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Around 10,000 years ago, humans started transitioning from hunting and gathering to the more settled life of farming. Fertile land enabled farmers to grow enough food for a growing population, and nearby rivers provided transportation and trade routes. With the sharing of ideas came improvements in building and farming techniques. Over time, these farming communities grew to become the first cities. Listen to hear about the rise of cities during the Neolithic period, and learn how the lives of humans changed as a result.
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The Mayan Empire once flourished in the dense rainforests of what are now southern Mexico and Central America. Over centuries, the Mayans acquired the elements of an advanced civilization, including large cities, an organized priesthood, a system of writing, and mastery of science and technology. The Mayans understood architecture enough to build pyramids and palaces and math and astronomy enough to create an accurate 365-day calendar. Listen to learn more facts about the magnificent Mayans and some theories about why the Golden Age of the Mayans came to an end.
Read MoreThe Industrial Revolution, which began in the mid 1700s, fundamentally changed the way people lived. It was a period in history that brought the invention of many new machines such as the steam engine, a device that changed agriculture and transportation forever. Although the Industrial Revolution improved the quality of life for many people, there were downsides to so much development and change, too. Listen to learn more about a crucial period of productivity and progress, and how it affected people for better and for worse.
Read MoreWhat can be learned about the past by studying prehistoric tools? For at least the past 200 years, archaeologists have examined bits and pieces found in caves to learn more about the tools made by Neanderthals. Over the years, the process for digging out the bits and pieces has changed, but the curiosity that surrounds the tools has not. This audio story examines the surprisingly advanced methods Neanderthals used when making their tools and what these findings may suggest about modern humans.
Read MoreThe Lexile Audio Measure is an indicator of the complexity of an audio passage. It is based on a scientifically developed scale with a maximum score of 2000L.
How to Use Lexile Audio MeasuresFind stories at the right level of complexity for your students, so that they will be challenged without being frustrated. The measures are categorized into low, medium, or high in order to aid teachers in story selection when they do not know students’ Lexile listening levels.
Listening Level | Lexile Audio Measures |
0L -1250L | |
1251L -1555L | |
1556L-2000L |
These recommended ranges are for instructional use of Listenwise audio content in combination with supports such as the interactive transcript, etc.
Grade | Lexile Audio Measures (Recommended Ranges) |
1 | 215L - 610L |
2 | 490L - 855L |
3 | 725L - 1060L |
4 | 945L - 1250L |
5 | 1045L - 1350L |
6 | 1125L - 1430L |
7 | 1190L - 1500L |
8 | 1250L - 1555L |
9 | 1300L - 1610L |
10 | 1345L - 1655L |
11/12 | 1385L - 1695L |
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