Around the Kinneret

5th Grade Common Core RI.5.1 Fact text and travel blog 399 words ⏱ 40 minESL B1

A fact text about the Sea of Galilee, and a blog by a girl who cycled around the lake with her father.

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________

Text 1: Israel's Lake

The Sea of Galilee, called the Kinneret in Hebrew, is not really a sea. It is a freshwater lake in the north of Israel, about 21 kilometers long and 13 kilometers wide. Its surface is more than 200 meters below sea level, which makes it the lowest freshwater lake on Earth.

The Jordan River enters the lake in the north and leaves it in the south. For many years, the Kinneret was Israel's most important source of drinking water. Water was pumped from the lake into the National Water Carrier, a system of pipes and canals that took it to cities in the center and the south of the country. Today, much of Israel's water comes from the sea through desalination, so the lake is less important for drinking water than it was in the past.

Every winter, Israelis follow the news about the lake's water level. After a dry winter, the level drops, and beaches that were under water appear. After a rainy winter, people celebrate when the level rises.

The lake is also home to many kinds of fish. The most famous is the tilapia, often called St. Peter's fish, which is served in restaurants around the lake.

Text 2: Two Days, Sixty Kilometers

Last Passover, my father and I decided to ride our bikes around the Kinneret. The route around the lake is about 60 kilometers long, so we split it into two days.

We started early in the morning in Tiberias and rode north along the western shore. The views were amazing: blue water on one side and green hills on the other. By ten o'clock, though, the sun was burning. We stopped every half hour to drink, and by lunchtime we had finished six bottles of water between us.

We spent the night at a campsite on the eastern shore. In the evening we swam in the lake, and the water was cool and soft. My father, who grew up in the north, told me that when he was a boy, the water reached all the way to the trees behind us.

On the second day, my legs hurt so much that I wanted to give up. My father said that we could call my mom to pick us up, but I refused. When we finally reached Tiberias again, I felt like a champion.

My advice: start early, carry more water than you think you need, and don't forget sunscreen.

📘 Word bank

freshwater: water that is not salty
surface: the top layer of the water
level: how high something reaches
pumped: moved water using a machine
desalination: taking the salt out of sea water
route: the way you take to get somewhere
shore: the land at the edge of a lake or sea
campsite: a place where you can put up a tent and sleep
sunscreen: cream that protects your skin from the sun

✏️ Questions

Text 1
Key details
Why is the Kinneret "not really a sea"?
Key details
Complete: The Kinneret is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth because its surface is ______.
Key details
Where does the Jordan River enter the lake?
Key details
What is the National Water Carrier?
Reference words
In paragraph 2, the word "it" in "took it to cities" refers to…
Inference
Why is the Kinneret less important for drinking water today?
Key details
What happens to the lake after a dry winter?
Key details
What is another name for the tilapia?
Text 2
Key details
Why did the writer and her father split the trip into two days?
Word meaning
"By ten o'clock, though, the sun was burning." This means that it was…
Key details
Where did they spend the night?
Inference
Why did the writer refuse to call her mom on the second day?
Key details
Give TWO pieces of advice that the writer gives.
Comparing texts
In Text B, the father says that when he was a boy, the water reached the trees. Use Text A to explain why this might be different today.

Questions

Why is the Kinneret "not really a sea"?
1. Because it is too small.
2. Because it is a freshwater lake.
3. Because it has no fish.
4. Because it is in the north.
Complete: The Kinneret is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth because its surface is ______.
______________________________________________________________
Where does the Jordan River enter the lake?
1. In the south.
2. In the east.
3. In the north.
4. In the west.
What is the National Water Carrier?
1. A system of pipes and canals.
2. A large ship on the lake.
3. A desalination plant.
4. A river in the south.
In paragraph 2, the word "it" in "took it to cities" refers to…
1. the lake.
2. the Jordan River.
3. the country.
4. the water.
Why is the Kinneret less important for drinking water today?
1. Because the water is dirty.
2. Because much of Israel's water now comes from the sea.
3. Because the Jordan River is dry.
4. Because people drink less water.
What happens to the lake after a dry winter?
______________________________________________________________
What is another name for the tilapia?
______________________________________________________________
Why did the writer and her father split the trip into two days?
1. The route is about 60 kilometers long.
2. It was raining.
3. The father was tired.
4. They wanted to swim.
"By ten o'clock, though, the sun was burning." This means that it was…
1. cloudy.
2. getting dark.
3. very hot.
4. raining.
Where did they spend the night?
______________________________________________________________
Why did the writer refuse to call her mom on the second day?
1. Her phone didn't work.
2. Her mom was busy.
3. She wanted to swim again.
4. She wanted to finish the route herself.
Give TWO pieces of advice that the writer gives.
______________________________________________________________
In Text B, the father says that when he was a boy, the water reached the trees. Use Text A to explain why this might be different today.
______________________________________________________________

Answer key

b) Because it is a freshwater lake.
more than 200 meters below sea level
c) In the north.
a) A system of pipes and canals.
d) the water.
b) Because much of Israel's water now comes from the sea.
The water level drops, and beaches that were under water appear.
St. Peter's fish.
a) The route is about 60 kilometers long.
c) very hot.
At a campsite on the eastern shore.
d) She wanted to finish the route herself.
Any two of: start early; carry more water than you think you need; don't forget sunscreen.
The water level of the lake changes: after dry winters the level drops, and beaches that were under water appear.