Third Grade Reading: Stingrays by Claire Miller Ranger Rick magazine, February 1997 issue M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 1
Questions for the Sample Informational Reading Assessment for Grade 3 Mark only the BEST answer for each multiple-choice question. You may look back at Stingrays as often as needed. 1. Why did the author write the article Stingrays? A. To tell readers an exciting story about the ocean. B. To give readers facts about an interesting fish. C. To warn readers about some dangers in the ocean. D. To teach readers how all fish hunt their prey. 2. It is easy for a diver to step on a stingray by mistake because stingrays A. are many different sizes and shapes. B. can hide themselves in the sand. C. move slowly above the ocean floor. D. live in freshwater as well as in oceans. 3. A part of the article is called Sneaky Sand Snugglers because stingrays A. can sting quickly. B. can move slowly. C. are good at hiding. D. are the color of water. 4. In the selection the author writes, When water flows into a stingray s nostrils, the ray may pick up the smells of creatures it wants to eat. It can also find prey by sensing the tiny amount of electricity that animals give off. In this context what does the word prey mean? A. food. B. light. C. sand. D. water. 5. How might a sting from a stingray become infected? A. Poison from the stinger gets into the wound. B. Electricity from the stinger shocks the wound. C. Pieces of the stinger break off in the wound. D. Fins beside the stinger throw sand into the wound. 6. In order to make the selection easier to read, the author A. picked an interesting title for the text. B. split key information into different sections. C. used funny words like snugglers. D. included lots of action and adventure. M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 2
7. This selection would most likely be found in A. a dictionary. B. a comic book C. a fictional storybook. D. a science magazine. M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 3
Third Grade Reading: Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing by Linda Schultz M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 4
Sample Narrative Reading Assessment for Grade 3 The sample FCAT passages appear by permission of the Florida Department of Education, Assessment and School Performance Office, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400. Read the story Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing before answering Numbers 1-6. Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing by Linda Schultz Peter knew that letters should make people happy Peter wanted a letter of his own. He ran to get the mail each day as soon as it arrived. He waved to Mrs. Casey on her porch next door as he carried the mail to his mother. Every day his mother got mail, but there was never a letter for him. One day Mother said, Peter, please take this letter to Mrs. Casey. It came to us by mistake. Peter ran to Mrs. Casey s yard and raced her cat, Peaches, to the porch. A letter for you, Mrs. Casey. For me? Land sakes, no one ever writes to me. Who could it be? As Mrs. Casey read the letter, she slowly sat back on the porch swing. Peaches jumped to her lap and purred. Oh dear, Peaches, she said softly. They can t come to visit this year. Oh, Peaches, my sweet little friend. She scratched Peaches ears as her voice faded away. Letters shouldn t make people sad, said Peter. Oh, Peter, I forgot about you. I m sorry, dear. Here, have a cookie. And take some to your mother. She took some cookies from a small blue plate and wrapped them in a napkin. Peter took them home. As he sat on his swing munching a cookie, Peter saw Mrs. Casey swinging very slowly. Peaches lay curled up on a rug at her feet. Suddenly Peter had an idea. He got a piece of paper and wrote: Dear Mrs. Casey, I like being your cat. I like it when you scratch my ears. I love you very, very, very, very much. Your friend, Peaches And he mailed it. M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 5
When the mail came the next day, Peter heard Mrs. Casey laugh. She slapped her knee and laughed again. She called Peaches and scratched his ears. Then she waved to Peter. There was a piece of paper in her hand. Hello, Peter, she called. What a wonderful morning I am having. Peter waved back. He smiled. His morning seemed brighter, too. That afternoon Peter wrote another letter: Dear Mrs. Casey, I like being your porch swing. I like it when you rock fast. I love you very, very, very, very much. Your friend, The Porch Swing When the mail came the next day, Peter heard Mrs. Casey laugh again. She slapped her knee and rocked so fast that Peaches scrambled out of the way. Then she opened a drawer in her table and took out a notepad. The next day when Peter ran to get the mail, there was one envelope with his name on it. Peter tore it open and read: Dear Peter, I got a wonderful letter from Peaches and another wonderful letter from my porch swing. I would love to get a letter from you. It would make me very, very, very, very happy. Your friend, Mrs. Casey So Peter wrote Mrs. Casey a letter. But he didn t mail it. He delivered it himself the next day. And he and Mrs. Casey laughed, ate cookies, scratched Peaches ears, and rocked very fast on the porch swing. And together they waited for the mail. Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing by Linda Schultz, copyright (c) 1997 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 6
Questions for the Sample Narrative Reading Assessment for Grade 3 Mark only the BEST answer for each multiple-choice question. You may look back at Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing as often as needed. 1. In this selection the author writes, Oh dear, Peaches, she said softly. They can t come to visit this year. Oh, Peaches, my sweet little friend. She scratched Peaches ears as her voice faded away. These sentences show that Mrs. Casey spoke A. clearly. B. quietly. C. sharply. D. slowly. 2. How are Peter and Mrs. Casey ALIKE? A. They both live in the same house. B. They both had a cat for a pet. C. They both like to receive letters in the mail. D. They both receive letters that make them sad. 3. Which sentence BEST tells what the story is about? A. Peter writes a letter from a cat. B. Peter makes Mrs. Casey happy. C. Peter likes to play with animals. D. Peter takes a letter to Mrs. Casey. 4. Why does Peter write letters to Mrs. Casey? A. He wants to make new friends. B. He wants to do what his mother asked. C. He wants to make Mrs. Casey feel better. D. He wants to help Mrs. Casey bake cookies. 5. In the selection the author writes, He delivered it himself the next day. In this context what does the word delivered mean? A. took. B. made. C. sent. D. hid. 6. Why did the author write Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing? A. To teach readers about writing letters. B. To explain how to make someone laugh. C. To show readers how to meet other people. D. To tell a story about friendship and good humor. M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 7
Third Grade Reading Cross-Text Questions: Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing by Linda Schultz and Stingrays by Claire Miller M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 8
DIRECTIONS: CROSS-TEXT QUESTIONS 3 rd Grade The following questions are based upon the two selections that you just read, Stingrays and Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing. For each question choose the BEST answer. You may look back at the two selections at any time. 1. Both reading selections include information to help you understand how a stingray and Peter A. use their abilities to hunt for food. B. have qualities that make them each special. C. can hide away from people if they must D. have large eyes and are able to see things. 2. What do Peter and a stingray have in common? A. They both can be friendly to people. B. They both live near the ocean. C. They both like pancakes. D. They both hunt for food. 3. How are the reading selections different from one another? A. Peter, Peaches and the Porch Swing has more interesting details in its title than Stingrays. B. Stingrays is about animals, while Peter, Peaches and the Porch Swing doesn t have any animals in it. C. Stingrays has many ideas in it, while Peter, Peaches and the Porch Swing has very few in it. D. Peter, Peaches and the Porch Swing is a narrative written from the third-person point of view, while Stingrays is written in a factual manner. M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 9
Reading Assessment Analysis Grade: 3 Selection: "Stingrays" Genre: Informational Item GLCE Cognitive Answer # Assessed Domain 1 B R.CM.03.01 Application 2 B R.CM.03.02 Comprehension 3 C R.WS.03.08 Application R.CM.03.02 Comprehension R.IT.03.03 Analysis 4 A R.WS.03.02 Comprehension R.WS.03.08 Analysis 5 C R.CM.03.02 Comprehension 6 B R.IT.03.02 Application 7 D R.IT.03.01 Analysis R.CM.03.04 Synthesis GLCE Word Recognition and Word Study Students will... R.WS.03.02 Use structural, semantic, and syntactic cues to automatically read frequently encountered words, decode unknown words, and decide meaning including multiple meaning words (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, base words, affixes) [Core] R.WS.03.08 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context, (e.g., synonyms, homonyms, multiple meaning words) using strategies and resources (e.g., context clues, concept mapping, dictionary) [Core] Informational Text Students will... R.IT.03.01 Identify and describe a variety of informational genre (e.g., textbooks, encyclopedia, magazines) [Core] R.IT.03.02 Identify informational text patterns (e.g., problem/solution, sequence, compare/contrast, descriptive) [Core] R.IT.03.03 Explain how authors use titles, headings and subheadings, time lines, prefaces, indices, and table of contents to enhance understanding of supporting and key ideas [Core] Comprehension Students will... R.CM.03.01 Connect personal knowledge, experience and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses [Core] R.CM.03.02 Retell the story elements of grade level appropriate narrative text and major idea(s) of grade level appropriate informational text with relevant details [Core] R.CM.03.03 Compare and contrast (oral and written) relationships among characters, events, and key ideas within and across texts to create a deeper understanding (e.g., a narrative to an informational text, a literature selection to a subject area text, an historical event to a current event) [Core] R.CM.03.04 Apply significant knowledge from what is read in grade level appropriate science and social studies texts [Core] M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 10
Reading Assessment Analysis Grade: 3 Selection: "Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing" Genre: Narrative Item GLCE Cognitive Answer # Assessed Domain 1 B R.NT.03.01 Synthesis R.CM.03.01 Application 2 C R.NT.03.03 Analysis W.CM.03.03 Analysis 3 B W.NT.03.03 Analysis R.CM.03.02 Comprehension 4 C W.NT.03.03 Evaluation 5 A R.WS.03.02 Comprehension R.WS.03.08 Application 6 D W.NT.03.04 Synthesis GLCE Word Recognition and Word Study Students will... R.WS.03.02 Use structural, semantic, and syntactic cues to automatically read frequently encountered words, decode unknown words, and decide meaning including multiple meaning words (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, base words, affixes) [Core] R.WS.03.08 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context, (e.g., synonyms, homonyms, multiple meaning words) using strategies and resources (e.g., context clues, concept mapping, dictionary) [Core] Narrative Text Students will... R.NT.03.01 Explain how characters in literature and other texts express attitudes about one another in familiar classic and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit [Core] R.NT.03.03 Identify and describe characters thoughts and motivations, story level themes (e.g., good vs. evil), main idea, and lesson/moral (e.g., fable) in narrative text [Core] R.NT.03.04 Explain how authors use literary devices (e.g., prediction, personification, point of view) to develop a story level theme, depict the setting, and reveal how thoughts and actions convey important character traits across a variety of text [Core] Comprehension Students will... R.CM.03.01 Connect personal knowledge, experience and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses [Core] R.CM.03.02 Retell the story elements of grade level appropriate narrative text and major idea(s) of grade level appropriate informational text with relevant details [Core] R.CM.03.03 Compare and contrast (oral and written) relationships among characters, events, and key ideas within and across texts to create a deeper understanding (e.g., a narrative to an informational text, a literature selection to a subject area text, an historical event to a current event) [Core] M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 11
Reading Assessment Analysis Grade: 3 Selection: "Peter, Peaches, and the Porch Swing" and "Stingrays" Genre: Cross-Text Item GLCE Cognitive Answer # Assessed Domain 1 B R.CM.03.01 Application R.CM.03.03 Analysis 2 A R.CM.03.01 Application R.CM.03.03 Analysis 3 D R.NT.03.02 Analysis R.NT.03.04 Synthesis R.IT.03.03 Analysis R.CM.03.03 Analysis GLCE Narrative Text Students will... R.NT.03.02 Identify and describe a variety of narrative genre (e.g., folktales, fables, realistic fiction) [Core] R.NT.03.04 Explain how authors use literary devices (e.g., prediction, personification, point of view) to develop a story level theme, depict the setting, and reveal how thoughts and actions convey important character traits across a variety of text [Core] Informational Text Students will... R.IT.03.03 Explain how authors use titles, headings and subheadings, time lines, prefaces, indices, and table of contents to enhance understanding of supporting and key ideas [Core] Comprehension Students will... R.CM.03.01 Connect personal knowledge, experience and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses [Core] R.CM.03.03 Compare and contrast (oral and written) relationships among characters, events, and key ideas within and across texts to create a deeper understanding (e.g., a narrative to an informational text, a literature selection to a subject area text, an historical event to a current event) [Core] M2 Spring 2005 ELA GLCE 3rd Grade Assessment http://mmc.edzone.net 12