers in your garden. Fourth: Put the shallow dish near the flowers. Keep it filled with water. Butterflies need water. Follow these steps, and beautiful butterflies will visit your garden in the summer. Cat and Dog Cat and Dog lived together with their human at the edge of Clamshell Bay. Most of the time they were best friends. But not when it came to dinner! Dog liked to eat Cat s food. Cat did not like that at all. Dog, said Cat. Don t eat my food. But I m hungry, Cat! said Dog. You have your own food in your own dish, Dog, said Cat. Page 8 of 33

9 Oh, said Dog. I forgot. After that, Dog ate his own food out of his own red dish. Cat always watched him to make sure he didn t forget again! Then they would go for a walk near the bay. They would talk about the birds nearby. The birds are too loud, said Dog. I agree, said Cat. But they are so fun to chase! Caves In some places caves are made by water. This happens in places where there is soft rock. When it rains, water goes into the ground. It goes down to the rocks under the ground. It runs through cracks in the rock. The water takes away little bits of rock. Every time it rains, the water slowly takes away more rock. After years and years, the water makes holes in the rock. The water goes through the holes faster. After many more years, the holes get bigger. They might be big enough for people to fit inside. The holes are caves. Choosing Colors The maple tree stood tall by the store of the lake. It did not know which color to make. The leaves were full and very clean But the only color they had was green. The tree thought that red was fine But yellow was also on the line. There had to be a color there For the tree was ready for something new to wear. The tree thought and thought some more And then it chose all the colors in the store. For leaves change in the fall Every leaf, one and all. Page 9 of 33

10 Clara Barton Clara Barton was a nurse. She helped people during the Civil War. Clara Barton helped army doctors. She helped soldiers. She looked for missing and hurt men. After the war, she started the American National Red Cross. It helps people when there are floods, fires, and other disasters. Clara Barton s efforts have helped many people. Cold Air John listened to his big brother sleep. His brother was loud. His brother was snoring. John could not fall asleep. He could not wake his brother up. They had school in the morning! He got out of bed and looked outside. The stars were bright in the sky. He opened the window. He felt the cool, cool air. He took a deep breath. He heard the wind blow through the old tree in the front yard. He smelled the sweet flowers growing outside the window. He felt so tired. Then there was not a sound. The cool air must have helped his big brother sleep. John went to bed. Colorful Eggs Did you know that you can use cabbage and onions to make colorful eggs? You will need: One red cabbage, several large onions, and eggs. Remember to be careful around hot water. Have an adult help you. Boil the eggs ten minutes. Cut the red cabbage. Boil it in water for thirty minutes. Let the water cool. Add eggs to the cold cabbage water. The water will turn the eggs blue. Peel the onions. Boil the skins for thirty minutes. Add eggs to the hot onion water. They will turn orange. If you leave them in the water a long time, they will be dark orange. Page 10 of 33

11 Coming Home Missy ran out of the car and up the steps. She had not been home all summer. She missed the smells of home. Missy breathed in all of the smells. The smell of cookies just out of the oven was the best. The smell of her dog Buster was next. Then Missy walked around the house touching all the things she loved. She loved the big, green easy chair. On rainy days, she curled up in that chair with a good book. Sometimes on sunny days she sat there to think. She touched the chair again. She was happy to be home. Cooking Noodles Do you like noodles? Have you ever made them? Noodles are a yummy food. Some noodles are thin. Other noodles are wide. You can cook noodles in water. Ask a grown up to help you. All you need is a pot. Let the water get really hot. Then add the noodles. Turn down the heat. Let the noodles cook. You can taste one to see if it is done. Add some oil to the noodles so they do not stick together. Noodles taste best when something is added to them. What would you add to your noodles? Tomato sauce? Cheese? Fish? It is your choice! Corn is an Important Food Do you like to eat corn chips? How about popcorn? Did you know these foods are made from corn? Corn is an important food all around the world. Farmers plant corn seeds in straight rows in their fields in spring. The corn needs sunshine and rain to grow during the summer. Corn plants can grow more than an inch each day! By fall, the plants will be almost as tall as a school bus. Farmers pick the corn in the fall. Some corn is used to feed animals such as pigs and cows. Some corn is also used in foods people eat. Page 11 of 33

12 Counting Money Here is an easy way to count money. Put five pennies on a table. Count the pennies: one, two, three, four, five. Five pennies make five cents. Put a nickel on the table. One nickel is the same as having five pennies. A nickel is the same as five cents. Next, put ten pennies on the table. Count the pennies: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Ten pennies make ten cents. Put another nickel on the table. Ten cents is the same as two nickels. Ten cents is also the same as one dime. Do-it-Yourself Telephone What You Need: two paper or plastic cups a long piece of string Directions: 1. Have an adult make a small hole in the bottom of both cups. 2. Thread one end of the string through one of the holes. 3. Tie a big knot so that the string can t pull back through the hole. 4. Do the same thing with the other cup. 5. Give one cup to your friend. Pull them apart until the string is tight. 6. Take turns whispering into the cup while the other person listens. You should be able to hear your friend through the cup. Dreaming of Cookies Last night I dreamed of sweets. I dreamed cookies could fall From my hands as I walked. Then I gave my mom a cookie. She tasted it and smiled. She said that it was great. I wondered what was wrong with me. The cookies tasted brown. Then I thought the problem was Page 12 of 33

13 That I was upside down. I was walking across the ceiling! Then I walked right down the wall! I stepped onto the floor and then The cookies started to fall. They fell up to the ceiling. It made me very sad. But then I woke up anyway And I was very glad. Eclipses We see the sun during the day. We see the moon at night. Sometimes, we see the moon during the day. Once in a while, the moon moves in front of the sun. The moon blocks the sun s light. When this happens, the moon s shadow falls on the earth. Suddenly the sky grows dark. This is called a solar eclipse. The shadow of the moon is 200 miles wide. You have to be in just the right place to see a solar eclipse. For those people lucky enough to see it, an eclipse is a wonderful sight. Fairy Rings A meadow is a field of grass. Sometimes there is a round area of dying grass in a meadow. Mushrooms grow around the edge of the area. Long ago, people called them fairy rings. They thought the dying grass was where fairies danced in a circle. Now we know the ring is made by a fungus. The fungus grows under the ground. The mushrooms show where the fungus is. A fairy ring can grow until it reaches a barrier. One fungus in France has been growing for almost 700 years. It is nearly one-half mile wide! Page 13 of 33

14 Finding Seeds in Fall Would you like to plant flower seeds next spring? You do not need to buy seeds. You can find the seeds in your garden. Fall is the best time of year to find seeds. Get the seeds from a plant. Wash the seeds. Let them dry in the sun on a flat pan. When the seeds are dry, put them in a jar. Put a lid on the jar. Write the flower name on a piece of paper. Tape the paper to the jar. Put the seeds in a cool, dry place until spring. Your seeds will be ready to plant in spring. Fire! When the fire alarm started to buzz, the class knew what to do. Brittany got in line and whispered to her friend Kelsey, I wonder why we re having another fire drill. We already had one this week. All the classes lined up on the playground. Then everyone turned and looked at the school. They were waiting for the All Clear bell to ring so they could go back inside. Instead of the bell, they heard sirens! A huge fire truck raced up to the school! Then another one came! And right behind them were the police! Everyone started whispering. Then Brittany heard, Fire! It s a real fire! A real fire! Brittany felt very excited and very scared at the same time. Would their classroom burn down? What about Jason, their pet hamster? Just then, the All Clear bell rang. The children looked at each other in surprise. Then they started back into the school. What happened? they asked their teacher as soon as they were back inside. Oh, said their teacher. One of the teachers was making toast, and it burned a little. The smoke set off the fire alarm. Brittany whispered to Kelsey, I m glad it wasn t real. But it was exciting! Fritz the Brave and the Foolish Troll Fritz was brave. He went into a troll s cave to find gold. The troll was strong. He caught Fritz. The troll was going to eat Fritz. Please don t eat me. I can take you to my home and give you much better food, Fritz said. Where did you come from? asked the troll. Page 14 of 33

15 From outside, said Fritz. The troll had never been out of his cave. What does outside mean? he asked. I will show you, Fritz told the troll. Follow me. Fritz took the troll outside. The sun turned the troll to stone. Fritz went back in the cave and found the troll s gold. He went home happy. Hanami A Special Holiday In Japan, the cherry blossom is special. It makes people think about nature. It is a soft, pink flower. The cherry blossoms last only a few days. A gentle breeze blows on the blossoms. The petals float in the air like snow. Some people in Japan have parties under the cherry trees. They call this Hanami. Hanami means to look at cherry blossoms. Once upon a time, poets sat under the trees. They read poems about the blossoms. How Balls Bounce Bouncing a ball is a fun way to play. Have you ever wondered why a ball bounces? The shape of a ball helps it bounce. A ball is round, but the shape changes when it bounces. What happens to the shape of the ball? When someone drops a ball, it hits the ground. The bottom of the ball becomes flat. The ball does not stay flat. It becomes round again. This happens very quickly. This pushes the ball back up. That is a bounce. Jake s Dinner Jake s father put Jake s dinner on his plate. Jake picked up his fork and looked at his plate. The food was green. Jake thought the pile of food looked like it had long legs. It smelled like old socks. Is this still alive? Jake asked out loud. What? his father asked him. Is the food on my plate alive? he asked again. He pushed the green pile around a little. Hmm. Why not try it and see? his father asked. Then he smiled. Jake took a small bite. It was good! He ate some more. Page 15 of 33

16 Kites Many people like to make and fly kites. Some kites are simple. Some are very fancy! People have made kites for a long time. Chinese people made kites more than 3,000 years ago. Later, people made kites by covering wood sticks with paper. They decorated the paper. Kites aren t just for fun. Some people used kites to send secret signals. Kites have been used to learn about the weather. Benjamin Franklin used a kite to show there is electricity in storm clouds. The Wright brothers flew huge box kites. The kites were strong enough to lift a man into the air. The Wright brothers made the first airplane. Kites have been used for very important jobs. But they can be just for fun, too! Little Bear s Gift Little Bear s people had a problem. The rain did not fall, and their corn was starting to die. If the rain did not come, they would have no corn to dry for the winter. A group of wise people met. They knew that the North Star kept the clouds that held the rain. If one of their people could go to the North Star, maybe the rain would come back. They asked Little Bear to help. Little Bear asked Mother Spider to spin a large web. He climbed to the North Star on her web. He saw that the North Star had built a fence around the clouds. Little Bear shot a fire arrow into the sky. The North Star watched the arrow fly. While the North Star was not looking, Little Bear shot an arrow into the fence. The clouds were free again, and they rained down on Little Bear s people. The corn was saved. Looking at a Ladybug Have you ever held a ladybug in your hand? It will crawl over your hand. Then it will open its wings and fly away. A ladybug has hard wing covers. The wing covers may be red, orange, or yellow. They have black spots on them. The spots get lighter as the ladybug gets older. The wings are under the wing covers. The wings are so thin and soft you can see through them. This is why a ladybug needs wing covers. Most people like ladybugs. They eat other bugs that hurt flowers and plants. Some people buy ladybugs and put them in their gardens. Page 16 of 33

17 Lunchtime Problem Greg and Rosa wanted to share lunch, but they could not decide. A fruit bowl was five dollars. Rosa said they should get it. Greg wanted fries. A plate of fries was four dollars. Rosa asked what was in the fruit bowl. There were melons and grapes in it. Greg said he did not like grapes. They argued. Rosa said fruit was good for you. That is why she wanted the fruit bowl. Greg said fries were yummy. That is why he wanted them. In the end Greg got fries and Rosa got fruit. Then they were happy again. Making a Clay Snake Do you like to hold snakes? You might like to hold a clay snake. Making a clay snake is easy. First break off a piece of clay. Roll it into a small ball. Put the ball of clay on a table. Roll the ball under your hands. Keep rolling until it looks like a piece of rope. Roll one end of the rope smaller than the other end. This is the snake s tail. The bigger end is the snake s head. Use a pencil tip to give the snake two eyes. Now you have a snake that everyone will like to hold. Making a Leaf Picture You can make a picture with a leaf. You will need a leaf from a tree and a crayon. You will also need a piece of white paper. Take the paper off your crayon. Put your leaf on a flat table. Put the white piece of paper over the leaf. Hold the paper down with one hand. Rub the side of the crayon on the paper over the leaf. You will see the shape of the leaf on your paper. Move the leaf a bit. Cover it with the paper. Rub the crayon on the paper again. You will soon have a beautiful leaf picture. Page 17 of 33

18 Making New Friends Here s what you can do to make new friends. Say hello when you see new boys and girls at school. Be nice and smile. Help someone who is carrying heavy things. Hold the door open for someone. Let someone else go first. Talk to other boys and girls at lunch. Ask them what they like to do. Listen to what they say. Ask others to play with you. You could play ball or play on the swings. Join in and play what the other children are playing. Take turns when you play. Children like other boys and girls who are nice to them. You will soon have many friends. Making Orange Juice Orange trees grow many oranges. Most of the oranges are used to make juice. People buy juice at the store. There is another way that you can get orange juice. You can make it yourself! You will need about five oranges and a small bowl. Wash the oranges. Ask a grown-up to cut each orange in half. Squeeze each orange half over a bowl. The juice will run into the bowl. If there are any seeds in the bowl, take them out. Pour the juice into a glass. Taste the sweet juice. How do you like the orange juice that you made? Many Places to Live People live in many different places. Some people live in cities. Some people live in towns. Cities have a lot of people. Cities have many shops where people can buy things. There are many different things to do in cities. People can go to the zoos or to big parks with swings. Some people live in towns. Towns are smaller than cities. Towns have shops and things to do. Towns also have parks with swings. But not many towns have a zoo. Cities and towns are two different places where people live. There are other places where people live too. Page 18 of 33

19 Meg s Job Everyone in Meg s family had an early morning job to do. Meg s dad milked the cows. Her mother fed the chickens and the pigs. Meg s job was getting the eggs from the hen house. Her sister cooked the eggs for breakfast. One morning, Meg slept too long. When she woke up, the sun was already coming up yet Meg smelled eggs cooking in the kitchen. She jumped out of bed and raced down the stairs. Her sister said, I m glad you slept in. I knew you were tired. Meg gave her sister a hug and said, Thanks. Mixing Colors Do you like to paint pictures? Do you sometimes run out of a color? You can mix paint to get new colors. There are many colors that you can make. You can mix blue and yellow paints to make green. You can mix red and blue paints to make purple. You can mix red and yellow paints to make orange. What happens if you run out of red paint? You will have to get more. You cannot make red paint from other colors. You cannot make blue or yellow paint from other colors. Red, yellow, and blue are the most important colors. A color wheel shows the colors you can make by mixing red, yellow, and blue. The new color is shown between the two colors that you mix to make it. Morning Words Julie s mom called from the kitchen. Wake up, Julie! It is time to get up. Julie walked down the stairs. She was wearing her new clothes and carrying her new books. Julie sat down at the table and filled her bowl with cereal. She loved the cereal because it had letters. The letters floated on the milk. She moved the letters around with her spoon. She looked for words that the letters made. Then she saw a new word. It was school. She looked at the clock and ran out the door. She was late! She did not want to miss her first day. Page 19 of 33

20 Noisy and Quiet The morning is noisy. The dog is barking, Come out and play. The cat is meowing, Please feed me. The bird is chirping, Come see the new day. The baby is crying, Please hold me. The evening is quiet. The dog has played and played. Shh! The dog is resting by the chair. The cat has nibbled all day. Shh! The cat is napping on a pillow. The bird has seen the day. Shh! The bird is nesting in the tree. The baby has been held and loved. Shh! The baby is sleeping until the new day. On the Beach Carlos and Mari often went to the beach. Carlos liked to pick up shells, and Mari enjoyed watching the birds. But one day the children found something very different. Carlos saw it first because he was looking in a pool of water. Mari, said Carlos. Come here quickly! Mari stopped watching the seagulls dive and swoop. She ran over to Carlos. He was looking at an orange, bumpy animal with five arms. What is it? asked Mari. I think it s a starfish, said Carlos. Mari looked at the animal. She said, I think you re right. The children looked at the starfish a long time. Finally Carlos said, Let s go home. I want to tell Mother what we found on the beach! Page 20 of 33

21 Osprey You probably know that some birds can fish. But did you know that there is a bird that fishes with its feet? An osprey is a bird that is bigger than a robin, but smaller than an eagle. It has dark feathers on most of its back, white belly feathers, and a white head. The female osprey has dark streaks and spots around her neck, but the male does not. His neck is all white. When they fly, osprey wings are slightly bent back like a seagull s. They glide high in the air like a hawk. Ospreys like to nest near fresh and salt water. They dive for fish and catch them with their feet! Our Body Parts Our bodies have many parts. Each part is important. Legs help us to move around. Arms help us to carry things. Hands let us hold things. Fingers let us pick up even very small things. Each part has a job to do. Our bodies need good food and lots of sleep. Food gives our bodies the building blocks that bodies need so they can grow. Sleep gives our bodies time to rest. It gives our bodies time to grow. Each body part is important. The parts all work together. They make you, you! Playing Marbles Tammy sat down at the edge of the circle in the school yard. Four boys and girls were playing with small glass balls. What were the glass balls? What are you playing? she asked the girls and boys. Marbles, one girl answered. What is that? How do you play? Tammy picked up a marble. She looked at it up close. It looked clear from the outside. She looked closer. Inside was a bright blue stripe, like a cat s eye. This is a pretty marble, she said. Take it, one boy offered. We will teach you how to play. Page 21 of 33

22 Playing with Cars Gretchen and Ben were in the yard. They were playing with toy cars. They made roads in the dirt. Some of the roads were long and straight. Some were curvy. Ben made a long jump for the cars to go over. Ben pretended that when his favorite red car landed it crashed. Then Gretchen drove the fire truck over to it. Gretchen made a place to park cars. She drove them in and put them in a row. They made a neat line. Then Gretchen and Ben drove them back out again. The weather was nice. Gretchen and Ben played with the cars all afternoon. Pumpkin Seeds Here is a fun recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds. Have an adult help you with the oven. You need: One large pumpkin 1 teaspoon salt Directions: Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkins. Separate the seeds from the pulp (you may need to pick some out by hand). Rinse the seeds. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle them with the salt. Toast the seeds at 350ºF. After a few minutes, turn the seeds over. When they are just golden, take them out. They are good to eat warm or cold. Rafael and the Cat One day a white cat came to Rafael s door and scratched to come in. She came back the next day, too, and the next, and the next. After a week, Rafael decided that the cat must be lost. Why don t you put up a poster and see if anyone is missing a cat? suggested his father. Not long after Rafael put up the poster, he heard the doorbell ring. Outside was a boy with the cat in his arms. Page 22 of 33

23 Hi, he said. I saw your poster. My cat isn t lost. She just likes to visit people. He smiled. She likes to make new friends. Oh, Rafael said. Then he smiled, too. So do I. Rain Rivers Lucy looked out the window. The rain was falling. The sky was dark and filled with clouds. She wished she could go outside and play. She rested her chin on the blue chair and stared. The raindrops splashed against the glass. She watched them slide down. The drops became fast rivers. They joined and then parted. Then they joined again. Lucy traced the rain rivers with her fingers. The glass was like ice. It felt very cold, but her fingers danced on each small river. Lucy was playing with the rain. Recipe for Giant Bubbles Here is a fun game for a hot day. This game uses things you have at home. You will need: A large, flat pan or cookie sheet Water Dish soap Wire hangers Directions: 1. Fill the pan or cookie sheet with warm water and dish soap. Mix the soap and water. 2. Make bubble wands by bending a wire hanger into any shape you like. You could make a circle, an oval, or even a diamond. Shape the hooked end into a handle. 3. Dip your wand into the bubble mixture and wave it around in the air. You should have giant bubbles! Page 23 of 33

24 Salmon Salmon are fish that are born in streams. When they are old enough, they swim to the ocean. After years in the ocean, salmon return to the streams where they were born. There, they lay eggs that become new salmon. It is easy for the young salmon to swim to the ocean. Coming back to their stream is much harder. The salmon have to swim against the current. They might have to jump up waterfalls. Only a small number of salmon make it back home. Seeing a Rainbow A rainbow is like a bridge in the sky. Have you ever seen one? To see a rainbow, light must shine through the rain. The light from the sun must be behind you. The rain must be in front of you. Light from the sun looks white, but it is not white. Light is made up of many colors. When light shines on a drop of rain, it breaks into colors. The colors are blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. What happens when light shines on many drops of rain? A beautiful rainbow arches across the sky. Smiles Smile, said the woman with the camera. Teddy didn t feel like smiling. He was sad because his puppy was lost. Next, she said. Teddy jumped off the stool and his friend Harriet climbed up. The woman was taking pictures of the children in Mr. Jenkins s class. Teddy waited until Harriet was done. Then they walked outside. Look! said Harriet. There was a little brown puppy. Curly! cried Teddy. His puppy had followed him to school! Teddy couldn t stop smiling for the rest of the day. Page 24 of 33

25 Snakes Have you ever held a snake? Did you think it would feel slimy? Snakes are not slimy. If they are healthy, they are dry and smooth. Their bodies are covered with scales. Even their eyes are covered with see-through scales instead of eyelids. Snakes can swim, climb a tree, crawl along ropes, and slither along the ground. The Western Whip Snake is one of the fastest snakes. It can travel up to three miles an hour. Snakes are cold-blooded, and most snakes sleep through the winter. All snakes swallow their food whole and shed their skin when it gets too tight. Snakes don t hear, but they feel sounds with their bodies. Snakes taste and smell with their tongues. What do you suppose a snake thinks we feel like? Snow on the Mountain Tops Have you seen snow on the top of a mountain? Have you wondered why some mountains have snow on the top? Why does the snow on some mountains stay on the top? These are good questions to ask. Not all mountains are the same size. Some mountains are not very tall. They may not have snow at the top. Very tall mountains may have snow on the top. This snow may stay all year long. The air at the top of these mountains is very cold. The snow cannot melt when it is that cold. Mountains with snow at the top are called snow-capped mountains. Summer and Fall Fun When summer begins and school is through, There are warm summer things that I like to do. I pack a sack lunch and go down to the cool lake. There I splash and swim all day with my friendly dog, Jake. When school begins and summer is through, There are cool fall things that I like to do. I race home from school and go to the woods for a hike. There I toss red and orange leaves with my friend Mike. Once again, when summer begins and school is through, What new things will I like to do? Page 25 of 33

26 Summer Swimming Each night before the sun goes down, We head out to the edge of town. We walk and carry all our things Like towels and great big blown-up rings. The streets are lined with tall, green trees, The kind that make you want to sneeze. We walk until we reach the pool, Where the water is always clean and cool. The kids in town meet there to play. They swim and laugh the hours away. There are toys and balls and things to do. There is something for someone just like you! Taking Care of the Earth Everyone can help take care of the earth. Look around inside your home. Turn off lights when you do not need them. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Do not throw away glass, paper, and cans. They can be used to make new things. You can do many things outside your house. You can clean up a park. You can plant some trees and flowers. You can do things at school, too. You can write on both sides of your paper. Paper is made from trees. Using both sides helps save paper and trees. Trees help the earth. The Giant and the Princess Once upon a time, there was a giant named Tor. He lived alone in a castle by the sea. He was lonely, and he wished for someone to talk to. As Tor looked out to sea, he saw a ship in trouble. The sea was pushing it into some big rocks. The giant walked into the water and found a princess on the ship. He took her to his castle. Tor and the princess became friends. He did not want her to go home. One day, the princess told Tor she was hungry for a fish that lived far out in the ocean. He wanted to make her happy, and he rowed out to catch the fish. When he was gone, she found her way home. The princess never forgot Tor. One day, she came back with Bella, who was also a giant. Bella and Tor fell in love and were married. The princess went back to her home and was happy. Page 26 of 33

27 The Great Sock Hunt Jenny never said that she had the neatest room in the world. But one day she couldn t even find her socks. They were buried under piles of books, toys, and clothing. Let s have a Great Sock Hunt, her mother said. They hunted through the piles. The clothes went into a basket, the books went onto the shelves, and the toys went into the toy box. But all the socks were greeted with cheers and awarded points. I won! Jenny cried at last. I found six pairs! What s my prize? A clean room, said her mother. The Hand Game Here is a game you can play anytime, anywhere, with anyone. All you need are two small stones and some red paint. Paint a red dot on one of the stones, and you are ready to play. How to play: 1. Sit in a circle with the other players. 2. Hold both stones in one hand. 3. Pass one stone to a person near you without letting anyone see it. 4. Ask another person to guess which stone you passed. Was it the one with the red dot, or the other one? 5. If this person guesses correctly, give her both stones. Now it is that person s turn. 6. If she doesn t guess correctly, give the stones to someone else. 7. Play the game again. 8. Whoever guesses correctly the most times wins. Page 27 of 33

28 The Moon Long ago, Greek people thought the moon was a goddess. Her name was Selene. They believed that she rode through the sky in a silver carriage. Actually, the moon is made of rock. It has been there a long, long time. Some scientists think the moon was made when something smashed into the earth and caused a cloud of rock and dust. The rock and dust made the moon. It takes about one month for the moon to travel around the earth. Sometimes the moon blocks out the sun. The moon s shadow falls on the earth. This is called a solar eclipse. Go out one night and look at the moon. What does it look like to you? Does it look like a silver carriage? The Morning Run In the morning when it s dark My dog Peanuts starts to bark. Peanuts sits next to my bed, Sticks out his tongue, and licks my head! I pull the covers up so high, Then Peanuts really starts to fly. Racing all around the room Like my mother with a broom. Peanuts makes a lot of noise And then he grabs some special toys. Peanuts holds one up for me Hoping I will set it free. Peanuts knows the leash is the one That will get me up and out for a run. Page 28 of 33

29 The Snowfall Lili could see something floating past her window. Snow! The first snow of the year was here. She grabbed her slippers and ran into her mom s room. She jumped on the bed. Mom! It is snowing outside! Is it? her mother asked with a sleepy yawn. Yes, look outside! They both went to the window and looked out. The snow was fluffy and deep. The snow was a soft blanket of white that covered the earth. Everything looked brand new. Thomas Goes for a Walk Thomas walked very slowly through the woods. He stopped to rest for a while. Thomas loved it here. He could hear the wind whispering in the leaves of the oak trees. The wind was like an old friend. Thomas thought back to the time when he was a boy. He had played with his friends in these woods. They had fun watching the chipmunks popping out of their holes. Then Thomas thought about the oak tree he used to climb. He knew where it was. Slowly, he walked toward the tree. Thomas wished he could still climb it! Thomas smiled and jumped to reach a branch. To Camp The group of boys sat by the fire. The fire was hot. They held out their hands. They held out their feet. Slowly, they began to get warm again. They were out in the woods. The stars filled the sky. The moon was full. They could hear the night sounds. They heard an owl. All the boys sat around the fire. They were not talking. They just sat there and watched the fire. The day had been long. The boys had walked for two hours. But now they were there. They had made it to camp. Page 29 of 33

30 Too Much Homework Mrs. Smith: Kin San, will you share your homework today? Kin San: Yes, it s right here. I did all of my homework last night. Mrs. Smith: Good job. Would you like to share it with the class? Kin San: Yes. Should I read all fifteen problems? Mrs. Smith: Fifteen? Wow, you did a lot of homework. I only asked everyone to do eight problems. Kin San: Eight? Eight? Can I get an extra grade? Mrs. Smith: Well, read the first eight problems. Then we can talk about it. Waiting for the Mail The mail comes just once a day I hope some mail comes my way. A letter is what I want to hold. Some day soon is what I am told. Each day I sit and look up the street For the person bringing the mail whom I hope to meet. I hope to get a letter from my friend But how will I know what my friend will send? I hope it is a letter, you see Then I can send my friend one from me. Will I get a letter today? Then maybe I can go out to play. What s in a Name? You can use your own name to make a very nice picture. You will need A pencil Crayons A piece of paper Your imagination Page 30 of 33

31 Steps: 1. Fold the paper in half the long way. Open it up again. 2. Turn the paper sideways (it should look long, like a ruler). 3. Write your name on the paper. Write only on the lower half. Write your name as big as you can. 4. Go over your name with a black crayon. Make sure the lines are heavy and dark. 5. Fold the paper again the same way as before. 6. Rub the folded paper over the edge of the table. Rub hard, but be careful. Don t let the paper rip. 7. Open the paper back up. You should see your name on both sides of the paper. 8. Trace the new lines with a black crayon. Your paper will look something like a mirror. 9. Now decorate it any way you like! What s Wrong With Rosa? Rosa put on a warm shirt because she felt cold. Her aunt made her soup for lunch. When the soup was ready, Rosa did not feel like eating. Her head felt hot. She took off her warm shirt. You might be getting sick, said her aunt. Try to sleep for a while. Rosa did not want to sleep. She wanted to stay awake, but her eyes got heavier and heavier. Soon, she was asleep. Rosa woke up a few hours later. How are you feeling? her aunt asked. I feel better, said Rosa. Will you make me some soup? I am hungry now. When You Grow Up What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you know what you want to be when you get older? Do you like to help people? Maybe you could be a doctor or a teacher. Do you like to find things? Maybe you could be a deep sea diver. Do you like music? Maybe you could be a singer. Do you like plants? Maybe you could be a farmer. Do you like to go to new places? Maybe you could be a truck driver. Whatever you want to do, you can do it. You have to try. Then try some more. Page 31 of 33

32 Who Will Feed the Animals? Mike and his brother sat down on the barn floor. Piles of hay were around them. There were stalls in the back. Each stall was home to an animal. The first stall had a horse. It was white with a black spot on its head. The next stall had a goat. It was short and gray. The last stall had a donkey. It was brown. Mike and his brother were picking straws of hay. The boy who picked the longer straw would feed the animals. Each boy wanted to do the chore. The animals waited and looked at each boy. They wondered why their food bins were still empty. Winter Fun When snow falls, nothing is more fun than building a snow person. Step 1. Start by making a snowball. Roll it on the ground until it is about two feet round. Step 2. Make another, slightly smaller ball for the body. Get a friend to help you lift it onto the first ball. Step 3. Pack snow in between the two balls to keep the top one from falling off. Step 4. Make a third, even smaller ball for the head. Place it on the second ball and pack it with snow. Step 5. Decorate your snow person with pebbles, buttons, a carrot nose, and an old hat and scarf! Wondering Dane looked at the canoe. It was still upside down on the dock. Where was Aunt Lyn? Dane wondered. She had promised to take him canoeing today. There she was but what did she have in her hands? Her arms were full of a big basket and some other things. Dane wondered what they were. Here, Dane, put this on. Aunt Lyn handed him a puffy orange life vest. She watched while Dane buckled all the straps. Is it too loose? she asked. Dane shook his head. Is it too tight? Dane shook his head, no, again. Page 32 of 33

33 STAR Assessments Reading Passages: Grade 2 Good, said Aunt Lyn. She strapped on her own purple life vest. Together they rolled the canoe over into the water. Then Aunt Lyn put the big basket into the canoe. As they moved downstream, Dane wondered what was in the picnic basket. Your Name on a Pumpkin You can put your name on a pumpkin. First, plant a pumpkin seed in your garden. The seed will grow a plant. The plant will grow flowers first. Then the pumpkins will start to grow. Wait until you see a small pumpkin. Write your name on the pumpkin with a marker. Ask an adult to carve your name out. Then let the pumpkin grow. Your name will get bigger as the pumpkin grows! When the pumpkin is very big, you can pick it. You will have a pumpkin with your name on it. You might write a friend s name on a pumpkin. When the pumpkin is ready, you can give it to your friend. All logos, designs, and brand names for Renaissance Learning s products and services, including but not limited to Renaissance Learning, STAR, STAR 360, STAR Assessments, STAR Early Literacy Enterprise, STAR Math, STAR Math Enterprise, STAR Reading, STAR Reading Enterprise, and STAR Reading Spanish are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc., and its subsidiaries, registered, common law, or pending registration in the United States and other countries. All passages and images , Renaissance Learning, Inc. (unless otherwise cited). Page 33 of 33