Taming the Tallgrass Prairie
NARRATOR: In the mid-1800s, pioneer families traveled west in covered wagons searching for fertile farmland. When they arrived in Iowa, they were amazed by the vast, open tallgrass prairie.
HANNAH: (gazing across the open field) Look as far as the eye can see, Caleb! The grass is taller than Father!
CALEB: It looks like a green ocean waving in the wind. But where are all the trees? How will we build a cabin or fence our fields without timber?
MR. MILLER: We will have to adapt, children. The trees mostly grow along the riverbanks. But look down at this earth. This dark soil is the richest dirt I have ever seen.
NARRATOR: The settlers soon learned that farming the prairie was much harder than they expected. For thousands of years, prairie grass roots had grown deep into the ground, forming a thick, tangled mat called sod.
HANNAH: Father tried to plow the field yesterday with our old iron plow, but the blade barely scratched the surface!
CALEB: (sighing) The heavy prairie sod broke the wooden handles right off our tool. The grass roots held the soil like a tightly woven carpet.
- pioneer:
- A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area.
- prairie:
- A large, open area of grassland.
- sod:
- A thick layer of soil held together by grass roots.
- timber:
- Wood prepared for use in building structures or fences.
- fertile:
- Soil or land capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why was Caleb worried when he first saw the prairie in Iowa?
- 2Where did Mr. Miller say trees could mostly be found on the prairie?
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About this reader's theater passage for Upper Elementary
“Taming the Tallgrass Prairie” is a reader's theater reading passage about Early Iowa Settlers and Prairie Farming, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (415 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.