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Reading passage Grade 2 English Language Arts

The Puddle by the Water Fountain: A Grade 2 Conservation Story

A grade 2 narrative about a class that notices a leaking hallway fountain, reports it, and learns why fixing small drips saves water, with comprehension questions.

Objectives

  1. Students will answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions about a short narrative text.
  2. Students will explain why a small water leak is worth fixing, using details from the passage.
  3. Students will write one opinion sentence using the linking word 'because.'

Vocabulary

Water conservation
Using less water and using it wisely so there is enough for people and nature now and in the future. Small actions matter, since a faucet dripping once per second wastes roughly 3,000 gallons per year.

Teacher overview

This original story follows a second-grade class at Riverside Elementary as they notice a small puddle by the hallway water fountain and decide to do something about it. The passage introduces the idea that a slow drip can waste a surprising amount of water over time, told through a classroom scene students can picture easily. It can be read aloud together or independently, and the questions move from finding stated facts to explaining why characters acted the way they did.

The Puddle by the Water Fountain: A Grade 2 Conservation Story — Grade 2 English Language Arts
Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

Passage

The Puddle by the Water Fountain

Ms. Patel's class in Room 12 lined up for a drink at the hallway water fountain. They did this every morning. But today, Marcus noticed something new. "There's a puddle down here," he said. He pointed at the floor under the fountain.

The class looked closer. Water was dripping from the bottom of the fountain. It came out one small drop at a time. It did not look like much. But Ms. Patel asked the class a question. How long had the fountain probably been dripping?

"Maybe since yesterday?" guessed Priya.

"Maybe since last week," said Ms. Patel. "One drop doesn't seem like a big deal. But a drip that keeps going, day after day, can waste a lot of water. And often, no one notices."

The class wrote a note to the school custodian, Mr. Kanellos. The note said exactly where the puddle was. It said when they had noticed it. That afternoon, Mr. Kanellos came to look. He found a loose part inside the fountain. He tightened it with a wrench. The dripping stopped right away.

The next morning, Room 12 checked the fountain first thing. The floor was dry. "We fixed it," said Marcus, "just by writing a note."

Ms. Patel smiled. "You noticed a small problem," she said. "You told someone who could fix it. That is how water gets saved, in a school or in a whole town. Someone notices a leak. Someone else repairs it before it wastes more."

The class made a new habit. Each week, they would check for puddles near sinks and fountains. That way, no drip would go unnoticed for long again.

Questions

  1. Who noticed the puddle under the water fountain first?
  2. What was causing the puddle on the floor?
  3. Who did the class send their note to?
  4. Ms. Patel says one drop "doesn't seem like a big deal." Why does a slow drip matter anyway?
  5. The class wrote down exactly where and when they saw the puddle. Why was that better than just saying "the fountain is broken"?
  6. How did Mr. Kanellos fix the fountain?
  7. What new habit did Room 12 start at the end of the passage? Why do you think they chose it?

Writing task. Do you think it was a good idea for Room 12 to write a note about the drip? Write one sentence sharing your opinion and use the word "because" to give a reason.

From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.

Answer Key
  1. Answer: Marcus noticed the puddle first. The passage states he pointed at the floor and said, "There's a puddle down here."
  2. Answer: Water dripping from the bottom of the fountain, one drop at a time, was causing the puddle. Also accept a loose part inside the fountain, which Mr. Kanellos found later.
  3. Answer: They sent it to Mr. Kanellos, the school custodian, describing exactly where the puddle was and when they noticed it.
  4. Answer: Ms. Patel explains that a drip that keeps going day after day can waste a huge amount of water, even though a single drop seems small, because the small amount adds up over time.
  5. Answer: Answers will vary; accept reasoning that specific details help the custodian find and understand the problem faster, such as knowing exactly where to look and how long it had likely been happening.
  6. Answer: He found a loose part inside the fountain and tightened it with a wrench, which stopped the dripping right away.
  7. Answer: Room 12 decided to check for puddles near sinks and fountains every week. Accept any reasonable explanation connecting this habit to catching future leaks early, before they waste much water.

Writing task exemplar. I think it was a good idea for Room 12 to write a note because their note helped Mr. Kanellos fix the drip quickly, before it wasted any more water.

Differentiation

Support (below grade level)

Read the passage aloud once as a class before students reread it independently. Provide the questions with the paragraph they can be found in already marked, and allow question 5 to be discussed with a partner before writing an answer.

Extension (above grade level)

Ask students to write two additional sentences describing what might have happened if the class had not noticed the puddle for another month, using details from the passage to support their prediction.

ELL supports

Pre-teach "puddle," "drip," "custodian," and "fix" with simple picture cards before reading. Allow students to answer questions 1 through 3 with short phrases rather than complete sentences, and provide the sentence starter "I think it was a good idea because ___" for the writing task.