CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3

Description: Key Ideas and Details Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 3C, 8B, 9A

Exemplars

3C: Analyzing Cause/Effect

3C: Analyzing Cause/Effect

Description: Analyzing Cause and Effect

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-36

I-36

Grade level: 9
Word count: 2302 words
Author: Erica Cirino
Synopsis: Brothers want to see a new pirate film, but they don't have enough money. Will their plan to get the money work out?
Excerpt: Once upstairs we plunked down on my bottom bunk and began to draft our ransom note. I wrote the note while John thought up what we should say, since he was the creative one but had terrible spelling and handwriting. I tried to conceal my identity from Mom and Dad by writing the note while holding the pen in my left hand, since I normally use my right hand.

Question: Why did Jay write the ransom note with his left hand?
  1. He did not want his parents to recognize his handwriting.
  2. He wanted it to look as if John wrote the note.
  3. He was writing the draft with his left hand but would use his right hand for the actual note.
  4. He had better handwriting when using his left hand.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe the cause and effect relationship in a selection you read.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

8B: Reasoning

8B: Reasoning

Description: Reasoning

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-7

I-7

Grade level: 9
Word count: 1833 words
Author: Charles Dickens
Synopsis: A young orphan, whose life's expectations are dim, meets a strange man while visiting his parents' graves in the village churchyard.
Excerpt: You fail, or you go from my words in any partickler, no matter how small it is, and your heart and your liver shall be tore out, roasted, and ate. Now, I ain't alone, as you may think I am. There's a young man hid with me, in comparison with which young man I am a Angel. That young man hears the words I speak. That young man has a horrible secret way pecooliar to himself, of getting at a boy, and at his heart, and at his liver. It is in wain for a boy to attempt to hide himself from that young man. A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open. I am a keeping that horrible young man from harming of you at the present moment, with great difficulty. I find it wery hard to hold that young man off of your inside. Now, what do you say?"

Question: Based on this excerpt, the old stranger mentions there is a young man with him because
  1. Pip might think the old stranger does not look strong enough to carry out his threats.
  2. Pip would feel less threatened by a young man and want to be his friend.
  3. the stranger would need the help of a young man to cut off the leg iron.
  4. a young man would want Pip to bring him more supplies.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe a scene from a selection. Explain how you put together clues from that scene to figure out how and why something happened.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

9A: Comparing/Contrasting

9A: Comparing/Contrasting

Description: Compare, Contrast, and/or Integrate

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: I-35

I-35

Grade level: 9
Word count: 2532 words
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Synopsis: A captain's fear of battle leads to tragic consequences.
Excerpt: Suddenly, from the forest a half-mile in front—apparently from among the upper branches of the trees, but really from the ridge beyond—rose a tall column of white smoke. A moment later came a deep, jarring explosion, followed—almost attended—by a hideous rushing sound that seemed to leap forward across the intervening space with inconceivable rapidity, rising from whisper to roar with too quick a gradation for attention to note the successive stages of its horrible progression! A visible tremor ran along the lines of men; all were startled into motion. Captain Graffenreid dodged and threw up his hands to one side of his head, palms outward.

The enemy's shot was not answered; the officer in command at that exposed part of the line had evidently no desire to provoke a cannonade. For the forbearance Captain Graffenreid was conscious of a sense of gratitude. He had not known that the flight of a projectile was a phenomenon of so appalling character. His conception of war had already undergone a profound change, and he was conscious that his new feeling was manifesting itself in visible perturbation. His blood was boiling in his veins; he had a choking sensation and felt that if he had a command to give it would be inaudible, or at least unintelligible. The hand in which he held his sword trembled; the other moved automatically, clutching at various parts of his clothing. He found a difficulty in standing still and fancied that his men observed it. Was it fear? He feared it was.

Question: Based on this excerpt, in which way does Captain Graffenreid differ from the other men fighting in his troop.
  1. He is more nervous during battle.
  2. He is braver during battle.
  3. He has more fighting experience.
  4. He rides a horse during battle.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Create a Venn diagram to demonstrate the physical, emotional, and intellectual similarities and differences between two characters from selections you have read.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions