R.ELA.2.12

Description: Identify the main purpose of informational text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 6A, 6B

Exemplars

6B: Recognizing Persuasion

6B: Recognizing Persuasion

Description: Recognizing Persuasive Devices

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiB-28

HiB-28

Grade level: 2
Word count: 1077 words
Author: Tamara Smith
Synopsis: A 12-year-old girl gave a speech that made a room full of world leaders go completely quiet.
Excerpt: Severn is "The Girl Who Silenced the World for Five Minutes." Can you imagine that phrase being spoken about you? What do you do that helps the earth? Each of us may not get the chance to speak in front of world leaders. But we can make changes in the things that we do every day. Every small thing matters.

Question: What is the most likely reason the author ends the selection this way?
  1. to make you think about what you can do to help the earth
  2. to make you feel bad that you haven't done enough already
  3. to argue that adults need to listen to what children have to say
  4. to give the idea that animals need our help more than forests do

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

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

6A: Recognizing Author's Intent

Description: Recognizing Author's Purpose

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: HiB-6

HiB-6

Grade level: 2
Word count: 1143 words
Author: Kate Carter
Synopsis: When you adopt a pet from a shelter, you can do a world of good.
Excerpt: Puppy mills became big business. They "make" and sell puppies the way other mills make and sell cotton or flour.

But the trouble is, dogs are not cotton or flour. They're living, breathing creatures. Puppy mill owners care about making money. They don't care about dogs' well being.

Question: In this excerpt, why does the author say that dogs "are not cotton or flour"?
  1. She is pointing out that dogs shouldn't be treated like nonliving things.
  2. She is afraid readers won't know the difference between dogs and cotton or flour.
  3. She thinks it's more important for mills to make and sell cotton and flour.
  4. She believes that cotton and flour can be useful to dogs.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: List all the things you like about a selection. Then explain which of these reasons are based on fact and which are based on opinion.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions