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MISSISSIPPI ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (MAP)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

PRACTICE TESTLET

GRADE 6

Carey M. Wright, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Education

J.P. Beaudoin, Ed.D., Chief Research and Development Officer

March 2016

A Joint Publication

Division of Research and Development, Office of Student Assessment

Dr. J.P. Beaudoin, Chief Research and Development Officer

Walt Drane, Director of Operations and Test Security

Marion Jones, Director of Support Services

Richard Baliko, NAEP State Coordinator

Sharon Prestridge, Special Populations Coordinator

Vincent Segalini, MAP Program Coordinator

Patrice Williams, MKAS Coordinator

Office of the Chief Academic Officer

Dr. Kim Benton, Chief Academic Officer

Jean Massey, Executive Director, Office of Secondary Education

Nathan Oakley, Executive Director, Office of Elementary Education and Reading

Trudy Cook, Lead Professional Development Coordinator

Victoria Johnson, Office Director ELA

Dr. Kymyona Burk, State Literacy Director

Dana Danis, ELA Professional Development Coordinator

Felicia Jackson-Stewart, ELA Professional Development Coordinator

The Mississippi State Board of Education, the Mississippi Department of Education, the

Mississippi School for the Arts, the Mississippi School for the Blind, the Mississippi School for

the Deaf, and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science do not discriminate on the

basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability in the provision of

educational programs and services or employment opportunities and benefits. The following

office has been designated to handle inquiries and complaints regarding the non-discrimination

policies of the above-mentioned entities:

Director, Office of Human Resources

Mississippi Department of Education

359 North West Street

Suite 203

Jackson, Mississippi 39201 (601) 359-3511

MAP TESTLET-ELA-GRADE 6 MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION©

1

Introduction

Purpose

The practice testlet is designed to provide students with an authentic opportunity to

practice items that are aligned to the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards and

that mirror those that will appear on the ELA MAP assessment. The testlet is also intended to

provide teachers with data to drive classroom instruction and provide direct feedback to students.

It is NOT intended to predict student performance on the operational MAP assessment.

Structure

The ELA testlet is formatted as a true performance task. There is a passage and writing

prompt. The writing prompt was written to measure reading, writing, and language MS CCRS.

Students will read the passage and answer a series of multiple-select items. These multiple-select

items will help the students unpack the text and develop their thinking for the writing task.

Directions

1. Allow students to read the text, complete the multiple-select items, and the writing

task. Teachers should follow the MAP Testing Time Guidance for the writing tasks.

2. Teachers will review student responses to the multiple-select items and score the

writing tasks using the MAP Writing Rubric.

3. Teachers should review the results to determine the needed instructional approach

(reteaching).

4. Teachers can utilize the testlets as teaching tools to help students gain deeper

understanding of the MS CCRS.

5. The writing tasks and the scored responses can be used as models for future student

writing.

6. At the bottom left of each page is an item tag, which will contain the item number,

grade level, suggested DOK level, and the standard aligned to the item.


2

Mississippian Time Period

ca. 1000 AD to 1550 AD

1 The Mississippian Period, (named for the river), not the state, is

characterized by an increase in population, larger, fortified towns, flat-topped,

pyramidal earthen mounds, large ceremonial centers and more highly stylistic

shell-tempered pottery. Archaeologists believe these Mississippian characteristics

developed out of the site now known as Cahokia, the largest Mississippian site in

North America, located near St. Louis, where the Missouri River meets the

Mississippi. From Cahokia, these characteristics spread in all directions along the

river systems to almost all areas of the Southeast.

2 As populations increased, multi-level societies called chiefdoms replaced

tribal organizations in many areas. With this increase in population, new religious

and social elements developed and new economic changes occurred. People began

to depend more on agriculture particularly corn, beans and squash (known as the

three sisters) even though hunting and gathering remained important.

3 The Mississippian peoples built their towns and ceremonial centers near old

river or stream channels where the best soil for agriculture was found and they had

direct access to water resources, including boat travel. They also began fortifying

their towns and villages with defense structures such as moats and palisades, (large

posts set vertically in the earth with defense towers for archers), in order to protect

their land and resources from other neighboring chiefdoms.

DIRECTIONS

Read the passage. Then read the questions about the passage. Choose the best answer and mark it in

this test book.


3

4 Perhaps the most well-known characteristic of this time period is the large,

pyramidal earthen mounds, such as Emerald Mound in Adams County. These large

mounds served as temples, mortuaries, chiefs’ houses and other important

buildings (Hudson, 1976). The mounds were built using baskets to carry loads of

dirt to the desired location. The dirt was dumped out, and then stamped down to

pack it in place. The sides of the mounds were usually very steep and an earthen

ramp was added to the mound for easier access to the summit.

5 Not all mounds housed important buildings. The Hollywood site, located in

Tunica County, provides evidence of many low-lying mounds upon which

villagers’ houses stood (Johnson, 1996).

6 In some large ceremonial centers, such as Winterville Mounds north of

Greenville, several mounds surround a central plaza. This plaza was used as a

village commons, playing field or ceremonial area (Hudson, 1976). Plazas could

also be dominated by single, major mounds (McNutt, 1996). These large

Mississippian sites were used for ceremonial purposes, having only the chief and

other higher status families living within them while the majority of the population

lived in large fortified villages outside the ceremonial center. One of the largest

mound centers in North America was at the Carson Site in Coahoma County, once

having up to eighty-nine mounds. Still under investigation, the site had numerous

houses, refuse pits, and stockades surrounding portions of it, along with numerous

burials. All but about six of the larger mounds have been plowed away.

7 Archaeological evidence shows that Mississippian houses were generally

rectangular or square in shape and made with wattle and daub (cane mats and

hardened clay, which functioned much like lathe and plaster on a modern wall).

Cane mats are evidenced by being imprinted on the fired daub found at many

Mississippian sites within the state.


4

8 The second most common characteristic of this time period is the highly

stylistic shell-tempered pottery. People made a wide variety of pottery using

crushed live shell as a tempering agent. These bowls, bottles, jars, pans and other

vessel types were plain or could be highly decorated. Decorations were created by

punctuation, incising, painting, pinching, and engraving. Bottles, a vessel type

common only to this period, would often be designed to resemble a person, animal

or mythological creature. Archaeologists refer to these as effigy pots.

9 Pottery was used in both everyday life as well as for ceremonial purposes.

Rough coarse pottery, where the shell temper is large and obvious in the vessel,

was probably used every day for storage and cooking. Plain vessels, where the

shell is very small and almost invisible, and highly decorated pottery were likely

used for ceremonial purposes. Many examples of this pottery can be seen at the

Mississippi History Museum in Jackson or the Cottonlandia Museum in

Greenwood. The Winterville Mounds Museum near Greenville, as well as the

Grand Village Museum in Natchez have excellent examples as well.

10 The evidence for the Mississippian Period in Mississippi is centralized

around the Yazoo Basin, from the state line near Memphis down to Vicksburg;

although it does appear in other areas of the state as well. One exception to this is

south Mississippi, where a variant of the Mississippian characteristics occur.

Archaeologists refer to this variant as the Plaquemine Period. Unlike the

Mississippian Period, the Plaquemine Period is not characterized by shell-tempered

pottery. In fact, the most common temper for the pottery was grog, (crushed up

dried clay). In addition, the settlements in this area were small and dispersed.

Plaquemine mound sites tended to be large and are thought to have been used only

as ceremonial centers.


5

http://trails.mdah.ms.gov/ceramics.htm#ceramics_shellTempered

http://trails.mdah.ms.gov/ceramics.htm#ceramics_incisedPottery

http://trails.mdah.ms.gov/grandbay_culture.htm#Plaquemine

1. Read the following sentence from paragraph 6 and answer the question that

follows.

These large Mississippian sites were used for ceremonial purposes,

having only the chief and other higher status families living within them

while the majority of the population lived in large fortified villages

outside the ceremonial center.

How does this sentence contribute to the reader’s understanding of the

passage?

a. By showing that the major mounds were the most important location in

the ceremonial centers.

b. By describing the family structure of the ceremonial centers.

c. By explaining social levels of the people in the ceremonial centers.

d. By indicating the authority the chief had in the ceremonial centers.

01-GR6-LV2-RI.6.5


6

2. This item has two parts. First answer Part A. Then answer Part B.

Part A

What is a central idea of the passage?

a. Characteristics of the Mississippian Time Period can still be seen in

Mississippi today.

b. The Mississippian Time Period influenced the Plaquemine Time Period.

c. The transportation system changed during the Mississippian Time Period.

d. The Mississippian Time Period was not important.

Part B

Which sentence from the passage best supports the correct answer to Part

A?

a. “The Mississippian peoples built their towns and ceremonial centers near

old river or stream channels where the best soil for agriculture was found

and they had direct access to water resources, including boat travel.”

b. “The mounds were built using baskets to carry loads of dirt to the desired

location. The dirt was dumped out, and then stamped down to pack it in

place.”

c. “People began to depend more on agriculture particularly corn, beans and

squash (known as the three sisters) even though hunting and gathering

remained important.”

d. “The evidence of the Mississippian Period in Mississippi is centralized

around the Yazoo Basin, from the state line near Memphis down to

Vicksburg; although it does appear in other areas.”

02-GR6-LV2-RI.6.2, RI.6.1


7

3. What does the word earthen mean as it is used in paragraph 4?

a. made from cement

b. made from packed dirt

c. made from plastic

d. made from tree bark

03-GR6-LV2-RI.6.4, L.6.4


8

4. Based on the information in the passage, what inference can be made about

why the Mississippian ceremonial centers were located near water?

a. to plan travel

b. to support economic growth

c. to protect from war

d. to connect with other chiefdoms

04-GR6-LV2-RI.6.1


9

5. How does the author show that pottery was important during the time

period?

a. by explaining how the pottery was created

b. by describing the different uses for pottery

c. by establishing a timeline for the different types of pottery

d. by giving the location where examples of the pottery can be seen today

05-GR6-LV2-RI.6.3


10

6. What detail from the passage best indicates that Mississippi had more than

one time period?

a. Archaeologists found different types of pottery.

b. Archaeologists identified different types of houses.

c. Archaeologists continue to investigate mounds in the state.

d. Archaeologists refer the Plaquemine Period as a variant of the

Mississippian.

06-GR6-LV2-RI.6.3


11

7. What was the author’s purpose for writing the passage?

a. to show the importance of the Mississippian Time Period

b. to describe the different mounds created during the Mississippian Time

Period

c. to illustrate the different types of pottery from the Mississippian Time

Period

d. to explain the impact of the Mississippian Time Period on the State of

Mississippi

07-GR6-LV2-RI.6.6


12

8. Which detail from the passage supports the claim that decorative pottery

from the Mississippian Time Period is important to the history of

Mississippi?

a. “The Mississippian Period, (named for the river), not the state, is

characterized by an increase in population, larger, fortified towns, flat-

topped, pyramidal earthen mounds, large ceremonial centers and more

highly stylistic shell-tempered pottery”

b. “Perhaps the most well-known characteristic of this time period is the

large, pyramidal earthen mounds, such as Emerald Mound in Adams

County.”

c. “Many examples of this pottery can be seen at the Mississippi History

Museum in Jackson or the Cottonlandia Museum in Greenwood.”

d. “In fact the most common temper for the pottery was grog, (crushed or

dry clay).”

08-GR6-LV2-RI.6.8


13

Writing Prompt

9. You have just read the passage Mississippian Time Period ca. 1000 AD to

1550 AD. The Mississippian Time Period was an important time period in

the history of Mississippi. In an essay, write about how the characteristics of

the time period are still important today. Use evidence from the text to

support your response.

Your writing will be scored based on development of idea, organization of

writing, and language conventions of grammar, usage and mechanics.

09-GR6-LV3-RI.6.2-3, W.6.2, L.6.1-3


14

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16

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may b

e

inap

pro

pri

ate

to t

he

task

. T

he

sen

tence

s

may c

onta

in e

rro

rs i

n

const

ruct

ion o

r ar

e

sim

ple

and

lac

k

var

iety

, m

akin

g t

he

essa

y d

iffi

cult

to

read

. T

he

wri

tin

g

ma

y co

nta

in

egre

gio

us

erro

rs i

n

gra

mm

ar

an

d u

sag

e

tha

t im

ped

e

mea

nin

g.

L.6

.2

Lan

gu

age

Co

nven

tio

ns

of

Mec

han

ics

The

wri

tin

g

dem

onst

rate

s a

consi

sten

t co

mm

and

of

the

con

venti

on

s o

f

stan

dar

d E

ng

lish

(punct

uat

ion,

cap

ital

izat

ion,

spel

lin

g).

The

wri

ting

may c

onta

in a

few

min

or

erro

rs i

n

mec

ha

nic

s b

ut

they

do

no

t in

terf

ere

wit

h

mea

nin

g.

The

wri

tin

g

dem

onst

rate

s an

inco

nsi

stent

com

mand

of

the

conventi

on

s o

f

stan

dar

d E

ng

lish

(punct

uat

ion,

cap

ital

izat

ion,

spel

lin

g).

The

wri

ting

may c

onta

in a

pat

tern

of

erro

rs i

n

mec

ha

nic

s th

at

occ

asio

nal

ly i

mp

edes

mea

nin

g.

The

wri

tin

g

dem

onst

rate

s ver

y

lim

ited

co

mm

and

of

the

con

ven

tio

ns

of

stan

dar

d E

ng

lish

(punct

uat

ion,

cap

ital

izat

ion,

spel

lin

g).

The

wri

ting

may c

onta

in

egre

gio

us

erro

rs i

n

mec

ha

nic

s th

at

imp

ede

mea

nin

g.


17

Answer Key

Item Answer Standard Point Value

1 C RI.6.5 1

2A and 2B A, A RI.6.2 and RI.6.1 2

3 B RI.6.4; L.4 1

4 B RI.6.1 1

5 B RI.6.3 1

6 D RI.6.3 1

7 D RI.6.6 1

8 C RI.6.8 1

9 Answers will vary RI.6.2, RI.6.3, W.6.2,

L.61-3

12

Total Available Points 21

Scoring Rules

Step #1: Items #1 and 3-8 are selected-response items worth 1 point each, for a total of

Points-

Step #2: Item #2 is a 2 point item. Students must answer both parts correctly to receive 2

points. They must answer Part A correctly to receive 1 point.

Step #3: Item #9 is a constructed-response item worth 12 total points (See Writing Rubric).

Step #4: Add the total points earned by the student in steps #1-3.

Step #5: Divide the total points in step #4 by the total available points.

Step #6: Determine if the student earned at least 80% of the total points.

Readability Metric1

Word Count Lexile Level Flesch-Kincaid Level

823 1400 12.4

1 See Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) Blueprint Interpretive Guide for grade specific guidelines.


18

student name: student...

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