A Day at Shelburne Farms
To: Aunt June
Subject: Our visit to Shelburne Farms
Dear Aunt June,
Remember how you asked what we were doing for our spring field trip? Yesterday our class visited Shelburne Farms in Vermont, and I kept thinking about the garden behind your house. Your garden is much smaller, of course, but both places depend on healthy soil, water, and a lot of patient work.
When we arrived, I noticed how close the farm is to Lake Champlain. From one spot, I could see the lake beyond the fields, with mountains rising in the distance. The farm has big historic buildings, including a barn with a tall tower. It looked almost like a castle to me, although the wide doors and farm equipment made its purpose clear.
First, our class visited an area with farm animals. I watched a sheep pull at a mouthful of hay, then chew it slowly. Our teacher, Ms. Ellis, explained that hay is grass or other plants that have been cut and dried. Farmers can store it to feed animals when fresh pasture isn't available. I had seen bundles of hay before, but I hadn't thought much about why they were saved.
- historic:
- Important because of a connection to the past.
- pasture:
- Land covered with plants that farm animals can eat.
- bacteria:
- Tiny living things, some of which can help make foods such as cheese.
- curds:
- The soft solid pieces that form when milk separates.
- whey:
- The liquid left when milk separates into curds and liquid.
- trampling:
- Stepping heavily on something and possibly damaging it.
- trace:
- To follow something back to its source.
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- 1Why does Clara mention Aunt June's garden at the beginning of her email?
- 2What details show that the tower belongs to a farm building rather than a castle?
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About this letter / email passage for Upper Elementary
“A Day at Shelburne Farms” is a letter / email reading passage about Farm education, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 4 minutes to read (526 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.