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Leveled Reader: Farming in Pakistan

1st-2nd Grades

Targeted Skill:

CCSS.ELA.RF.4.1.A: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

CCSS.ELA.RF.4.2.A: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

CCSS.ELA.RI.2.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

CCSS.ELA.RF.2.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

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This resource is featured in the SubjectToClimate lesson

Plant Lesson: Salt Effects on Farming (Water and Plants Unit Plan #3).

Visit SubjectToClimate.org for more

FREE teaching resources.

Climate Change Connection

As students gain knowledge about climate change topics, such as sea level rise, this reading can further expand their understanding of how people are adapting. Discussion about people and places around the world being affected allows students to understand the breadth of the problems and how all of our actions are connected. In addition, solution-oriented texts inspire hope and encourage students to consider green careers where scientists and farmers are collaborating to solve climate-related problems. Teachers can lead students in activities or readings to gain a basic understanding of climate change and sea level rise before engaging with these texts. Possible resources include:

Teaching Tips

  • Students participate in guided reading or independent reading of the text that best fits their reading proficiency.
  • After reading, discuss the problem and solution presented in the text. For additional prompts, use the Read-Aloud Guide: Climate Science Solutions.
  • This text may be used in conjunction with a 2nd grade science unit related to 2-LS-1.
  • Use the text Farming in Bangladesh as a companion text. Or, assign half of the students to one of the texts and half to the other, and then pair students to discuss similarities and differences between the two texts.
  • A projectable version of the 210-400 Lexile level text is provided. To use a different version as projectable, copy and paste to replace the text.

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Printable book designed to be printed on both sides, flipped on short edge.

210-400 Lexile

Printable Book

410-600 Lexile

610-800 Lexile

210-400 Lexile

Projectable

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Farming in Pakistan

210-400 Lexile

By: Emily Townsend

crop

a plant grown by farmers

fresh

water without salt

ground

the Earth where we walk

soil

the layers of the Earth where plants grow

Glossary

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Let’s visit Pakistan.

We will go in a boat.

It is on the Arabian Sea.

What can we do?

Can we find solutions together?

1

10

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Some people are farmers.

They grow crops.

This is good for the community, but

the ocean water is still rising.

It is a problem.

9

2

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Families eat the food.

Families sell the food.

Farmers tested other potatoes.

They found a new potato.

It can grow!

It does not need fresh water.

The water and the soil can be salty.

3

8

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Pakistani people can grow new crops.

The water in the ocean is moving into the ground.

This can make the soil salty.

7

4

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The plants need fresh water.

Where can they get it?

Potatoes are good for you.

They don’t need a lot of water.

But the potatoes will not grow.

It is too salty.

5

6

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Farming in Pakistan

410-600 Lexile

By: Emily Townsend

brackish

water with some salt

crop

a plant grown by farmers

fresh

water without salt

ground

the Earth where we walk

soil

the layers of the Earth where plants grow

Glossary

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Pakistan is a country in Asia.

It is next to India on the Arabian Sea.

People live there. Animal live there.

What can we do?

We must work to find solutions together.

1

10

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Some people there are farmers.

They grow crops.

This is good for the community, but

the ocean water is still rising. It is a problem.

9

2

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They grow food for their families. They sell the crops, too.

They tested other potatoes. They found a new potato that could grow well in the soil. They watered them with brackish water. The potatoes grew in the salty soil with salty water.

3

8

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Pakistani people are learning to grow different crops.

The water from the ocean is moving into the ground. It makes the soil too salty to grow crops.

7

4

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It is hard to get fresh water to give to the crops, so not as many grow.

Potatoes don’t need a lot of water, but they have a lot of things our bodies need. The potatoes they used to plant in Pakistan were not growing.

5

6

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Farming in Pakistan

610-800 Lexile

By: Emily Townsend

Glossary

brackish

water with some salt

crop

a plant grown by farmers

fresh

water without salt

nutrients

what animals and plants need to survive

soil

the layers of the Earth where plants grow

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Pakistan is a country in Asia. It is near India and borders the Arabian Sea.

People and animals live in Pakistan. What can we do? We have to fix the problem together.

1

10

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Some people are farmers. They grow crops.

This is good for the community, but

the ocean water is still rising. It is a problem.

9

2

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They farm for many reasons. Some farmers grow food for their families. Some farmers sell the crops, too.

So, they tested a new variety. They found a potato that could grow well in the salty soil. They watered the new potatoes with brackish water. The potatoes were salt tolerant.

3

8

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Pakistani people have to grow different crops to combat the problem.

The Arabian Sea is rising due to climate change. Unfortunately, the saltwater from the ocean is seeping into the ground, which makes the soil too salty to grow crops.

7

4

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Sea level rise is also making it difficult to get enough fresh water for the crops. This means the number and quality of plants has decreased.

Potatoes don’t need a lot of water, but they have a lot of nutrients our bodies need. The potatoes they used to plant in Pakistan were not growing.

5

6

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Farming in Pakistan

By: Emily Townsend

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Let’s visit Pakistan. We will go in a boat.

It is on the Arabian Sea.

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Some people are farmers. They grow crops.

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Families eat the food. Families sell the food.

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The water in the ocean is moving into the ground. This can make the soil salty.

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The plants need fresh water.

Where can they get it?

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Pakistani people can grow new crops.

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Potatoes are good for you. They don’t need a lot of water. But the potatoes will not grow. It is too salty.

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Farmers tested other potatoes. They found a new potato. It can grow! It does not need fresh water. The water and the soil can be salty.

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This is good for the community, but

the seawater is still rising. It is a problem.

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What can we do?

Can we find solutions together?

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Creators & Collaborators

Please leave this page for attribution.

Authors

Emily Townsend

Scientist Reviewer

Archibong Akpan, PhD

Image Resources

Flaticon, FreePik, Pexels, Wikimedia Commons