Why Do Pools Have Waves When You Jump In — Reading Comprehension
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3
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Standards
NGSS PS4.A
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This learning resource is available in interactive and printable formats. The interactive worksheet can be played online and assigned to students. The Printable PDF version can be downloaded and printed for completion by hand.
This engaging 250-word reading passage introduces fourth-grade students to the fundamental concept of wave energy transfer through a relatable, everyday experience: jumping into a pool. Aligned with NGSS standard PS4.A (Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer), the passage explains how waves are regular patterns of motion that transfer energy from place to place without transferring matter. Students learn that when a body enters water, it pushes the water aside and transfers energy that travels outward as waves in circular patterns. The passage includes age-appropriate vocabulary with bolded key terms like energy, waves, and matter, each defined in context. Audio-integrated features support diverse learners, while the simplified differentiated version ensures accessibility for all reading levels. Accompanying activities include an 8-question multiple-choice quiz testing recall, comprehension, and application; three short-answer writing prompts; and two graphic organizers (Sequence/Process Table and Cause-Effect Table) that help students visualize the step-by-step process of wave formation and energy transfer. Spanish translations of both passage versions support English language learners. This comprehensive resource builds foundational understanding of wave mechanics through concrete, observable phenomena that fourth graders can easily relate to their own experiences.
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When you jump into a pool, something interesting happens to the water. Your body pushes the water out of the way as you enter. This push transfers energy to the water. Energy is the ability to make things move or change.
The energy you gave to the water doesn't just disappear. It travels outward through the water as waves. Waves are regular patterns of motion that move energy from one place to another. You can see the waves spreading out in circles from where you jumped in, getting bigger and bigger until they reach the pool's edges.
A bigger jump creates bigger waves because you transfer more energy to the water. A small jump creates smaller waves with less energy. Think of it like this: tapping a drum lightly makes a quiet sound, but hitting it hard makes a loud sound. Both actions transfer energy, just different amounts.
Here's something important to understand: the waves carry your energy across the pool, but the water itself doesn't travel with the waves. The matter (the water) stays mostly in place while the energy moves through it. Matter is the physical stuff that things are made of. You can test this by watching a toy boat floating in the pool. When waves pass under it, the boat bobs up and down but doesn't move far from its spot. The wave energy passes through, but the water stays put.
What happens when you jump into a pool?
Your body pushes water out of the wayThe water disappears completelyThe pool gets deeperThe water turns into ice
What do waves carry across the pool?
Fish and plantsEnergy from your jumpAir bubbles onlySand and dirt
What is matter?
The sound waves makeThe speed of wavesThe physical stuff things are made ofThe color of water
Why does a bigger jump create bigger waves?
Because the pool is deeperBecause more energy is transferred to waterBecause the water is warmerBecause the pool is smaller
What happens to a toy boat when waves pass?
It sinks to the bottomIt moves far across the poolIt bobs up and down in placeIt breaks into pieces
How do waves spread in a pool?
In straight lines onlyIn circles from where you jumpedIn zigzag patternsThey don't spread at all
The water travels across the pool with the waves.
TrueFalse
What does energy mean in this passage?
The color of the waterThe size of the poolThe ability to make things move or changeThe temperature of water
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• Reading curriculum support
• Independent reading practice
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