RI.LCS.11.1

Description: Analyze and critique how the author uses structures in print and multimedia texts to craft informational and argument writing. Compare and contrast the effectiveness of authors’ uses of text features and structures to support similar claims.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 5A, 6A

Exemplars

5A: Examining Text Structure

5A: Examining Text Structure

Description: Examining Text Structure

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: L-13

L-13

Grade level: 12
Word count: 2479 words
Author: Peter Kupfer
Synopsis: Americans are great at producing, marketing, and of course eating junk food.
Excerpt: Junk food -- defined as food with high calories and little nutritional value -- has been around for hundreds of years, in many parts of the world. But no one has done a better job of creating new varieties of it, mass producing it, marketing it, making people rich off it, and, of course, eating it than Americans.

Question: Read this excerpt. What is the author implying about the American attitude toward junk food in the second sentence?
  1. The second sentence uses sarcasm to congratulate Americans on excelling at something that is detrimental to health.
  2. The second sentence laments the fact that Americans do not embrace new marketing.
  3. The second sentence uses facts to show how junk food has no relevance in the market economy.
  4. The second sentence employs understatement to argue that junk foods' recent introduction has minimal impact on nutrition.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Choose an informational text that presents information in a cause-and-effect or problem-and-solution manner. Describe why the organization of information did (or did not) help you understand the main idea of the selection.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

Description: Recognizing Author's Purpose

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: L-8

L-8

Grade level: 12
Word count: 2551 words
Author: President John F. Kennedy
Synopsis: President Kennedy was convinced the Cold War would be won in space.
Excerpt: No excerpt is available for this question.
Question: Who was President Kennedy's real target audience for his September 1962 moon speech?
  1. the Soviets
  2. Rice University students and faculty
  3. Texas state officials
  4. astronauts

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe how the author of an argument tries to prove that he or she is right.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions