Pre-Assessment for Quarter 4 Reading Informational Text Teacher Directions

1. Grade Pre-Assessment for Quarter 4 Reading Informational Text Teacher Directions

2. Important Information • This booklet is divided into two parts… • Teacher Resources • Page 1 – 19 • Student Assessment • Pages 20 – 39 • This booklet is intended for pre-assessing reading informational standards RI3, 6 and 9 at the beginning of the fourth quarter as well as Research Targets 2,3 and 4 as applicable. Do NOT allow students to read the passages before the assessment. • Students who do not read independently should be given the assessment as a listening comprehension test. Do NOT read the passage to the students until it is time for the assessment. • Printing Instructions… Be sure you have printed a teacher’s Edition! • Please print the teacher’s directions (pages 1 – 19). Read the • directions before giving the assessment. • Print pages 20 – 39 for each student. • This would print each student page as an 8 ½ X 11 page… • or login to the Print Shop and order pre-assessments and/or CFAs.

3. Types of Readers Independent Readers: Students read selections independently without reading assistance. Students complete the selected response answers by shading in the bubble. Students complete the constructed response answers by writing a response for each question. Kindergarten Kindergarten teachers should follow the kindergarten teacher directions as “Listening Comprehension.” Non-Independent Readers: (Please indicate on record sheet if student is Not an Independent Reader) Read the selection and questions aloud to the student in English or Spanish. Read the selected response answers to the student. Read the constructed response answers to the student. You may write the answer the student says unless he/she is able to do so. Selected and Constructed Response QuestionsNote: The constructed response questions do NOT assess writing proficiency and should not be scored as such. Constructed Response - Quarters 1 and 2 Students answer 2 Short Response Constructed Response Questions about the passages. Constructed Response - Quarters 3 and 4 Students answer 2 Research Constructed Response Questions about the passages. Selected Response - Quarters 1 - 4 Students answer 10 Selected Response Questions about the passages. Scoring Options Class Check-Lists (Reading Learning Progressions form) There is a learning progression “Class Check-List” for each standard assessed. This is to be used by the teacher for recording or monitoring progress if desired (optional). Write and Revise Write and Revise are added to the pre-assessments and CFAs in quarters 2, 3 and 4. They are not “officially” scored on any form, but will be scored on SBAC. Class Summary Assessment Sheet This is a spreadsheet to record each quarter’s pre-assessment and CFA. Selected Responses (SRs) are given a score of “0” or “1.” Constructed Response (CRs) in quarters 1 and 2 are given a score on a rubric continuum of “0 – 3,” and in quarters 3 and 4 a research score on a rubric continuum of “0-2." Student Self-Scoring Students have a self-scoring sheet to color happy faces green if their answers are correct or red if they are not. Student Reflection The last page in the student assessment book is a reflection page. Students can reflect upon each question they missed and why. Teacher prompts may help students reflect (such as: What was the question asking? Can you rephrase it?). Scoring forms are available at: http://sresource.homestead.com/index.html

4. Write and Revise The Common Core standards are integrative in nature. Student proficiency develops and is assessed on a continuum. The HSD, pre-assessment for quarter four includes three write and reviseassessed categories to prepare our students for this transition in conjunction with our primary focus of Reading Informational Text. Quarter 3 Students “Read to Write” integrating basic writing and language revision skills. Write and Revise Assessed Categories for Quarter Four Writing: Write and Revise (revision of short text) Language: Language and Vocabulary Use (accurate use of words and phrases) Language: Edit and Clarify (accurate use of grammar, mechanics and syntax)

5. Important Please Read Before Starting Assessment • Quarter Four Completing a Performance Tasks Part 1 Part 1 of a performance task prepares students to write a full informational composition. Students take notes as they read. They answer questions. Students may use their notes and question responses to do Part 2. Teacher Directions for Part 1: Be sure students have a note-taking page for each passage. Review how to take notes before the assessment. You may choose to practice using the note-taking page throughout the quarter during regular classroom instruction. Students have directions in their assessment booklet. Remind them to read their directions (these are written very similar to SBAC’s assessment directions). Key Components of Part 1: 1. Note-Taking: Students take notes as they read passages to gather information about their sources. Students are allowed to use their notes to later write a full composition (essay). Note-taking strategies should be taught as structured lessons throughout the school year in grades K – 6. A teacher’s note-taking form with directions and a note-taking form for your students to use for this assessment is provided, or you may use whatever formats you’ve had past success with. Please have students practice using the note-taking page in this document before the actual assessment if you choose to use it. 2. Research: In Part 1 of a performance task students answer constructed response questions written to measure a student’s ability to use research skills. These CR questions are scored using the SBAC Research Rubrics rather than the short response rubric used in quarters 1 and 2. The SBAC Research Rubrics assesses research skillsstudents need in order to complete a performance task.

6. Note-Taking in Part 1 of a Performance Task Teachers.... Feel free to use the note-taking forms if you wish or use what you’ve been using in your classrooms and have had success with. If you use the provided note-taking form, your students need to have had practice with the form before the assessment. Each student will need a note-taking form for each passage. The form is located in the teacher’s instructional section. All underlined words on the note-taking form are grade-level standard specific academic language. Important information about note-taking: During a Performance Task, students who take notes as they re-read a passage for specific details that promote research skills (main idea/topic, key details, conclusion) will later be able to find answers to questions more efficiently. Reading the questions first and then the looking in the text for the answer is a good practice, however not all answers to higher level or inferred questions have explicit answers within a text. Read the text through to get the “gist” without the distraction of finding answers or note-taking. Re-read the text. Take notes using a note-taking form. Read and answer the questions. Students may find some answers to highlight if they are not inferred or explicit although many research questions are of a higher level.

7. Research Note-Taking In the Classroom • The note-taking forms are scaffolded in grades K – 6 following the recommended • SBAC research targets and embedded standards. • http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ELA-Literacy-Content-Specifications.pdf • Research Informational Text Standards: • (RI.3: Standard 3 is included as resource in the development of research and writing as it supports connecting information between and within texts). • RI.9: Final Task Goal: Students are able to compare and contrast – find similarities and differences within or between texts for a specific purpose. • The note-taking forms in this assessment support the above goal and the following • assessed research targets: • Research Target 2 • Locate, Select, Interpret and Integrate Information • Research Target 3 • Gather/ Distinguish Relevance of Information • Research Target 4 • Cite evidence to support opinions or ideas • Writing Research Standards: • Writing Standard 7: Shows and builds knowledge about a topic • Writing Standard 8: Analyzes information for a purpose • Writing Standard 9: Supporting with evidence and reason

8. Grade 6 Name________________ Passage________________ Central Idea________________ • What topics or issues does the author state about the central idea? • Identify one new topic or issue the author brings to the reader’s attention about the central idea. • ____________________________________________________________________________ • _____________________________________________________________________________ • Particular Details • What particular details from the section or paragraph explain more about the topic or issue and provide textual evidence about the central idea? • Particular Detail (explain more about the topic or issue) • ________________________________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________________________ • Particular Detail (explain more about the topic or issue) • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • Particular Detail (explain more about the topic or issue) • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • Again and Again • What words, phrases or ideas does the author use again and again when referring to the topic or issue? Write them here. Ask yourself why the author uses them again and again. You may want • to use some of these words, phrases or ideas in your conclusion. • Write a conclusionsection.State the topic or issue you chose. Explain how the particular • details about the topic or issue support the central idea. Your summary should be brief. • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ___________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ Instruct students to re-read and select a paragraph or section of the text that identifies a topic or issueabout the central idea. Ask, “Does the section or paragraph you chose state a new topic or issueabout the central idea? A topic or issue explains a concern about the central idea. Have students write onebrief sentence about a new topic or issuethe author brings to the reader’s attention about the central idea. 1 Remember students will need to have a note-taking form for each passage. Ask students to look for particular detailsthat explain more about thetopic or issue. Explain “particular detailsabout a topic or issue provide textual evidence about the topic or issue. Instruct students to write 3 brief particular details that are evidence of a topic or issue. 2 Instruct students to look at the again and again words or phrases, ask “Do you see some of the again and again words or ideas in the particular detailsentences you wrote? Can the words help you write a conclusion section that summarizes how the topic or issuehelp the reader to better understand the central idea? Summarizing is a big part of writing conclusions. It is an extremely important strategy for students to learn in order to use research skills effectively. Have students re-read the section or paragraph with the topic or issue they wrote about and write words or ideas they see Again and Again, in the box. Explain, “When author’s use the same words, phrases or ideas Again and Againask yourself “why?” It means something is important.” 3 4 • Differentiation: • Students who need more pages – print as many as needed. Students who would benefit from enrichment can continue on with more sections or paragraphs Students who need more direct instruction – teach each part as a in mini lesson. These concepts can be taught separately: • Central Idea • Topic and Issue • Particular Details • Textual Evidence • Again and Again • Conclusions - Summarizing • ELL Students may need each part taught using language (sentence) frames emphasizing transitional words.

9. Grade 6 Name______________ Passage__________________ Central Idea_________________ • What topics or issues does the author state about the central idea ? • Identify one new topic or issue the author brings to the reader’s attention about the central idea. • ____________________________________________________________________________ • _____________________________________________________________________________ • Particular Details • What particular details from the paragraph or section explain more about the topic or issue and provide textual evidence about the central idea? • Particular Detail (explains more about a topic or issue) • ________________________________________________________________________ • _______________________________________________________________________ • Particular Detail (explains more about a topic or issue) • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • Particular Detail (explains more about a topic or issue) • _________________________________________________________________________ • _________________________________________________________________________ • Again and Again • What words, phrases or ideas does the author use again and again when referring to the topic or issue? Write them here. Think about why the author uses them again and again. You may want • to use some of these words, phrases or ideas in your conclusion. • Write a conclusionsection.State the topic or issue you chose. Explain how particular • details help the reader understand more about the central idea. Your summary should be brief. • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________

10. Options for Part 2 of a Performance Task Writing a full-composition as part of a performance task is a complex process of a DOK-4! You may choose to scaffold Part 2 in whichever way is best for your students. This could be modeling the entire process and working through it together as a class. Your students may need practice with planning. Your students may need practice with the writing process or just learning about the writing rubric. Please use your own judgment for scaffolding and differentiation if you feel your students are not yet ready to write a full composition. Part 2 In Part 2of a performance task students plan their full informational composition. Teachers may provide a planning graphic organizer that follows a specific text structure for students to organize their writing piece. Students then write, revise and edit a first draft. Students complete their final drafts as their performance task “product.” Teacher Directions for Part 2: Be sure students have reviewed how they will be scored on their full informational composition beforethe assessment (discuss the student rubric). Review how to organize information using a planning graphic organizer before the assessment. You may choose to practice this throughout the quarter during regular classroom instruction. Students should be familiar enough with your classroom writing process routine (write-revise-edit – standard W.5), before writing a full composition. Key Components of Part 2: Planning: Students have completed Part 1 of a performance task. They now use their notes and question responses to begin planning to write a full informational composition. Planning strategies should be taught as structured lessons throughout the school year in grades K – 6. Teachers can provide a graphic organizer for students to plan their writing. The organizer should follow the text structure you want students to use (usually indicated in the prompt or passage). Write-Revise-Edit: In Part 2 of a performance task students write –revise and edit a first draft of their full informational composition. Plan, Write, Revise and Edit checklists have been provided in the teacher’s directions as a guide. Please provide paper for your students. Write a Full Informational Composition: Students write a final draft. They are aware of the scoring procedures indicated on the informational rubrics and from the directions in their assessment.

15. Quarter Three Pre-Assessment Reading Informational Text Learning Progressions with Adjustment Points (in purple). The Adjustment Points (in purple) are the specific pre-assessed key skills.

16. SBAC Reading Assessment Three Assessed Research Targets (Constructed Response Rubrics) 

17. Quarter 4 Pre-Assessment Research Constructed Response Answer Key Constructed Response RI.6.6 Research Target #2 11. Read the quote: “With luck, the invisible cosmic messengers might offer clues to some of the biggest mysteries of the universe.” How does the author support this statement throughout the article Ice Picks?

18. Quarter 4 Pre-Assessment Research Constructed Response Answer Key Constructed Response RI.6.9 Research Target #4 STEM Educator Armando Caussade was selected as the 2014 Ice Cube PolarTREC teacher. Based on the article Ice Picks, what kind of events might Caussade experience? How could these experiences help him achieve his goals as a teacher?

19. Quarter 4 Pre-Assessment Selected Response Answer Key

20. Grade Pre-Assessment for Quarter 4 Reading Informational Text Student Form Name ____________________

21. Student Directions: Read the Directions. • Part 1 • Your assignment: • You will read one article about a telescope and an article about a STEMEducator. • As you read, take notes on these sources. • Then you will answer several research questions about these two sources. • These will help you plan to write an informational report. • Steps you will be following: • In order to help you plan and write your essay, you will do all of the following: • 1. Read two articles. • 2. Answer several questions about the sources. • 3. Plan your informational report. • Directions for beginning: • You will now read two articles. Take notes because you may want to refer to your notes while you plan your informational report. You can refer to any of the sources as often as you like. • Questions • Answer the questions. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also, they will help you think about the sources you’ve read, which should help you plan your informational report. • Part 2 • You will: • Planyour writing. You may use your notes and answers. You may use a graphic organizer • Write – Revise and Edit your first draft (your teacher will give you paper). • Your assignment: Write an informational report. You are a STEMEducator returning from the Ice Cube project in the Antarctica. You have been asked to write a report about your experiences to encourage other teachers to apply to the National Science Foundation program, PolarTREC. • How you will be scored • How your report will be scored: The people scoring your report will be assigning scores for: • 1. Statement of Purpose/Focus—how well you clearly state and maintain your controlling idea or main idea • 2. Organization – how well the ideas progress from the introduction to the conclusion using effective transitions and How well you stay on topic throughout. • 3. Elaboration of Evidence – how well you provide evidence from sources about your topic and elaborate with specific information. • 4. Language and Vocabulary – how well you effectively express ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose. • 5. Conventions – how well you follow the rules of usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

22. Ice Picks Part 1 By Kirsten Weir A new telescope is buried more than a mile beneath the Antarctic ice. Physicist, Jim Madsen goes to work in Antarctica during the South Pole summer. Antarctica in the summer has 24 hour sunlit days. But, his project, a giant telescope called Ice Cube, requires total darkness. But the sunshine doesn’t affect Ice Cube because it’s located deep within the Antarctic ice, where it is pitch-black. Ice Cube was made to find tiny invisible particles from space. “We have these particles that we think are the most plentiful in the universe, but they’re almost impossible to detect,” he says. Almost ... but not quite. The Ice Cube team has hundreds of scientists from more than 30 countries. The scientists know that the ice-covered continent is a perfect place to detect the particles. With luck, the invisible cosmic messengers might offer clues to some of the biggest mysteries of the universe.Ice Cube is the largest neutrino detector in the world. Detecting Neutrinos Ice Cube isn’t your normal telescope. It doesn’t show details of Pluto’s surface or take beautiful snapshots of distant galaxies. It doesn’t even point toward the sky. Ice Cube detects neutrinos. Neutrinos are some of the smallest particles in the universe. They are smaller even than atoms. They’re invisible and have hardly any mass. They have no electric charge. Because of this, neutrinos zip easily around space. A neutrino can travel billions of miles through the cosmos, passing right through planets as it goes. Trillions of neutrinos are speeding through your body at this very moment. Neutrinos are very hard to detect, says Madsen. Complete darkness and a large expanse of something clear are essential to find them. Antarctica’s deep, clear ice is perfect for this. Ice Cube is made up of more than 5,000 basketball-sized detectors called digital optical modules (DOMs). They’re set on long cables, like beads on a string. Each cable is hung inside a deep hole in the ice. 86 strings are hung inside holes that extend as far as 1.5 miles below the surface. The dots show where long cables are hung inside deep holes in the ice.

23. Ice Picks Part 2 Mystery Matter Neutrinos come from high-energy events. Some neutrinos are created on Earth by the nuclear reactions in nuclear power plants. Some are created when cosmic rays (high energy particles from space) crash with atoms in the air. Others are created in the sun. The Ice Cube scientists are not looking at neutrinos that come from those sources. They’re hunting for neutrinos from distant, violent events such as supernovas or gamma ray bursts. A supernova is the death explosion of a huge star. A gamma ray burst is a giant explosion that sends out a blast of high energy. Gamma ray bursts occur once or twice a day somewhere in the universe. What triggers those outbursts? We have no idea, but Ice Cube might help us find out. “If there are neutrinos coming from gamma rays,” says Madsen, “Ice Cube will tell us something about what could be making all that energy.” Ice Cube was completed after seven years. Scientists are now looking over the data it has found so far. It’s too soon, though, to say what the telescope has found. The scientists are still figuring out how to know which neutrinos are created in Earth’s atmosphere and which ones come from space. “That’s the tricky part,” says Madsen. “Up until now, nobody has had a telescope large enough that you could get this information,” he says. “We’re hoping we’ll find something brand-new.”

24. STEM Educator Armando Caussade Selected as 2014 Ice Cube PolarTREC Teacher Since 2009, teachers have gained research experience at the South Pole. PolarTREC, is a National Science Foundation program. It pairs scientists with teachers to provide field experiences to polar regions. Armando Caussade, a STEM teacher from Puerto Rico, will travel to the South Pole, Antarctica. He will be there during the 2014–2015 polar season. Caussade is a teacher in Puerto Rico and lectures on astronomy at a University in Puerto Rico. In September 2013, Caussade applied for the PolarTRECteacher experience. He interviewed and was accepted. Caussade was selected to work with the IceCube team at the South Pole. He will help keep IceCube in good working order. Caussade has a strong understanding of astronomy. Astronomy is easily linked to physics. So, he was paired with physicist Dr. James Madsen. Madsen has been working from the beginning with the Ice Cube project. Madsen speaks highly of Caussade, “His passion for astronomy was apparent from the first. He has experience with a wide range of audiences. He has worked with high school students, college students, and the public. Caussade sees the experience as a way to explore his own interests in science. He wants to improve his knowledge base. Caussade would like to be a role model to encourage other educators to engage in “real, meaningful research projects” and connect directly with scientists. http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/antarctic-projects/icecube/

25. Which is an example of Ice Cube’s design purpose? Ice Cube was designed to detect atoms Ice Cube was designed to detect details of Pluto’s surface. Ice Cube was designed to take snapshots of distant galaxies. Ice Cube was designed to detect invisible particles from space called neutrinos. 1 What does the location of Ice Cube tell us about neutrinos? Scientists prefer to learn about neutrinos in a cold and quiet place. The location of Ice Cube tells us that neutrinos only exist in the cold climate of the Antarctica. The location tells us that neutrinos are more likely to be detected in darkness and in a large clear expanse of land. The Antarctica was the perfect place for hundreds of scientists to gather. 2

26. Why does the author of Ice Picks, call neutrinos “invisible cosmic messengers?” Neutrinos travel billions of miles through the cosmos, passing right through planets. Neutrinos are invisible particles travelling through the cosmos that could give us clues to mysteries of the universe. Neutrinos can only be seen through a special telescope. Messengers bring or send information. 3 Which statement best articulates to the reader the vast dimensions of Ice Cube? “86 strings are suspended inside holes that extend as far as 1.5 miles below the surface.” “Ice Cube is made up of more than 5,000 basketball-sized detectors called digital optical modules.” “They’re arranged on long cables…” “Ice Cube isn’t your typical telescope.” 4

27. 5. From what specific source would neutrinos emerge that would inform scientist of how energy is produced? cosmic rays dark matter gamma rays atoms 5 What is consistently stated or inferred all through the text? IceCube is located deep within the Antarctic ice. What scientists hope to learn from Ice Cube. Ice Cube is the largest telescope in the world. DOMs record data about every neutrino hit. 6

28. “The idea is to use neutrinos to learn about the universe,” Madsen says. Based on the quote above what do both Madsen and Caussade have in common? Both are interested in studying the universe. Madsen would like to be a physicist Both are working on the Ice Cube project. Madsen is also studying neutrinos. 7 8. Why is Dr. Jim Madsen mentioned in STEM Educator? because he explains the purpose of the Ice Cube project because works on the Ice Cube project because of his interest in neutrinos because of his connection to Armando Caussade 8

29. Which statement most supports the purpose of the article STEM Educator? Caussade and Madsen are interested in science. Educators can connect directly with scientists. Ice Cube could help scientists discover something new. Caussade was accepted to participate in the PolarTRECteacher experience. 9 10. What information about neutrinos is stated in Part 2 of Ice Picksthat is not in Part 1? The definition of neutrinos. The purpose of Ice Cube’s design. The specific type of neutrinos that scientists want to study. Why Ice Cube is located in the Antarctica. 10

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32. Ice Cube the largest neutrino detector in the world is made from 5000 digital optical modules. (W.6.2a) Which is the correct way to write this sentence? (Ice Cube) the largest neutrino detector in the world, is made from 5000 digital optical modules. B. Ice Cube (the largest neutrino detector in the world), is made from 5000 digital optical modules. C. Ice Cube (the largest neutrino detector in the world) is made from 5000 digital optical modules. D. Ice Cube the largest neutrino detector in the world (is made from) 5000 digital optical modules. 14. His passion for astronomy was apparent from the first. (Write and Revise L.6.3b) Which word could be used to replace apparent? unclear obvious vague precise

33. 15. Read the sentence below and then answer the question that follows. (Write and Revise L.6.3a) Ice Cube was made to find tiny invisible particles from space. Which two verbs would be more precise and grade appropriate to replace the underlined verbs? A. formed and catch B. ready and seek prepared and hunt created and detect

34. Part 2 • You will: • Plan your writing. You may use your notes and answers. You may use a graphic organizer • Write – Revise and Edit your first draft (your teacher will give you paper). • Your assignment: You are a STEMEducator returning from the Ice Cube project in the Antarctica. You have been asked to write a report about your experiences to encourage other teachers to apply to the National Science Foundation program, PolarTREC. • How your report will be scored: The people scoring your report will be assigning scores for: • 1. Statement of Purpose/Focus—how well you clearly state and maintain your controlling idea or main idea • 2. Organization – how well the ideas progress from the introduction to the conclusion using effective transitions and How well you stay on topic throughout. • 3. Elaboration of Evidence – how well you provide evidence from sources about your topic and elaborate with specific information. • 4. Language and Vocabulary – how well you effectively express ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose. • 5. Conventions – how well you follow the rules of usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

37. STOP Close your books and wait for instructions!

38. Name _________________ Color the happy face green if your answer was correct or red if your answer was incorrect. 3 1 2 6 4 5 10 8 9 7 Color your scores blue. 11 14 13 15 12

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