Introducing KNOVA — A free reading app with curriculum-aligned passages on History & Science for Grades 3-8Learn More →

Tracing Energy Back to the Sun — Reading Comprehension

No ratings yet

Premium Resource

Grades

Standards

5-LS1-1
5-PS3-1

Rate this resource

Send Feedback / Report an Issue

About This Reader

This engaging 400-word reading passage helps fifth-grade students understand how energy flows from the sun through living things. Aligned with NGSS standards 5-LS1-1 and 5-PS3-1, students learn to trace food energy step by step: sunlight hits plants, plants make food through photosynthesis, herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat herbivores, and all energy originates from the sun. The passage uses simple language and real-world examples like grass, rabbits, and hawks to illustrate energy transfer. Students explore how plants capture light energy and convert it into food energy stored in sugars. The passage emphasizes that every food chain begins with the sun as the original energy source. Audio-integrated features support diverse learners, while differentiated versions ensure accessibility for all reading levels. Vocabulary terms like photosynthesis, energy transfer, and food chain are clearly defined. The passage includes comprehension questions, writing activities, and graphic organizers that help students build models of energy flow in ecosystems, meeting core NGSS disciplinary ideas for Grade 5 life science and physical science standards.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. All living things need energy to grow, move, and survive. Every bite of food you eat contains energy, but where does that energy come from? If you trace it back far enough, all food energy comes from the sun.

Plants are the starting point for almost all food energy on Earth. Through a process called photosynthesis, plants capture light energy from the sun and use it to make food. Photosynthesis means "putting together with light." During this process, plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air to create sugars. These sugars store the sun's energy in a form that living things can use. The green parts of plants, especially the leaves, contain a substance called chlorophyll that captures sunlight and makes photosynthesis possible.

When an animal eats a plant, energy transfer occurs. Energy transfer means energy moves from one thing to another. For example, when a rabbit eats grass, the energy stored in the grass moves into the rabbit's body. The rabbit uses this energy to hop, breathe, and stay warm. Some of the energy helps the rabbit grow bigger and stronger.

The energy chain continues when another animal eats the plant-eater. If a hawk catches and eats the rabbit, energy transfers again. The energy that was in the grass moved to the rabbit, and now it moves to the hawk. At each step, we can trace the energy backward: the hawk got energy from the rabbit, the rabbit got energy from the grass, and the grass got energy from the sun.

This pattern creates what scientists call a food chain. A food chain shows how energy moves from one living thing to another. Every food chain starts with the sun. Even when you eat a hamburger, you can trace that energy back to the sun. The cow ate grass or grain, and those plants captured sunlight. Without the sun's energy, there would be no plants, and without plants, there would be no food for animals or people.

Scientists use arrows to show energy flow in food chains. The arrows point from the energy source to the organism that receives the energy. For example: Sun → Grass → Rabbit → Hawk. The arrows show that energy flows from the sun to grass, from grass to rabbit, and from rabbit to hawk.

Interesting Fact: The sun provides more energy to Earth in one hour than all the people on the planet use in an entire year! Plants capture only about 1% of the sun's energy that reaches Earth, but that's still enough to power almost all life on our planet.

What do plants use to make food?

Sunlight, water, and carbon dioxideSoil, rocks, and airAnimals, insects, and waterRain, wind, and clouds

What does photosynthesis mean?

Eating plants for energyPutting together with lightMoving from place to placeGrowing bigger and stronger

Where does all food energy start?

In the soilIn animalsIn the sunIn water

Why do animals eat plants?

To get energy stored in plantsTo make chlorophyllTo create sunlightTo produce carbon dioxide

What happens in energy transfer?

Plants make more sunlightEnergy moves from one thing to anotherAnimals become plantsThe sun gets brighter

How do scientists show energy flow?

They use arrows pointing to energy receiversThey draw circles around animalsThey write numbers on plantsThey color the sun yellow

All food chains begin with the sun.

TrueFalse

What is chlorophyll?

A type of animalA green substance that captures sunlightEnergy from the sunFood that rabbits eat

Perfect For:

👩‍🏫 Teachers

• Reading comprehension practice
• Auto-graded assessments
• Literacy skill development

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents

• Reading practice at home
• Comprehension improvement
• Educational reading time

🏠 Homeschoolers

• Reading curriculum support
• Independent reading practice
• Progress monitoring

Reading Features:

📖

Reading Passage

Engaging fiction or nonfiction text

❓

Comprehension Quiz

Auto-graded questions

📊

Instant Feedback

Immediate results and scoring

📄

Printable Version

Download for offline reading

🔊

Read Aloud

Voice-over with word highlighting

Reviews & Ratings

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!

Why Plants Need Water

This comprehensive 400-word reading passage explores why plants need water, aligned with NGSS standard 5-LS1-1. Students...

5-LS1-1

How Different Animals Get Energy from Food

This 400-word reading passage for Grade 5 students explores the three main types of consumers in ecosystems: herbivores,...

5-LS1-15-PS3-1

How Food Helps Animals Move

This 5th grade science reading passage explores how food helps animals move, directly aligned to NGSS standards 5-LS1-1 ...

5-LS1-15-PS3-1

How Food Helps Animals Heal and Repair

This 400-word informational reading passage teaches fifth-grade students how animals use energy from food to heal and re...

5-LS1-15-PS3-1

How Food Keeps Animals Warm

This comprehensive 400-word reading passage introduces fifth-grade students to the fascinating connection between food e...

5-LS1-15-PS3-1

Why Some Animals Need More Energy

This 400-word reading passage is designed for Grade 5 students and aligns with NGSS standards 5-LS1-1 and 5-PS3-1. Stude...

5-LS1-15-PS3-1

How Animals Get Energy from Food

This comprehensive Grade 5 science reading passage explores why animals need energy and how they obtain it through food ...

5-LS1-15-PS3-1

Connect with Workybooks!

7950 Silverton Av #208, San Diego CA 92126

WORKSHEETS

READINGKNOVATEACHER TOOLS

RESOURCESCURATED UNITS

FEATURESBLOGCOMPANY

Tracing Energy Back to the Sun — Reading Comprehension

About This Reader

CONTENT PREVIEW

Perfect For:

Reading Features:

Reviews & Ratings

Related Content

Connect with Workybooks!