Grade 5 ELA

Common Core Assessments

RL.5.2

It Includes: A Full Literature Passage

Close Reading & Multiple Choice A Fully Annotated Sample Response & More

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How to Use

This document contains a literature text passage to use along with the assessment of your choice from

this document. A multiple-choice assessment as well as a written response assessment have been in-

cluded. Use the assessment format that best suits your student’s needs. Or, use both! Since written

responses will vary, a rubric has been included for assessing student performance. An answer key has

been included for assessing multiple-choice answers.

© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers.

All rights reserved.

Name __________________________ Date __________________

On a night that was so cold that even the moon refused to shine, and crows hid in their nests, Farmer John took out his last batch of coal and laid it into the furnace for one last night of warmth. "What are we going to do?" asked his son as he spread out the coals with his metal tongs. "If something doesn't happen quickly, we will perish." "I just don't know," replied Farmer John as he rubbed his head. Shortly after, Farmer John turned off his lamp and settled into bed for the night. He awakened to the sound of banging and clanging in the next room. Hearing Farmer John's footsteps, a voice commanded him not to go into of the room. "Do not come inside. You can't see me," said the voice. He heeded the warning and proceeded back into his room. Farmer John tucked himself into his bed and fell quickly into a deep slumber. The next morning, Farmer John and his son awakened to find a pile of coal in the living room. It was so high that it would've taken a mouse an hour to climb it. The two leaped for joy and stored coal away. The rest they put inside of their coal oven. Flabbergasted, the son asked, "Well how did all of this happen?" Farmer John shook his head and replied, "Last night I heard loud sounds coming from the next room. A voice told me not to come into the room. So, I did not look." Each time the father and son’s pile of coal got low, the same thing occurred. Farmer John awakened to the sound of clattering and a voice advised each time not to go into the room. He routinely obliged, then he returned to his bed. The next day, he and his son always awakened to find a fresh pile of coal waiting for them in the nearby room. More weeks passed, and again the pile of coal became low. Farmer John's son determined in his heart that he had to find out who was giving them all that coal. After the lights were turned off and Farmer John had fallen fast asleep, a hammering sound could be heard in the next room. Farmer John’s son crept into the room from which the sounds came. I am going to see who is giving us this coal, thought Farmer John’s son. He peeked into his father’s bedroom. Farmer John turned over to adjust himself as he slept. When the farmer’s got to the entrance of the next room, he yelled in fright. At the same time, a heavy gust of wind rushed into room. Instantly, the pile of coal, and the mysterious creature that was leaving it both vanished. The next day, Farmer John and his son awakened to a cold house and saw they no longer had any coal. His son let out a weary sigh.

5.0 Reading Level 800 Lexile Level

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Theme and Summarizing

ELA Common Core Standard RL.5.2

Written Response Format

Directions: Think about what you have just read in the story, ‘A Pile of Coal’. What is the central lesson that Farmer John’s son learned? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

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Directions: Answer the multiple choice questions below about the information that you read. 1. In what way was the problem Farmer John and his son faced in the beginning of the story similar to the problem they both faced in the end of the story?

a. Neither one of them learned to appreciate what they already had. b. In both cases, they needed fuel in order to stay warm. c. The beginning and end show how difficult times can be. d. Farmer John lacked appreciation in both the beginning and ending of the passage. 2. Pretend that you need to use a computer mouse to drag and drop details from the text into the correct category. Which details support the idea that Farmer John and his son thought differently about the secret kind act that enabled them to get coal. Circle all of the answers that support this ideas. (More than one detail can be circled.)

3. Write a summary of what occurred in the passage. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

4. Think about the theme of the passage. Which detail best supports this theme? a. "I just don't know," replied Farmer John as he rubbed his head. b. When he got to the entrance of the next room, he yelled in fright. c. Farmer John and his son awakened to a cold house and saw they no longer had any coal. d. More weeks passed, and again the pile of coal became low.

5. Below are summaries of different stories. Which summary contains a theme that is the same as the theme of ‘Piles of Coal’? a. A fisherman and his wife gain great wealth but lose it because they did not appreciate it. b. Two mice become unsatisfied with their homes. They realize their own homes are best. c. A vain crow loses his piece of bread because he listens to flattering words. d. One day an elderly man gets a bag of gold taken away because he did not follow directions.

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a. Farmer John tucked himself into his bed and fell quickly into a deep slumber.

b. The next morning, Farmer John and his son awakened to find a pile of coal.

c. I am going to see who is giving us this coal, thought Farmer John’s son.

d. "I just don't know," replied Farmer John as he rubbed his head.

Name______________________________________ Date_____________ Term__________

Common Core ELA Performance Rubric English Language Arts

Written Response Rubric ELA Standard RL.5.2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Directions: Select the score from the category that best reflects student performance. Student Score ___________________ Teacher Comments:______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Emerging 1

Developing 2

Satisfactory 3

Proficient 4

There are inaccuracies in the student response. Few or no details are included to support student thinking. The student is not able to determine the theme.

The response is mostly quoted accurately. The student is able to determine the theme but includes only a few details to defend his or her ideas. The written response is more of a summariza-tion of events from the story.

The response is quoted accurately. The student determined the theme of the passage and included some details to defend his or her ideas. A few of the details show interpretation of the text.

The response is quoted accurately and shows that the reader can determine the theme and provide specific text details to support the answer to the written response questions. Many inferred details are provided by the student.

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Name__________________________________________________ Date_________________

EXEMPLAR SCORE (4) Sample Student Written Response

Theme and Summarizing

ELA Common Core Standard RL.5.2

Written Response Format

Directions: Think about what you have just read in the story, ‘A Pile of Coal’. What is the central lesson that Farmer John’s son learned? Farmer John’s son learned the lesson unfortunately that he should follow directions. The story began with the main conflict that the two people faced. According to the passage, Farmer

John and his son had only a small amount of coal to heat their home. The text states, “I just don't know," replied Farmer John as he rubbed his head. This shows that both Farmer John and his son felt powerless to solve the problem. It was a surprise when later a mysterious creature worked secretly in a separate room of the couple’s home to provide them with coal. The voice said, “Do not come inside. You can't see me". Wisely, Farmer John listened and did not ever find out who was preparing the coal for them each time. As long as the warning was heeded to, Farmer John and his son were continuously given coal. Although Farmer John warned his son not to find out who was leaving them coal, he disobeyed. The text states, “He peeked into the bedroom.” It was at this time that he saw the creature that prepared the coal. As a result of his disobedience, the coal vanished. I believe that through this story, the author is trying to teach the lesson that it is best to follow directions. This is a lesson that Farmer John’s son did not learn until it was too late. Scoring notes: The student is able to determine the theme of the passages and understands how specific details relate to this theme. A student that would receive a high score on this type of question would need to determine the theme (i.e. follow directions, listen to wise council, etc.) and interpret the text to show an understanding of implicit details (information that is not directly stated in the text.) As students shift from the lower to the upper grade levels, a greater emphasis is placed on determining if students can interpret and analyze information. Strong written responses would include both inferences and directly stated text details. The student begins by stating the theme. (i.e… Farmer John’s son learned the lesson that he should follow directions.) This information is supported with specific text information. (i.e…According to the passage, Farmer John and his son had only a small amount of coal to heat their home.) The student also weaves in interpreta-tion by analyzing the motives for the character’s behavior (i.e...Wisely, Farmer John listened and did not ever find out who was preparing the coal for them each time). The student identifies the son’s reaction and shows how his disobedience to the order led him and his father no longer hav-ing coal. The student correctly interprets Farmer John and his son’s behaviors and includes this information in the response.

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Theme and Summarizing

ELA Common Core Standard RL.5.2

Multiple-Choice Format Answer Key

Scoring: Each correct answer has been identified. Explanations for each answer choice are included at the bottom of the page. 1. B 2. A and C are both correct. 3. Farmer John and his son needed coal. A mysterious creature wanted to give them the coal with the condition that they never found out the identity of the one that provided the coal for them. 4. C 5. D

Answer Choice Explanations

1. The correct answer is B. To answer this question correctly, a student would need to first determine the problem of the story which was that Farmer Brown and his son needed coal. Next, a reader would need to identify the detail that emphasizes this problem which is answer choice B. 2. Since many students will take the Common Core assessments on the computer, practice with answering computer related questions is helpful. This question is more complex for several reasons and adheres like the other questions to changes to school assessments. A student must first identify the differences between the two characters. Farmer John was obedient and his son was disobedient. Answer choice ‘A’ is correct because it shows how Farmer John listened to the orders of the mysterious creature. Answer choice ‘C’ is also correct because it shows how disobedient his son was when it came to listening to the orders of the strange creature. 3. Farmer John and his son needed coal. A mysterious creature wanted to give them the coal with the condition that they never found out the identity of the one that provided the coal for them. 4. The correct answer is C. This answer is best because it most closely shows how the behavior of Farmer John’s son contributed to them not having coal at the end of the story. 5. The correct answer is D. This is a complex question to address changes by Common Core to assessments. Questions of different complexity levels were included on this assessment. It requires a student to first determine a theme, then analyze each detail to compare it to the theme of the passage. Since the theme is to listen to directions, choice D most closely matches the theme that is addressed in the reading passage.

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