ELAGSE3RI2

Description: Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Maps to Reading Plus skills: 2A, 2B, 2C

Exemplars

2A: Determining Main Idea

2A: Determining Main Idea

Description: Determining Main Idea and Themes

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: C-4

C-4

Grade level: 3
Word count: 1243 words
Author: Mary Dunn
Synopsis: Rachel Carson sounded an alarm about the environment while everyone else was asleep.
Excerpt: No excerpt is available for this question.
Question: What is another good title for this selection?
  1. Warrior for the Environment
  2. The Woman Who Loved Birds
  3. The Cape Cod Shoreline
  4. Why Chemicals Are Bad

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe three clues in a selection that helped you determine the main idea of the selection.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

2B: Analyzing Relative Importance

2B: Analyzing Relative Importance

Description: Determining Relative Importance

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: C-25

C-25

Grade level: 3
Word count: 1130 words
Author: Marshif Quoyle
Synopsis: How do green plants matter? Let us (lettuce!) count the ways.
Excerpt: The links in that food chain begin with a green plant and then go on to insects and worms.

People and other large animals are at the end of many food chains. A food chain ends with an animal that will not be eaten by another animal.

The second link in any food chain is always a creature that eats plants.

Question: Think about what you read. Put these links to a food chain in order, from the first link in the last.
  1. plant
  2. grasshopper
  3. frog
  4. hawk

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Describe parts of a selection that held important clues to help you understand what was happening.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions

2C: Summarizing

2C: Summarizing

Description: Summarizing

SeeReader
✓ standard met

Selection: C-58

C-58

Grade level: 3
Word count: 1452 words
Author: Roberta Bard
Synopsis: After visiting with his friend Peter, Johann makes a discovery that puts soldiers at risk.
Excerpt: "The British army beat Washington at Brandywine and chased him out of Philadelphia. It's only luck that he's escaped so far. He'll have to surrender soon. He doesn't have any supplies or equipment. His men don't even have uniforms or guns."

"But the Patriots are fighting against the true government," Peter replied. "They are breaking the law."

Question: Read this part from the selection. Which of the following statements best summarizes what Peter believed?
  1. The Patriots were breaking the law and they would be defeated by the Loyalists.
  2. The Loyalists were dangerous men.
  3. The king and the colonists supported one another.
  4. Washington had a strong army that could not be defeated.

Writing
✓ standard met

Writing prompt: Write one paragraph that describes the main information about a selection you read.

Evaluator

Organization: Certica Solutions