3R3

Description: Key Ideas and Details In literary texts, describe character traits, motivations, or feelings, drawing on specific details from the text. In informational texts, describe the relationship among a series of events, ideas, concepts, or steps in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 1B, 3A, 9A

Exemplars

9A: Comparing/Contrasting

9A: Comparing/Contrasting

Description: Compare, Contrast, and/or Integrate

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiC-48

HiC-48

Grade level: 3
Word count: 1347 words
Author: Edmund Lester Pearson
Synopsis: There's only one hour left until summer vacation. For one student, however, it's the longest hour of the entire year.
Excerpt: But, somehow, the days had dragged slowly by. Even this final one was nearly gone. Then at the last moment, when our release was so near at hand, a dark shadow rose before us to block the way. It was the grim shadow of Mr. Colburn.

We ran eagerly through the hall and out the door with a yell of sheer joy. Mr. Colburn and his evil book lay behind us. Ahead were summer vacation and freedom.

Question: The change in mood from the first excerpt to the second can best be described as going from
  1. unhappy to thrilled.
  2. excited to sad.
  3. brave to fearful.
  4. important to helpless.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: How is the life of a character in a selection similar to (or different from) your own life?

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

1B: Analyzing Implicit Details

1B: Analyzing Implicit Details

Description: Drawing Conclusions, Making Inferences from information in text

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: C-48

C-48

Grade level: 3
Word count: 1339 words
Author: Charles Reade
Synopsis: Is there a hidden treasure on an old man's farm? The old man searches even while his neighbors laugh and his wife doubts him.
Excerpt: "What difference does it make if I cut all the roots?" the old man shouted. "These old trees aren't worth a penny a piece. They are all in such poor condition! All together the do not give us enough good apples to make a living. These trees will make us into beggars! During my father's time, these trees used to produce wagon loads of the very finest fruit. How I wish these trees were all dead!"

Summer passed. Autumn followed. The old man's old trees had more apples than they had ever had before. In fact, the branches of the old trees staggered under their weight of fruit. The old man and his wife sold the apples and made more money than they could ever use.

Question: Which character changes the most, and in what way does the character change?
  1. The old man changes the most because at first he thinks the trees are worthless, but then he learns they are the treasure.
  2. The wife changes the most because at first she is looking for the treasure, but then she doubts that it really exists.
  3. The neighbors change the most because at first they help the old man dig holes, but then they start to laugh at him.
  4. The stranger changes the most because at first he makes a lot of noise, but later he sneaks away from the old man.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Did the title of this selection provide you with clues about the selection's main idea? Why or why not?

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

3A: Predicting Outcomes

3A: Predicting Outcomes

Description: Predicting Outcomes

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: C-44

C-44

Grade level: 3
Word count: 1130 words
Author: Erica Cirino
Synopsis: A day at the zoo requires detective work when car keys disappear.
Excerpt: The next exhibit they searched was the safari exhibit. This was Marco's favorite place in the whole zoo. They hopped on the safari train again. Marco and his dad were so happy that they nearly forgot about the lost keys.

Question: In the selection, Marco rides on the safari train two times. When he rides on the train, what kind of expression would you probably see on his face?
  1. a smile
  2. a frown
  3. anger
  4. surprise

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