Up, Up and Away

3rd Grade Common Core RI.3.1 Fact text 152 words ⏱ 20 minESL A1–A2

A fact text about hot-air balloons: why hot air rises, who flew first and how the pilot controls the balloon.

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________

A hot-air balloon has no engine and no wings, but it can fly high above the ground. How does it work? The answer is simple: hot air is lighter than cold air, so it goes up.

A balloon has three main parts: a huge bag called the envelope, a burner, and a basket for the passengers. The burner heats the air inside the envelope. When the air inside is hotter than the air outside, the balloon rises.

The first people to fly in a hot-air balloon flew over Paris in 1783. The balloon was made by two French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. The flight lasted about twenty-five minutes.

Today, pilots can make a balloon go up or down, but they cannot steer it left or right. To change direction, they look for winds that blow in different directions at different heights. That is why every balloon flight is a small adventure.

📘 Word bank

engine: a machine that makes something move
lighter: weighing less
envelope: the big bag of the balloon
burner: the part that makes fire to heat the air
rises: goes up
steer: to make something go in the direction you want

✏️ Questions

Key details
Why does hot air go up?
Key details
Write the THREE main parts of a balloon.
Key details
What does the burner do?
Key details
Where was the first hot-air balloon flight with people?
Key details
Complete: The first flight lasted about ______.
Inference
How do pilots change the balloon's direction?
Author’s purpose & structure
Why does the writer call every balloon flight "a small adventure"?

Questions

Why does hot air go up?
1. Because it is lighter than cold air.
2. Because the wind pushes it.
3. Because it has an engine.
4. Because it is wet.
Write the THREE main parts of a balloon.
______________________________________________________________
What does the burner do?
1. It carries the passengers.
2. It cools the air.
3. It heats the air inside the envelope.
4. It steers the balloon.
Where was the first hot-air balloon flight with people?
1. Over London.
2. Over the sea.
3. Over Rome.
4. Over Paris.
Complete: The first flight lasted about ______.
______________________________________________________________
How do pilots change the balloon's direction?
1. They turn a wheel.
2. They find winds that blow in another direction at a different height.
3. They open the basket.
4. They can't go up or down.
Why does the writer call every balloon flight "a small adventure"?
1. Because balloons are very small.
2. Because the flights are very short.
3. Because the pilot cannot fully control where the balloon goes.
4. Because only children can fly.

Answer key

a) Because it is lighter than cold air.
The envelope, the burner and the basket.
c) It heats the air inside the envelope.
d) Over Paris.
twenty-five minutes
b) They find winds that blow in another direction at a different height.
c) Because the pilot cannot fully control where the balloon goes.

Up, Up and Away

✏️ Questions

Questions

Answer key

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