CCRA.R.4
Description:
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Maps to Reading Plus skills:
4B, 5C, 5C, 6A, 6C, 6C
Exemplars
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
Description:
Recognizing Mood and Tone
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
HiC-23
HiC-23
Grade level: 3
Word count: 1364 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: What happens when a young teen boy joins an all-girl roller derby team?
Excerpt:
After school on Friday, Jake asked his mom if she could drive him to tryouts on Saturday morning. Jake's mom gave him a puzzled look. "For what, honey?" she asked.
"I'm trying out for a position on the Roller Derby. I want to surprise Dad."
"He'll be surprised, alright," she sighed.
"I'm trying out for a position on the Roller Derby. I want to surprise Dad."
"He'll be surprised, alright," she sighed.
Question:
In this excerpt, Jake's mom says his dad will "be surprised, alright." What does she mean?
- He's not going to like what Jake tells him.
- He's going to be nervous and lonely.
- He's not going to let Jake see his fear.
- He's going to be confused and sad.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Give examples of selections you have read that create a mood through the setting, feelings of characters, and choice of words.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
6C: Recognizing Mood/Tone
Description:
Recognizing Mood and Tone
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
C-52
C-52
Grade level: 3
Word count: 1231 words
Author: Adapted from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Synopsis: Is a job as a carpenter, electrician, or car mechanic the right career for you?
Excerpt:
No excerpt is available for this question.
Question:
The tone of this selection is best described as
- plain and factual.
- false and cruel.
- sad and confusing.
- boastful and incorrect.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Give examples of selections you have read that create a mood through the setting, feelings of characters, and choice of words.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
5C: Examining Genre
5C: Examining Genre
Description:
Examining Genre
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-11
J-11
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2199 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: Skylar and Jason's relationship is already strained when they're paired together for a class project. Will their "no-technology" challenge make them, or break them?
Excerpt:
No excerpt is available for this question.
Question:
This selection can best be described as
- contemporary fiction.
- historical fiction.
- rhetorical argument.
- political memoir.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Choose a narrative text. Describe how the author uses language and dialogue to relay information about characters and events.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
6A: Recognizing Author's Intent
6A: Recognizing Author's Intent
Description:
Recognizing Author's Purpose
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-37
J-37
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2283 words
Author: Diane Lang
Synopsis: A mentee turns his life around and eventually becomes a mentor to help others find their passion in life.
Excerpt:
In the studio that day, James rapped out the uttermost parts of his heart and soul, the background music giving him the impetus to express his songs fully and without restraint. For that period of time, James was so swept up in his music and the meaning of his words that the rest of the world faded away, and I saw a young man transformed by passion, beauty, meaning, and hope. In James, I saw the faces of thousands of kids who also could be transformed by that same euphoric rush of passion, that same door opening up to a bright future.
Question:
What is the author's purpose in writing this selection?
- to inspire others to become mentors for troubled kids
- to demonstrate how tough it is for kids in the inner city
- to highlight the beauty and the magic of the arts
- to persuade educators to teach in a more creative way
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Assess the value or importance of an author's choice of prose, setting, or characterization in a selection.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
5C: Examining Genre
5C: Examining Genre
Description:
Examining Genre
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
F-51
F-51
Grade level: 6
Word count: 1334 words
Author: Barbara D. Krasner
Synopsis: Immigrants to the United States had to pass physical examinations, and a chalk mark on the shoulder indicated their result.
Excerpt:
This is a fictional story, but it is based on facts about immigrants' experiences at Ellis Island, the port of entry for those arriving by ship in New York.
With as many of their belongings as they could stuff into satchels and suitcases, the Palmieri family took a seven-hour train ride to the port city of Palermo. There, they boarded the ship, called the "Sicilian Prince," that would take them to America.
With as many of their belongings as they could stuff into satchels and suitcases, the Palmieri family took a seven-hour train ride to the port city of Palermo. There, they boarded the ship, called the "Sicilian Prince," that would take them to America.
Question:
The genre of this selection could be described as
- historical fiction.
- contemporary fiction.
- science fiction.
- classical fiction.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Choose a narrative text. Describe how the author uses language and dialogue to relay information about characters and events.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
4B: Interpreting Analogies
4B: Interpreting Analogies
Description:
Interpreting Analogies
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
C-24
C-24
Grade level: 3
Word count: 1323 words
Author: Michael H. Levitt
Synopsis: Was the stranger telling the truth? Did he even EXIST?
Excerpt:
The darkness seemed to close around me like a big, black glove. I thought, "I'm sure glad I'm not outside this evening. I had better make sure the light is working, because this would be the worst time for it to fail."
Question:
What does the boy mean when he says, "The darkness seemed to close around me like a big, black glove"?
- It was so dark that the boy could not see anything.
- The boy thought he could touch the darkness with his hand.
- The darkness warmed the boy's hands.
- The darkness made the boy feel safe and happy.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
List five words in a selection that helped you form a picture in your mind. Do additional research to find a synonym and antonym for each word, and use the word in a sentence.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions