Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts Interim Assessment 1 Overview Purpose and Use: Students in grades 6-10 will take two ELA interim assessments in the 2014-2015 school year. In the fall semester, all students will be assessed on informative/explanatory writing. The assessment window for both middle and high school closes on October 24, 2014. The ELA assessments are designed as extended constructed response tasks that address the four strands of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Assessment items have been designed using the CCSS and CORE Assessments, and are similar in construction to the expectations outlined in the Smarter Balanced Assessment system. Each assessment will take approximately three to four class periods, though more time may be allotted if necessary. Part of the assessment process is the Plan-Deliver-Reflect-Refine/Revise cycle. Teachers should analyze the assessments in grade-level teams in order to plan for instruction leading up to the delivery of the assessments; deliver the assessments; reflect on the student work produced, and also on the instruction and assessment processes; and, determine next steps for refining/revising instruction. Teachers should work together in professional development banked time or gradelevel meeting time to engage in conversations around analysis of student work. During the first part of the assessment the students are reading, discussing, analyzing, and synthesizing information from text(s). Even though these discussion activities are not being assessed, they are critical in this assessment process. Various scaffolds have been built into each grade-level s assessment in the form of graphic organizers. Depending upon the needs of students, teachers may take some time to clarify any misconceptions or vocabulary that cannot be determined from context. Additional time may be taken to provide up front vocabulary instruction/study for English learners. Scoring: The rubrics provided with the assessments are based on the Smarter Balanced rubrics, but have been further developed using grade-level standards to provide more specificity for performance expectations at each grade. Final Note: Thank you to the dedicated secondary teachers and coaches who worked with the OCISS Secondary Literacy/ELA team in the development of this assessment. ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 1
Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts Content Area Text English Language Arts A Day In Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved Cincinnati Museum Center Grade Level Grade 6 Target Area ELA Common Core State Standards SBAC Assessment Claims Assessment Overview Assessment Components Extended Constructed Response RI 6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI 6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. RI 6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. a. Analyze the use of text features (e.g., graphics, headers, captions) in popular media. RI 6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. W 6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W 6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W 6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. *SL 6.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. *SL 6.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. L 6.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L 6.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Claim 1: Students can read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational texts. Claim 2: Students can produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences. Claim 3: Students can employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences. This assessment task will be completed in two parts over three days. The prewriting/planning in part one will involve reading, plus note-taking and speaking and listening in response to text-dependent questions. In part two, students will be asked to draft an informative/explanatory text. *Standard addressed but not explicitly assessed 1) Directions to Teacher 2) SBAC Writing Rubric 3) Text Passage 4) Graphic Organizer 5) Text-Dependent Questions and Peer Conversation & Discussion 6) Independent Writing Task ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 3
Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed It Also Preserved Teacher Directions This Interim Assessment can be given over three days of approximately 50 60 minute sessions or in two days of a block schedule. The directions below outline the steps to follow for a threeday administration. The first two days of this assessment focus on the students interacting with the texts. On day one, the students read the text independently, take notes and begin the graphic organizer. On day two, the students complete the graphic organizer and constructed response questions. On day three, students complete the writing task. Teacher Preparation The text that students will read has been excerpted from a longer piece that is part of an educator s guide to the A Day in Pompeii exhibit that was at the Cincinnati Museum Center in 2012. The excerpt has been adapted to adjust the lexile to be appropriate for middle school students. The optional opening activity is designed as a scaffold to help students think about how we can use (visual) evidence to help tell a story. If you choose to use this activity, please be sure to plan for an extra day in your assessment schedule. Students may use any notes from the activity along with their graphic organizers and evidence-based questions as they work on the final prompt. Text Excerpt: Cincinnati Museum Center. A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved. Materials: Reading Text Passage Graphic Organizer Constructed Response Sheets Writing Task Lined paper for writing Day 1 1. Into Activity Optional Scaffold (Approximately 20 minutes) ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 4
Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts Hand out the visuals that accompany the article to the students. Instruct them that they will use the first column of the chart to write a brief story (one paragraph) about picture #1. After they write their stories, they will use the Venn diagram to compare similarities and differences in their stories. As they discuss their stories, they should be sure to explain what features in the picture they focused on as they wrote. Finally, they should complete the second column of the chart, recording what evidence they drew from the picture to develop their story. 2. Preparation: (Approximately 15 minutes) Hand out the prompt to the students, or display it on an overhead projector. Let them know that they will be reading a text with the purpose of writing an essay that analyzes how the structure of the text contributes to the development of the central idea. Take time to make sure that students understand what the prompt is asking them to do so that they have a clear purpose for listening to and reading the article. 3. Reading: (Approximately 15 minutes) Give students the passage "A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed It Also Preserved. Read the passage out loud, and then instruct students to read it silently as they annotate it and make notes in the right hand column of their text handout. You may remind them to make annotations and notes with the writing prompt in mind. 4. Note-taking: RI 6.1, RI 6.2, RI 6.5, W 6.9 (Approximately 20 minutes) Handout the Graphic Organizer and ask students to reread the passage as directed on the organizer, and complete the sections for My Thoughts and Evidence. They will complete the My Thoughts Now section later. (Students who need additional time to finish reading and taking notes may begin this section when they are ready.) Day 2 5. Note-taking: (Approximately 15 minutes) If students need additional time to complete the first two sections of the organizer, allow them to continue that work. ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 5
Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts 6. Speaking/Listening Questions: SL 6.1, SL 6.4 (Approximately 20 minutes) In pairs or groups of three, conduct the Give One, Get One strategy to give students time to discuss their responses to the questions on the graphic organizer along with textual evidence. After a designated period of time, instruct students to independently complete the My Thoughts Now section of the graphic organizer. Tell them they will respond to a writing prompt and use this graphic organizer along with their notes while writing. Give One, Get One Strategy (modified) Students meet in pairs or trios with their graphic organizers Instruct students to discuss each question along with their responses from the graphic organizer After discussing each question, have students complete the My Thoughts Now section of the graphic organizer Questions: What type of information is presented in paragraphs 1-3? What does this information tell us about Pompeii? Cite evidence from the text to support your response. What type of information is presented in paragraphs 7-9? What does this information tell us about Pompeii? Cite evidence from the text to support your response. Paragraphs 4-6 present information in a narrative structure. How is this structure different than the rest of the text? What effect does it have on the reader? How does the information presented in paragraph 10 connect to the information presented in the first paragraph? How do the visuals that accompany the article support your understanding of each section of the text? 7. Text Dependent Questions: RI 6.1, RI 6.2, RI 6.5 (Approximately 25 minutes) ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 6
Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts Hand out the Evidence-Based Questions Sheet and ask students to individually write their responses to the questions. How does the information about the artifacts found in Pompeii help the reader understand what life was like for people who lived there? Cite evidence from the text to support your response? Paragraphs 4 6, contain words like thundered, rained, deluge, and catastrophic to describe the eruption and its devastation, and words like bustling, endure, and flee to describe the actions of the people in the city. What is the effect of this word choice on the reader? How does this word choice impact our understanding of this historical event? Paragraphs 7-9 describe a shift in the interest people have had in the ruins of Pompeii. What is this shift? How does this shift contribute to your understanding of the central idea that the study of the ruins of Pompeii can help us to better understand our human story? Cite evidence from the text to support your response. The subtitle of the article is, What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved. How does this contribute to your understanding of the central idea that the study of the ruins of Pompeii can help us to better understand our human story? Provide evidence from the text to support your response. Day 3 Writing Task : W 6.2, W 6.4, W 6.9 (Approximately 50 minutes) Revisit the writing prompt with students. Take time to clear up any confusion about the task. Let them know that they will have 50 minutes to respond to the prompt in writing. Have them use their graphic organizer, evidence-based questions, and/or other notes to inform their writing. Writing Prompt As humans, we are interested in the past not only because it can give us information about important historical events, but also because understanding those events helps us better understand the human story. ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 7
Los Angeles Unified School District Secondary Literacy/English Language Arts In the excerpt from the article, A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved, by the Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC), the destruction and re-discovery of the ancient city of Pompeii are described. In a well-organized essay, analyze how the structure of the text contributes to the development of the central idea that the study of the ruins of Pompeii can help us to better understand our human story. In your essay, be sure to address how paragraphs 4-6 fit into the overall structure of the text and contribute to the development of the central idea. Be sure to cite evidence from the text to support your analysis. Be Sure To: Include relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotes or other information Use appropriate transitions Use precise language and vocabulary to inform or explain your topic Establish and maintain a formal style Provide a concluding section that follows from and supports your explanation ELA Grade 6 Interim Assessment: A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved 8
Pompeii 1. 3. 2.
Graphic Organizer Visual Text Story Comparison
Excerpt from A Day in Pompeii What Nature Destroyed, It Also Preserved The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman city in Italy. Pompeii and the nearby city of Herculaneum were destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. The eruption buried Pompeii under 13 to 20 feet of ash and pumice. The city was lost for almost 1700 years before it was accidentally discovered in 1749. Since then, its excavation has provided extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, the city of Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy. The excavated town offers a snapshot of Roman life in the 1 st century, frozen at the moment it was buried on August 24, A.D. 79. The Forum, the baths, many houses, and some villas on the edge of town remain very well preserved. Mosaics in homes and businesses remain intact. Even carbonized food has been found. The evidence that remains here shows that Pompeii was a lively place. At the time of the eruption, the town probably had around 20,000 inhabitants. In addition, Romans had their holiday villas in the area. Pompeii is the only ancient town of which we know the original topographic structure. Nothing has been added or changed since the time of the eruption. The streets are straight and lay out in a grid. Houses and shops line both sides of the street. The Forum was the economic, religious, and political center of Pompeii. The main temples, municipal buildings, law courts, market and the Mensa Ponderaria were grouped around it. Besides the Forum, many other services were found in the city, including the Macellum (great food market), the Pistrinum (mill), the Thermopolium (bar that served hot and cold beverages), and cauponae (small restaurants). An amphitheater and two theaters have also been found, along with a palestra (gymnasium). A hotel, now called the Grand Hotel Murecine, was discovered a short distance from the town. August 24, A.D. 79, began as any other summer day in Pompeii. The town Forum was bustling with commercial and political activity. The baths temples, theaters and taverns were full of patrons. Just after the lunch hour, the ground shook. A great explosion thundered over the town. Mount Vesuvius had erupted, spewing volcanic materials over the city and surrounding region. A column of ash and gases rose miles into the sky. Small volcanic rocks and ash rained down on the city. The debris was so thick it blocked out the sun. The ash and rock continued falling all through the night. Everything in the town was covered, and roofs collapsed under the weight. People who tried to endure the deluge were trapped inside buildings. People who tried to flee in darkness were stranded. Lexile 920 1
The next day, catastrophic waves of fast moving toxic gases and hot, wet mud flowed into the city. People who had fled early probably escaped, but those who stayed behind did not. Pompeii remained buried and forgotten for 1700 years. In 1709, a workman sinking a well in a nearby town struck the marble seats of Herculaneum s theater. Herculaneum is five miles from Pompeii, near the Bay of Naples. This discovery initiated the excavations of the two lost cities. Renaissance collectors were very interested in finding precious, authentic classical objects like those that had been buried. The first excavators were opportunists, but by the 19 th century, scholars and tourists were more interested in the history of the lost city and its people. The focus was no longer on the value of found objects. Instead, attention focused on the past lives the artifacts revealed. By 1827, a street plan of the uncovered areas of Pompeii was developed and the first tourist guidebook was published. Today, archaeologists have widened their interest. They wonder about Roman society and politics and hope that Pompeii can help them learn more. How many homes and gardens were there? How many people had access to fresh water? What does the presence of sacred objects from other countries say about tolerance and diversity in Roman society? Pompeii has been a popular tourist destination for 250 years. By 2008, it was one of the most popular tourist sites in Italy. More than 2.6 million visitors come to Pompeii every year. It is part of a larger Vesuvius National Park, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. *Adapted from A Day in Pompeii, Educator s Guide from the Cincinnati Museum Center Lexile 920 2
Smarter Balanced Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) 4-point Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) Score 4 Statement of Purpose/Focus and Organization Development: Language and Elaboration of Evidence Statement of Purpose/Focus Organization Elaboration of Evidence Language and Vocabulary The response The response has a clear The response provides The response clearly and demonstrates intention and effective relevant textual evidence: effectively expresses ideas, and focus in the inclusion organizational structure Response includes using precise language: of information: creating completeness: explanation of selected Effectively uses academic Thesis or topic is Clear progression of textual evidence and domain specific clearly stated and ideas from beginning Explanations are logical vocabulary addresses the writing to end and relevant Establishes and prompt Effectively uses some maintains a formal style Cohesion from start transitions to finish Introduction and Clear selection, conclusion clearly organization, and relates to the discussion of relevant information and content ideas presented in the body paragraphs Conventions The response demonstrates a strong command of conventions: Few if any errors in conventions, spelling, and grammar Adapted by LAUSD Secondary ELA
Smarter Balanced Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) 4-point Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) Score 3 Statement of Purpose/Focus and Organization Development: Language and Elaboration of Evidence Statement of Purpose/Focus Organization Elaboration of Evidence Language and Vocabulary The response The response has a clear The response provides textual The response clearly demonstrates intention in organizational structure: evidence: expresses ideas, using precise the inclusion of Progression of ideas Response includes language: information: from beginning to explanation of most of Uses academic Thesis or topic is end the textual evidence vocabulary stated and addresses Uses some Most of the explanations Establishes a formal the writing prompt transitions are logical and relevant style, but my be Cohesion is mostly inconsistent present from start to finish Clear selection, organization, and discussion of content Introduction and conclusion relates to the information and ideas presented in the body paragraphs Conventions The response demonstrates command of conventions: May contain, errors in conventions, spelling, and grammar, but does not interfere with the reader s comprehension of the text Adapted by LAUSD Secondary ELA
Smarter Balanced Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) 4-point Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) Score 2 Statement of Purpose/Focus and Organization Development: Language and Elaboration of Evidence Statement of Purpose/Focus Organization Elaboration of Evidence Language and Vocabulary The response attempts to The response has a The response provides a The response somewhat address the writing limited organizational limited textual evidence: expresses ideas: prompt: structure: Response includes Limited use of academic Thesis or topic is Inconsistent limited explanation of vocabulary stated, but only progression of ideas textual evidence Attempts to establishes a partially addresses from beginning to Explanations may lack formal style, but my be the writing prompt end logic and/or relevance inconsistent Limited cohesion Attempts to use Attempts to select, transitions organize, and/or Introduction or discuss content conclusion relates to the information contained in the body paragraphs Conventions The response demonstrates little command of conventions: Contains multiple errors in conventions, spelling, and grammar, that may interfere with the reader s comprehension of the text Adapted by LAUSD Secondary ELA
Smarter Balanced Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) 4-point Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric (Grade 6) Score 1 Statement of Purpose/Focus and Organization Development: Language and Elaboration of Evidence Statement of Purpose/Focus Organization Elaboration of Evidence Language and Vocabulary The response does not The response lacks an The response provides no The response ineffectively address the writing organizational structure: textual evidence: expresses ideas using vague prompt: No progression of Fails to explain any language: Thesis or topic is not ideas evidence presented No use of academic stated No use transitions Attempted explanations vocabulary Lacks cohesion Introduction or are illogical and/or Uses an informal style Lacks clear evidence conclusion not irrelevant of selection, clearly defined organization, and/or discussion or relevant content Conventions The response demonstrates little or no command of conventions: Contains multiple errors in conventions, spelling, and grammar, that interfere with the reader s comprehension of the text Adapted by LAUSD Secondary ELA