Embedded Files
Grade 2
Grade 2
"Smiling Faces"
This passage was not used because pancakes are an unfamiliar food for most newcomer immigrant students. A version of this text without reference to pancakes was inlcuded.
Passage
Passage
Zara smells the sweet smell of pancakes. She races into the kitchen. “It must be a morning for pancake faces! I can’t wait.”
Zara sits down at the table. “Ali, you’re the best big brother! I’m ready for my pancake face!”
Some of Ali’s friends think it’s silly for him to make pancake faces. Still, he makes them because they make his little sister so happy.
First, Ali puts berries on the pancake for eyes. Next, he puts a nut on the pancake for a nose. Last, he puts a piece of orange on the pancake for a mouth. It looks like the pancake is smiling!
It looks like Zara is smiling, too!
Questions
Questions
1.
Why does Ali make pancake faces for Zara?
a. He wants to make her happy.
b. He has friends who help.
c. He thinks she is silly.
2.
Choose a new name for the story. The new name must show the story’s big idea.
a. “Making Food with Friends”
b. “Having a Very Long Morning”
c. “Choosing to Help Make Smiles”
3.
Zara knows it is pancake face morning before she goes into the kitchen. How does she know?
a. She feels how hot it is in the kitchen.
b. She smells a sweet smell coming from the kitchen.
c. She hears her brother washing some berries in the kitchen.
Rationale
Rationale
1. [2R1]
This question is asking the student to perform the task of answering a question to demonstrate understanding of key ideas and details in a text. At this grade level, students can show mastery of the skill by identifying a detail from the text that provides a response to a specific question. To correctly answer the question, the student must first carefully read and understand the question––in order to determine which answer choice will provide the correct detail from the passage to tell why Ali makes pancake faces for Zara. All of the details in the answer choices appear in the passage, so the item is not merely asking the student to identify a detail that is included in the passage; instead, the question is asking the student to determine which of the details in the answer choices will provide a correct answer to the question. The student can complete this task through a careful reading of the question and a connection from the question to details in the passage.
[correct answer: a.]
2. [2R2]
This question is asking the student to identify the central idea of the text. At this grade level, students can show mastery of the skill through thinking critically about all of the details in the text and then determining the central––or main––idea. To correctly answer the question, the student must first determine the central idea of the text and then identify a new passage title that shows the “big”––or central––idea of the passage.
[correct answer: c.]
3. [2R4]
This question is asking students to determine the ways in which words and phrases in a text suggest feelings and appeal to the senses. A student can show mastery of the skill at this grade level by demonstrating understanding of the connection between the senses and a part of the text. For this question, the answer choices include reactions involving the senses, reactions that the main character might have. To correctly answer the question, the student must determine how a variety of senses experienced by the main character would make the main character feel. The student must connect this feeling to the part of the passage referenced in the question.
[correct answer: b.]
Grade 3
Grade 3
"Ice"
This passage was not used because the concepts of ice and snow are unfamiliar to newcomer immigrant students from warm climates. Since reading at the grade 3 level relies on background knowledge, students who are familiar with these topics would have had an advantage over students who are not.
Passage
Passage
Ice can form from water in very cold weather. Bits or balls of ice sometimes fall from clouds in cold weather. Ice can also sometimes form from water already on the ground.
Some very strange kinds of ice can form in cold weather. Read more to find out about these strange forms.
Hair Ice
Look! Something is growing on that tree branch. It looks like white hair. It’s not hair at all, though. It’s ice. It’s hair ice!
Hair ice can form on dead tree branches. Very cold weather, things growing on the dead tree branch, and water all work together. They cause the hair ice to grow.
Ice Pancakes
Look at those round shapes on the lake! Are those pancakes to eat? No, they’re ice pancakes. Ice pancakes form only on water. They form on lakes, rivers, and oceans when the weather is very, very cold.
The edge of each ice pancake is pushed up higher than the rest of the ice pancake. This is because the waves in the water push the ice pancakes. The ice pancakes bump into each other again and again. The edges are pushed up higher during the bumps.
Ice Flowers
Look! Is a white flower growing from that plant? No, that’s not really a flower. It’s ice in the shape of a flower.
Water inside a plant stem can freeze when the weather is very, very cold. The water turns to ice. The ice pushes out from the bottom of the plant stem. It splits the stem open and forms a shape that looks like a flower.
These strange forms of ice are unusual and beautiful!
Questions
Questions
1.
What does the passage tell about ice flowers?
a. Ice flowers last for a long time.
b. Ice flowers are shaped like squares.
c. Ice flowers come out of plant stems.
d. Ice flowers leave seeds in the ground.
2.
What is a new name for the passage? Choose a name that shows the main idea of the passage.
a. “Leaves of Ice”
b. “Ice Hair on Trees”
c. “Ice Lake Pancakes”
d. “Strange Ice Forms”
3.
Which sentence best tells the cause of raised edges on ice pancakes?
a. Ice pancakes are found near land.
b. Ice pancakes have a round shape.
c. Ice pancakes bump into each other.
d. Ice pancakes happen in cold weather.
4.
Read this sentence from the passage.
Water inside a plant can freeze when it is very, very cold.
What does freeze mean in the sentence?
a. form quickly
b. turn into ice
c. get stronger
d. splash out
5.
Read this sentence.
The Ice Pancakes part of the passage tells more about all the rest of the passage by explaining _____.
Which words belong on the line to complete the sentence?
a. another unusual ice form
b. the many shapes of ice flowers
c. why ice can sometimes look like hair
d. when water turns to ice before it gets warmer
Rationale
Rationale
1. [3R1]
This question is asking the student to locate relevant and specific details in a text to support an answer. The student shows mastery of the skill at this grade level by understanding the question and by then identifying a detail from the informational passage, a detail that provides a response to the question. To correctly answer the question, the student must determine which of the answer choices relates to to ice flowers, rather than to other types of ice formations.
[correct answer: c.]
2. [3R2]
This question is asking the student to determine the central––or main––idea of an informational text. The student can show mastery of the skill at this level by synthesizing all of the information within the text and then determining the text’s central––or main––idea. In this instance, this mastery is illustrated through the student being able to select a new title for the passage, a title that best shows the passage’s central idea. While selecting a new title might be utilized in assessment at earlier levels, at this level, the passage is more complex and selection of a new title requires deeper understanding. Three of the answer choices for this question provide titles that might be appropriate as a heading for a single section of the passage, but only one answer choice provides a title that would correctly reflect the central idea of the entire passage.
[correct answer: d.]
3. [3R3]
This question is asking the student to describe the relationship between events in an informational text. The student can show mastery of the skill at this level by demonstrating understanding of a cause-and-effect relationship. To correctly answer the question, the student must first recognize the effect stated in the question and then determine the cause of this effect, as stated in the correct answer choice. The question identifies the effect as being the raised edges on ice pancakes. To answer the question correctly, the student must be able to select the cause of the raised edges: Ice pancakes bump into each other.
[correct answer: c.]
4. [3R4]
This question is asking the student to determine the meaning of a content-specific word. To demonstrate mastery of this skill at this grade level, students must utilize context, nearby words and phrases, as they work to determine the meaning of the word freeze. While this skill is also tested at earlier levels, passages at this level are more complex, and assessed words are selected from higher-level vocabulary. For the purpose of reminding students of context for this question, a sentence from the passage including the word freeze is included. To correctly answer the question, the student must first carefully read the sentence and then utilize context to determine which of the four answer choices provides the correct definition for freeze.
[correct answer: b.]
5. [3R5]
In this question, the student is asked to use text features to build comprehension of an informational text. The text feature being assessed in this question is the heading of the section Ice Pancakes. The student can show mastery of the skill at this grade level by first recognizing the heading as providing an overview of the details within the specific section of the text. The student must then synthesize the content while recognizing a relationship to the remainder of the informational text, hence, recognizing the way in which this text feature, the section heading, provides guidance for building comprehension of the entire text.
[correct answer: a.]
Grade 4
Grade 4
"Letter to Grandpa"
This passage was not used because time travel is not a familiar concept to students from all backgrounds.
Passage
Passage
Rosa’s grandpa sent her a book for her birthday. This is the note she wrote to thank him.
Dear Grandpa,
Thank you so much for the book. You know how much I love books about being able to go to a time in the past or a time in the future. People can’t really do that, of course. But wouldn’t it be interesting if they could?. This book did a good job of showing how the characters handled problems as they jumped from the present time to the past to the future. I didn’t think the main character would ever get out of the past, but she did. She reminds me of you. You always think of wise ways to solve problems.
You do such a good job of selecting books I like. You know me so well. I can tell that you don’t send just any book. You always choose just the right one. You take time to carefully look through books for me. Then you make your choice. You’ve been doing that since I was little, and I’ve kept every book you’ve ever sent to me.
This book made me think of a question. What would you do if you could go to a time in the past or a time in the future? I think I would go back to the time when you were my age. I’m sure we would have been best friends then.
When I was younger, I couldn’t draw very well. Remember when you told me that if I practiced, I would get better? You were right. I drew a picture about the book to send to you. I worked on it for a long time, and I think it turned out really well. The book didn’t show the machine used for time travel, but I’ve drawn it to show the way I think it would look. What do you think of the picture? Should I add anything?
Writing was once like drawing for me. I didn’t think I could write very well, but you told me to keep practicing. You said I’d get better. You were right! I’ve been practicing, and I’m a better writer now. I hope I’ll write a book of my own one day about time travel. Maybe you and I can talk about the characters and the plot. Thank you again, Grandpa!
Love,
Rosa
Questions
Questions
1.
What does Rosa suggest that she and Grandpa could work together to do?
a. to write a note of thanks
b. to think of ideas for a book
c. to solve problems in school
d. to draw a machine for travel
2.
What lesson does Rosa’s letter best help the reader learn?
a. Good friends are truly hard to find.
b. Practice helps people do things better.
c. Time travel could be a fun experience.
d. Characters in books have ideas to share.
3.
How does the help of Rosa’s grandpa make Rosa feel?
a. proud
b. fancy
c. amused
d. mysterious
4.
Read this paragraph from the story.
You do such a good job of selecting books I like. You know me so well. I can tell that you don’t send just any book. You always choose just the right one. You take time to carefully look through books for me. Then you make your choice. You’ve been doing that since I was little, and I’ve kept every book you’ve ever sent to me.
Which words in the paragraph best help the reader understand the meaning of the word selecting?
a. know me so well
b. choose just the right one
c. doing that since I was little
d. kept every book
5.
How does the drawing help the reader understand the story?
a. The drawing shows Rosa’s art skill and ideas about time travel.
b. The drawing shows a picture that is in the book about time travel.
c. The picture shows a machine that someone has used for time travel.
d. The drawing shows Grandpa’s thoughts and feelings about time travel.
Rationale
Rationale
1. [4R1]
This question is asking students to locate and refer to details and relevant evidence in a literary text when explaining what the text says explicitly––and then making logical inferences. To show mastery of the skill, the student must understand the question and then locate relevant details within the passage. The student must then be able to make a logical inference based on the located relevant details. To correctly answer the question, the student must carefully note that the question is asking what Rosa suggests that she and her grandfather could work together to do. Students must then determine relevant details in the text in order to respond with the correct answer: to think of ideas for a book.
[correct answer: b.]
2. [4R2]
This question is asking students to determine a central idea of a text. The student can show mastery of this skill by synthesizing the details of this literary text to discern the lesson that Rosa’s letter helps the reader learn. To correctly answer the question, the student must do more than note details within the literary text; the student must synthesize the details to distill a central––or main idea––while considering details that support the central idea. The student must then select the answer choice that shows this main idea by stating the lesson best learned through Rosa’s letter.
[correct answer: b.]
3. [4R3]
This question is asking students to describe a character, drawing on specific details in a literary text. The student shows mastery of the skill at this grade level by first recognizing details in this literary passage that relate to Rosa’s feelings when her grandfather has helped her. To correctly answer the question after recognizing these details, the student must draw inferences from the details to determine and select the adjective from among the answer choices that best describes the way Rosa feels.
[correct answer: a.]
4. [4R4]
In this question, the student is asked to determine the meaning of an above-grade-level word in the passage. While this skill is also tested at earlier levels, passages and context at this level are more complex, and the words are appropriate for assessment at this level. The student can show mastery of the skill at this grade level through identifying the context, nearby words, phrases, and sentences that will best help in determining the meaning of the word. To correctly answer the question, the student must reread the paragraph from the story, carefully noting the assessed word: selecting. The student must then determine which phrase from the paragraph provides the strongest context for guidance in understanding the meaning of the word.
[correct answer: b.]
5. [4R7]
This question is asking students to identify information presented visually with the passage and to explain how the information provided by the image contributes to an understanding of the text. The student can show mastery of the skill at this grade level by considering passage details, as well as the image, and then understanding the connection between the two. To correctly answer the question, the student must recognize details in the passage showing that Rosa’s art skill has improved and that she wants to share this point with her grandfather through a drawing of a time machine.
[correct answer: a.]
Grade 5
Grade 5
"Let's Play"
This passage was not used because vollyball is not equally familiar to students from all regions. Students from the Middle East, for example, may not know what volleyball is, and would be more familiar with sports such as soccer and basketball.
Passage
Passage
Hit the ball over the net before it touches the ground! This is a goal of volleyball players. People play volleyball in places around the world. Let’s take a close look at this sport.
How to Play
People play volleyball in all sorts of places. For example, they might play inside or outside at school. They might play in a community park or on a beach. People usually play outdoor volleyball in warm weather, but some have started playing volleyball in the snow!
The court is the area where the teams play. There are two teams, and they are opponents. This means that each team is playing against the other. Some games might have three people on a team. Others might have six people. The number can change, though, depending on the choices of the players.
The game begins when one team serves the ball to the other team. The player serving the ball stands toward the back of the court and hits the ball over the net. The other team tries to hit the ball back over the net without letting it touch the ground.
The players continue to hit the ball back and forth over the net. If the ball lands on the ground after one team hits it over the net, the team that hit the ball over the net last gets a point. Players keep playing until one team reaches a score decided upon before the game starts. The winning score is often 21, but this rule can be changed before the game begins.
Who Plays
You don’t have to be famous or even good at sports to play volleyball. Some people play just for fun.
Some people play for fun and more, though. One of these people is Lang Ping. Lang Ping started playing volleyball when she was young. She practiced for many hours as she worked to get better and better at her sport. Ping was the captain of the Chinese National Team when her team won a gold medal in 1984 at the Olympic Games. She later became a coach for volleyball players.
In the Olympic Games, people from around the world come together to try to win awards in their sports. It is a great honor to be selected to be part of the Olympic Games. People practice very hard in their sports for many years before they come to the Olympic Games.
[set as conclusion]
Some people play volleyball just for fun. Others play to have fun and to win awards. Either way, volleyball is a sport to enjoy!
Questions
Questions
1.
When do players decide what the winning score will be in a volleyball game?
a. before the game
b. at the beginning of the game
c. just after the game ends
d. in the middle of the game
2.
Which of these would be the best new title to tell the main idea of the passage?
a. “The Game of Volleyball”
b. “Outdoor Volleyball Courts”
c. “Lang Ping and the Olympic Games”
d. “Coaching Volleyball Games in China”
3.
Based on information in the passage, when does one team get a point in a volleyball game?
a. when the other team does not serve the ball
b. when the other team does not have enough players
c. when the other team does not stop the game in time
d. when the other team does not hit the ball back over the net
4.
Read this paragraph from the passage again.
The court is the area where the teams play. There are two teams, and they are opponents. This means that each team is playing against the other. Some games might have three people on a team. Others might have six people. The number can change, though, depending on the choices of the players.
Which words from this paragraph best help the reader understand the meaning of the word opponents?
a. the area where
b. against the other
c. on a team
d. number can change
5.
How does the picture at the beginning of the passage best help the reader understand the information provided in the passage by the author?
a. by showing how to play volleyball
b. by showing the score of a volleyball game
c. by showing a neighborhood where people play volleyball
d. by showing comfortable clothes to wear while playing volleyball games
Rationale
Rationale
1. [5R1]
This question is asking students to locate and refer to relevant details and evidence when explaining what an informational text says explicitly––and to then make logical inferences. While this skill is also assessed at earlier grade levels, at this grade level, texts and questions are more complex than those at earlier levels, and in order to show mastery of the skill, the student must be able to understand and synthesize details from a text that is more complex. To correctly answer the question, the student must recognize a key word and phrase in the question: when; winning score. The student must then be able to tie these to this detail from the text: but this rule can be changed before the game begins. This will provide the foundation from which the student must draw the logical inference: before the game.
[correct answer: a.]
2. [5R2]
This question asks students to determine the central idea of an informational text. This skill is also assessed at earlier levels; however, at this level, passages and questions are more complex and require a higher level of critical thinking. The student can show mastery of the skill by considering all of the details in the text and then selecting a new title for the text, a title that clearly reflects the central, or main, idea of the text, rather than a title that relates to only a single detail or a set of details that fail to reflect the central idea of the entire text.
[correct answer: a.]
3. [5R3]
This question asks students to explain the relationship and interaction between two events, based on specific evidence from the text. To show mastery of the skill, the student must understand not only events that occur in the informational text, but the relationship of those events to one another To correctly answer the question, the student must understand information regarding the relationship between the method of game play and the event of scoring points.
[correct answer: d.]
4. [5R4]
This question asks students to determine the meaning of a word through use of context. While similar skills are assessed at earlier levels, the passages and questions at this level are more complex and require greater skill with critical thinking. The student can demonstrate mastery by recognizing the context that guides a reader in determining word meaning. To correctly answer the question, the student must reread the paragraph from the informational text, carefully noting the above-level boldfaced word: opponent. Then the student must discern the context that best guides the reader in determining the meaning of the word. This context is the correct answer.
[correct answer: b.]
5. [5R7]
This question asks students to analyze the way in which the visual element, the illustration that appears at the beginning of the passage, contributes to the meaning of the informational text. To show mastery of the skill, the student must not only recognize and analyze details in the illustration; the student must also make a connection between the illustration and the information included in the passage, analyzing this connection and selecting the answer choice that explains how this connection is made.
[correct answer: a.]
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