Levelled Reading: Levels L-O

Grade 3 - Reading - On Level

NameDate

Read this first
The Robot That Spun
Marcus and his robotics club had three weeks before the city contest. Their robot had one job. It had to pick up a block and carry it across a table.
The robot rolled straight with no trouble. But every time it tried to turn, it spun in a circle instead.
Marcus checked the wires first. They all looked fine. His teammate Dana said, "Maybe it's the code." They read the turning code line by line. It looked right too.
Then Marcus knelt down and looked closely at the wheels. The left wheel was a little smaller than the right one. "That's it!" he said. "A smaller wheel turns differently. That is why it spins."
The club ordered a new wheel. While they waited, Marcus slowed down the left wheel in the code. The turns got better, but they were still wobbly. When the new wheel came, they put it on. The robot turned in a smooth curve.
At the contest, the robot carried its block without one mistake. A judge asked how they fixed the turning problem. Marcus explained about the wheel. "We tested one thing at a time," he said. "Guessing would not have found it."
The judge smiled. "That is how real engineers work," she said. Marcus grinned at Dana. All that careful checking had been worth it.
What is this story mostly about?
- fixing a robot that would not turn
- building a robot from a kit
- learning to write computer code
- winning a block-stacking game
What was the robot's problem?
- It dropped the block.
- It would not roll straight.
- It spun in a circle when it turned.
- Its wires were loose.
What did Marcus check first?
- the code
- the wires
- the block
- the wheels
Why did the robot spin instead of turn?
- The table was too slippery.
- The code had a mistake in it.
- A wire was loose.
- One wheel was smaller than the other.
Why did Marcus change the code while they waited?
- to make the robot go faster
- because Dana wanted a new robot
- to make the turns better until the new wheel came
- because the judge asked him to
What happened after the new wheel arrived?
- Marcus checked the wires again.
- The club ordered another wheel.
- The robot spun even faster.
- The robot turned in a smooth curve.
Which of these did NOT happen in the story?
- Dana said to check the code.
- A judge asked about the fix.
- The club ordered a new wheel.
- The robot dropped the block at the contest.
What does the word "wobbly" mean in this story?
- perfectly straight
- shaky and not smooth
- broken in half
- very fast
What lesson does Marcus learn?
- Robots are too hard to build.
- Guessing is the fastest way to fix things.
- Testing one thing at a time can solve a problem.
- Bigger wheels always work better.
How does Marcus feel at the end?
- bored
- angry
- proud
- nervous

The Robot That Spun

Marcus and his robotics club had three weeks before the city contest. Their robot had one job. It had to pick up a block and carry it across a table.

The robot rolled straight with no trouble. But every time it tried to turn, it spun in a circle instead.

Marcus checked the wires first. They all looked fine. His teammate Dana said, "Maybe it's the code." They read the turning code line by line. It looked right too.

Then Marcus knelt down and looked closely at the wheels. The left wheel was a little smaller than the right one. "That's it!" he said. "A smaller wheel turns differently. That is why it spins."

The club ordered a new wheel. While they waited, Marcus slowed down the left wheel in the code. The turns got better, but they were still wobbly. When the new wheel came, they put it on. The robot turned in a smooth curve.

At the contest, the robot carried its block without one mistake. A judge asked how they fixed the turning problem. Marcus explained about the wheel. "We tested one thing at a time," he said. "Guessing would not have found it."

The judge smiled. "That is how real engineers work," she said. Marcus grinned at Dana. All that careful checking had been worth it.