RL.3
Description:
Key Ideas and Details
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
Maps to Reading Plus skills:
1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 3C, 5B, 6B, 6C, 8B, 9B
Exemplars
1A: Recalling Explicit Details
1A: Recalling Explicit Details
Description:
Identifying explicit details including character, time, setting and speaker
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-1
A-1
Grade level: 1
Word count: 805 words
Author: Anonymous
Synopsis: A rabbit is not big or strong, but he's smart. That's what it takes to be king.
Excerpt:
Long ago, a rabbit lived on a farm. Many other animals also lived there. The rabbit decided he would be the king of the animals.
Question:
Where does this selection take place?
- on a farm long ago
- near the sea long ago
- on a farm in the future
- in the woods today
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Explain when and where a selection takes place. What clues help you determine that information?
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
5B: Examining Sequence
5B: Examining Sequence
Description:
Examining Sequence of Ideas and Events
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-54
A-54
Grade level: 1
Word count: 721 words
Author: R. Bender
Synopsis: Max learns an important -- and nutty! -- lesson about greed.
Excerpt:
Max had been playing ball at the park. He was there all afternoon. Now he was hungry. He said goodbye to his friends. He got on this bike and rode home.
Question:
The first thing that happens in this selection is
- Max rides home from the park.
- Ben makes a bet with Max.
- Mom starts to make dinner.
- Mom tells Max to eat dinner.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe a selection's beginning, middle, and end.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
6B: Recognizing Persuasion
6B: Recognizing Persuasion
Description:
Recognizing Persuasive Devices
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-8
A-8
Grade level: 1
Word count: 780 words
Author: Anonymous
Synopsis: A sad princess and a goose change the life of a young man.
Excerpt:
One day, Hans was getting water. He saw a big fish in the river. He caught the fish. He took it with him. As he walked back to the castle, he met a young woman. She had a goose.
"Good day!" said Hans. That's a fine goose you have. Its feathers are so shiny."
"And you have a wonderful fish," she said. "If you will give me your fish, I will give you this shiny goose. This is a very special goose. Magic happens if anyone touches it and you say, "Hang on!' When you say these words, the person will stick to the goose."
"I will give you the fish," Hans said. He took the goose and started walking.
Soon he met an old woman. She saw the shiny goose. She asked Hans if she might touch it.
"Good day!" said Hans. That's a fine goose you have. Its feathers are so shiny."
"And you have a wonderful fish," she said. "If you will give me your fish, I will give you this shiny goose. This is a very special goose. Magic happens if anyone touches it and you say, "Hang on!' When you say these words, the person will stick to the goose."
"I will give you the fish," Hans said. He took the goose and started walking.
Soon he met an old woman. She saw the shiny goose. She asked Hans if she might touch it.
Question:
Read this part from the story. Which character says, "And you have a wonderful fish?"
- the young woman
- Hans
- an old woman
- a fish
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Think about a character in one of the selections you read. Write a short speech that tells about only the good things about the character. Then write a second short speech that tells only the bad things about the character.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
Description:
Recognizing Mood and Tone
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
HiA-15
HiA-15
Grade level: 1
Word count: 789 words
Author: Joanne G. Boatwright
Synopsis: A city boy living in the country? You bet!
Excerpt:
The country was not like the city. Ethan did not go to the movies like he did in the city. There were no stores near his home. There were no museums. There were no trains or buses to ride. But he did get to see and do many new things. He liked the space. He liked the quiet. His new home was different. And he was fine with that.
Question:
At the end of the selection, how does Ethan feel?
- He is happy with his new life in the country.
- He misses his old school and his old job in the city.
- He is sure Jada will not like the country.
- He wishes his city friends would move to the country.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how you felt when you read a selection. Were you happy, sad, or did you feel something else? Explain why the selection made you feel this way.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
8B: Reasoning
8B: Reasoning
Description:
Reasoning
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-50
A-50
Grade level: 1
Word count: 883 words
Author: Misha Berman
Synopsis: Odon is large and in charge. Can the small and meek teach him a lesson?
Excerpt:
Late one night, after the giant went to sleep, the parrot called a meeting. "I can't bear it anymore. We can't keep living this way!" she said. "The giant is NOT the boss of us."
"Who's going to tell him that?" buzzed the mosquito. "Not me," she added.
"Who's going to tell him that?" buzzed the mosquito. "Not me," she added.
Question:
Reread this part of the selection. What would probably happen if the creatures simply told Odon, "You are not the boss of us"?
- He would laugh and ignore them.
- He would say he is sorry for his bad behavior.
- He would run out of his house.
- He would ask them to explain what they mean.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
What makes people or characters do the things they do? Use details from a selection you have read, as well as your reasoning skills, to support your answer.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
9B: Classifying
9B: Classifying
Description:
Classify
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-34
A-34
Grade level: 1
Word count: 735 words
Author: R. Bender
Synopsis: The trees of the forest learn an important lesson about showing kindness and helping others.
Excerpt:
"My branches are not very thick," called out a nearby pine tree. "But I am big and strong. I can block the North Wind from you and the spruce tree."
Question:
The pine tree said it would help the bird by
- blocking the wind.
- blocking the sun.
- scaring away other animals.
- growing big and strong.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
What makes a character a hero or a villain? List the names of characters who are heroes or villains and explain why they belong to that group. The characters can be from fiction or non-fiction texts.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
2B: Analyzing Relative Importance
2B: Analyzing Relative Importance
Description:
Determining Relative Importance
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-8
A-8
Grade level: 1
Word count: 780 words
Author: Anonymous
Synopsis: A sad princess and a goose change the life of a young man.
Excerpt:
"If you will give me your fish, I will give you this shiny goose. This is a very special goose. Magic happens if anyone touches it and you say, "Hang on!' When you say these words, the person will stick to the goose."
Question:
In this selection, what was most important about the goose?
- It had magic powers.
- It had feathers.
- It was very heavy.
- It was cooked for dinner.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
List two characters from a selection and explain why one of those characters is more important to the plot than the other character.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
3A: Predicting Outcomes
3A: Predicting Outcomes
Description:
Predicting Outcomes
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-25
A-25
Grade level: 1
Word count: 811 words
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Synopsis: A poor man and his wife ask for a little too much from a magic fish.
Excerpt:
"Go home," said the fish, "for she has it already."
The man returned home. There was his wife, sitting outside a stone castle. She took him into the great hall. There were many servants moving about. She showed him the fine chairs and tables. She showed him the rich foods. He looked out the tall windows. He saw gardens filled with beautiful flowers. He saw stables filled with strong horses.
"Is this not much better than before!" she said.
"Yes," said the man. "Now you can be happy for years to come."
"We'll see about that," said the wife. "Let us sleep on it." With that, they went to bed.
The man returned home. There was his wife, sitting outside a stone castle. She took him into the great hall. There were many servants moving about. She showed him the fine chairs and tables. She showed him the rich foods. He looked out the tall windows. He saw gardens filled with beautiful flowers. He saw stables filled with strong horses.
"Is this not much better than before!" she said.
"Yes," said the man. "Now you can be happy for years to come."
"We'll see about that," said the wife. "Let us sleep on it." With that, they went to bed.
Question:
Read the following excerpt. What does the wife mean when she says, "We'll see about that?"
- The wife will keep asking for more things.
- The wife is happy with all the things she has.
- The husband and wife will look for more magic fish.
- The husband will move to another castle.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Write an email to a friend who has not read the selection. Provide enough information about the selection's characters, settings, and events so your friend is able to predict what happened in the selection.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
3B: Analyzing Plot/Character
3B: Analyzing Plot/Character
Description:
Analyzing setting, plot, and character
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-41
A-41
Grade level: 1
Word count: 675 words
Author: R. Bender
Synopsis: When the king of the gods gives his word, a bee's wish comes true.
Excerpt:
The bee was very proud of the work it did. It went from flower to flower to get what it needed to make honey. The little bee knew its honey was the best in the land.
Question:
In the beginning of the selection, the bee
- thinks its honey is very good.
- thinks the king is taking honey.
- wants to share its honey with the boys.
- wants to stop making honey.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe a character from a selection, including how he or she looks, something the character might say, and the kinds of books this character might like to read.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
3C: Analyzing Cause/Effect
3C: Analyzing Cause/Effect
Description:
Analyzing Cause and Effect
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
A-34
A-34
Grade level: 1
Word count: 735 words
Author: R. Bender
Synopsis: The trees of the forest learn an important lesson about showing kindness and helping others.
Excerpt:
"I could touch every leaf in the forest," said the powerful North Wind. "But some of the trees have been kind to the little bird. They knew the little bird needed help. They did the right thing by helping. To show them my thanks, I will let them keep their leaves."
Question:
The North Wind showed its thanks to the trees in the forest. How?
- The North Wind did not blow too hard so the trees were able to keep their leaves.
- The North Wind asked the sun to shine brightly on the trees.
- The North Wind told the snow and rain to go away.
- The North Wind blew gently so all the birds could fly home safely.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Create a "chain of events" diagram for a selection.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions