RI.11-12.2

Description: Key Ideas and Details Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; restate and summarize main ideas or events, in correct sequence when necessary, after reading a text.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 2A, 2C, 5B

Exemplars

2A: Determining Main Idea

2A: Determining Main Idea

Description: Determining Main Idea and Themes

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: L-2

L-2

Grade level: 12
Word count: 2262 words
Author: Beth Renaud
Synopsis: The Harlem Renaissance brought talented African American writers and artists into the mainstream of American culture.
Excerpt: No excerpt is available for this question.
Question: What is the main idea of this selection?
  1. The Harlem Renaissance gave voice to African American's discontent in America.
  2. During the Harlem Renaissance, African American musicians expressed their ideas through jazz.
  3. The Harlem Renaissance showed that African Americans were not content to accept racial discrimination.
  4. During the Harlem Renaissance, a middle class of educated black Americans emerged.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Using the Internet or other research tools, find three additional pieces of information that support the main idea stated in the selection.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

2C: Summarizing

2C: Summarizing

Description: Summarizing

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: "We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won. And they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man. Only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea. But I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours."

Question: Choose the sentence in this excerpt that best summarizes President Kennedy's desire to bring the United States to global prominence in a peaceful way?

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Create a news report based on a selection you have read. Report facts from the selection as well as additional facts you researched from reputable sources.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

5B: Examining Sequence

5B: Examining Sequence

Description: Examining Sequence of Ideas and Events

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: L-7

L-7

Grade level: 12
Word count: 2446 words
Author: R. Bender
Synopsis: The Soviets shot down an American pilot during the Cold War. What happened when it was revealed the pilot was on a spy mission?
Excerpt: "The pilot, as are all pilots used on NASA's program of upper atmosphere research with the U-2 airplane, is a civilian employed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, builders of the plane."

To add credence to the smokescreen, the United States proclaimed it was grounding all U-2 aircraft for inspections of their oxygen systems before authorizing any additional weather research missions.

On May 6, 1960, the American Embassy in Moscow sent a communique to the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Question: Immediately following the announcement that Powers' plane was missing, the U.S. government took steps to support its cover story. According to the selection, what was the government's first step?
  1. It grounded all U-2 planes for inspection of their oxygen systems.
  2. It grounded all U-2 planes for inspection of their surveillance systems.
  3. It re-certified all U-2 pilots to ensure they were trained to properly operate the aircraft.
  4. It launched multiple weather research missions through NASA.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Think about the selections you have read that explain how something happens or is done. Explain the process in complete detail in your own words, so that people reading your instructions are able to understand or perform the entire process successfully on their own.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions