RL.2.a

Description: Key Ideas and Details Determine and analyze themes and/or central ideas of texts: Determine themes and/or central ideas.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 1B, 2A

Exemplars

1B: Analyzing Implicit Details

1B: Analyzing Implicit Details

Description: Drawing Conclusions, Making Inferences from information in text

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: K-6

K-6

Grade level: 11
Word count: 2418 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: After a serious football injury, Sam gets a highly trained monkey that not only assists him physically but helps him emotionally.
Excerpt: Quitting her job to become his full-time caregiver, Mrs. Hayward erected a shrine to Sam in the living room, decorating the fireplace mantel and nearby shelves with his football and soccer trophies.

She tirelessly prepared his favorite meals, but nothing could alleviate Sam's dark moods as the family almost drained its finances to bring in physical therapists to rehabilitate Sam. Because he had lost all hope, his improvement was slow.

Question: Why did Sam's mom display his trophies in the living room?
  1. to demonstrate he had the ability to show determination and courage
  2. to remind him that he can rejoin his teams when he gets better
  3. to show visitors that he had been a star athlete before his injury
  4. to motivate him to do the same vigorous exercises he once did

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe how you arrived at conclusions about a selection's main idea and characters if information about these text elements was not directly stated.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

2A: Determining Main Idea

2A: Determining Main Idea

Description: Determining Main Idea and Themes

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: K-11

K-11

Grade level: 11
Word count: 2375 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: Acceptance and compassion go a long way in helping people with Tourette Syndrome.
Excerpt: No excerpt is available for this question.
Question: What is the main idea of this selection?
  1. People with Tourette Syndrome need understanding and acceptance from friends, relatives, and the general public.
  2. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder for which there are some medical treatments but no known cure.
  3. Children suffering from Tourette Syndrome should have a place to go to sympathize with one another.
  4. People with Tourette Syndrome can learn to control their repetitive movements and sounds.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: (Theme: relationships) Describe a character who struggled with society or family and how/if that struggle was resolved.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions