RLMJH-Grade 8 ELA Core Assessment

A McGraw-Hill Education Partnership
GRADE
Core ELA
Assessments
A McGraw-Hill Education Partnership
Core ELA
Assessments
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A
Table of Contents
Teacher Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
UNIT ASSESSMENTS
Unit 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Unit 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Unit 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Unit 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
END-OF-YEAR ASSESSMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
RUBRICS
Explanatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Argumentative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
MODIFY INSTRUCTION
Units 1 and 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Units 3 and 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Teacher Introduction
The Core ELA Assessments component is an integral part of the complete

assessment program aligned with StudySync Core ELA instruction and the California
Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The component contains four Unit Assessments, an
End-of-Year Assessment, an End-of-Year Performance Task Assessment, scoring rubrics, and
charts that point to possible instructional modifications based on student assessment results.
The Core ELA Assessments report on the outcome of student learning.
As students complete each unit of the reading program, they will be assessed on their
understanding of key instructional content and their ability to write to source texts/stimuli.
The results serve as a summative assessment by providing a status of current achievement
in relation to student progress through the CCSS-aligned curriculum. The results of the
assessments can be used to inform subsequent instruction, aid in making leveling and
grouping decisions, and point toward areas in need of reteaching or remediation. Student
performance in the end-of-year assessments can act as a signal of student readiness for the
demands of high-stakes testing, as well as provide a snapshot of student progress toward
end-of-year goals.
Focus
The assessments focus on key areas of English Language Arts as identified by the CCSS and
California high-stakes testing:
• Comprehension of literature and informational text
• Using text features to access or clarify information
• Vocabulary acquisition and use
• Research skills
• Drafting, editing, and revising text
• Command of the conventions of standard English language
• Writing to sources within the parameters of specific genres
Each assessment also familiarizes students with the item types, the test approaches, and
the increased rigor associated with the summative assessment system associated with
California.
Test Administration
Each unit assessment should be administered once the instruction for the specific unit is
completed. The End-of-Year Assessments should be given near the close of the year or

before students take the state-mandated assessment.
Make copies of the assessment for the class. You will need copies of the Answer Key pages
that feature the scoring tables for each student taking the assessment.
These tables provide a place to list student scores. The data from assessment tracks student
progress and underscores strengths and weaknesses.
This component is the pencil-and-paper version of the assessment. You can administer
the online version of the test, which allows for tech-enabled and tech-enhanced item
functionality.
iv Teacher Introduction
Classrooms with time constraints may wish to administer a unit assessment over multiple
days. For example, students can complete the items outside the Performance Task on one
day and the task items and full-write on another. If you decide to break-up administration
by assessment sections, please remember to withhold those sections of the test that
students are not completing to ensure test validity.
For the Performance Task section of the assessment, allow students 30 to 40 minutes to
read the stimulus materials and answer the research questions, and 60 to 70 minutes for
planning, writing, and editing their responses. If desired, provide students with a short
break between these activities. These test time suggestions would also apply to the End-of-
Year Performance Task Assessment.
A “Compare Across Texts” item is featured in each unit assessment; it is the final item
before students begin the Performance Task. This item is focused on students comparing
texts/writing across texts, and it provides valuable practice for the type of critical thinking
and writing required in the Performance Tasks. If you feel students have adequate
exposure to this writing performance in the tasks and removing the item will reduce test
administration time, you can decide not to administer and remove that page from the
test packet. Deleting the item will result in a four-point reduction in the “Comprehension:
Constructed Response” and “Total Unit Assessment Score” rows of the scoring table. Note
the deletions if you do remove that item from the test.
Due to the length of the End-of-Year Assessments (and to provide students a test-taking
experience that is in concert with standardized testing), the schedule below is suggested.
Items 1-20 of the End-of-Year Assessment would constitute Session 1; items 21-36 of
the End-of-Year Assessment would constitute Session 2. Session 1 and Session 2 can be
spaced over two days or grouped together with a short break in between. The End-of-Year
Performance Task can be assigned on a different date.
• Session 1—45 to 60 minutes
• Session 2—35 to 50 minutes
• Explanatory Performance Task—90 to 100 minutes
Teacher Introduction v
Selections and Assessment Items

Assessments feature “Cold Reads” on which the comprehension and vocabulary items are
based. These selections reflect the thematic concerns of the unit to support the focus of
the classroom instruction. Texts fall within the grade band for quantitative text complexity
measurement recommended by the CCSS. Complexity on this quantitative measure grows
throughout the units, unless a qualitative measure supports text placement outside a
lockstep continuum.
Assessments include the following item types: selected response (SR), multiple selected
response (MSR), evidence-based selected response (EBSR), constructed response (CR),
technology-enhanced constructed response (TE), and Performance Tasks (PT). (Please note
that the print versions of TE items are available in this component; the full functionality
of the items is available only through the online assessment.) This variety of item
types provides multiple methods of assessing student understanding, allows for deeper
investigation into skills and strategies, and provides students with an opportunity to
become familiar with the kinds of items and approaches they will encounter in California
ELA testing.
Each unit features a (PT) assessment in a previously-taught genre.
The task types are:
Explanatory
• Students generate a thesis based on the sources and use information from the sources
to explain this thesis.
Narrative
• Students craft a narrative using information from the sources.
Argumentative
• Students analyze the ideas in sources and make a claim that they support using
the sources.
Each PT assesses standards that address comprehension, research skills, genre writing, and
the use of standard English language conventions (ELC). The stimulus texts and research
questions in each task build toward the goal of the final writing topic.

Rubrics to score the PT full-writes are found after the test pages in this component.
vi Teacher Introduction
Scoring
Apart from the following, each test item is worth two points––the “Compare Across Texts” CR
is 4 points, the PT full-write is 10 points, and the initial item in the PT is 1 point.
MSR and TE items should be answered correctly in full, though you may choose to provide
partial credit. For written responses, use the correct response parameters provided in the
Answer Key and the scoring rubrics listed below to assign a score. Responses that show a
complete lack of understanding or are left blank should be given a 0.
Short Response Score: 2

The response is well-crafted, concise, and shows a thorough understanding of the
underlying skill. Appropriate text evidence is used to answer the question.
Short Response Score: 1

The response shows partial understanding of the underlying skill. Text evidence is featured,
though examples are too general.
Extended Response Score: 4

• The student understands the question/prompt and responds suitably using the
appropriate text evidence from the selection or selections.
• The response is an acceptably complete answer to the question/prompt.
• The organization of the response is meaningful.
• The response stays on topic; ideas are linked to one another with effective transitions.
• The response has correct spelling, grammar usage, and mechanics.

• The student understands the question/prompt and responds suitably using the
appropriate text evidence from the selection or selections.
• The response is a somewhat complete answer to the question/prompt.
• The organization of the response is somewhat meaningful.
• The response maintains focus; ideas are linked to one another.
• The response has occasional errors in spelling, grammar usage, and mechanics.

• The student has partial understanding of the question/prompt and uses some
text evidence.
• The response is an incomplete answer to the question/prompt.
• The organization of the response is weak.
• The writing is careless; it contains extraneous information and ineffective transitions.
• The response requires effort to read easily.
• The response has noticeable errors in spelling, grammar usage, and mechanics.

• The student has minimal understanding of the question/prompt and uses little to no
appropriate text evidence.
• The response is a barely acceptable answer to the question/prompt.
• The response lacks organization.
• The writing is erratic with little focus; ideas are not connected to each other.
• The response is difficult to follow.
• The response has frequent errors in spelling, grammar usage, and mechanics.
Teacher Introduction vii

Item Information and Student Performance

The Answer Key at the close of each assessment provides item-specific info.
Each item has the following information associated with it:
• Correct Answer
• Content Focus
◦◦ NOTE: Although EBSR items specifically call out textual evidence, this is an
underlying feature in all items related to RI and RL standards. These are identified
to highlight the nature of an EBSR item—supporting a response with direct text
evidence.
• CCSS alignment
• Claim and Target alignment
• Depth of Knowledge (as item complexity measure)
DOK 1 in vocabulary involves students using word parts (affixes, roots, and so on) to
determine the meaning of an unknown word or non-contextual items assessing synonym/
antonym and multiple-meaning words.
DOK 2 in vocabulary involves students using context to determine the meaning of an
unknown word and dealing with figurative language in context.
DOK 1 in comprehension involves students identifying/locating information in the text.

DOK 2 in comprehension involves students analyzing text structures/story elements.
DOK 3 in comprehension involves students making inferences using text evidence and
analyzing author’s craft.
DOK 4 in comprehension involves using multiple stimulus texts and writing across texts.
DOK 1 in ELC/PTs involves students editing to fix errors.

DOK 2 in ELC/PTs involves students revising and planning writing or investigating sources.
DOK 3 and DOK 4 in ELC/PTs involve research and student full-writes.
The goal of each assessment is to evaluate student mastery of previously-taught material.
The expectation is for students to score 80% or higher on the assessment as a whole.
Within this score, the expectation is for students to score 75% or higher on each section of
the assessment (and 7+ on the PT full-write)

For students who do not meet these benchmarks at a unit interval, refer to the Modify
Instruction charts for possible reteaching opportunities.
viii Teacher Introduction

GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Read the text. Then answer the questions.
from “To Build a Fire”

by Jack London
In the following excerpt from the short story “To Build a Fire,” a man and his dog travel
through the cold Canadian wilderness.
nce in a while the thought reiterated itself that it was very cold and that he had
O
never experienced such cold. As he walked along he rubbed his cheek-bones and
nose with the back of his mittened hand. He did this automatically, now and
again changing hands. But rub as he would, the instant he stopped his cheek-
bones went numb, and the following instant the end of his nose went numb. He
was sure to frost his cheeks; he knew that, and experienced a pang of regret that
he had not devised a nose-strap of the sort Bud wore in cold snaps. Such a strap
passed across the cheeks, as well, and saved them. But it didn’t matter much, after
all. What were frosted cheeks? A bit painful, that was all; they were never serious.
Empty as the man’s mind was of thoughts, he was keenly observant, and he
noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber-jams, and
always he sharply noted where he placed his feet. Once, coming around a bend,
he shied abruptly, like a startled horse, curved away from the place where he had
been walking, and retreated several paces back along the trail. The creek he knew
was frozen clear to the bottom,—no creek could contain water in that arctic
winter,—but he knew also that there were springs that bubbled out from the
hillsides and ran along under the snow and on top the ice of the creek. He knew
that the coldest snaps never froze these springs, and he knew likewise their
danger. They were traps. They hid pools of water under the snow that might be
three inches deep, or three feet. Sometimes a skin of ice half an inch thick
covered them, and in turn was covered by the snow. Sometimes there were
alternate layers of water and ice-skin, so that when one broke through he kept
on breaking through for a while, sometimes wetting himself to the waist.
That was why he had shied in such panic. He had felt the give under his feet and
heard the crackle of a snow-hidden ice-skin. And to get his feet wet in such a
temperature meant trouble and danger. At the very least it meant delay, for he
would be forced to stop and build a fire, and under its protection to bare his feet
while he dried his socks and moccasins. He stood and studied the creek-bed and
its banks, and decided that the flow of water came from the right. He reflected
awhile, rubbing his nose and cheeks, then skirted to the left, stepping gingerly
GO ON
Grade 8 • Unit Assessment • Unit 1 1
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
and testing the footing for each step. In the course of the next two hours he
came upon several similar traps. Usually the snow above the hidden pools had a
sunken, candied appearance that advertised the danger. Once again, however, he
had a close call; and once, suspecting danger, he compelled the dog to go on in
front. The dog did not want to go. It hung back until the man shoved it forward,
and then it went quickly across the white, unbroken surface. Suddenly it broke
through, floundered to one side, and got away to firmer footing. It had wet its
forefeet and legs, and almost immediately the water that clung to it turned to ice.
It made quick efforts to lick the ice off its legs, then dropped down in the snow
and began to bite out the ice that had formed between the toes. This was a matter
of instinct. To permit the ice to remain would mean sore feet. It did not know this.
It merely obeyed the mysterious prompting that arose from the deep crypts of its
being. But the man knew, having achieved a judgment on the subject, and he
removed the mitten from his right hand and helped tear out the ice-particles. He
did not expose his fingers more than a minute, and was astonished at the swift
numbness that smote them. It certainly was cold. He pulled on the mitten hastily,
and beat the hand savagely across his chest.
t twelve o’clock the day was at its brightest. Yet the sun was too far south on its
A
winter journey to clear the horizon. The bulge of the earth intervened between it
and Henderson Creek, where the man walked under a clear sky at noon and cast
no shadow. At half-past twelve, to the minute, he arrived at the forks of the creek.
He was pleased at the speed he had made. If he kept it up, he would certainly
be with the boys by six. He unbuttoned his jacket and shirt and drew forth his
lunch. The action consumed no more than a quarter of a minute, yet in that brief
moment the numbness laid hold of the exposed fingers. He did not put the mitten
on, but, instead, struck the fingers a dozen sharp smashes against his leg. Then he

sat down on a snow-covered log to eat. The sting that followed upon the striking
of his fingers against his leg ceased so quickly that he was startled. He had had no
chance to take a bite of biscuit. He struck the fingers repeatedly and returned
them to the mitten, baring the other hand for the purpose of eating. He tried to
take a mouthful, but the ice-muzzle prevented. He had forgotten to build a fire
and thaw out. He chuckled at his foolishness, and as he chuckled he noted the
numbness creeping into the exposed fingers. Also, he noted that the stinging
which had first come to his toes when he sat down was already passing away. He
wondered whether the toes were warm or numb. He moved them inside the
moccasins and decided that they were numb.
GO ON
2 Grade 8 • Unit Assessment • Unit 1
Name: Date:
1 The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.
Part A: Which inference about the man is best supported by the events in

the text?
A The man is trying to meet up with others where he will be safe.

B The man is involved in some kind of race across wild forestland.
C The man is out on a hike enjoying the elements of nature around him.
D The man is searching for a missing person whom he needs to find soon.
Part B: Which sentence from the excerpt best supports your answer in part A?
A “Yet the sun was too far south on its winter journey to clear the horizon.”
B “He was pleased at the speed he had made.”
C “If he kept it up, he would certainly be with the boys by six.”
D “He reflected awhile, rubbing his nose and cheeks, then skirted to the left,
stepping gingerly and testing the footing for each step.”
2 Which two sentences from the text best support the inference that the man is
cautious and alert?
A “Once, coming around a bend, he shied abruptly, like a startled horse, curved
away from the place where he had been walking, and retreated several paces
back along the trail.”
B “He knew that the coldest snaps never froze these springs, and he knew
likewise their danger.”
C “As he walked along he rubbed his cheek-bones and nose with the back of his
mittened hand.”
D “He was sure to frost his cheeks; he knew that, and experienced a pang
of regret that he had not devised a nose-strap of the sort Bud wore in
cold snaps.”
E “Also, he noted that the stinging which had first come to his toes when he sat
down was already passing away.”
F “He pulled on the mitten hastily, and beat the hand savagely across his chest.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which statement best expresses a theme of the text?
A One should not travel the woods in winter.

B Any careless behavior can result in a disaster.
C Those who are prepared will always survive the wild.
D Animals are better equipped for danger than humans.
Part B: Which sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A?
A “Once in a while the thought reiterated itself that it was very cold and that he
had never experienced such cold.”
B “He stood and studied the creek-bed and its banks, and decided that the flow
of water came from the right.”
C “The bulge of the earth intervened between it and Henderson Creek, where
the man walked under a clear sky at noon and cast no shadow.”
D “He chuckled at his foolishness, and as he chuckled he noted the numbness
creeping into the exposed fingers.”
4 Which sentence from the text best supports the idea that dangers are often
disguised by seemingly harmless elements?
A “But rub as he would, the instant he stopped his cheekbones went numb, and
the following instant the end of his nose went numb.”
B “Sometimes a skin of ice half an inch thick covered them, and in turn was
covered by the snow.”

C “Once again, however, he had a close call; and once, suspecting danger, he
compelled the dog to go on in front.”
D “He struck the fingers repeatedly and returned them to the mitten, baring the
other hand for the purpose of eating.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Read the sentences from the text.
Once again, however, he had a close call; and once, suspecting danger, he
compelled the dog to go on in front. The dog did not want to go. It hung
back until the man shoved it forward, and then it went quickly across the
white, unbroken surface. Suddenly it broke through, floundered to one
side, and got away to firmer footing. It had wet its forefeet and legs, and
almost immediately the water that clung to it turned to ice.
What does the word floundered most likely mean?
A staggered helplessly
B swam strongly
C spotted unexpectedly
D paddled calmly
Part B: Which phrase from the sentences best helps the reader understand the
meaning of floundered?
A “. . . it went quickly across the white, unbroken surface.”

B “Suddenly it broke through . . .”
C “. . . and got away to firmer footing.”
D “It had wet its forefeet and legs . . .”
GO ON
Name: Date:
To permit the ice to remain would mean sore feet. It did not know this. It
merely obeyed the mysterious prompting that arose from the deep crypts of
its being. But the man knew, having achieved a judgment on the subject,
and he removed the mitten from his right hand and helped tear out the
ice-particles.
What does the word crypts most likely describe?
A the dog’s learned talents

B the dog’s thought process
C the dog’s disorderly nature
D the dog’s innermost impulse
Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports your answer in part A?
A “The dog did not want to go.”

B “It had wet its forefeet and legs, and almost immediately the water that clung
to it turned to ice.”
C “This was a matter of instinct.”
D “He pulled on the mitten hastily, and beat the hand savagely across his chest.”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
For the Love of MOOCs

Despite their apparent benefits, current MOOCs are not a plausible alternative
to traditional education. The term MOOCs was first used in 2008 to refer to a
learning alternative termed “Massive Open Online Courses.” This learning model
allows students all over the globe to participate in a network of college level
courses from the comfort of their homes and offices. MOOC students watch a
coordinated series of videos, similar to online tutorials. These videos usually run
10–15 minutes—the maximum attention span of the average student. The capacity
to rewind portions or replay complete videos further reinforces learning. A
standardized multiple-choice assessment indicates mastery of a given topic and
allows students to move on in the scope and sequence of learning. Students also
participate in live online chats and discussion groups to add to the social aspect
of learning. Some MOOCs even feature one-on-one or small group encounters,
during which major concepts are reviewed and discussed. This design and
pedagogy not only mimics the classic lecture and small-group models used in
universities today, it often surpasses them, according to many studies.
While this information is convincing on paper, the reality of MOOCs in their
present form is that they lack one major aspect of learning support: interaction-
driven success. Harvard and MIT recently released the findings of a 2012–2013
study that determined 95% of students taking MOOC courses dropped their
course before making it to the end. What is causing this student retraction in
MOOCs? Most students take MOOCs because they can’t afford traditional
college, and MOOC learning is free. Therefore, cost is not a factor for high
dropout rates. MOOCs also offer ease of attendance that makes them more
attractive than traditional university education. Anyone with a computer can sign
on and learn at a pace that fits their learning style and schedule. So it’s apparent
that strict attendance guidelines are also not a factor for widespread dropout. The
prerecorded, video-based learning format has long ago been tested as effective,
and most people today have already used the Internet to find and explore
information. Therefore, it seems technology roadblocks are not to blame, either.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-mortar

schools is human contact. The simultaneous stimulation of both teacher and
classmates in a physical classroom beats a virtual lecture in cyberspace any day
of the week. Regular, in-person contact reinforces instruction, promotes idea
exchange, and offers a recognized pathway from beginning to end. Students who
are not consistently steered back on the right track often fall off of it. MOOCs
lack this constant feedback and assurance that students are succeeding. They
may use assessments and live chats, but personal teacher engagement seems to
be key. Many MOOC providers are now trying to provide the technology for
more personal one-on-one connections, such as virtual labs, in which students
have access to instructors who guide them through real-world experiences in
real-time.
uture MOOCs will have a recognizable place in the nation’s learning profile.
F
Student debt has passed $1 trillion. The cost of a college education is up 72%.
Graduates on average are accepting first jobs that pay 15% less than they once
did. Social pressure to attend college and achieve a degree drives students to
take on this financial burden. Today, one of the largest MOOC providers
offers lectures from professors in nearly 100 universities. This provider offers
400 courses attended by upwards of five million eager learners. If MOOCs
continue to improve, this method of learning will likely become the preferred
form of higher learning. The only thing MOOCs will lack is a football team to
cheer on to victory.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which statement best describes the author’s point of view?
A MOOCs can provide the exact same social experience as other schools.
B MOOCs will revolutionize education once they are improved.
C MOOCs will never replace traditional schools.
D MOOCs have failed to attract a large student population.
Part B: Which two sentences from the text best support your answer in part A?
A “Students also participate in live online chats and discussion groups to add to
the social aspect of learning.
B “Most students take MOOCs because they can’t afford traditional college, and
MOOC learning is free.”
C “Anyone with a computer can sign on and learn at a pace that fits their
learning style and schedule.”
D “Future MOOCs will have a recognizable place in the nation’s learning profile.”
E “If MOOCs continue to improve, this method of learning will likely become the
preferred form of higher learning.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which statement best describes a main claim the author makes in
the text?
A MOOC videos fall short in their ability to support the maximum attention span
of the average student.
B Live chats and discussion groups in MOOCs provide adequate reinforcement of
the social aspect of learning.
C Current MOOCs are unsuccessful because they lack real-time human
interaction.
D Virtual chats and video lectures will be the key to true success for the MOOC
learning model.
A “The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-mortar

schools is human contact.”
B “The prerecorded, video-based learning format has long ago been tested as
effective, and most people today have already used the Internet to find and
explore information.”
C “Regular, in-person contact reinforces instruction, promotes idea exchange,
and offers a recognized pathway from beginning to end.”
D “Students who are not consistently steered back on the right track often fall
off of it.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Harvard and MIT recently released the findings of a 2012–2013 study that
determined 95% of students taking MOOC courses dropped their course
before making it to the end. What is causing this student retraction in
MOOCs? Most students take MOOCs because they can’t afford traditional
college, and MOOC learning is free. Therefore, cost is not a factor for high
dropout rates. MOOCs also offer ease of attendance that makes them more
attractive than traditional university education. Anyone with a computer
can sign on and learn at a pace that fits their learning style and schedule.
So it’s apparent that strict attendance guidelines are also not a factor for
widespread dropout. The prerecorded, video-based learning format has
long ago been tested as effective, and most people today have already used
the Internet to find and explore information. Therefore, it seems technology
roadblocks are not to blame, either.
What does the word retraction most likely mean?
A condition
B withdrawal
C confusion
D rebuttal
Part B: Which word from the sentences best helps the reader understand the
meaning of retraction?
A dropped
B learning
C ease
D roadblocks
GO ON
Name: Date:
The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-

mortar schools is human contact. The simultaneous stimulation of both
teacher and classmates in a physical classroom beat a virtual lecture in
cyberspace any day of the week. Regular, in-person contact reinforces
instruction, promotes idea exchange, and offers a recognized pathway from
beginning to end. Students who are not consistently steered back on the
right track often fall off of it.
What does simultaneous mean as it is used in the text?
A at the same time

B at different places
C with understanding
D with difficulty
Part B: Which word from the sentences best helps the reader understand the
meaning of simultaneous?
A difference
B both
C week
D recognized
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Read the texts. Then answer the questions.
Why Even Argue Climate Change?

Imagine that scientists around the world have received a transmission from an
alien planet telling us that spaceships were coming to Earth. Their presence would
greatly alter the planet we live on. How would we respond? If they posed a threat
to the air we breathe, the oceans we need, and our weather system itself, would
governments ignore them? Fortunately, no such extraterrestrial risk exists.
Human beings, however, constantly threaten the balance of our planet, and not
enough people are crying out for action.
Recent polls showed that nearly half of Americans doubt that climate change is a
danger, even though 97% of all qualified experts agree that something has to be
done. The reasons for this difference are complex and stem from a small group
of naysayers who have spread doubt about the existence of climate change. The
extremely complicated interaction of temperature, atmosphere, and forces of
nature on earth create a difficulty in stating simple truths. However, no one would
question the boiling point of water, because it’s obvious and proven. Despite the
opposition, experts agree that our world is changing and will continue to change
if we don’t lessen our carbon dioxide output into the atmosphere.
Global temperatures have risen dramatically, and with an increase of every
2°F, we’ll continue to see falling crop yields, heavier rains, bigger storms,
water shortages in dry areas, and more wildfires. By the year 2100, average
temperatures could rise by as much as 12 degrees. As the poles and glaciers melt,
ocean levels are rising and threatening to swallow coastlines. Oceans are also
getting warmer, and coral reefs are dying off. Scientists measuring air bubbles in
ice cores dating 800,000 years old have determined that our air today contains far
more CO2 than ever before. When we burn coal or oil, we release carbon buried
eons ago. This carbon would never have entered our atmosphere if we hadn’t
used it as fuel.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Critics point to natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions to explain

changes in our environment. However, sophisticated computer models show that
humans have a large role. Doubters also cite scientific conspiracy, claiming that
scientists will profit from distorting facts. Yet these deniers are paid hundreds of
millions of dollars by environmentally unfriendly industries to create skepticism
and doubt.
I f we continue our environmentally irresponsible practices, the consequences will
be great. We must act now to reduce our carbon dioxide output and reduce the
dangers we face, both now and in the future. Taking action now will give us a
chance to save the planet we all call home.
Trapped Underground
I t’s a sound no copper miner ever wants to hear—a solid, swift whomp, and then
no sound at all. As I listened into the blackness, I had no sense of sound, of up,
down, left, right, sideways. I was trapped.
We were Yellow crew, 28 miners and 5 support personnel, working a vein about
1,200 feet below the surface when all the walls behind me collapsed. I was
trapped in a storage room; my team was either on the other side of that wall or
they were crushed. A horrifying burn spread through my guts, though as my body
rebelled, I found the will to scream, “I’m still alive!”
I called out only once because nothing came back, not even an echo, so, like a
blind man, I flailed out, realizing we all become stupid when we’re disoriented,

and yes, convinced we will not be on Earth for too much longer. This flailing, it is
acceptance of what we all know will happen soon enough, only intensified by the
thought, This is it, right now.
Suddenly, I remembered I had a light on my helmet, which gave me a boost of
hope for survival. When that light came on, I understood the meaning of all
religions; I had to forget the end, focus on the now, the next task, the thing that
might buy me time or a way out, because if I gave into panic and did nothing, my
brain would eat me up.
I had a backhoe to dig my way out, but I knew it would suck the oxygen out of the
dumpster-sized box I was trapped in. Then a hole opened before my face, and I
saw men from my crew before me, breathed deep as the extra oxygen rushed in.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
We were still trapped, but we were united—survivors. We organized ourselves into

crews who cleared fallen rock and scavenged the underground site for things
that had fallen in with us: batteries to charge our headlamps and cardboard boxes
for bedding.
We spent hours pondering about just how much oxygen we had—not in cubic feet,
but in hours, hopefully days. Though our situation was dire, we tried to feel lucky;
we had been spared, while our buddies were buried behind us.
The heat was the worst, along with the thirst. We found an underwater spring,
which wasn’t much more than a dribble, but it kept us alive. (For what?)
We were sleeping when we heard the faintest vibration. Within five hours, the
whirling diamond teeth of a well bit punched through the ceiling with an oxygen
hose, a light optic cable with video feed, and a very long extension cord.
Some had to lose weight to leave through a 23-inch bit hole, a ride which lasted a
lifetime, breathing in bottom-of-the ocean blackness and then suddenly, sun. Sun!
And sound—such sound, such cheering, winches squealing, the president talking
to me, my wife wailing, my kid’s “Daddy! Daddy, Daddy!” and in that moment I
realized that hope and luck can change a life.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “Why Even Argue Climate Change?”
11 What is the author’s main claim in the text? Support your answer with details from
the text.
Part A: How does the author respond to conflicting viewpoints?
A by stating that critics of climate change have motives greater than debating
the facts
B by avoiding mentioning arguments made by those who disagree with his or
her views
C by proving that a great percentage of the nation is unsure about the existence
of climate change

D by presenting specific instances of climate change in places across the globe
Part B: Which sentence from the text best illustrates the author’s response
to critics?
A “Human beings, however, constantly threaten the balance of our planet, and
not enough people are crying out for action.”
B “This carbon would never have entered our atmosphere if we hadn’t used it
as fuel.”
C “Doubters also cite scientific conspiracy, claiming that scientists will profit
from distorting facts.”
D “Yet these deniers are paid hundreds of millions of dollars by environmentally
unfriendly industries to create skepticism and doubt.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Read the paragraph from the text.
Recent polls showed that nearly half of Americans doubt that climate
change is a danger, even though 97% of all qualified experts agree that
something has to be done. The reasons for this difference are complex and
stem from a small group of naysayers who have spread doubt about the
existence of climate change. The extremely complicated interaction of
temperature, atmosphere, and forces of nature on earth create a difficulty
in stating simple truths. However, no one would question the boiling point
of water, because it’s obvious and proven. Despite the opposition, experts
agree that our world is changing and will continue change if we don’t
lessen our carbon dioxide output into the atmosphere.
What does the word naysayers most likely mean?
A scientists C opponents
B corporations D supporters
Part B: Which two words from the paragraph best help the reader understand the
meaning of naysayers?
A polls D doubt
B experts E opposition
C complex F output
14 Read the paragraph from the text.

If we continue our environmentally irresponsible practices, the

consequences will be great. We must act now to reduce our carbon dioxide
output and reduce the dangers we face, both now and in the future. Taking
action now will give us a chance to save the planet we all call home.
What is the meaning of consequences?
A problems that can be avoided

B conditions right now
C results of an action
D positive effects
GO ON
Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “Trapped Underground.”
Part A: Which statement best summarizes the lesson the narrator learns over the
course of events described in the text “Trapped Underground”?
A Those who hold onto hope find luck.

B Treat others the way you want to be treated.
C Every man must work to save himself.
D Fear is the enemy of success.
Part B: What sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A?
A “It’s a sound no copper miner ever wants to hear—a solid, swift whomp, and
then no sound at all.”
B “A horrifying burn spread through my guts, though as my body rebelled, I
found the will to scream, ‘I’m still alive!’”
C “Though our situation was dire, we tried to feel lucky; we had been spared,
while our buddies were buried behind us.”
D “We found an underwater spring, which wasn’t much more than a dribble,
but it kept us alive.”
16 What do the narrator’s descriptions and word choices reveal about his state of
mind? Support your answer using details from the text.
GO ON
Name: Date:
17 “Why Even Argue Climate Change?” is an opinion essay, whereas “Trapped

Underground” is a personal narrative. Explain each author’s purpose. In what ways
are their purposes similar? In what ways are they different? Support your answer
using details from both texts.
STOP

GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Narrative Performance Task

Task
Your class is learning about ancient Egypt. You and your peers are currently at
the library researching Egyptian pyramids. Your teacher has asked you to write a
suspense story about Egyptian pyramids using information from your research.
You have found two sources related to Egyptian pyramids in your research.
After you have reviewed these sources, you will answer some questions about them.
Briefly scan the sources and the three questions that follow. Then, go back and read
the sources carefully to gain the information you will need to answer the questions
and write a story. Take notes while you read.
In Part 2, you will write a story on a topic related to the sources.
Directions for Part 1

You will now read two sources. You can re-examine both as often as you like.
Research Questions
After reading the research sources, use the remaining time in Part 1 to answer
three questions about them. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also,
your answers will help you think about the research sources you have read, which
should help you write your story.
ou may refer to the narratives when you think it would be helpful. You may also
Y
refer to your notes.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Source #1: Ancient Egypt

by George Rawlinson
The following is an excerpt from a book about Egyptian pyramids published in 1886.
There are from sixty to seventy pyramids in Egypt, chiefly in the neighbourhood
of Memphis. Some of them are nearly perfect, some more or less in ruins, but
most of them still preserving their ancient shape, when seen from afar. Two of
them greatly exceed all the others in their dimensions, and are appropriately
designated as “the Great Pyramid” and “the Second Pyramid.” . . .
The “Great Pyramid” presents . . . many other marvels besides its size. First, there
is the massiveness of the blocks of which it is composed. The basement stones are
in many cases thirty feet long by five feet high, and four or five wide: they must
contain from six hundred to seven hundred and fifty cubic feet each, and weigh
from forty-six to fifty-seven tons. The granite blocks which roof over the upper
sepulchral1 chamber are nearly nineteen feet long . . . . Generally the external
blocks are of a size with which modern builders scarcely ever venture to deal,
though the massiveness diminishes as the pyramid is ascended. The bulk of the
interior is, however, of comparatively small stones; but even these are carefully
hewn2 and squared, so as to fit together compactly.
Further, there are the passages, the long gallery, the ventilation shafts, and
the sepulchral chambers all of them remarkable, and some of them simply
astonishing. The “Great Pyramid” guards three chambers. One lies deep in the
rock, about a hundred and twenty feet beneath the natural surface of the
ground . . . . The access to it is by a long and narrow passage which commences
in the north side of the pyramid . . . . The two other chambers are reached by an
ascending passage . . . . A low horizontal gallery, a hundred and ten feet long,
leads to a chamber which has been called “the Queen’s” . . . . Another longer and
much loftier gallery continues on for a hundred and fifty feet in the line of the
ascending passage, and is then connected by a short horizontal passage with
the upper-most or “King’s Chamber.” Here was found a sarcophagus3 believed to
be that of King Khufu, since the name of Khufu was scrawled in more than one
place on the chamber walls.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
The construction of this chamber—the very kernel of the whole building—is

exceedingly remarkable. It is a room . . . composed wholly of granite blocks
of great size, beautifully polished, and fitted together with great care. The
construction of the roof is particularly admirable. First, the chamber is covered
in with nine huge blocks, each nearly nineteen feet long and four feet wide,
which are laid side by side upon the walls so as to form a complete ceiling. Then
above these blocks is a low chamber similarly covered in, and this is repeated
four times; after which there is a fifth opening, triangular, and roofed in by a set
of huge sloping blocks, which meet at the apex and support each other. The
object is to relieve the chamber from any superincumbent4 weight, and prevent
it from being crushed in by the mass of material above it; and this object has
been so completely attained that still, at the expiration of above forty centuries,
the entire chamber, with its elaborate roof, remains intact, without crack or
settlement of any kind . . . .
The Great Gallery is also of curious construction . . . . The side walls are formed of
seven layers of stone, each projecting a few inches over that below it. The gallery
thus gradually contracts towards the top, which has a width of four feet only, and
is covered in with stones that reach across it, and rest on the walls at either side.
The exact object of so lofty a gallery has not been ascertained; but it must have
helped to keep the air of the interior pure and sweet, by increasing the space
through which it had to circulate . . . .
The architectural effect of the two greatest of the pyramids is certainly
magnificent. They do not greatly impress the beholder at first sight, for a pyramid,
by the very law of its formation, never looks as large as it is . . . . But as the
spectator gazes, as he prolongs his examination and inspection, the pyramids gain
upon him, their impressiveness increases . . . . In all ages travellers have felt and

expressed the warmest admiration for them . . . . They furnished Napoleon with
the telling phrase, “Soldiers, forty centuries look down upon you from the top of
the pyramids.” Greece and Rome reckoned them among the Seven Wonders of
the world. Moderns have doubted whether they could really be the work of
human hands. If they possess only one of the elements of architectural excellence,
they possess that element to so great an extent that in respect of it they are
unsurpassed, and probably unsurpassable . . . .
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Among the marvels of Egypt perhaps the Sphinx is second to none. The
mysterious being with the head of a man and the body of a lion is not at all
uncommon in Egyptian architectural adornment, but the one placed before the
Second Pyramid (the Pyramid of Shafra), and supposed to be contemporary with
it, astonishes the observer by its gigantic proportions. It is known to the Arabs as
Abul-hôl, the father of terror . . . .
A small temple behind the great Sphinx, probably also built by Shafra, is formed
of great blocks of the hardest red granite, brought from the neighbourhood of
Syene and fitted to each other with a nicety astonishing to modern architects,
who are unable to imagine what tools could have proved equal to the difficult
achievement. Mysterious passages pierce the great Sphinx and connect it with the
Second Pyramid, three hundred feet west of it. In the face of this mystery all
questions are vain, and yet every visitor adds new queries to those that others
have asked before him.
sepulchral: of or relating to a tomb
1
hewn: chopped or cut

2
sarcophagus: a stone coffin

3
superincumbent: exerted from above

4
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Source #2: Armchair Archaeology

Recently, archaeologist Sarah Parcak pinpointed 17 lost pyramids, thousands of
tombs, and more than 3,000 ancient settlements in Egypt. Perhaps more amazing
than the finds themselves is the way Parcak detected them: on her computer.
Parcak is most famous for her work as one of the first “armchair archaeologists.”
These scientists use satellite imaging analysis to find buried ruins. Satellite images
are taken from space, and archaeologists have free access to these images. They
can zoom in anywhere around the globe—from the comfort of their own offices.
Using satellite imagery is a huge time-saver. Archaeologist Scott Madry spent
25 years looking for buried Roman villages in France. Then came the new
technology. Madry says, “I found more sites on the first day . . . than in those
years of using the other techniques.”
According to Parcak, someone walking over an Egyptian floodplain will see only
a brown, grainy surface. Pictures taken from satellites at about 435 miles above
Earth tell a different story. “All of a sudden,” says Parcak, “these features jump
out at you.”
Experts need to know how to analyze the satellite images because satellites use
cameras that see what humans cannot. We see only a small fraction of the
electromagnetic spectrum, known as visible light. Satellite cameras provide wider
views. Ultraviolet images show color differences humans cannot see. Infrared
cameras can capture thermal images, too. These show objects or places based on
how much heat they emit.
As they study the pictures, experienced armchair archaeologists are looking for
“tells.” These clues signal that something is probably buried beneath the surface.

Crop marks are differences in the color of vegetation, which can signal buried
relics. Buried walls can choke off plants’ roots and water supply, which makes
them look thin and dull. Brighter plants can also be a tell. Soil marks are tiny
variations in ground temperature that show up on infrared images because
buried structures absorb and emit different amounts of heat. Suppose a given
area contains more stone, water, or wood than exists elsewhere in the region. This
will show up on infrared images. These tells helped Sarah Parcak detect some
sites in Egypt.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1
Studying satellite images provides two main advantages. One is more detailed
information. Now, scientists can make better decisions about where to dig.
Archaeologists don’t want to waste valuable time and money digging if they don’t
have a good indication that they will find something. The second advantage is
speed, as months are cut down to mere weeks.
For Sarah Parcak, speed is important because she believes that she is in a race
against time for these reasons:
• Only one percent of all possible sites in Egypt have been discovered.
• Increased urban development in the area has destroyed many sites.
• M
ore than 23 percent of ancient sites in the East Delta region have
disappeared in the past 30 years.
Parcak believes that if this rate of destruction continues, all archaeological sites
here could be erased. If this happens, we will lose more than the chance to see
ruins and relics. The goal of archaeology is not simply finding sites. It is studying
these finds to understand how people lived, which in turn helps us better
understand ourselves.
GO ON
Name: Date:
18 What does the information in Source #1 suggest about the author’s point of view?
Select all that apply.
A The author thinks that sometimes it is better to simply appreciate the

pyramids rather than try to understand how they were created.
B The author believes the pyramids will start to have a strong influence on
future architectural projects throughout the world.
C The author does not believe humans could have built such giant structures
given the tools available at the time.
D The author cannot understand how it is possible that the pyramids are still
standing after so many centuries.
E The author thinks that the architectural design elements of the pyramids are
some of the best in the world.
F The author is fascinated by the size and construction quality of the pyramids.
19 Explain one idea that is shared by the sources. Support your explanation using one
piece of evidence from each source. Be sure to identify the source of each piece of
information by title or number.
GO ON
Name: Date:
20 How is the author’s purpose in Source #2 different from the author’s purpose in
Source #1? Support your answer using specific details from each source. Be sure to
identify the source of each piece of information by title or number.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 1

You will now review your sources, take notes, and plan, draft, revise, and edit
your suspense story. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now read
your assignment and the information about how your story will be scored; then
begin your work.
Your Assignment
It is now time to write the story that you will share with your classmates. Imagine
that you are an archaeologist who works with Sarah Parcak’s team. You and some
other archaeologists are sent to Egypt to help dig up a site that Parcak’s team
discovered. During your dig, something surprising happens. Write a suspense
story about what you find at the site and what feelings are going through your
head as you make the discovery. The story should be several paragraphs long.
Writers often do research to add realistic details to the setting, characters, and
plot in their stories. When writing your story, find ways to use information and
details about armchair archaeology and Egyptian pyramids to improve your story
and help you develop your characters, the setting, and the plot. Use details,
dialogue, and description where appropriate.
Narrative Scoring
Your story will be scored using the following:
1. Organization/Purpose: How effective was your plot, and did you maintain a
logical sequence of events from beginning to end? How well did you establish and
develop a setting, story, characters, and point of view? How well did you use a
variety of transitions? How effective was your opening and closing for your
audience and purpose?
2. Development/Elaboration: How well did you develop your story using

description, details, dialogue? How well did you incorporate sensory and
figurative language that is appropriate for your audience and purpose? How well
did you use relevant material from the sources in your story?
3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar usage,
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling?
Now begin work on your narrative. Manage your time carefully so that you can
plan, write, revise, and edit the final draft of your story. Write your response on a
separate piece of paper.
STOP

Answer Key Name:
Item Answer Content Focus CCSS Claim# Target# DOK
1A A
Story Elements, Textual RL.8.1,
Claim 1 Targets 1, 5 2
Evidence RL.8.3
1B C
2 A, B Character RL.8.3 Claim 1 Target 1 2
3A B
RL.8.1,
Theme, Textual Evidence Claim 1 Targets 1, 2 3
RL.8.2
3B D
4 B Story Elements RL.8.3 Claim 1 Target 1 2
5A A
Word Meanings, Textual RL.8.1,
Evidence L.8.4a
5B C
6A D
Evidence L.8.4a
6B C
7A B Author’s Purpose and

RI.8.1,
Author’s Point of View, Claim 1 Targets 8, 12 3
RI.8.6
7B D, E Textual Evidence
8A C Author’s Purpose and

RI.8.1,
RI.8.6
8B C Textual Evidence
9A B
Word Meanings, Textual RI.8.1,
Evidence L.8.4a
9B A
10A A
Evidence L.8.4a
10B B
Author’s Purpose and
11 see below RI.8.6 Claim 1 Target 11 3
Author’s Point of View
12A A Author’s Purpose and
RI.8.1,
RI.8.6
12B D Textual Evidence
13A C
Evidence L.8.4a
13B D, E
14 C Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 10 2

Answer Key Name:
15A A
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
15B C
16 see below Story Elements RL.8.3 Claim 1 Target 4 3
17 see below Compare Across Texts RI.8.6 Claim 1 Target 12 3
18 E, F Analyze/Research RI.8.6 Claim 4 Target 2 3
19 see below Analyze/Research RI.8.1 Claim 4 Target 2 4
Story see below Narrative Performance Task W.8.3a-e Claim 2 Target 2 4
Comprehension: Selected Response 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 7A, 7B, 8A, /17 %
8B, 12A, 12B, 15A, 15B, 18
Comprehension: Constructed Response 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, Story /22 %
Vocabulary 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 13A, 13B, 14 /12 %
Total Unit Assessment Score /51 %
11 2-point response: The author’s main claim is that Americans should not doubt the dangers of

climate change because it is a proven scientific fact. He or she cites data to show that “97% of
all qualified experts agree that something has to be done about climate change.” The author
also states that if we don’t adjust our “environmentally irresponsible practices,” we could see
an average 12° rise in temperature by the year 2100.
16 2-point response: The author’s descriptions show the fear and confusion that is running

through his mind. When he yells out and doesn’t receive an answer, he tells the reader, “like
a blind man, I flailed out, realizing we all become stupid when we’re disoriented, and yes,
convinced we will not be on Earth for too much longer.” His use of words here shows his racing
thoughts and panic.

17 4-point response: Both texts are passionate expressions by their authors. In each text,

extreme danger is being described and dealt with in no uncertain terms. Both texts try to
engage their readers with facts that will get their attention and share an experience.
However, “Why Even Argue Climate Change?” is more of an argument with critics of climate
change and is scientifically based. For instance, the author responds to the common claim
that climate change is caused by natural processes by stating that computer models show
otherwise. “Trapped Underground” is less about facts and more about giving an insight into
what a person feels facing death under extreme conditions.
19 2-point response: Both sources put forth the idea that it is important to study ruins. In Source

#2, the author states that archaeology is important because it helps us “understand how
people lived, which in turn helps us better understand ourselves.” In Source #1, the author
doesn’t directly state that archaeology is important, but his enthusiasm for the pyramids
shows it. For example, when he says, “the entire chamber, with its elaborate roof, remains
intact, without crack or settlement of any kind,” he implies that the pyramids have a lot to
teach us.

Answer Key Name:
20 2-point response: In Source #1, the author’s primary purpose is to explain how armchair

archaeology works and how effective it is. Scott Madry’s quote about finding more sites in one
day of armchair archaeology than he did in the past 25 years supports the author’s purpose.
The author centers the article on Sarah Parcak because she is a leader in the field. In Source
#2, the author’s purpose is to describe the pyramids in great detail in order to explain how
impressive they are. He describes the measurements of the rooms because there probably
wasn’t much research available at the time.
10-point anchor paper: “I still can’t believe this pyramid has been hiding here so close to Khufu’s
pyramid all this time.” I carefully dusted off some sand from the bottom of the entrance as Miko
took more photos. Sweat streamed down my forehead and the intense wind carried it away.
“Yeah, well, I can’t believe there are satellites floating around in space taking pictures. That’s more
impressive to me than these pyramids, in terms of technological achievement. So should we wait
for the rest of the team before we get started?” Sarah and the other members were taking a short
snack break on the other side of the pyramid, in the comfort of the shade. But they had been gone
for over an hour.
“We should, but maybe we can get a head start. There’s a lot of work to do, and I don’t know
why they’re taking so long to eat.” Today we were planning to take more detailed photos and video
of the main chamber at the center of the pyramid. We were still at the tip of the iceberg—we
didn’t even know who this pyramid belonged to or what its purpose was. It was much smaller
than Khufu’s pyramid. My hunch was that it was a queen’s private pyramid. But we would have to
send photos of markings and hieroglyphics to specialists in order to learn more. That’s not my area
of expertise.
“I’m good to go. Just give me a second.” Miko, her hair blowing frantically in the wind, took out
a notepad and wrote, “WE’RE IN THE CHAMBER.” She set the pad in front of the entrance and
placed a stone on it.
It took a good five minutes of hunched-over walking to reach the chamber. Miko turned on one of
the battery-powered lights.
“OK. Should we start on this side? I’ll take notes as you shoot,” I said.
“It’ll be interesting to see if they can figure out who this woman is,” Miko said, pointing to a
character that was etched all over the wall. Then she started shooting the video, panning slowly
along the wall.
“Hey, Rose, can you stop making that tapping sound?” Miko said.
“I was just standing here taking notes. I didn’t make that sound. It almost sounded like it was
coming from the secret chamber.”
We stood in silence. Again, there was a muffled tapping sound. My skin started to crawl. I knew
it couldn’t be Sarah and the rest of the team because the entrance to the pyramid was on the
opposite side of where the sound was. To get to the secret chamber, they would have to pass
through the main chamber.
“Thieves!” Miko whispered. “You read the reports . . . it happened at another site not far
from here.”
I knew it was a possibility, but I didn’t want to believe it. Had the thieves entered before sunrise
and been inside for hours?

Answer Key Name:
“Well, I doubt that, but let’s get out of here—quietly. Just in case.” I started toward the walkway
that headed out of the chamber.
“Let me just look down the tunnel to the secret chamber.” Miko’s face lit up in shock. “Go . . . go!
I see a moving light down there and it’s getting closer!” We scrambled for the exit.
“Hey! Hey!” We heard someone yell. The echo was so strong that it sounded like its voice was
coming from right next to us.
“Miko, Rose. Take it easy.”
“Sarah? But how did you get in there?” Miko asked.
“We found a hidden passage in the back that led to the secret chamber. The wind must have
uncovered the entrance. It looks like we still have a lot of research to do!” said Sarah.
Miko and I were still catching our breath.
“Well, Miko is definitely going to have to re-shoot that video. You all don’t want to see how scared
we were.” I said.

GRADE 8 UNIT 2
from “The Luck of Roaring Camp”

by Bret Harte
In the following excerpt from the short story “The Luck of Roaring Camp,” set at the
height of the California Gold Rush, the prospectors of Roaring Camp await the birth of a
child whose mother is the only woman for many miles around.
There was commotion in Roaring Camp. It could not have been a fight, for in
1850 that was not novel enough to have called together the entire settlement. The
ditches and claims were not only deserted, but “Tuttle’s grocery” had contributed
its gamblers, who, it will be remembered, calmly continued their game the day
that French Pete and Kanaka Joe shot each other to death over the bar in the front
room. The whole camp was collected before a rude cabin on the outer edge of the
clearing. Conversation was carried on in a low tone, but the name of a woman was
frequently repeated. It was a name familiar enough in the camp,—“Cherokee Sal.”
Perhaps the less said of her the better. She was a coarse and, it is to be feared, a
very sinful woman. But at that time she was the only woman in Roaring Camp,
and was just then lying in sore extremity, when she most needed the ministration
of her own sex. Dissolute, abandoned, and irreclaimable, she was yet suffering a
martyrdom hard enough to bear even when veiled by sympathizing womanhood,
but now terrible in her loneliness. The primal curse had come to her in that
original isolation which must have made the punishment of the first transgression
so dreadful. It was, perhaps, part of the expiation of her sin that, at a moment
when she most lacked her sex’s intuitive tenderness and care, she met only the
half-contemptuous faces of her masculine associates. Yet a few of the spectators
were, I think, touched by her sufferings. Sandy Tipton thought it was “rough on
Sal,” and, in the contemplation of her condition, for a moment rose superior to
the fact that he had an ace and two bowers in his sleeve.
It will be seen also that the situation was novel. Deaths were by no means
uncommon in Roaring Camp, but a birth was a new thing. People had been
dismissed from the camp effectively, finally, and with no possibility of return; but
this was the first time that anybody had been introduced ab initio. Hence the
excitement.
“You go in there, Stumpy,” said a prominent citizen known as “Kentuck,”
addressing one of the loungers. “Go in there, and see what you kin do. You’ve had
experience in them things.”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Perhaps there was a fitness in the selection. Stumpy, in other climes, had been the
putative head of two families; in fact, it was owing to some legal informality in
these proceedings that Roaring Camp—a city of refuge—was indebted to his
company. The crowd approved the choice, and Stumpy was wise enough to bow
to the majority. The door closed on the extempore surgeon and midwife, and
Roaring Camp sat down outside, smoked its pipe, and awaited the issue.
The assemblage numbered about a hundred men. One or two of these were actual
fugitives from justice, some were criminal, and all were reckless. Physically they
exhibited no indication of their past lives and character. The greatest scamp had a
Raphael face, with a profusion of blonde hair; Oakhurst, a gambler, had the
melancholy air and intellectual abstraction of a Hamlet; the coolest and most
courageous man was scarcely over five feet in height, with a soft voice and an
embarrassed, timid manner. The term “roughs” applied to them was a distinction
rather than a definition. Perhaps in the minor details of fingers, toes, ears, etc.,
the camp may have been deficient, but these slight omissions did not detract from
their aggregate force. The strongest man had but three fingers on his right hand;
the best shot had but one eye.
Such was the physical aspect of the men that were dispersed around the cabin.
The camp lay in a triangular valley between two hills and a river. The only outlet
was a steep trail over the summit of a hill that faced the cabin, now illuminated by
the rising moon. The suffering woman might have seen it from the rude bunk
whereon she lay,—seen it winding like a silver thread until it was lost in the
stars above.
A fire of withered pine boughs added sociability to the gathering. By degrees the
natural levity of Roaring Camp returned. Bets were freely offered and taken

regarding the result. Three to five that “Sal would get through with it;” even that
the child would survive; side bets as to the sex and complexion of the coming
stranger. In the midst of an excited discussion an exclamation came from those
nearest the door, and the camp stopped to listen. Above the swaying and moaning
of the pines, the swift rush of the river, and the crackling of the fire rose a sharp,
querulous cry, a cry unlike anything heard before in the camp. The pines stopped
moaning, the river ceased to rush, and the fire to crackle. It seemed as if Nature
had stopped to listen too.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
The camp rose to its feet as one man! It was proposed to explode a barrel of
gunpowder; but in consideration of the situation of the mother, better counsels
prevailed, and only a few revolvers were discharged; for whether owing to the
rude surgery of the camp, or some other reason, Cherokee Sal was sinking fast.
Within an hour she had climbed, as it were, that rugged road that led to the stars,
and so passed out of Roaring Camp, its sin and shame, forever. I do not think that
the announcement disturbed them much, except in speculation as to the fate of
the child. “Can he live now?” was asked of Stumpy. The answer was doubtful.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Why does Stumpy agree to deliver Sal’s baby?
A He is a trained and skilled physician.

B He has a gentle nature and kind heart.
C He is afraid to defy the other men.
D He has been married twice before.
Part B: Which excerpt from the text best supports your answer in part A?
A “Deaths were by no means uncommon in Roaring Camp, but a birth was a

new thing.”
B “‘You’ve had experience in them things.’”
C “Stumpy, in other climes, had been the putative head of two families . . .”
D “The crowd approved the choice, and Stumpy was wise enough to bow to
the majority.”
Part A: Which of these inferences about Kentuck’s personality is best supported

by the text?
A He is funny.
B He is a leader.
C He is excitable.

D He is a villain.
Part B: Which detail from the text best supports your answer in part A?
A The men support his suggestion that Stumpy help Cherokee Sal.
B He chooses Stumpy’s help because Stumpy is the best-qualified camper.
C He is a reckless criminal who conceals what he thinks and feels.
D The men reject his concern for Sal and her situation.
GO ON
Name: Date:
3 Which two details from the text best support the universal theme that people
usually try to help when someone is suffering?
A The men pay no attention when French Pete and Kanaka Joe kill each other.
B The men send Stumpy into the cabin to look after Sal and deliver the baby.
C The men light a fire of pine boughs outside Sal’s cabin for the warmth
it brings.
D The men take bets on whether or not the baby and Sal will survive the birth.
E The men decide not to let off a loud explosion when they realize Sal is dying.
F The men are not much disturbed when Sal dies even though she is the
only woman.
Part A: Which theme is suggested by the story of Sal’s lonely and painful death?
A Self-reliance is a necessary means of survival.

B Everyone is capable of achieving human love.
C Jealousy is a destructive force in social structures.
D People pay for their past mistakes and moral failings.
A Sal is the only woman in Roaring Camp, a camp full of men.

B Sal is described as being cursed because of her sins.
C Sal can see the sky from the cabin where she lies in childbirth.
D Sal does not ask any of the men of Roaring Camp for help.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Read paragraphs 1 and 3 from the text.
There was commotion in Roaring Camp. It could not have been a fight, for
in 1850 that was not novel enough to have called together the entire
settlement. The ditches and claims were not only deserted, but “Tuttle’s
grocery” had contributed its gamblers, who, it will be remembered, calmly
continued their game the day that French Pete and Kanaka Joe shot each
other to death over the bar in the front room. The whole camp was collected
before a rude cabin on the outer edge of the clearing. Conversation was
carried on in a low tone, but the name of a woman was frequently repeated.
It was a name familiar enough in the camp,—“Cherokee Sal.”
...
It will be seen also that the situation was novel. Deaths were by no means
uncommon in Roaring Camp, but a birth was a new thing. People had been
dismissed from the camp effectively, finally, and with no possibility of
return; but this was the first time that anybody had been introduced ab
initio. Hence the excitement.
What is the meaning of novel as it is used in the text?
A new
B quiet
C hostile
D sad

Part B: Which sentence or phrase from the text best helps the reader understand
the meaning of novel?
A “It was a name familiar enough in the camp,—‘Cherokee Sal.’”

B “. . . French Pete and Kanaka Joe shot each other to death . . .”
C “Deaths were by no means uncommon in Roaring Camp . . .”
D “. . . this was the first time that anybody had been introduced ab initio.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Read the paragraph from the text.
A fire of withered pine boughs added sociability to the gathering. By

degrees the natural levity of Roaring Camp returned. Bets were freely
offered and taken regarding the result. Three to five that “Sal would get
through with it;” even that the child would survive; side bets as to the sex
and complexion of the coming stranger. In the midst of an excited
discussion an exclamation came from those nearest the door, and the camp
stopped to listen. Above the swaying and moaning of the pines, the swift
rush of the river, and the crackling of the fire rose a sharp, querulous cry, a
cry unlike anything heard before in the camp. The pines stopped moaning,
the river ceased to rush, and the fire to crackle. It seemed as if Nature had
stopped to listen too.
What does the word levity most likely mean as it is used in the paragraph?
A anxious atmosphere
B curiosity and alertness
C polite and attentive behavior
D lack of appropriate seriousness
Part B: Which detail from the paragraph best helps the reader understand the
meaning of levity?
A “A fire of withered pine boughs added sociability to the gathering.”

B “Bets were freely offered and taken regarding the result.”
C “an exclamation came from those nearest the door, and the camp stopped
to listen”
D “rose a sharp, querulous cry, a cry unlike anything heard before in the camp”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
from The Republic, Book I

by Plato
In the following biographical excerpt, the philosopher Socrates asks his father’s aged
friend Cephalus what he has to say about growing old.
Accordingly we went with Polemarchus to his house; and there we found his
brothers Lysias and Euthydemus, and with them Thrasymachus the
Chalcedonian, Charmantides the Paeanian, and Cleitophon the son of
Aristonymus. There too was Cephalus the father of Polemarchus, whom I had not
seen for a long time, and I thought him very much aged. He was seated on a
cushioned chair, and had a garland on his head, for he had been sacrificing in the
court; and there were some other chairs in the room arranged in a semicircle,
upon which we sat down by him. He saluted me eagerly, and then he said:
You don’t come to see me, Socrates, as often as you ought: If I were still able to go
and see you I would not ask you to come to me. But at my age I can hardly get to
the city, and therefore you should come oftener to the Piraeus. For let me tell
you, that the more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the
pleasure and charm of conversation. Do not then deny my request, but make our
house your resort and keep company with these young men; we are old friends,
and you will be quite at home with us.
I replied: There is nothing which for my part I like better, Cephalus, than
conversing with aged men; for I regard them as travellers who have gone a
journey which I too may have to go, and of whom I ought to enquire, whether the

way is smooth and easy, or rugged and difficult. And this is a question which I
should like to ask of you who have arrived at that time which the poets call the
‘threshold of old age’ —Is life harder towards the end, or what report do you
give of it?
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
I will tell you, Socrates, he said, what my own feeling is. Men of my age flock
together; we are birds of a feather, as the old proverb says; and at our meetings
the tale of my acquaintance commonly is—I cannot eat, I cannot drink; the
pleasures of youth and love are fled away: there was a good time once, but now
that is gone, and life is no longer life. Some complain of the slights which are put
upon them by relations, and they will tell you sadly of how many evils their old
age is the cause. But to me, Socrates, these complainers seem to blame that which
is not really in fault. For if old age were the cause, I too being old, and every other
old man, would have felt as they do. But this is not my own experience, nor that
of others whom I have known. How well I remember the aged poet Sophocles,
when in answer to the question, How does love suit with age, Sophocles, —are you
still the man you were? Peace, he replied; most gladly have I escaped the thing of
which you speak; I feel as if I had escaped from a mad and furious master. His
words have often occurred to my mind since, and they seem as good to me now as
at the time when he uttered them. For certainly old age has a great sense of calm
and freedom; when the passions relax their hold, then, as Sophocles says, we
are freed from the grasp not of one mad master only, but of many. The truth is,
Socrates, that these regrets, and also the complaints about relations, are to be
attributed to the same cause, which is not old age, but men’s characters and
tempers; for he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure
of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally
a burden.
I listened in admiration, and wanting to draw him out, that he might go on—Yes,
Cephalus, I said: but I rather suspect that people in general are not convinced
by you when you speak thus; they think that old age sits lightly upon you, not
because of your happy disposition, but because you are rich, and wealth is well
known to be a great comforter.

You are right, he replied; they are not convinced: and there is something in
what they say; not, however, so much as they imagine. I might answer them as
Themistocles answered the Seriphian who was abusing him and saying that he
was famous, not for his own merits but because he was an Athenian: ‘If you had
been a native of my country or I of yours, neither of us would have been famous.’
And to those who are not rich and are impatient of old age, the same reply may
be made; for to the good poor man old age cannot be a light burden, nor can a
bad rich man ever have peace with himself.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which sentence best summarizes Cephalus’s attitude toward growing old?
A He looks wistfully back over the good times of his younger days.
B He is glad to have outgrown the confusing and unhappy emotions of youth.
C He resents the physical pain and weakness that comes with old age.
D He fears old age as a time when he will likely be ignored and ill-treated.
Part B: Which two details from the text best support your answer in part A?
A “Men of my age flock together; we are birds of a feather”

B “there was a good time once, but now that is gone, and life is no longer life”
C “I feel as if I had escaped from a mad and furious master”
D “he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age”
E “And to those who are not rich and are impatient of old age, the same reply
may be made”
Part A: Which statement best describes Socrates’s view of Cephalus?
A He is amused and entertained by Cephalus.

B He thinks Cephalus is vain and dull.
C He is awed by Cephalus’s wealth and power.
D He respects and admires Cephalus.

A “I had not seen [him] for a long time, and I thought him very much aged.”
B “There is nothing which for my part I like better, Cephalus, than conversing
with aged men”
C “I rather suspect that people in general are not convinced by you when you
speak thus”
D “you are rich, and wealth is well known to be a great comforter”
GO ON
Name: Date:
I will tell you, Socrates, he said, what my own feeling is. Men of my age
flock together; we are birds of a feather, as the old proverb says; and at our
meetings the tale of my acquaintance commonly is—I cannot eat, I cannot
drink; the pleasures of youth and love are fled away: there was a good time
once, but now that is gone, and life is no longer life. Some complain of the
slights which are put upon them by relations, and they will tell you sadly
of how many evils their old age is the cause. But to me, Socrates, these
complainers seem to blame that which is not really in fault. For if old age
were the cause, I too being old, and every other old man, would have felt as
they do.
What is the meaning of the word slights as it is used in the text?
A merits
B falsehoods
C insults
D decades
Part B: Which phrase from the sentences best helps the reader understand the
meaning of slights?
A “Men of my age”
B “good time”
C “many evils”
D “would have felt”
GO ON
Name: Date:
10 Read the sentences from the text.

His words have often occurred to my mind since, and they seem as good to
me now as at the time when he uttered them. For certainly old age has a
great sense of calm and freedom; when the passions relax their hold, then,
as Sophocles says, we are freed from the grasp not of one mad master only,
but of many. The truth is, Socrates, that these regrets, and also the
complaints about relations, are to be attributed to the same cause, which is
not old age, but men’s characters and tempers; for he who is of a calm and
happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an
opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.
What is the meaning of the word passions as it is used in the text?
A uncontrolled emotions
B immoral statesmen
C rational judgments
D delightful memories
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Standing Up to Bullying
Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or
perceived power imbalance. It includes making threats, spreading rumors, or
attacking someone verbally or physically.
You may think that as long as you aren’t the one being bullied, it’s not your
problem. But everyone knows what it’s like to be bullied, whether it be physical or
emotional bullying. Maybe you have not personally had a bully who targets you
day after day, but most of us can relate to feelings of exclusion, being taken
advantage of, or having things said about us that are untrue or make us feel badly
about ourselves. These are all forms of bullying.
But what is the proper response to a situation in which someone is being bullied?
Standing by and doing nothing may not make you the bully, but it makes you just
as guilty. Continuing to spread rumors or not standing up for someone who is
being bullied are ways someone might engage in bullying secondarily. People
often don’t step in to help because they are scared of physical harm. But standing
up to a bully does not always involve a direct physical intervention. There are
many ways to help put a stop to bullying. The first step when considering the best
way in which to intervene is to assess the situation.
Consider if approaching the bullies themselves is a smart idea, or if you feel
comfortable doing so. If one of your friends is spreading rumors or saying hurtful
things about one of your peers, you might just talk directly to your friend and let
them know that what he or she is doing is wrong. Some people might argue that
confronting the bully directly will escalate the situation. If you think this might be
the case, you should involve a teacher or someone else who is in a position to
address the issue with the bully.
Many people bully others because they feel insecure. The power a bully has over
another person makes the bully feel better. The person who is bullying often
needs help just as much as the person who is being bullied. If you think the bully
is facing personal struggles that are causing the behavior, you might offer the
bully a chance to discuss his or her troubles.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
If bullying is ongoing, such as teasing an individual day after day, it can have
negative consequences. The victim will likely suffer from low self-esteem and
might even become a bully themselves later in life, creating a cycle of negativity.
Oftentimes the person being bullied does not feel capable or confident enough to
stand up for himself or herself. He or she may have even tried to stand up for
himself or herself in the past and not succeeded. In this circumstance, involving a
teacher, parent, or figure of authority in the situation can be very helpful.
Bullying can be harmful to everyone involved, and unless some type of intervention
occurs, it will often continue. If someone sees bullying happening, he or she is
obligated to take action to stop it from continuing.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Natalie and the Bully

Natalie heard the things everyone at school said about Jamie, cruel things she
would not dare repeat about Jamie’s clothes, her hair, how she didn’t listen to the
right music. Her friends would make comments about Jamie sometimes, and
Natalie would pretend she didn’t hear, or she would laugh awkwardly. It didn’t
seem right for her to join in and say mean things herself, but she didn’t try to stop
her friends, either. Her friends would not be pleased if she tried to stand up for
Jamie, and they would probably start making fun of Natalie too.
Natalie also knew that Jamie heard the gossip; sometimes the girls would say
things to her face, and sometimes they would send her mean messages on the
Internet. Jamie seemed like a nice girl. She sat with one or two other friends in
the lunchroom, but they were not girls Natalie and her friends ever hung out
with. Jamie’s friends were also the target of jokes and rumors, but none of them
were harassed as much as Jamie. When she walked by Jamie’s table, Kristen made
a remark under her breath, still loud enough for Jamie to hear.
“Can you believe what she’s wearing today?” Natalie heard her friend Kristen
saying. “It looks like she got dressed in the dark.” All the other girls burst into
giggles, and Kristen smiled, satisfied with her remark.
Natalie looked over at Jamie, who had her head down and looked like she was
about to cry. Natalie felt guilty, as though she were the one who had made the
cruel remark. She quickly turned away from Jamie, shuffling after her friends to
sit down at their lunch table.
A few days later at school, as Natalie and her friends walked by Jamie’s lunch
table, Kristen announced, “I think a two-year-old gave her that haircut.”
The other girls laughed, but Natalie had had enough; she knew it wasn’t right to
just stand by silently while her friends continued to pick on Jamie. For a moment,
Natalie imagined that she was in Jamie’s shoes, and she felt the sting of Kristen’s
joke in a different way. That sting was what gave Natalie the courage she needed
to confront Kristen.
“Hey, it’s not nice for you to say those things about Jamie. Can’t you see it’s
hurting her feelings?”
Kristen turned bright red, but she rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You can go sit at
another table, if that’s how you feel.”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Natalie sat alone at lunch that day, but she was proud of herself for speaking her
mind. It was difficult to watch her friends eating without her, but she realized
that Kristen was not a friend she wanted to have if she was going to treat other
people badly.
The next day at lunch, Natalie began to sit down by herself again, but Kristen
came over and asked to speak with her.
“About yesterday,” she said, “you were right. I told you to sit somewhere else
because I was embarrassed that you called me out. I’m sorry.”
“Are you going to say sorry to Jamie?” Natalie wondered.
Kristen sighed. ”Yeah.”
Natalie smiled and walked over to sit with her friends, glad she had done the
right thing.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “Standing Up to Bullying.”
11 What is the author’s main claim in “Standing Up to Bullying”? Support your answer
with details from the text.
12 How does the author respond to a conflicting viewpoint about who is responsible
for stopping a bully?
A The author gives details about the different things that a person who is not
the one being bullied can do to stop a bully.
B The author argues that if you are not the one who is being bullied, chances
are you are most likely a bully yourself.
C The author gives details about a situation where bullying got out of hand and
there was no solution for stopping it.
D The author argues that even if you are not the one being bullied, you can still
relate to the feeling of being bullied.
GO ON
Name: Date:
13 How does the author respond to conflicting evidence about a reason not to stand
up to a bully?
A The author offers methods to stop bullies without physical intervention.

B The author argues that victims of bullying often develop low self-esteem.
C The author explains that bullies engage in unwanted, aggressive behavior.
D The author suggests that the confronting a bully may escalate the situation.

Standing by and doing nothing may not make you the bully, but it makes
you just as guilty. Continuing to spread rumors or not standing up for
someone who is being bullied are ways someone might engage in bullying
secondarily.
What is the impact of the word guilty as it is used in the text?
A It implies that people who are bullies are more likely to commit crimes than
non-bullies.
B It implies that people who observe bullying are probably bullies themselves.
C It implies that people who observe bullying are responsible for stopping it.
D It implies that people who are bullies were most likely once bullied
themselves.
GO ON
Name: Date:
15 Read the sentence from the text.

The victim will likely suffer from low self-esteem and might even become a
bully themselves later in life, creating a cycle of negativity.
What does the author mean by the phrase cycle of negativity?
A Negativity helps to stop bullies.

B Negativity causes low self-esteem.
C Negativity causes more negativity.
D Negativity helps victims fight back
16 Read the paragraph from the text.

Consider if approaching the bullies themselves is a smart idea, or if you feel
comfortable doing so. If one of your friends is spreading rumors or saying
hurtful things about one of your peers, you might just talk directly to your
friend and let them know that what he or she is doing is wrong. Some
people might argue that confronting the bully directly will escalate the
situation. If you think this might be the case, you should involve a teacher
or someone else who is in a position to address the issue with the bully.
What is the meaning of escalate as it is used in the paragraph?
A appease
B resolve
C intensify
D threaten
GO ON
Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “Natalie and the Bully.”
17 Which two statements best describe lessons Natalie learns?

A Standing up to a bully is the right thing to do.
B You cannot count on your friends to behave well.
C A friend who treats others poorly is not worth having.
D It is important to make your friends happy.
E You should never embarrass a friend in front of others.
F Real friends can make you feel uncomfortable.
18 Which sentence from the text best supports the theme of the story?
A “Her friends would make comments about Jamie sometimes, and Natalie
would pretend she didn’t hear, or she would laugh awkwardly.”
B “Jamie’s friends were also the target of jokes and rumors, but none of them
were harassed as much as Jamie.”
C “Natalie looked over at Jamie, who had her head down and looked like she
was about to cry.”
D “Natalie sat alone at lunch that day, but she was proud of herself for speaking
her mind.”
19 In paragraph 6, the author states, “Natalie imagined that she was in Jamie’s shoes,
and felt the sting of Kristen’s joke in a different way.” How does this idea support
the theme of the text? Support your answer with details from the text.
GO ON
Name: Date:
20 Compare and contrast the different ways the authors address the topic of bullying
in “Standing Up to Bullying” and “Natalie and the Bully.” Include details from both
texts in your explanation.
STOP

GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Argumentative Performance Task

Task
Your class is learning about the media. Your teacher has asked you each to write an
argumentative article about whether or not the media is primarily a force of good.
To prepare to write this article, you begin searching for some sources. You have
found two sources involving the media and national conflicts.
Before you write your article, you will review the two sources. Briefly scan the
sources and the three questions that follow. Then, go back and read the sources
carefully to gain the information you will need to answer the questions and to use
when you write your argumentative article. Take notes while you read.
In Part 2, you will write an argumentative article using information from these
sources.

You will now read two sources. You can re-examine both as often as you like.
Research Questions
After reading the two sources, use the remaining time in Part 1 to answer three
questions about them. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also, your
answers will help you think about the sources you have read, which should help
you write your own argument.
You may refer to the sources when you think it would be helpful. You may also
refer to your notes. Answer the questions in the space provided.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Source #1: In Defense of the Media

Some people have negative things to say about the media. An argument could
be made that the media takes advantage of conflict by broadcasting it as
entertainment in order to make money. However, media actually plays an
important role in helping to resolve national problems. Through the lens of the
media, we are able to see multiple perspectives in a conflict, which can encourage
us to put pressure on politicians to take action. Particularly since the advent of
television, Americans are able to feel more empathy for others who are being
oppressed, which can help to bring about positive social change.
By 1960, ninety percent of American homes had a television. During this time,
the American civil rights movement was at its peak. The media acted as a catalyst
for change during the civil rights movement. People all over the country were able
to see what was happening in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as in
Memphis, Tennessee. Disturbing images of young people being beaten for the
color of their skin were broadcast on national television. Everyone was watching,
and Americans began realizing what was going on in their country. Many people
were outraged by the violence they saw, which led them to take action and
seek unity.
The events that took place in Selma, Alabama, sparked a nationwide outrage
and call to action. Cameras were rolling on a peaceful march from Selma to
Montgomery, held to protest the denial of African American citizens’ right to
vote. The march ended in police brutality against innocent people, an event that
became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Forty-eight million people across the country
watched the event on their television sets in horror.
This event in Alabama became a national embarrassment to a country trying to
assert that democracy is the best form of government. In his famous, nationally
televised speech, former President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “and we shall
overcome.” This phrase became an important slogan for the civil rights movement.
His speech urged Americans to “overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and
injustice,” and to unite in equality. Because of television media, this speech is one
of the most well-known and influential presidential speeches to date.
Through television broadcasts, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to appeal to
religious leaders and other people of faith to unite in his cause. These people
organized marches across the country in defense of people of color. Thanks to the
media, the whole nation was finally able to come together to agree that everyone
deserves the same rights.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Politician and Civil Rights leader John Lewis once said, “If it hadn’t been for the
media—the print media and the television—the civil rights movement would have
been like a bird without wings, a choir without a song.” Though the movement
had a powerful and urgent message to communicate, that message would not
have reached and affected nearly as many people had it not been for the media.
Media coverage of the events in the Civil Rights Movement gave it not only an
image but a voice that could be heard clearly around the nation with one message:
unite. The media played a pivotal role in helping America progress to greater
equality for all citizens.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Source #2: How the Media Helped Win World War II

During World War II, the United States helped fight the most evil forces on the
planet, but those efforts would not have been successful without the support of
the American public. Luckily, the government did an excellent job of using the
media to disseminate national propaganda to drum up support. National
campaigns used posters, cartoons, radio, magazines, and newspapers. The
propaganda encouraged Americans to contribute to the war effort in any way
they could in order to make the war successful.
Some propaganda promoted simple sentiments such as supporting the allies and
rallying against the Japanese army. These messages encouraged patriotism and
unity. Other campaigns had a stronger call to action, encouraging people to buy
war bonds, conserve supplies, or plant victory gardens.
You may think of conservation as a modern concept, but conservation was
actually one of the main aims of wartime propaganda during WWII. Americans
on the home front were encouraged to ration sugar, meat, butter, and coffee to
save more for soldiers. General Mills distributed a Betty Crocker “cookbooklet”
with wartime recipes aimed at conservation. Butcher shops distributed fliers
asking women to save fats from cooking to be used in making explosives. Due to
these posters and other conservation propaganda, the United States successfully
recycled 538 million pounds of waste fats during the war!
The media convinced people to conserve other materials as well. People turned in
wedding bands, buttons, and other spare metal to be melted down for military
equipment. Clothing was made with less cloth in order to conserve material for
soldier’s uniforms. People also carpooled, which led to less gasoline and rubber
tire use.
Many of the propaganda campaigns were aimed toward women. Rosie the
Riveter, one of the most iconic figures of the time, represented strong women
who supported the war effort by joining the work force. The image of the
“glamour girl” became popularized to assure women that they could work and
still maintain their femininity. Because of these media and propaganda
campaigns, women realized that they were stronger than they thought! In
addition, much of the popular fiction of the time encouraged men to view
working women as attractive.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2
Women were also encouraged to plant victory gardens. The government

encouraged people to plant these vegetable gardens to help prevent food
shortages during war years. They were known as victory gardens because if
people were growing vegetables for themselves, then more of the American food
supply could go to the troops. If the troops were well fed, they would surely lead
America to victory. Because of the influence of propaganda, Americans planted
50 million victory gardens during the war years. “Eat what you can, and can what
you can’t” was a popular slogan promoting victory gardens. Slogans such as these
were memorable and effective in promoting a message of conservation.
Media propaganda had a profound impact on American opinions about WWII. It
was effective at gaining support for the war and boosting citizen moral, unifying a
nation in one cause; because of this, the United States was able to lead the Allies
to victory in the war and ensure that the people of the world could once again live
in peace.
GO ON
Name: Date:
21 Which central idea is shared by both sources?

A The media helps to advance civil rights.
B The media is helpful in times of conflict.
C The media is good for conservation efforts.
D The media makes money from national conflicts.
22 Explain how both Source #1 and Source #2 show how the media has the power to
influence people. Support your explanation using two pieces of evidence from the
sources. Identify the source of each piece of information by title or number.
23 Explain how each author uses details to support his or her purpose. Give details
from both sources to support your explanation. Identify the source of detail by title
or number.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 2

You will now look at the two sources, take notes, and plan, draft, revise, and edit
your argumentative article. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now
read your assignment and the information about how your argumentative article
will be scored; then begin your work.
Your Assignment
Write a multi-paragraph argument in which you agree or disagree with the idea
that the media is primarily a force of good that brings positive change.
Make sure you establish an argumentative claim, address potential counter
arguments, and support your claim from the sources you have read. Organize
your article logically, and elaborate on your ideas. Develop your ideas clearly and
use your own words except when quoting directly from the sources. Be sure to
identify the sources by title or number when using details or facts directly from
the sources.
Argumentative Article Scoring
Your article will be scored using the following:
1. Organization/Purpose: How clearly did you state and maintain your claim with
a logical progression of ideas from beginning to end? How logically did your ideas
flow from beginning to end? How often did you use effective transitions? How
effective was your introduction and your conclusion?
2. Evidence/Elaboration: How well did you provide evidence from sources about
your argument? How well did you elaborate with specific information?
3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar usage, punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling?

Now begin work on your argumentative article. Manage your time carefully so
that you can plan, write, revise, and edit the final draft of your article. Write your
response on a separate piece of paper.
STOP

Answer Key Name:
1A C
RL.8.1,
Character, Textual Evidence Claim 1 Targets 1, 4 3
RL.8.3
1B D
2A B
RL.8.1,
RL.8.3
2B A
3 B, E Theme RL.8.2 Claim 1 Target 2 3
4A D
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
4B B
5A A
Evidence L.8.4a
5B C
6A D
Evidence L.8.4a
6B B
7A B
Textual Evidence RI.8.1 Claim 1 Target 8 2
7B C, D
8A D
Textual Evidence RI.8.1 Claim 1 Target 8 2
8B B
9A C
Evidence L.8.4a
9B C
10 A Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 10 2
11 see below Argument and Claim RI.8.8 Claim 1 Target 11 3
12 D Argument and Claim RI.8.8 Claim 1 Target 11 2
13 A Reasons and Evidence RI.8.8 Claim 1 Target 11 2
17 A, C Theme RL.8.2 Claim 1 Target 2 2

Answer Key Name:
18 D Theme RL.8.2 Claim 1 Target 2 3
19 see below Theme RL.8.2 Claim 1 Target 2 3
20 see below Compare Across Texts W.8.9 Claim 2 Target 3a 4
21 B Analyze/Research RI.8.2 Claim 4 Target 2 3

Argumentative Performance
Article see below W.8.1a-e Claim 2 Target 7 4
Task
Comprehension: Selected Response 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3, 4A, 4B, 7A, 7B, /21 %
8A, 8B, 12, 13, 17, 18, 21
Comprehension: Constructed Response 11, 19, 20, 22, 23, Article /22 %
Vocabulary 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 9A, 9B, 10, 14, 15, 16 /14 %
11 2-point response: The author argues that everyone has an obligation to help stop bullying,

even if they are not the person being bullied. He or she argues that if you stand by and watch
someone get bullied without trying to stop it, you are “bullying secondarily.” The author
describes the negative consequences of bullying, such as lowered self-esteem and creating a
cycle of negativity, and offers several suggestions for helping to stop a bully.
19 2-point response: When the author says that Natalie imagined that she was in Jamie’s shoes,

she means that Natalie imagined what it would be like to be Jamie. This idea supports the
theme of the narrative because it shows that we should consider other people’s feelings, as
well as how our actions—or inactions—affect others. The author is also showing readers that
we have a responsibility to tell our friends if we think they are doing something wrong.
20 4-point response: The author of “Standing Up to Bullying” argues that it is everyone’s

responsibility to stop bullying, even if you are not the one being bullied. The text points out

that even if you are not being bullied, you can still relate to the feeling. The author of the text
also gives information about how to stop bullying in several ways: by confronting the bully or
by getting help. Lastly, the text tells some reasons why bullies act the way they do and how it
contributes to a cycle of negativity.
The author of “Natalie and the Bully” does not make an argument directly, but rather tells a
story about a girl who stands up to a bully. The main character, Natalie, feels bad for Jamie
and imagines how she must feel when Kristen bullies her. This connects to the idea in the first
text that everyone can relate to the feeling of being bullied. Natalie chooses one of the ways
to stop bullying that is explained in the first passage: confronting the bully. She does the right
thing and is able to help Kristen see that her bullying actions are wrong. Each author uses a
different method to argue against bullying.

Answer Key Name:
22 2-point response: The author of Source #1 provides details about how the media affected

people’s perception of the civil rights movement—including the police brutality in Selma,
Alabama, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s messages of unity—which in turn helped to bring
about social change in America. The author of Source #2 uses details about how the media
encouraged public support for the war effort, including conservation efforts and an expanded
workforce of women, which helped the United States win World War II. In both cases, the
media helped people feel sympathy for a cause.
23 2-point response: In “In Defense of the Media,” the author’s purpose is to provide evidence

that the media is actually helpful in a conflict, rather than exploitative. The author provides
many details about how television media was responsible for bringing about change during
the civil rights movement. In “How the Media Helped Win World War II,” the author’s
purpose is to prove that the media played an important role in winning World War II. The
author provides details about how the media targeted public opinion through propaganda in
a way that convinced Americans to get behind the war effort.
10-point anchor paper: In the two sources “How the Media Helped Win World War II” and “In
Defense of the Media,” both authors argue that the media is helpful in times of conflict. However,
the positive influence of the media is greatly overstated in both of these sources. In reality, the
media is a business just like banking or farming, and its main purpose has always been to make
money.
In “How the Media Helped Win World War II,” the author argues correctly that the United States
would not have won the war if it were not for public support; however, the idea that the media
is responsible for drumming up support for the war is incorrect. World War II was a fight against
murderous, oppressive regimes that wanted to take over the world. The public did not need any
more reason than that to support the war effort. Also, the public had fathers, brothers, sons, and
friends who were directly involved and wanted to support them despite media propaganda. People
conserved resources and women went to work in factories out of necessity, not because the media
told them to.
The author of “In Defense of the Media” argues that the media helped to advance the civil rights
movement by broadcasting the struggle of people of color all across the country in the 1960s.
Further, the source mentions how “since the advent of television, Americans are able to feel more
empathy for others who are being oppressed.” It’s true that the media did televise the civil rights
movement, but the reason was not so pure as this author would have you believe. The author
even admits that an argument could be made that the media “takes advantage of conflict by
broadcasting it as entertainment in order to make money.” This argument is actually the correct
one. Any positive influence the media had during the civil rights movement was only an unintended
consequence of the media’s desire to make people tune in to their network by broadcasting the
violent and dramatic scenes.
The media makes money when advertisers pay them to show the public their products. But what
if no one is watching? Then advertisers pull financial support and the media cannot be sustained.
This relationship is what drives the media, and any argument otherwise is wrong. Of course there
are incidents when the media is helpful, but there are just as many incidents when the media is
hurtful. For example, sometimes the media jumps to conclusions in order to be the first to report
something. This can cause people to be hurt or incorrect information to be distributed. The media
does not care if it is helpful or hurtful, as long as it continues to generate money from advertisers.

GRADE 8 UNIT 3
from “The Nose”

by Nikolai Gogol
In the following excerpt from the short story “The Nose,” a Russian civil servant
awakens one morning to the disconcerting discovery that his nose has vanished from
his face.
Kovaloff, the member of the Municipal Committee, awoke fairly early that
morning, and made a droning noise—“Brr! Brr!”—through his lips, as he always
did, though he could not say why. He stretched himself, and told his valet to give
him a little mirror which was on the table. He wished to look at the heat-boil
which had appeared on his nose the previous evening; but to his great astonishment,
he saw that instead of his nose he had a perfectly smooth vacancy in his face.
Thoroughly alarmed, he ordered some water to be brought, and rubbed his eyes
with a towel. Sure enough, he had no longer a nose! Then he sprang out of bed,
and shook himself violently! No, no nose any more! He dressed himself and went
at once to the police superintendent . . . .
To increase his misfortune, not a single droshky was to be seen in the street, and
so he was obliged to proceed on foot. He wrapped himself up in his cloak, and
held his handkerchief to his face as though his nose bled. “But perhaps it is all
only my imagination; it is impossible that a nose should drop off in such a silly
way,” he thought, and stepped into a confectioner’s shop in order to look into
the mirror . . . .
He stepped gingerly up to a mirror and looked.

“What an infernal face!” he exclaimed, and spat with disgust. “If there were only
something there instead of the nose, but there is absolutely nothing.”
He bit his lips with vexation, left the confectioner’s, and resolved, quite contrary
to his habit, neither to look nor smile at anyone on the street. Suddenly he halted
as if rooted to the spot before a door, where something extraordinary happened.
A carriage drew up at the entrance; the carriage door was opened, and a
gentleman in uniform came out and hurried up the steps. How great was
Kovaloff’s terror and astonishment when he saw that it was his own nose!
At this extraordinary sight, everything seemed to turn round with him. He felt as
though he could hardly keep upright on his legs; but, though trembling all over as
though with fever, he resolved to wait till the nose should return to the carriage.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
After about two minutes the nose actually came out again. It wore a gold-
embroidered uniform with a stiff, high collar, trousers of chamois leather, and a
sword hung at its side. The hat, adorned with a plume, showed that it held the
rank of a state-councillor. It was obvious that it was paying “duty-calls.” It looked
round on both sides, called to the coachman “Drive on,” and got into the carriage,
which drove away.
Poor Kovaloff nearly lost his reason. He did not know what to think of this
extraordinary procedure. And indeed how was it possible that the nose, which
only yesterday he had on his face, and which could neither walk nor drive, should
wear a uniform? He ran after the carriage, which fortunately had stopped a short
way off before the Grand Bazaar of Moscow. He hurried towards it and pressed
through a crowd of beggar-women with their faces bound up, leaving only two
openings for the eyes, over whom he had formerly so often made merry . . . .
“How can I get at it?” thought Kovaloff. “Everything—the uniform, the hat, and so
on—show that it is a state-councillor. How the deuce has that happened?”
He began to cough discreetly near it, but the nose paid him not the least
attention.
“Honourable sir,” said Kovaloff at last, plucking up courage, “honourable sir.”
“What do you want?” asked the nose, and turned round.
“It seems to me strange, most respected sir—you should know where you belong—
and I find you all of a sudden—where? Judge yourself.”
“Pardon me, I do not understand what you are talking about. Explain yourself
more distinctly.”
“How shall I make my meaning plainer to him?” Then plucking up fresh courage,
he continued, “Naturally—besides I am a Major. You must admit it is not befitting

that I should go about without a nose. An old apple-woman on the Ascension
Bridge may carry on her business without one, but since I am on the look out for
a post; besides in many houses I am acquainted with ladies of high position—
Madame Tchektyriev, wife of a state-councillor, and many others. So you see—I do
not know, honourable sir, what you—” (here the Major shrugged his shoulders).
“Pardon me; if one regards the matter from the point of view of duty and
honour—you will yourself understand—”
“I understand nothing,” answered the nose. “I repeat, please explain yourself
more distinctly.”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
“Honourable sir,” said Kovaloff with dignity, “I do not know how I am to

understand your words. It seems to me the matter is as clear as possible. Or do
you wish—but you are after all my own nose!”
he nose looked at the Major and wrinkled its forehead. “There you are wrong,
T
respected sir; I am myself. Besides, there can be no close relations between us. To
judge by the buttons of your uniform, you must be in quite a different department
to mine.” So saying, the nose turned away.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Kovaloff, the member of the Municipal Committee, awoke fairly early that
morning, and made a droning noise—“Brr! Brr!”—through his lips, as he
always did, though he could not say why. He stretched himself, and told his
valet to give him a little mirror which was on the table. He wished to look at
the heat-boil which had appeared on his nose the previous evening; but to
his great astonishment, he saw that instead of his nose he had a perfectly
smooth vacancy in his face. Thoroughly alarmed, he ordered some water to
be brought, and rubbed his eyes with a towel. Sure enough, he had no
longer a nose! Then he sprang out of bed, and shook himself violently! No,
no nose any more! He dressed himself and went at once to the police
superintendent . . . .
Based on the information in the sentences, what can you reasonably infer
about Kovaloff?
A He has an irritable temper.

B He is financially well off.
C He always gets up early in the morning.
D He pays no attention to his appearance.
Part B: Which evidence from the text best supports the inference you made
about Kovaloff?
A He always says, “Brr!” when he wakes up.

B He looks in the mirror as soon as he wakes up.

C He employs a valet, or personal servant.
D He is alarmed when he sees that his nose has vanished.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following best characterizes the nose, according to its actions

in the last half of the text?
A It is haughty and proud.

B It is good-natured and kind.
C It is friendly and outgoing.
D It is shy and retiring.
Part B: Which of the following quotes from the text best enables the reader to
understand the nose’s character?
A “The hat, adorned with a plume, showed that it held the rank of a state-
councillor. It was obvious that it was paying ‘duty-calls.’”
B “After about two minutes, the nose came out again.”
C “It looked round on both sides, called to the coachman ‘Drive on,’ and got into
the carriage, which drove away.”
D “‘Besides, there can be no close relations between us . . . you must be in quite
a different department to mine.’ So saying, the nose turned away.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following states a central theme in the text?
A Standing in society depends on one’s social rank.

B Human beings are valuable not based on their appearance, but based on
their internal qualities.
C Inability to cope with life’s unexpected events leads to misery.
D For every setback in one’s plans, there is usually a compensating piece of
good luck.
Part B: Which two quotations best support this major theme in the text?
A “He wrapped himself up in his cloak, and held his handkerchief to his face as
though his nose bled.”
B “A carriage drew up at the entrance; the carriage door was opened, and a
gentleman in uniform came out and hurried up the steps.”
C “And indeed how was it possible that the nose, which only yesterday he had
on his face, and which could neither walk nor drive, should wear a uniform?”
D “‘Naturally—besides I am a Major. You must admit it is not befitting that I
should go about without a nose.’”
E “‘Pardon me; if one regards the matter from the point of view of duty and
honour—you will yourself understand—’”
F “‘I am acquainted with ladies of high position—Madame Tchektyriev, wife of a
state councillor, and many others.’”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which describes a universal theme that can be inferred from Kovaloff’s
actions in the text?
A Dreams may often represent unconscious wishes.

B Good manners are important in trying situations.
C Judging by appearances may lead to serious mistakes.
D Hard work will always bring rewards in the end.
Part B: Select the universal theme and the evidence that best supports this
universal theme.
A Kovaloff orders his valet to bring him hot water in the morning.
B Kovaloff hides his face in a handkerchief when he goes outside.
C Kovaloff recognizes the nose’s rank of state councillor by the uniform it wears.
D Kovaloff speaks politely and respectfully when addressing the nose.
“Pardon me, I do not understand what you are talking about. Explain
yourself more distinctly.”
Based on the context in the text, what is the meaning of distinctly?
A politely C loudly

B quietly D clearly
Part B: Which sentence or phrase from the text best helps the reader understand
the meaning of distinctly?
A “He began to cough discreetly near it . . .”

B “How shall I make my meaning plainer to him?”
C “Then plucking up fresh courage, he continued . . .”
D “‘. . . Naturally—besides, I am a Major.’”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Based on the context in the first two paragraphs, what is a droshky?
A a newsstand
B a police officer
C a vehicle for hire
D a cape or coat
Part B: Which sentence or phrase from the first two paragraphs best helps the
reader understand the meaning of droshky?
A “. . . he ordered some water to be brought, and rubbed his eyes . . .”

B “He dressed himself and went at once to the police superintendent.”
C “. . . he was obliged to proceed on foot.”
D “He wrapped himself up in his cloak . . .”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
from “The Earth Is Precious”

by Chief Seattle
In the speech “The Earth Is Precious,” a tribal chief responds to an official proposal from
the United States government regarding purchasing land.
. . . How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to
us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can
you buy them? Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine
needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and
humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap that
courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.
The white man’s dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk
among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of
the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers
are our sisters: the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The
rocky crests, the juiced in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man—all
belong to the same family.
So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our
land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word that he will reserve us a
place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves. He will be our father and we
will be his children. So we will consider your offer to buy our land.
But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. This shining water that moves
in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell

you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children
that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lake tells
of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice
of my father’s father.
The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The river carries our canoes,
and feed[s] our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach
your children, that the rivers are our brothers, and yours, and you must
henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land
is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and
takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his
enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father’s graves
behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the earth from his children, and he
does not care. His father’s grave, and his children’s birthright, are forgotten. He
treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought,
plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and
leave behind only a desert.
I do not know. Our ways are different from your ways. The sight of your cities
pains the eyes of the red man. But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage
and does not understand. There is no quiet place in the white man’s cities. No
place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring, or the rustle of an insect’s wings.
But perhaps it is because the red man is a savage and does not understand. The
clatter only seems to insult the ears. And what is there to life, if a man can not
hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a
pond at night? I am a red man and do not understand. The Indian prefers the soft
sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond, and the smell of the wind
itself, cleaned by a midday rain, or scented with the piñon pine.
The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath—the beast,
the tree, the man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to
notice the air he breathes. For a man dying for many days, he is numb to the
stench. But if we sell you our land, you must remember that the air is precious to
us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our
grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land,
you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to
taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow’s flowers.

So we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make
one condition: The white man must treat the beasts of this earth as his brothers. I
am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting
buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing
train. I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be
more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive. What is man
without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great
loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.
All things are connected.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following best expresses Chief Seattle’s view of selling the

tribal land?
A He thinks the sale of land is a good and promising idea.

B He thinks the sale of land is regrettable but necessary.
C He does not understand the concept of selling land.
D He will not sell the land unless the price is fair.
Part B: Which three sentences or phrases from the text provide the best evidence
of Chief Seattle’s view of selling the tribal land?
A “The idea is strange to us.”

B “If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how
can you buy them?”
C “Our dead never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man.”
D “If we sell you our land, you must remember . . . that the rivers are our
brothers, and yours”
E “If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit.”
Part A: Which statement best summarizes Chief Seattle’s view of American cities?
A He thinks they are big and ugly.

B He thinks they are harsh and noisy.

C He thinks they are busy and exciting.
D He thinks they are dirty and frightening.
Part B: Which of the following sentences or phrases best supports the author’s
view of American cities?
A “We know the white man does not understand our ways.”
B “He leaves his father’s grave behind, and he does not care.”
C “The clatter only seems to insult the ears.”
D “The air is precious to the red man . . .”
GO ON
Name: Date:
But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. This shining water that
moves in the streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our
ancestors. If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you
must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in
the clear water of the lake tells of events and memories in the life of my
people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father.
What is the meaning of sacred?
A holy C valuable
B kind D precious
We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion
of land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the
night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his
brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He
leaves his father’s graves behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the
earth from his children, and he does not care. His father’s grave, and his
children’s birthright, are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his
brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright
beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only a desert.
What is the meaning of devour?
A to conquer triumphantly C to steal selfishly

B to forget carelessly D to eat ravenously
Part B: Which of the following phrases from the text offers the best clue to the

meaning of devour?
A “sold like sheep or bright beads”

B “leave behind only a desert”
C “the red man is a savage”
D “different from your ways”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
The Answers: Shania and Zelda

Shania knew it was never intended as garbage, the answer key to the state
standardized math test. Yet she had found it there, glued to the bottom of a pizza
box by a glob of mozzarella. Shania was used to cleaning up the remnants of
Mr. Porteus’s Hawaiian pizza lunches. It was the most loathsome task of her
after-school service duties. She peeled the test from the box and wrinkled her
nose, flicking bits of pineapple and roasted pork from its cover. The test was only
a few days away, and Shania hadn’t yet found the time to study. She folded the
booklet in half and slipped in into her book bag, glancing around to be sure no
one was watching.
“He counts these and locks them up in a safe,” Shania told her friend Zelda, later,
as she tossed the booklet on her bed. “He must have miscounted.”
The girls stared at the cover of what just may have been the most valuable thing
on Earth to a student struggling in math.
“You have to give it back,” Zelda whispered, leaning closer to the stained cover.
“Yes, of course,” Shania nodded, reaching out to touch the forbidden answer key.
“We have to.” Then she looked at Zelda and flipped open the cover. Both girls
drew back and gasped. Before them was a list of capital letters indicating the
correct answers to the test’s multiple-choice questions.
“Turn the page,” Zelda whispered.
On the next page were diagrams or formulas that explained why each answer was
right or wrong.

“What if we just copied some of the answers—and then put it back?” Shania
suggested, reaching for a notebook and pen.
“Yeah,” Zelda said, slowly nodding. “That could work.”
“I mean, it’s kind of like studying, right?” Shania said, scribbling furiously in her
notebook. “I mean, we have to actually memorize the answers, anyway. Let’s
think of it as a backup. When we take the test, we’ll try to answer correctly
without the key. But if we don’t know the answer, we’ll use it.”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
“Sounds good to me,” Zelda agreed. “This will help us to see where our
thinking was confused, because these tests try to trick you, even when you
know the material.”
“We’re just performing seals in the circus.”
“Porteus is going to eventually figure out that he is one answer key short, and
then what do we do?” Shania wondered as she wrote.
“We get to school early and put it back in his garbage can, under the pizza box,”
said Zelda. “He’ll never know the difference.”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
Me and Shaunique Sitting in a Tree House

Shaunique and I have been friends since I got a tree house in my backyard—actually
it wasn’t really a tree house and it wasn’t really my backyard, but it was ours. Come
to think of it, it was an empty water tank that sat on top of a factory across the alley
behind my house. That old oak water tank smelled like a tree and it was a magical
place where we could feel like we were in our own private castle.
Actually, we had to do a lot of pretending because it was only like a castle in that
it was kind of dark and damp—no one really wanted to live there. Despite the
conditions, we bonded together in a friendship, no, actually it was more of a
brotherhood . . . I guess you could say it was a sisterhood, too, because I was just
starting to be a young man interested in the opposite sex. And Shaunique was the
opposite sex; however, actually, she was more my best friend and soul mate. She
told me what girls thought about me and I told her what guys thought of her.
As a matter of fact, she was brutally honest whereas I was less than candid. I
couldn’t snitch, because the guys would never forgive me if I let her know that
they were all in love with her. So, I fibbed—actually, it wasn’t a lie because the
guys didn’t say they had crushes. I could just tell.
Everything changed the day she told me she was going to cheat on the next math
test. She knew Math and I were not best friends so I would be tempted to cheat,
too. Unfortunately, by telling me, she put me in a pickle. If I let her cheat, half the
class would cheat. They’d all get better grades than me and my usual C would
head toward D, or worse.
Our teacher had told us over and over that if we knew someone was cheating we,
too, would be punished as cheaters. For two days I was sick; I didn’t know what to
do. All I did know was that I couldn’t betray my best friend and I couldn’t let her

cheat. On the other hand, I could help her learn. I texted her to meet at the tree
house. The second she came in I blurted out, “I will tutor you so you don’t have to
cheat!” She was quiet for once, and happily agreed. Actually, that’s not true—in
fact, someone called the police because her screaming sounded like a car alarm.
In the end, she let me teach her math and we both passed the test. Of course, she
may have still cheated but I didn’t see it. But I could feel that I had chosen good
over evil, and I could feel good because I had been loyal to a friend. Actually, I was
ready to cheat because I was so hopelessly in love with her; I would have eaten a
roadkill squirrel if she told me to.
Well . . . that’s not true. I did it because we are sisters, or, uh, brothers—actually,
soul mates. Check that—we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, only she doesn’t know it
yet. Or perhaps, maybe she does.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “The Answers: Shania and Zelda.”
11 What is the theme of “The Answers: Shania and Zelda”? Use details from the text
to support your answer.

Shania knew it was never intended as garbage, the answer key to the state
standardized math test. Yet she had found it there, glued to the bottom of
a pizza box by a glob of mozzarella. Shania was used to cleaning up the
remnants of Mr. Porteus’s Hawaiian pizza lunches. It was the most
loathsome task of her after-school service duties. She peeled the test from
the box and wrinkled her nose, flicking bits of pineapple and roasted pork
from its cover. The test was only a few days away, and Shania hadn’t yet
found the time to study. She folded the booklet in half and slipped in into
her book bag, glancing around to be sure no one was watching.
Based on the context, what is the meaning of loathsome?
A pleasant
B useful
C bizarre
D revolting
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: In “The Answers: Shania and Zelda,” what can we tell about Shania and
Zelda based on their decision to cheat?
A Shania is lazy and Zelda would do anything to get ahead.

B They are unprepared for the test and confident that they will not get caught.
C Zelda is nervous and Shania is used to studying hard for her grades.
D They are worried that they will get in trouble and scared to take the math test.
Part B: Which two sentences best support what we can tell about Shania and
Zelda’s decision to cheat?
A “The test was only a few days away, and Shania hadn’t yet found the time
to study.”
B “‘He counts these and locks them up in a safe,’ Shania told her friend Zelda,
later, as she tossed the booklet on her bed.”
C “Before them was a list of capital letters indicating the correct answers to the
test’s multiple choice questions.”
D “‘We’re just performing seals in the circus.’”
E “‘He’ll never know the difference.’”
Answer these questions about “Me and Shaunique Sitting in a Tree House.”

As a matter of fact, she was brutally honest whereas I was less than candid.

I couldn’t snitch, because the guys would never forgive me if I let her know
that they were all in love with her. So, I fibbed—actually, it wasn’t a lie
because the guys didn’t say they had crushes. I could just tell.
Which phrase in the sentences best shows the meaning of candid?
A “never forgive”
B “had crushes”
C “in love”
D “I fibbed”
E “brutally honest”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following best describes a main lesson learned by the

narrator of “Me and Shaunique Sitting in a Tree House”?
A Sometimes it is a better idea not to speak out loud exactly how you
are feeling.
B Don’t fall in love with your best friend because you may not be friends
anymore.
C Instead of doing what is easy but amoral, do what is challenging but positive.
D You have to turn in cheaters because they will affect your grades and that
isn’t fair.
Part B: What evidence best supports the narrator’s main lesson?
A “They’d all get better grades than me and my usual C would head toward
D, or worse.”
B “All I did know was that I couldn’t betray my best friend and I couldn’t let
her cheat.”
C “The second she came in I blurted out, ‘I will tutor you so you don’t have
to cheat!’”
D “Check that—we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, only she doesn’t know it yet.”
16 What does the narrator mean when he says, “I was less than candid” and how
does this match the tone of the narrative? Use details from the text to support
your answer.
GO ON
Name: Date:
17 In what ways do the students in these texts talk themselves into doing different
things with cheating on the math tests? What do they say to each other to justify
their choices? Use details from the texts to support your answer.
STOP

GRADE 8 UNIT 3
Argumentative Performance Task

Task
It’s sometimes difficult for people to thrive in challenging situations. We all have our
own expectations about how things should be. Sometimes we have a hard time
seeing the positives when faced with difficult situations.
For this task, you will be writing an argument related to the topic of morals. Before
you write your analysis, you will review two sources that provide more information
about a time of struggle. Take notes while you read.
Briefly scan the sources and the three questions that follow. Then go back and read
the sources carefully to gain the information you will need to answer the questions
and write an argument.
In Part 2, you will write an argument on a topic related to the sources.

You will now read two sources. You can re-examine the sources as often as
you like.
Research Questions
After reading the research sources, use the remaining time in Part 1 to answer
should help you write your argument.
You may refer to the sources when you think it would be helpful. You may also
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
Source #1: Remembering the Great Depression

The Great Depression was a difficult time in American history. Banks closed,
companies went out of business, and people lost their jobs and homes. It took
many years for the country to recover. The Great Depression started in 1929 when
the stock market crashed. The stock market is a place where stocks, or parts of
ownership in companies, are bought and sold. Many people bought shares of
companies because they thought the value of their shares would rise. The stock
market had done very well during the 1920s. Most people thought buying stocks
was risk-free and that they would make lots of money.
Unfortunately, they were in for an unpleasant surprise. On October 29th, the
value of stocks dropped, and many investors lost all they had. People who had
borrowed money to buy stocks were deep in debt and could not pay back their
loans. Many banks had to close down for years. People sought jobs, but there was
little work to be found, and wages were low. At the worst point of the Depression,
nearly one in four workers was jobless. People formed lengthy lines for handouts
of food and clothing.
At first, the government did little to help. President Herbert Hoover did not think
it was the government’s job to help the poor, but Franklin Delano Roosevelt
(FDR) disagreed. He was the governor of New York at the start of the Depression.
Under his leadership, the state helped many people, which was one reason why
FDR beat Hoover in the presidential election of 1932.
In his first 100 days in office, Roosevelt created a number of new government
agencies. These departments created jobs for people without work, gave help to
farmers and families in need, and offered hope to a country that had hit bottom.
One such program was the W.P.A., or Works Progress Administration, which

created jobs in different government projects, such as building bridges, painting
murals, and writing guidebooks. Programs such as the W.P.A. were not a quick
fix, but they did start to help the economy. The Depression lingered on into the
1940s as people and businesses continued to struggle. The country still had a long
way to go in order to turn itself around.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
In 1941, the United States entered World War II. This was a huge boost to the
economy. More than 10 million Americans were part of the military, and many
were sent overseas for battle. That left a lot of jobs to be filled back home, leading
many new people to be hired. In addition, other countries in the war wanted the
United States to provide them with supplies such as weapons, ammunition, ships,
and more. The United States created millions of new factory jobs to help build
supplies. The government spent a lot of money to protect the country from
attacks. People who had been struggling and out of work for years suddenly had a
way to make ends meet. Since people now had money to spend, businesses began
to thrive and prosper once more. Banks re-opened, the economy grew, and over
time, the country became healthy again. The Great Depression finally came to
an end.
Although the economy returned to normal after the Great Depression, memories
of those difficult days will never fade. Many people lost their homes, their jobs,
and all of their life savings. Times were difficult, but the country learned some
important lessons. These might help the nation get through whatever tough times
may lie ahead.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3
Source #2: FDR’s First Inaugural Address

In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They
concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic
levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is
faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the
currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side;
farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands
of families are gone.
More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of
existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish
optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.
Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague
of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered because
they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature
still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our
doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply.
Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have
failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have
admitted their failure, and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money
changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and
minds of men.
True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn
tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more
money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their
false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored

confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have
no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.
The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our
civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of
the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than
mere monetary profit.
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of
achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work
no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark
days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be
ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.
GO ON
Name: Date:
18 According to Source #1, what were some of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ideas to
best help people during the Great Depression? Select two choices.
A FDR wanted to open more than 10 million jobs in the military.

B FDR thought building bridges would help struggling businesses.
C FDR spent little money to protect the country from attacks.
D FDR created jobs in different government projects with the W.P.A.
E FDR gave help to farmers and families in need because of his agencies.
19 How do the two sources, “Remembering the Great Depression” and “FDR’s First
Inaugural Address,” focus on different aspects of the Great Depression? Cite details
from both texts to support your ideas.
20 Which source would be more useful for making the argument that people need to
find happiness in something that does not involve money? Explain why, and provide
at least two pieces of evidence from that source to support your ideas.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 3

You will now look at your sources, take notes, and plan, draft, revise, and edit
your argument. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now read your
assignment and the information about how your argument will be scored; then
begin your work.
Your Assignment
Your teacher would like you to write an argument about the important lessons
that the country learned during the Great Depression, using the two sources.
Write a multi-paragraph argument that explains the most important lesson
described in both texts. Your argument will be read by the teacher and students
in your class. In your argument, clearly state your claim and support it by using
thoroughly developed reasons and evidence taken from both sources you
have read.
Argumentative Article Scoring
Your article will be scored using the following:
1. Organization/Purpose: How clearly did you state and maintain your claim with
a logical progression of ideas from beginning to end? How logically did your ideas
flow from beginning to end? How often did you use effective transitions? How
effective was your introduction and your conclusion?
2. Evidence/Elaboration: How well did you provide evidence from sources about
your argument? How well did you elaborate with specific information?
3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar, usage, punctuation,
Now begin work on your argumentative article. Manage your time carefully so

that you can plan, write, revise, and edit the final draft of your article. Write your
STOP

Answer Key Name:
1A B
Textual Evidence RL.8.1 Claim 1 Target 1 3
1B C
2A A
RL.8.1,
RL.8.3
2B D
3A A
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
3B D, F
4A B
Theme RL.8.2 Claim 1 Target 2 3
4B D
5A D
Word Meanings, Textual L.8.4a,
Evidence RL.8.1
5B A
6A C
Evidence RL.8.1
6B C
7A C
Central or Main Idea, RI.8.1,
Textual Evidence RI.8.2
7B A, B, D
8A B Author's Purpose and

RI.8.1,
Author's Point of View, Claim 1 Targets 8, 11 2
RI.8.6
8B C Textual Evidence
9 A Connotation and Denotation L.8.5c Claim 1 Target 10 2

10A D
Evidence RL.8.1
10B B
12 D Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 3 3
13A B
Character, Textual Evidence RL.8.3 Claim 1 Target 5 2
13B A, E
14 E Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 3 3

Answer Key Name:
15A C
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
15B B
16 see below Tone RL.8.4 Claim 1 Target 7 4
17 see below Compare Across Texts W.8.9 Claim 1 Target 5 3
18 D, E Analyze/Research RI.8.2 Claim 4 Target 2 3

Argumentative Performance
Article see below W.8.1a-e Claim 2 Target 7 4
Task
Comprehension: Selected Response 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 7A, /17 %
7B, 8A, 8B, 13A, 13B, 15A, 15B, 18
Vocabulary 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 9, 10A, 10B, 12, 14 /12 %
11 2-point response: The central idea of “The Answers: Shania and Zelda” is about how people

react when given the opportunity to benefit from getting something they should not have,
which in this case, is the answer key to a test. Shania and Zelda decide to use the answers to
cheat and try to get away with doing something they know is wrong.
16 2-point response: Throughout his narration the narrator says one thing and then explains

what he really meant. When he admits that he was less than candid, he can’t just simply say
that he has a hard time telling his friend what she needs to do. The words match the tone of
this narration, which is filled with his fake version of events followed by the real events.
17 4-point response: The students in these texts talk themselves into doing different things with

cheating on the math tests. In “The Answers: Shania and Zelda,” Shania tells Zelda that using

the answers is like studying, and Zelda agrees that this is justified because the test only tries
to trick you. “Me and Shaunique Sitting in a Tree House” focuses on standing up to a friend
whom you believe is violating a moral code even though it may harm your friendship. The
narrator wants to tutor his friend in math so that she doesn’t get in trouble for cheating. The
characters choose to act in opposite ways when it comes to the math test.
19 2-point response: “Remembering the Great Depression” focuses more on the Great

Depression as a whole and some of the things FDR did to help the economy. “FDR’s First
Inaugural Address” takes a much more personal approach with the event by seeing what
FDR says to encourage people during this difficult time. Source #1 is more about the
general history of the struggle while Source #2 is about how “happiness lies not in the mere
possession of money.”

Answer Key Name:
20 2-point response: Source #2, “FDR’s First Inaugural Address,” would be more useful for

making the argument that people need to find happiness in something that does not involve
money. In his address, FDR keeps reminding people that things can be much worse and that
we have so much to be thankful for, especially when compared with what our ancestors
battled. We are surrounded by nature and creative endeavors that we need to take advantage
of. We also have to focus on how “we apply social values more noble than mere monetary
profit.” There is more to life than obtaining money.
10-point anchor paper: The Great Depression was a very challenging time in American history. It
took years for the country to recover as banks closed, companies went out of business, and people
lost their jobs and homes. However, people still held hope that things would get better. Franklin
Delano Roosevelt talked about appreciating the little things, which is the most important lesson
learned during this difficult time.
The Great Depression started when the stock market, which is a place where stocks, or parts of
ownership in companies, are bought and sold, crashed. Many people thought the value of their
shares would rise and that they would make lots of money. However, the value of stocks dropped,
and many people lost all they had. People couldn’t find jobs, and wages were low. The most
important part of “Remembering the Great Depression” occurs at the end when it says that the
country learned important lessons to “get through whatever tough times may lie ahead.” Things
were difficult but it became important to remember that there was more to life than money and
material wealth.
For Source #2, FDR talks about appreciating more than just money. The lesson from the article is to
not focus on our possessions but on the less obvious aspects that bring us happiness. As FDR states,
“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill
of creative effort.” It is especially important to be thankful during difficult times. FDR emphasizes
the lesson that it is not money that matters in life, but happiness that arises from simple pleasures
that cannot be bought. Finding comfort in intellectual and creative thrills are what truly matter.
The Great Depression forced people to find joy in ways that are not so apparent. Material wealth is
not everything, especially while nature still offers so many unique and satisfying experiences. The
lesson to be learned is that monetary profit will not be enough during times of struggle such as
this one.

GRADE 8 UNIT 4
from The Call of the Wild

by Jack London
In the following excerpt from the novel The Call of the Wild, an Alaskan dog runs long
distances as part of a sled team.
They made Sixty Mile, which is a fifty-mile run, on the first day; and the second
day saw them booming up the Yukon well on their way to Pelly. But such splendid
running was achieved not without great trouble and vexation on the part of
François. The insidious revolt led by Buck had destroyed the solidarity of the
team. It no longer was as one dog leaping in the traces. The encouragement Buck
gave the rebels led them into all kinds of petty misdemeanors. No more was Spitz
a leader greatly to be feared. The old awe departed, and they grew equal to
challenging his authority. Pike robbed him of half a fish one night, and gulped
it down under the protection of Buck. Another night Dub and Joe fought Spitz
and made him forego the punishment they deserved. And even Billee, the
good-natured, was less good-natured, and whined not half so placatingly as in
former days. Buck never came near Spitz without snarling and bristling
menacingly. In fact, his conduct approached that of a bully, and he was given
to swaggering up and down before Spitz’s very nose.
The breaking down of discipline likewise affected the dogs in their relations with
one another. They quarreled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till
at times the camp was a howling bedlam. Dave and Sol-leks alone were unaltered,
though they were made irritable by the unending squabbling. François swore
strange barbarous oaths, and stamped the snow in futile rage, and tore his hair.

His lash was always singing among the dogs, but it was of small avail. Directly his
back was turned they were at it again. He backed up Spitz with his whip, while
Buck backed up the remainder of the team. François knew he was behind all the
trouble, and Buck knew he knew; but Buck was too clever ever again to be caught
red-handed. He worked faithfully in the harness, for the toil had become a delight
to him; yet it was a greater delight slyly to precipitate a fight amongst his mates
and tangle the traces.
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 4
At the mouth of the Tahkeena, one night after supper, Dub turned up a snowshoe
rabbit, blundered it, and missed. In a second the whole team was in full cry. A
hundred yards away was a camp of the Northwest Police, with fifty dogs, huskies
all, who joined the chase. The rabbit sped down the river, turned off into a small
creek, up the frozen bed of which it held steadily. It ran lightly on the surface of
the snow, while the dogs ploughed through by main strength. Buck led the pack,
sixty strong, around bend after bend, but he could not gain. He lay down low to
the race, whining eagerly, his splendid body flashing forward, leap by leap, in the
wan white moonlight. And leap by leap, like some pale frost wraith, the snowshoe
rabbit flashed on ahead.
All that stirring of old instincts which at stated periods drives men out from the
sounding cities to forest and plain to kill things by chemically propelled leaden
pellets, the blood lust, the joy to kill—all this was Buck’s, only it was infinitely
more intimate. He was ranging at the head of the pack, running the wild thing
down, the living meat, to kill with his own teeth and wash his muzzle to the eyes
in warm blood.
here is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot
T
rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive,
and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. This ecstasy, this
forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet
of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad on a stricken field and refusing quarter;
and it came to Buck, leading the pack, sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after
the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight.
He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were
deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. He was mastered by the sheer
surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle,
joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow
and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars
and over the face of dead matter that did not move.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following is the best inference that can be made based on

the events in this text?
A Buck is becoming head of the pack.

B Buck is risking the safety of the sled.
C Buck is making an enemy of François.
D Buck is trying to escape from bondage.
Part B: Which of the following quotations from the text gives evidence for the best
inference about the meaning of the events?
A “Directly his back was turned they were at it again.”

B “Buck led the pack, sixty strong, around bend after bend.”
C “But such splendid running was achieved not without great trouble and
vexation on the part of François.”
D “They quarreled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till at times
the camp was a howling bedlam.”
Part A: Which of the following best describes François?
A He is frustrated by the dogs’ lack of discipline.

B He is too cruel to be effective in running his team.
C He is a kind-hearted owner who loves his animals.

D He is inexperienced at leading a team of sled dogs.
Part B: Which of the following gives the best evidence about François’s character?
A “The breaking down of discipline likewise affected the dogs in their relations
with one another.”
B “François swore strange barbarous oaths, and stamped the snow in futile
rage, and tore his hair.”
C “Such splendid running was achieved not without great trouble and vexation
on the part of François.”
D “He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the
perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following states a central theme in the text?
A Humans and animals will never understand each other.

B Life in the wilderness is the most exciting type of experience.
C Cooperation between humans and animals is the key to a good life for both.
D The greatest moments in life occur when a creature follows its truest instincts.
Part B: Which quotation best supports a theme in the text?
A “He worked faithfully in the harness, for the toil had become a delight to him.”
B “The encouragement Buck gave the rebels led them into all kinds of petty
misdemeanors.”
C “He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that
were deeper than he.”
D “The rabbit sped down the river, turned off into a small creek, up the frozen
bed of which it held steadily.”
Part A: Which of the following describes a theme that can be inferred from the
events in this text?
A Natural ability is a factor in success.

B A group is smarter than a single individual.
C Animals, like people, find it hard to change.
D Those who try to seize control of a group usually fail.
Part B: Which of the following quotations from the text best supports a theme of
the action?
A “At times the camp was a howling bedlam.”

B “It no longer was as one dog leaping in the traces.”
C “No more was Spitz a leader greatly to be feared.”
D “Buck was too clever ever again to be caught red-handed.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Read the following sentences from the text.
The breaking down of discipline likewise affected the dogs in their relations
with one another. They quarreled and bickered more than ever among
themselves, till at times the camp was a howling bedlam. Dave and Sol-leks
alone were unaltered, though they were made irritable by the unending
squabbling. François swore strange barbarous oaths, and stamped the snow
in futile rage, and tore his hair. His lash was always singing among the dogs,
but it was of small avail. Directly his back was turned they were at it again.
He backed up Spitz with his whip, while Buck backed up the remainder of
the team. François knew he was behind all the trouble, and Buck knew he
knew; but Buck was too clever ever again to be caught red-handed. He
worked faithfully in the harness, for the toil had become a delight to him;
yet it was a greater delight slyly to precipitate a fight amongst his mates and
tangle the traces. At the mouth of the Tahkeena, one night after supper,
Dub turned up a snowshoe rabbit, blundered it, and missed. In a second
the whole team was in full cry.
Based on the context, what does the phrase his lash was always singing mean?
A The lash had a life of its own.

B François used the lash angrily.
C The lash made a high, ringing sound.
D The dogs wailed when the lash hit them.

Part B: Which sentence from the text best helps the reader understand the
meaning of his lash was always singing?
A “At times the camp was a howling bedlam.”

B “He backed up Spitz with his whip.”
C “François swore strange barbarous oaths.”
D “In a second the whole team was in full cry.”
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Name: Date:
6 Read the following sentences from the text.
This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and
out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad on a
stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack,
sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that
fled swiftly before him through the moonlight. He was sounding the deeps
of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going
back into the womb of Time. He was mastered by the sheer surging of life,
the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and
sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and
rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars
and over the face of dead matter that did not move.
Based on the text, what does the word ecstasy mean?
A a sensation of being carried away by joy

B the comfort of belonging to the group
C the knowledge of having done one’s best
D a sense of having been in the same place before
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 4
from “A Piece of Chalk”

by G. K. Chesterton
In this excerpt from the essay “A Piece of Chalk,” the author recalls an incident of
searching for chalk and drawing a picture.
I remember one splendid morning, all blue and silver, in the summer holidays
when I reluctantly tore myself away from the task of doing nothing in particular,
and put on a hat of some sort and picked up a walking-stick, and put six very
bright-coloured chalks in my pocket. I then went into the kitchen . . . and asked
the owner and occupant of the kitchen if she had any brown paper. She had a
great deal; in fact, she had too much . . . When she understood that I wanted to
draw she offered to overwhelm me with note-paper . . .
I then tried to explain the rather delicate logical shade, that I not only liked brown
paper, but liked the quality of brownness in paper, just as I liked the quality of
brownness in October woods, or in beer, or in the peat-streams of the North.
Brown paper represents the primal twilight of the first toil of creation, and with a
bright-coloured chalk or two you can pick out points of fire in it, sparks of gold,
and blood-red, and sea-green, like the first fierce stars that sprang out of divine
darkness. All this I said (in an off-hand way) to the old woman; and I put the
brown paper in my pocket along with the chalks, and possibly other things. I
suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the
things that one carries in one’s pocket; the pocket-knife, for instance, the type of
all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to write a book of poems
entirely about the things in my pockets. But I found it would be too long; and the

age of the great epics is past.
.....
I crossed one swell of living turf after another, looking for a place to sit down and
draw. Do not, for heaven’s sake, imagine I was going to sketch from Nature. I was
going to draw devils and seraphim, and blind old gods that men worshipped
before the dawn of right, and saints in robes of angry crimson, and seas of strange
green, and all the sacred or monstrous symbols that look so well in bright colours
on brown paper. They are much better worth drawing than Nature; also they are
much easier to draw. When a cow came slouching by in the field next to me, a
mere artist might have drawn it; but I always get wrong in the hind legs of
quadrupeds. So I drew the soul of the cow; which I saw there plainly walking
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
before me in the sunlight; and the soul was all purple and silver, and had seven
horns and the mystery that belongs to all the beasts. But though I could not with a
crayon get the best out of the landscape, it does not follow that the landscape was
not getting the best out of me. And this, I think, is the mistake that people make
about the old poets who lived before Wordsworth, and were supposed not to care
very much about Nature because they did not describe it much.
They preferred writing about great men to writing about great hills; but they sat
on the great hills to write it. They gave out much less about Nature, but they
drank in, perhaps, much more. They painted the white robes of their holy virgins
with the blinding snow, at which they had stared all day. They blazoned the
shields of their paladins with the purple and gold of many heraldic sunsets.
The greenness of a thousand green leaves clustered into the live green figure of
Robin Hood. The blueness of a score of forgotten skies became the blue robes of
the Virgin. The inspiration went in like sunbeams and came out like Apollo.
.....
But as I sat scrawling these silly figures on the brown paper, it began to dawn on
me, to my great disgust, that I had left one chalk, and that a most exquisite and
essential chalk, behind. I searched all my pockets, but I could not find any white
chalk. Now, those who are acquainted with all the philosophy (nay, religion)
which is typified in the art of drawing on brown paper, know that white is
positive and essential. I cannot avoid remarking here upon a moral significance.
One of the wise and awful truths which this brown-paper art reveals, is this, that
white is a colour. It is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative
thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black . . .
.....
I sat on the hill in a sort of despair . . . I stared stupidly round, racking my brain for
expedients. Then I suddenly stood up and roared with laughter, again and again,
so that the cows stared at me and called a committee. Imagine a man in the Sahara
regretting that he had no sand for his hour-glass. Imagine a gentleman in mid-ocean
wishing that he had brought some salt water with him for his chemical experiments.
I was sitting on an immense warehouse of white chalk. The landscape was made
entirely out of white chalk. White chalk was piled more miles until it met the sky.
I stooped and broke a piece off the rock I sat on; it did not mark so well as the shop
chalks do; but it gave the effect. And I stood there in a trance of pleasure, realising
that this Southern England is not only a grand peninsula, and a tradition and a
civilisation; it is something even more admirable. It is a piece of chalk.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Read the following sentences from the text.
I remember one splendid morning, all blue and silver, in the summer
holidays when I reluctantly tore myself away from the task of doing nothing
in particular, and put on a hat of some sort and picked up a walking-stick,
and put six very bright-coloured chalks in my pocket. I then went into the
kitchen . . . and asked the owner and occupant of the kitchen if she had any
brown paper. She had a great deal; in fact, she had too much . . . . When
she understood that I wanted to draw she offered to overwhelm me with
note-paper . . .
Which word best describes the author’s purpose and point of view?
A bitter
B ironic
C nostalgic
D melancholy
Part B: Which phrase from the text best demonstrates the author’s purpose and
point of view?
A “I reluctantly tore myself away”

B “I remember one splendid morning”
C “to overwhelm me with note-paper”
D “the owner and occupant of the kitchen”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following claims does the author make in paragraph 2?
A Small everyday objects are beautiful.

B Visual art is more lasting than literature.
C Drawing is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
D The most important things are hardest to explain.
Part B: Which of the following phrases best supports the author’s claim in
paragraph 2?
A “the rather delicate logical shade”

B “the age of the great epics is past”
C “the primal twilight of the first toil of creation”
D “how poetical are the things that one carries in one’s pocket”
But as I sat scrawling these silly figures on the brown paper, it began to
dawn on me, to my great disgust, that I had left one chalk, and that a most
exquisite and essential chalk, behind. I searched all my pockets, but I could
not find any white chalk. Now, those who are acquainted with all the
philosophy (nay, religion) which is typified in the art of drawing on brown
paper, know that white is positive and essential. I cannot avoid remarking
here upon a moral significance. One of the wise and awful truths which this
brown-paper art reveals, is this, that white is a colour. It is not a mere

absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red,
as definite as black . . .
Which two of the following phrases from the text offer the best clues to the
meaning of affirmative?
A “positive and essential” D “white is a colour”

B “wise and awful truths” E “as fierce as red”
C “not a mere absence” F “as definite as black”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which of the following points of view about England does the author

express in the last paragraph?
A He regrets being English.

B He is proud of his country.
C He hopes to improve England.
D He thinks English customs are fun.
Part B: Which phrase from the last paragraph provides the best evidence of the
author’s attitude toward England?
A “a piece of chalk”

B “a trance of pleasure”
C “it did not mark so well”
D “a tradition and a civilization”
GO ON
GRADE 8 UNIT 4
Leave Orcas in the Ocean

A recent documentary film attacked the treatment of orcas at an ocean
amusement park. The film suggested that one of its whales caused the death of a
trainer. It blamed the whale’s behavior on the stressful conditions of its captivity.
On social media sites, people began talking about “abusement” parks and orcas
trapped in tanks like pickles in a jar.
Some lawmakers tried to pass bills that would prevent orcas from being held in
captivity. The amusement park quickly defended itself by saying that the film
contained many errors. Its officials insist that they spend millions of dollars
on state of the art facilities to provide comfortable pools for marine mammals.
Animal rights groups point out that orcas can swim one hundred miles a day
in their natural environment while captive orcas float for hours in the blazing
sun, in tanks that aren’t deep enough to dive down for relief from the heat
and light.
Complicating matters is the fact that little is known about orcas in the wild. They
live in remote northern waters and travel much of the time. Scientists working
for this amusement park have discovered details about orcas’ reproductive
system, anatomy, and learning behaviors. Critics point out that the amusement
park only knows this because it trains animals in performing for their profit.
They also criticize the park for breeding orcas too often, though park
representatives claim that its breeding program prevents them from having
to take orcas from the wild. The film also highlighted this barbaric practice,
illustrating how separating captive orcas from their tight-knit family pod
causes great stress and even death.

The causes and blame for the tragic deaths of handlers is also a subject of much
debate. The park admits that there is danger in allowing tiny humans to interact
with creatures vastly larger and more powerful. Yet their staff maintains that
every precaution is taken to avoid injuries. They claim that the deaths were rare
and unusual events, and not the result of stress or faulty treatment of orcas.
The film suggests the opposite. It maintains that these complex creatures have
minds of their own and choose to react capriciously because they are unhappy
or suffering.
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
umans cannot get into the mind of a giant sea mammal to understand whether
H
the recent death of an orca’s trainer was the result of a game gone wrong or
behavior outside the norm that could not be controlled. The park insists its
animals aren’t forced to perform, and that they do so willingly. However, it is
obvious that these animals would rather be in the wild. It is too late for those in
captivity, who would not know how to hunt and would not be able to join a pod.
Perhaps the only answer is to stop using animals for human entertainment.
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
I Have Trained Camels to Dance

I have trained camels to dance, hairy spiders to hit their spots from twenty feet
up, and I have caused a dog to argue with her master in clever, convincing barks.
That is the gift I as an animal trainer bring to our nation’s television networks,
which I now regret. I cajoled dolphins to do whatever the director wanted, things
they didn’t do in their natural lives. But they were so intelligent that they gave
their boss what was wanted and then they’d be rewarded. This is a lesson few
members of the human workforce ever master.
I was the man hired to train an orca at an amusement park that entertained guests
with 12,000-pound beasts breeching into the air and splashing down on cue,
obeying their handlers. From the very first time I worked with orcas I sensed that
they needed extremely delicate conditions in order to feel calm. I could easily
detect the off-ness of these mammals. I could tell when they did not want to
perform. The problem was that my employer wanted me to work with an older
bull male they had bought from another, failing park. He had caused the death
of a trainer, whom he had “playfully” pinned to the bottom of his tank.
When I first observed the bull they called Tadam, I noticed the telltale sign of a
captive male. He had a drooping dorsal fin at the top of his body. Wild orcas do
not have this. Some scientists think it is the first sign of stress. Other say its cause
is unknown or unproven. Yet as I began to read more about orcas in the wild and
in captivity, I realized that there is nothing natural about a huge animal living in a
tank instead of roaming the sea.
I had heard rumors that Tadam was considered aggressive. However, he is a
“killer whale” after all, a name given to these intelligent, social mammals because
they munch on seals to provide the three hundred pounds of prey they need per
day to survive. Tadam has the rake marks of sharp teeth down his sides. He had
put a few rake marks on the other orcas he used to live with. He was removed
after he kept ramming another male, injuring it. When I met him, he floated
listlessly in a tank too shallow for his tail, which trailed along the bottom in
defeat. He didn’t eat well and his fins were covered with warts from a virus he
couldn’t shake. And worse, he wouldn’t make eye contact with me. It has been
my experience with every critter from snakes to giraffes, that if they won’t engage
with you, there is trouble. If they won’t begin a relationship and stare you down,
they either don’t care because you are nothing to them, or they think you are
something they may have to attack.

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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
I told Tadam’s owners he needed to be set free in a giant net enclosure in a nearby
bay. I realized he had been in OceanPlanet too long to return to the wild like any
other orca. He now swims around in a deep refuge. He’s mostly alone, but at least
he has fresh seawater and can breech when he wants to, not just to hear the
squeals of the crowd as his splash soaks them.
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Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “Leave Orcas in the Ocean.”
11 What is the author’s main claim in “Leave Orcas in the Ocean”? Use details from
the text to support your answer.
Part A: How does the author of “Leave Orcas in the Ocean” respond to conflicting

viewpoints?
A The author shows how the park’s owners have been able to discredit the film.
B The author reveals how the amusement park argues against the claims made
in the film.
C The author uses scientific data to show that the amusement park is harming
the orcas.
D The author discusses how opinions on social media disprove the park owners’
statements.
Part B: Which of the following sentences from the text best illustrates the author’s
response to critics?
A “Complicating matters is the fact that little is known about orcas in the wild.”
B “The amusement park quickly defended itself by saying that the film
contained many errors.”
C “It maintains that these complex creatures have minds of their own and
choose to react capriciously because they are unhappy or suffering.”
D “On social media sites, people began talking about ‘abusement’ parks
and orcas trapped like pickles in a jar.”
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Name: Date:
13 Read the following sentences from the text.
Critics point out that the amusement park only knows this because it trains
animals in performing for their profit. They also criticize the park for
breeding orcas too often, though park representatives claim that its breeding
program prevents them from having to take orcas from the wild. The film
also highlighted this barbaric practice, illustrating how separating captive
orcas from their tight-knit family pod causes great stress and even death.
Based on the context, what is the meaning of barbaric?
A brutal C difficult
B crafty D outdated

The causes and blame for the tragic deaths of handlers is also a subject of much
debate. The park admits that there is danger in allowing tiny humans to interact
with creatures vastly larger and more powerful. Yet their staff maintains that
every precaution is taken to avoid injuries. They claim that the deaths were rare
and unusual events, and not the result of stress or faulty treatment of orcas. The
film suggests the opposite. It maintains that these complex creatures have
minds of their own and choose to react capriciously because they are unhappy
or suffering. Humans cannot get into the mind of a giant sea mammal to
understand whether the recent death of an orca’s trainer was the result of a
game gone wrong or behavior outside the norm that could not be controlled.

Based on the context, what does capriciously mean?
A wildly C angrily
B unpredictably D intelligently
Part B: Which two expressions in the text best help the reader understand the
meaning of capriciously?
A “tragic deaths of handlers” D “minds of their own”

B “creatures vastly larger” E “get into the mind”
C “rare and unusual events” F “a game gone wrong”
GO ON
Name: Date:
Answer these questions about “I Have Trained Camels to Dance.”
Part A: Which of the following best describes a main lesson learned by the

narrator of “I Have Trained Camels to Dance”?
A The only solution was not training the orca.

B Dolphins were smarter than most workers.
C A new pool would allow this animal to be trained.
D The best way to train an orca was get its attention.
Part B: What evidence from the text best supports the narrator’s main lesson?
A “. . . I realized that there is nothing natural about a huge animal living in a
tank instead of roaming the sea.”
B “When I met him, he floated listlessly in a tank too shallow for his tail . . .”
C “And worse, he wouldn’t make eye contact with me.”
D “I realized he had been in Ocean Planet too long to return to the wild like
any other orca.”
16 How is the narrator’s character revealed to the reader in the first paragraph of
the text?
A The narrator admits he was hired to do a job that he now realizes was harmful
to the animals he trained.
B The narrator realizes how excited he is to have a job that gives him fame and
television exposure.
C The narrator is not able to understand why anyone could be critical of his job.
D The narrator is happy to have a job that pays him well in addition to
contributing positively to society.
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Name: Date:
17 What does the narrator mean when he says he could easily detect “the offness of
these animals”? Use details from the passage to support your answer.
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Name: Date:
18 In what ways are these texts similar? In what ways are they different? Include
details from both texts in your explanation.
STOP

GRADE 8 UNIT 4
Explanatory Performance Task

Task
Your class is learning about explanatory writing. Your teacher has asked you to write
an explanatory article on a topic based on two sources. Before you begin, you will
read two informational articles on environmental topics.
After you read these articles, you will answer some questions about them. Briefly
scan the articles and the three questions that follow. Then, go back and read the
articles carefully to gain the information you will need to answer the questions and
write your own explanatory article. Take notes as you read.
In Part 2, you will write your explanatory article based on the two informational
sources about environmental topics.

You will now read two informational articles on environmental topics. You can
re-examine both as often as you like.
Research Questions
After reading the two articles, use the remaining time in Part 1 to answer three
questions about them. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also, your
answers will help you think about the articles you have read, which should help
you write your own conclusions.
You may refer to the articles when you think it would be helpful. You may also
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
Source #1: Fracking Threatens Everyone

At first, the idea of fracking seems harmless, brilliant, and at the same time a
godsend. It helps America remove its dependency on foreign oil and dirty coal. The
practice has been around for a long time. Originally, it was called hydrofracking.
Over time, water wells become plugged up with sand and other minerals. A
machine is brought in to inject water into the well at extreme pressure to blow
out the tiny cracks and fissures in the rock through which the water flows. This
increases the water flow out of the well. This has been safe and effective. However,
today, hydrofracking uses more than water and its purpose is to draw oil and gas
out of the layers of rock deep beneath the surface.
Shale layers of rock hold a type of oil that doesn’t flow up to the surface in a
gusher like in the movies. Fracking injects large quantities of water under great
pressure with sand and many toxic chemicals mixed in. Many of these can cause
cancer. Under perfect conditions, the oil industry maintains that the polluted
water and chemicals that come back up the well with the extracted oil and natural
gas can be cleaned up without any problems. Like all things in life, this doesn’t
always work out perfectly. Unfortunately, when fracking goes wrong, sources of
drinking water can be ruined and all different types of pollution can happen in
a second.
This makes fracking a gamble for communities and individuals who may be
tempted by the large amounts of money being offered to those who allow their
land to be used for fracking. There are horror stories of runoff from fracking
operations killing everything in a local stream or even polluting lakes and water
systems. There are videos of farmers lighting their kitchen faucets on fire. The
methane released from fracking burns a blue flame. Small earthquakes have been
reported from changes of the rock structure thousands of feet underground.

Additionally, gases that have been released create air pollution and contribute to
climate change.
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
The industry has argued that only a few bad operators doing shoddy work have
caused this. They point out that when best practices are used with quality
equipment fracking is safe. There’s no arguing that this source of energy will keep
us from having to burn as much coal because natural gas is far cleaner. And some
of the pollution does come from older practices. Nevertheless, as scientists study
water samples of wastewater from fracking that was supposedly cleaned up and
realize it is still bad, they are learning that undoing pollution isn’t that easy. Since
2012, over 280 billion gallons of wastewater has been generated. Much of this has
become salty brine that is extremely difficult to purify.
omplicating all this is a lack of state and federal regulations of this new
C
technology. The oil lobby is very skilled at keeping politicians from passing laws
that threaten their profits. Fracking remains a dangerous practice that poses a
threat even if it is done correctly and is carefully monitored.
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
Source #2: The Curse of Water Bottles

Not long ago, if someone was thirsty, they went and got a glass of water out of the
faucet. Today, families bring home cases of small plastic bottles filled with water.
Sometimes people pay nearly $2 for a water bottle in a convenience store for a
drink, which only costs pennies from their tap. Americans bought 29 million
water bottles last year. They used more than any other country. But however
convenient they are to bring to a soccer game or the gym, those little bottles are
destroying our land, oceans, and atmosphere. What was once so easy to enjoy is
proving very hard to control.
If you filled a fourth of any water bottle with crude oil, you’d see that it takes that
much oil pumped out of the ground to make that single bottle. The oil used to
create water bottles in America would power a million cars for a year. This would
be manageable if those 29 million bottles were recycled into carpets, clothing, and
playground equipment. Yet only 1 out of every 6 bottles is returned. The other
five are scattered across vacant lots or take up valuable space in our landfills. They
will take hundreds of years to break down.
People say they use water bottles because the water in them is cleaner. However,
tests have shown that tap water is even cleaner in most places in America. And
the real joke is that 25% of the water in those bottles came from public water
supplies. What is not funny is that the cheap plastic used in many bottles may
contaminate the water inside if it is left in some warehouse for too long.
Chemicals leach out of the plastic and can cause major health problems like
damaging the human immune system.
Shipping water in bottles uses even more oil and adds costs. Eighteen million
bottles of Fiji water were brought across the ocean to California. Water from
Western Europe is hauled to New York and then trucked across the country to
states that have plenty of good fresh water at the turn of a faucet. Advertisers
market countless brands without any control of the water in those bottles.
Some states have tried to put a nickel return fee on water bottles like those on
soda and other beverages. But millions of dollars go unredeemed and grocery
stores hate handling the garbage. Many have called for states to create redemption
centers that would recycle all kinds of plastic and electronics.
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4
We are drowning in plastic. Every five minutes we throw away enough bottles to
cover deeply 8 football fields. Floating plastic in the ocean forms trash mats and
one of them off the California coast is bigger than Texas.
here are solutions like using your own personal water bottle and refilling it.
T
Some cities are fining homeowners and businesses for not recycling. The simple
fact remains: if people took the time to recycle these bottles, enough energy to
light up a light bulb for six hours could be saved from every single water bottle.
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Name: Date:
19 Which two major central ideas can be found in both sources?

A Even things that help us can pose a threat to our health.
B The burden of something becoming popular will often make it hard to control.
C When something is not properly controlled and regulated, it can pose
great danger.
D The solutions to serious problems can be found as long as humans keep trying
to solve them.
F Something that was once safe can when used for different purposes
become dangerous.
20 In “The Curse of Water Bottles” and “Fracking Threatens Everyone,” what are
the most important details each author uses to support the central idea? Use
details from both sources to support your answer. Be sure to identify each piece
of information by the source title or number.
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Name: Date:
21 The author of each source writes with a clear purpose. Explain each author’s
purpose for writing the text, using information from both sources to support
your answer.
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GRADE 8 UNIT 4

You will now look at the two articles, take notes, and plan, draft, revise, and edit
your explanatory article. You may use your notes and refer to the two articles that
provide research sources. Now read your assignment and the information about
how your explanatory writing will be scored; then begin your work.
Your Assignment
You have read “The Curse of Water Bottles” as well as “Fracking Threatens
Everyone.” Both articles will provide research sources for you to use to write your
explanatory article that serves a purpose and is well organized. You will discuss
the environmental impacts of water bottles and fracking. You will use rich
vocabulary and show an identifiable style while using proper English grammar
and spelling.
Explanatory Article Scoring
Your explanatory article will be scored using the following:
1. Organization/Purpose: How well did you state your thesis/controlling idea and
maintain your thesis/controlling idea with a logical progression of ideas from
beginning to end? How well did you narrow your thesis/controlling idea so you
can develop and elaborate the conclusion? How consistently did you use a variety
of transitions? How effective was your introduction and your conclusion?
2. Evidence/Elaboration: How well did you integrate relevant and specific
information from the sources? How well did you elaborate your ideas? How
clearly did you state ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your
3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar usage, punctuation,
Now begin work on your explanatory article. Manage your time carefully so that
you can plan, write, revise, and edit the final draft of your article. Write your
STOP

Answer Key Name:
1A A
RL.8.1,
Plot, Textual Evidence Claim 1 Targets 1, 4 3
RL.8.3
1B B
2A A
RL.8.1,
RL.8.3
2B B
3A C
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
3B C
4A A
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
4B D
5A C
Figurative Language, RL.8.1,
Textual Evidence RL.8.4
5B B
7A C
Authors Purpose and Point RI.8.1,
of View, Textual Evidence RI.8.6
7B B
8A A
Arguments and Claims, RI.8.1,
8B D
9 A, C Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 10 2
10A B
Arguments and Claims, RI.8.1,

10B D
11 see below Arguments and Claims RI.8.8 Claim 1 Target 11 3
12A B
Textual Evidence RI.8.1 Claim 1 Targets 8, 11 2
12B A
14A B Connotation and

L.8.5c,
Denotation, Textual Claim 1 Targets 8, 14 2
RI.8.1
14B D, E Evidence
15A A
RL.8.1,
RL.8.2
15B A

Answer Key Name:
16 A Character RL.8.3 Claim 1 Target 5 3
17 see below Figurative Language RI.8.4 Claim 1 Target 7 3
18 see below Compare Across Texts RI.8.9 Claim 1 Target 11 4
19 A, C Analyze/Research RI.8.2 Claim 4 Target 2 3

Explanatory Performance
Article see below W.8.2 Claim 2 Target 4 4
Task
Comprehension: Selected Response 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 7A, /21 %
7B, 8A, 8B, 10A, 10B, 12A, 12B, 15A, 15B, 16, 19
Vocabulary 5A, 5B, 6, 9, 13, 14A, 14B /10 %
11 2-point response: The author believes that humans should stop the practice of capturing and

training orcas to perform in amusement parks. He or she says, “The very concept of zoos and
performing animals comes into question.” The author admits that no matter what happens
in these amusement parks, “It is too late for those in captivity,” even if laws were changed to
prevent orcas from being captured and trained, because the once-captive animals “would not
know how to hunt and would not be able to join a pod.”
17 2-point response: The author, as a trainer, has to communicate with the animals that he

is teaching to do tricks. He can’t speak to them, so eye contact is important, but even more
crucial is a sense of calmness and connection with an animal with whom he’s working. If
an animal is “off,” that means it is not connecting with him and will ignore the clues and
rewards he uses to train.
4-point response: The passage about amusement parks keeping orcas captive for

18
entertainment and the passage about a trainer’s experience with one problem orca both share
the common topic of orcas in captivity. However, the first passage presents the arguments on
both sides of the issue of whether an amusement park can keep orcas in captivity successfully
without harming them and even causing them to become violent and harm their trainers. The
second passage is a personal narrative about a specific experience with an orca who clearly
is not doing well and whose health keeps it from functioning in captivity. The conclusion of the
writers of both passages is similar. There are serious problems with keeping orcas in captivity.
20 2-point response: In the article about water bottles the author points out that the sheer

number of bottles produced creates a huge problem of waste. He also shows that if those
bottles were recycled, and few are, it would be a far smaller problem. In the article about
fracking, the author points out that if done properly fracking is a far less dangerous practice.
He also shows that it is horrible if something goes wrong and without regulation the chances
of serious problems increase.

Answer Key Name:
21 2-point response: Both authors are trying to alert the reader to serious problems that need

solutions. In the article about water bottles, the author is trying to get people to switch to
personal water bottles that can be reused. In the article about fracking, the author wants the
reader to understand that fracking has some good outcomes but the potential for destroying
water supplies and polluting land, air, and water makes it a terrific risk.
10-point anchor paper: Some things that seem innocent can be dangerous in an unknown way.
And other things that on the surface seem manageable turn out to a horrible mess deep down
below. Few people would look at a plastic water bottle and think that it is threatening the health
of the human race. And not many people would tell you they worry about what is going on
8,000 feet below their house.
It’s hard to image 29 million plastic water bottles, but in the next 5 minutes 8 football fields could
be covered by the water bottles Americans don’t recycle. Turn 5 minutes into a year and about a
good-sized state is covered. Now, imagine that a man comes to your door and says he will give
you a lot of money if you let him come on your land and drill deep below the ground. You won’t
be bothered; it’s all happening far beyond anything you can see. He promises not to bother you in
the least. Yet a few months later not only is your well but the creek behind the house filled with
wastewater that escaped from a holding tank. Your town’s water supply is unusable, filled with
toxic chemicals, and it’s so salty that it will be nearly impossible to clean up.
This is what has happened to some homeowners who have allowed fracking on their land by
companies that don’t use proper techniques or who purposely violate the law. Fracking is a
technique used to get oil and natural gas out of the ground. Huge amounts of water, sand, and
chemicals are forced into rocks deep underground. This breaks up the rock and allows shale oil
and natural gas to be pumped out of the ground. Unfortunately, with it comes the water now
polluted with those chemicals, many of which can cause cancer. The water often becomes salty
brine that is hard to make fresh again.
If the process is done properly, gas does not escape from the well and the polluted water is stored
and treated. However, so much fracking is going on that in the last five years hundreds of billions
of gallons of wastewater have been produced. Scientists have begun to doubt that all of that water
has been successfully cleaned.
Scientists have also been warning that the amount of water bottles that are not recycled pose a
threat. Less than twenty percent of the many millions of bottles has been reused to make other
plastic products like carpets and furniture. The rest goes into our landfills where their plastic will
break down very slowly over hundreds of years. Scientists are also finding that the plastic in those
bottles can also pose a health threat. If water bottles sit too long, chemicals from the plastic can

pollute the water in the bottle. These can lead to serious health problems.
Both water bottles and fracking are, at heart, energy issues. It takes a lot of oil to make the plastic
for a water bottle. If they were recycled, energy would be saved. One bottle represents enough
energy to power a light bulb for 6 hours. You do the math for what 20 million bottles would save.
And then there is all the energy used to bottle, ship, advertise, and truck simple water, which
anyone in America can get for a very low cost in their own homes.
Fracking may actually save energy because it increases America’s supply of oil and natural gas. It
could be better for the environment by allowing power plants to burn natural gas, which is cleaner
than coal. Still, the threat to the environment that the byproducts of fracking pose makes many
people wonder if this is the safest energy source available to us.
The desire of humans to believe that there are no consequences for their desires and needs is the
core of the problems water bottles and fracking have introduced. We want a cheap, easy, and
convenient source of good water. We want to believe that new technology can give up another
source of energy. However, with water bottles we are in trouble because people are too lazy to
recycle them. And with fracking, we have to trust the oil industry to do the right thing. Perhaps
the government has to pass laws to force recycling and safe practices for fracking. Either that or
we replace water bottles and fracking all together.

GRADE 8 END-OF-YEAR ASSESSMENT
from Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott
In Little Women, four sisters work hard to provide for each other and help their mother
while their father serves in the Union Army in the Civil War. In this excerpt, Jo tells her
family about something important that she has done for her father.
The short afternoon wore away. All other errands were done, and Meg and her
mother busy at some necessary needlework, while Beth and Amy got tea, and
Hannah finished her ironing with what she called a ‘slap and a bang’, but still Jo
did not come. They began to get anxious, and Laurie went off to find her, for no
one knew what freak Jo might take into her head. She missed her, however, and
she came walking in with a very queer expression of countenance, for there was a
mixture of fun and fear, satisfaction and regret in it, which puzzled the family as
much as did the roll of bills she laid before her mother, saying with a little choke
in her voice, “That’s my contribution toward making Father comfortable and
bringing him home!”
“My dear, where did you get it? Twenty-five dollars! Jo, I hope you haven’t done
anything rash?”
“No, it’s mine honestly. I didn’t beg, borrow, or steal it. I earned it, and I don’t
think you’ll blame me, for I only sold what was my own.”
As she spoke, Jo took off her bonnet, and a general outcry arose, for all her
abundant hair was cut short.
“Your hair! Your beautiful hair!” “Oh, Jo, how could you? Your one beauty.” “My
dear girl, there was no need of this.” “She doesn’t look like my Jo any more, but I
love her dearly for it!”
As everyone exclaimed, and Beth hugged the cropped head tenderly, Jo assumed
an indifferent air, which did not deceive anyone a particle, and said, rumpling up
the brown bush and trying to look as if she liked it, “It doesn’t affect the fate of
the nation, so don’t wail, Beth. It will be good for my vanity, I was getting too
proud of my wig. It will do my brains good to have that mop taken off. My head
feels deliciously light and cool, and the barber said I could soon have a curly crop,
which will be boyish, becoming, and easy to keep in order. I’m satisfied, so please
take the money and let’s have supper.”
...
GO ON
Grade 8 • End-of-Year Assessment 123
No one wanted to go to bed when at ten o’clock Mrs. March put by the last
finished job, and said, “Come girls.” Beth went to the piano and played the
father’s favorite hymn. All began bravely, but broke down one by one till Beth was
left alone, singing with all her heart, for to her music was always a sweet consoler.
“Go to bed and don’t talk, for we must be up early and shall need all the sleep we
can get. Good night, my darlings,” said Mrs. March, as the hymn ended, for no
one cared to try another.
They kissed her quietly, and went to bed as silently as if the dear invalid lay in the
next room. Beth and Amy soon fell asleep in spite of the great trouble, but Meg
lay awake, thinking the most serious thoughts she had ever known in her short
life. Jo lay motionless, and her sister fancied that she was asleep, till a stifled sob
made her exclaim, as she touched a wet cheek . . .
“Jo, dear, what is it? Are you crying about father?”
“No, not now.”
“What then?”
“My . . . My hair!” burst out poor Jo, trying vainly to smother her emotion in
the pillow.
It did not seem at all comical to Meg, who kissed and caressed the afflicted
heroine in the tenderest manner.
“I’m not sorry,” protested Jo, with a choke. “I’d do it again tomorrow, if I could.
It’s only the vain part of me that goes and cries in this silly way. Don’t tell anyone,
it’s all over now. I thought you were asleep, so I just made a little private moan for
my one beauty. How came you to be awake?”

“I can’t sleep, I’m so anxious,” said Meg.
“Think about something pleasant, and you’ll soon drop off.”
“I tried it, but felt wider awake than ever.”
“What did you think of?”
“Handsome faces—eyes particularly,” answered Meg, smiling to herself in
the dark.
“What color do you like best?”
“Brown, that is, sometimes. Blue are lovely.”
Jo laughed, and Meg sharply ordered her not to talk, then amiably promised to
make her hair curl, and fell asleep to dream of living in her castle in the air.
GO ON
124 Grade 8 • End-of-Year Assessment
Name: Date:
1 Read the paragraphs from the text.
“My dear, where did you get it? Twenty-five dollars! Jo, I hope you haven’t
done anything rash?”
“No, it’s mine honestly. I didn’t beg, borrow, or steal it. I earned it, and I
don’t think you’ll blame me, for I only sold what was my own.”
What does the word rash most likely mean?
A accidental
B reckless
C strict
D violent
2 The reader can conclude that Jo and her sisters miss their father. Underline two
sentences that best support this conclusion.
No one wanted to go to bed when at ten o’clock Mrs. March put by the last
finished job, and said, “Come girls.” Beth went to the piano and played the
father’s favorite hymn. All began bravely, but broke down one by one till
Beth was left alone, singing with all her heart, for to her music was always a
sweet consoler.
“Go to bed and don’t talk, for we must be up early and shall need all the
sleep we can get. Good night, my darlings,” said Mrs. March, as the hymn
ended, for no one cared to try another.
They kissed her quietly, and went to bed as silently as if the dear invalid lay
in the next room. Beth and Amy soon fell asleep in spite of the great
trouble, but Meg lay awake, thinking the most serious thoughts she had
ever known in her short life. Jo lay motionless, and her sister fancied that
she was asleep, till a stifled sob made her exclaim, as she touched a wet
cheek . . .
GO ON
Name: Date:
3 Which statements describe the relationship between Jo and her sisters? Select all
that apply.
A Jo does not have any interest in her sisters’ opinions.

B Jo’s sisters model their own behavior after Jo’s actions.
C Jo finds comfort in the words and actions of her sisters.
D Jo seeks advice from her sisters before making decisions.
E Jo’s sisters are supportive of Jo regardless of their own opinions.
F Jo’s sisters do not understand Jo because she is so different from them.
4 What is the theme of the text? Use details from the text to support your answer.
GO ON
I Am Old Ironsides
from All Hands, a magazine of the U.S. Navy
Welcome Aboard
For more than 217 years, America’s Ship of State, USS Constitution, has been a
symbol of the country’s fighting spirit. More than 500,000 visitors tour the ship
every year and learn about Navy history. Previous commanding officers have said
the ship actually “speaks.” . . .
I was born in Boston . . .
My journey began October 21, 1797, when I was launched from Edmund Hartt
Shipyard in Boston Harbor as one of the original six frigates1 built for the U.S.
Navy. It was an awkward introduction, as my extreme size caused difficulty with
the launch, and it actually took three separate tries on three different days to get
me off the ramps and into the water!
I saw a great deal of action during my 58 years of active naval service, including
engagements in the Quasi War with France, the Barbary Wars, and the War of
1812—winning 33 battles while never taking a loss.
While my guns once struck fear into the heart of the enemy, they now invoke awe
and pride in those who witness my ceremonial firings each day.
My Sailors once used unmatched skill to join me in fierce naval battles. Today,
they use those skills to help me educate the public and immerse my visitors in
naval heritage and pride.
Meet My Crew
My visitors are often surprised to learn that their Navy still has official uniforms
from the 19th century. This uniform, referred to by the crew as “1813s,” is an
official Navy uniform and its wear is still prescribed in the Navy uniform
regulations. The uniforms go back to a time when enlisted Sailors didn’t actually
have a standard uniform. Prior to and during the War of 1812, my enlisted crew
served in whatever clothing they owned when they joined the crew. They would
often inherit clothing items from fallen shipmates. Near the end of the war, the
enlisted men began buying clothing similar to other men in the crew, creating a
uniform appearance. Soon, the whole enlisted crew was dressed alike, or, you
might say, they were dressed in uniform. . . .
GO ON
Legendary Action
Although my battle record stands at 33 wins and no losses, some of my
encounters with the enemy stand out as my proudest achievements. These
legendary stories were made possible by unmatched skill, ingenuity, courage and
dedication of my Sailors.
The Great Chase—July 16–19, 1812
Less than a month after the United States declared war on Great Britain, under
the command of Capt. Isaac Hull, I was en route to New York, to join Commodore
John Rodgers’ squadron. At about 4 p.m. on July 16, off the coast of Egg Harbor,
NJ, my crew sighted an unknown ship to the northeast, which was joined by
more ships early the next day. “One Frigate astern within about five or six miles,
and a Line of Battle Ship, a Frigate, a Brig, and Schooner, about ten or twelve
miles astern all in chase of us, with a fine breeze, and coming up very fast it
being nearly calm where we were,” Hull wrote to the secretary of the Navy a
few days later. “Soon after Sunrise the wind entirely left us, and the Ship would
not steer . . .”
Capt. Hull ordered the crew to lighten our load in order to give me more speed.
They discharged thousands of gallons of drinking water over the side and doused
my sails with water to take full advantage of the occasional light winds.
Additionally, small boats were launched for a towing operation called kedging—
carrying small anchors ahead of me to be dropped into the coastal waters, and
then painstakingly using the capstan to pull me forward to the submerged
anchors.
The English forces concentrated their own kedging efforts on moving a single
ship closer and closer. By about 4 p.m. on July 18, I had a 3–4 mile lead over the

enemy. Hull ordered his men prepare our sails for a coming squall, and when the
British ships did the same, my sails were unfurled and I raced away at 11 knots.
The Royal Navy ships gave up the chase early the next morning.
frigates—fast naval vessels used in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
1
Source: http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/constitution/index.html
GO ON
Name: Date:
5 First, read the dictionary definition. Then, complete the task.
(v) 1. call forth
Underline the word in the paragraph that most closely matches the
definition provided.
While my guns once struck fear into the heart the enemy, they now
invoke awe and pride in those who witness my ceremonial firings
each day.
6 Which sentence from the text best supports the inference that the U.S. Navy was
not as organized in 1812 as it is today?
A “My visitors are often surprised to learn that their Navy still has official
uniforms from the 19th century.”
B “This uniform, referred to by the crew as ‘1813s,’ is an official Navy uniform
and its wear is still prescribed in the Navy uniform regulations.”
C “Prior to and during the War of 1812, my enlisted crew served in whatever
clothing they owned when they joined the crew.”
D “Soon, the whole enlisted crew was dressed alike, or, you might say, they were
dressed in uniform.”
GO ON
Name: Date:
7 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.
Part A: What is most likely the author’s intent by including “The Great Chase—

July 16–19, 1812” at the end of the text?
A The author wants to explain why American sailors wanted to fight in the War
of 1812.
B The author wants to give an example of one of the USS Constitution’s many
accomplishments.
C The author wants to show the lack of skill that British sailor had compared to
American sailors.
D The author wants to highlight the importance of using the USS Constitution as
an educational resource.
Part B Which sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A?
A “My journey began October 21, 1797, when I was launched from Edmund
Hartt Shipyard in Boston Harbor as one of the original six frigates built for the
U.S. Navy.”
B “Although my battle record stands at 33 wins and no losses, some of my
encounters with the enemy stand out as my proudest achievements.”
C “Less than a month after the United States declared war on Great Britain,
under the command of Capt. Isaac Hull, I was en route to New York, to join
Commodore John Rodgers’ squadron.”
D “The English forces concentrated their own kedging efforts on moving a single
ship closer and closer.”

What do the events described in “The Great Chase” help to show about frigates in
the 19th century?
A They were only as fast as their sailors were skilled.

B They were easily detected due to their large masts.
C They relied primarily on the wind to attack and to escape.
D They relied on the support of other frigates to avoid capture.
GO ON
Read the poem. Then answer the questions.
“All the World’s a Stage” from As You Like It

by William Shakespeare
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation1
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon2 lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances3;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans4 teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
1
the bubble reputation—fame that is quick but does not last
2
capon—a bird with feathers
3
wise saws and modern instances—old and new laws
4
sans—without
GO ON
Name: Date:
9 Read the lines from the poem.
. . . And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow . . . .
Which statement best describes what the description in the lines adds to the tone
of the poem?
A It creates a desolate tone by showing that loneliness follows this stage of life.
B It creates a comical tone by making fun of the intense feelings at this stage
of life.
C It creates a lively tone by showing that this stage of life is filled with new
experiences.
D It creates a solemn tone by showing that this stage of life includes many
disappointments.
10 The author uses the poem to compare life to a play. What is the most likely reason
why the author structured the poem this way?
A The author believes that life is best lived if people know what to expect next.
B The author believes that life should be appreciated as one would enjoy a play.
C The author wants the reader to view life as a series of different moments and
emotions.
D The author wants the reader to have a better understanding of how a play is
developed.
GO ON
Name: Date:
Part A: Which statement best describes the speaker’s point of view?
A All people remain young at heart.

B Most people act their way through life.
C The end of life is similar to the beginning of life.
D People do not really change that much throughout life.
Part B: Which set of lines from the poem best supports your answer in part A?
A “All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
B “. . . Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation”
C “. . . The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide”
D “. . . Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
GO ON
Election of the President and Vice President

Primary Election
According to the United States Constitution, a presidential election is to be held
once every fourth year . . . .
The process of electing a President and Vice-President begins long before Election
Day. Candidates from both major and minor political parties and independent
candidates begin to raise money and campaign well in advance of the general
presidential election. In order to officially represent a political party, a candidate
must be nominated by that party.
The nominating process officially begins with the first state primaries and
caucuses, which usually begin in January of the election year. It is at these local
events that voters are given their first chance to participate in electing the
Nation’s next President . . . .
General Election
The primary election process ends with the national conventions of the
political parties. Once the national conventions have been held, and the
candidates from the political parties have been nominated and chosen, the
presidential election begins in earnest as a contest between the candidates
from the political parties.
Some people choose to run for President without being affiliated with a political
party. Such independent candidates do not need the nomination of a political
party, but they must meet other requirements. For example, independent

candidates are required to collect a large number of signatures to support their
nominations and typically submit a qualifying petition.
The candidates campaign right up until Election Day, when the Nation finally
votes for its President. The candidates travel throughout the country, making
public appearances and giving speeches. The parties and the candidates use
advertising, direct mailings, telephone campaigns, social media, and other means
to persuade the voters to choose one candidate over the other(s). Often, these
measures also serve to point out the weaknesses of the candidates from the other
parties involved in the general election.
GO ON
In this national Presidential election, every citizen of legal age (who has taken the
steps necessary in his/her state to meet the voting requirements, such as
registering to vote) has an opportunity to vote. However, the President is not
chosen by direct popular vote. The Constitution requires that a process known as
the Electoral College ultimately decides who will win the general election.
Electoral College
The Electoral College is a method of indirect popular election of the President of
the United States. Instead of voting for a specific candidate, voters in an indirect
popular election select a panel of individuals pledged to vote for a specific
candidate . . . .
The authors of the Constitution put this system in place so that careful and calm
deliberation would lead to the selection of the best-qualified candidate. Voters
in each state actually cast a vote for a block of electors who are pledged to vote
for a particular candidate. These electors, in turn, vote for the presidential
candidate. The number of electors for each state equals its Congressional
representation.
After Election Day, on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December,
these electors assemble in their state capitals, cast their ballots, and officially
select the next President of the United States. Legally, the electors may vote for
someone other than the candidate for whom they were pledged to vote. This
phenomenon is known as the “unfaithful” or “faithless” elector. Generally, this
does not happen. The candidate who receives the most votes in a state at the
general election will be the candidate for whom the electors later cast their votes.
The candidate who wins in a state is awarded all of that state’s Electoral College
votes. Maine and Nebraska are exceptions to this winner-take-all rule.
The votes of the electors are then sent to Congress where the President of the
Senate opens the certificates and counts the votes. This takes place on January 6,
unless that date falls on a Sunday. In that case, the votes are counted on the next
day. An absolute majority is necessary to prevail in the presidential and the vice
presidential elections, that is, half the total plus one electoral votes are required.
With 538 Electors, a candidate must receive at least 270 votes to be elected to the
office of President or Vice President.
GO ON
Should no presidential candidate receive an absolute majority, the House of

Representatives determines who the next president will be. Each state may cast
one vote and an absolute majority is needed to win. Similarly, the Senate decides
who the next Vice President will be if there is no absolute majority after the
Electoral College vote. Elections have been decided by Congress in the past. The
House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson President in the election of
1800 when the Electoral College vote resulted in a tie. When the Electoral College
vote was so split that none of the candidates received an absolute majority in the
election of 1824, the House elected John Quincy Adams President. Richard
Johnson was elected Vice President by the Senate when he failed to receive an
absolute majority of electoral votes in the election of 1836.
The President-elect and Vice President-elect take the oath of office and are
inaugurated two weeks later, on January 20th.
Source: Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids. http://bensguide.gpo.
gov/6-8/election/primary.html
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12 Underline the two sentences that best support the inference that a presidential
candidate must receive more than half the electoral votes to be elected.
After Election Day, on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in
December, these electors assemble in their state capitals, cast their ballots,
and officially select the next President of the United States. Legally, the
electors may vote for someone other than the candidate for whom they
were pledged to vote. This phenomenon is known as the “unfaithful” or
“faithless” elector. Generally, this does not happen. The candidate who
receives the most votes in a state at the general election will be the
candidate for whom the electors later cast their votes. The candidate who
wins in a state is awarded all of that state’s Electoral College votes. Maine
and Nebraska are exceptions to this winner-take-all rule.
The votes of the electors are then sent to Congress where the President of
the Senate opens the certificates and counts the votes. This takes place
on January 6, unless that date falls on a Sunday. In that case, the votes
are counted on the next day. An absolute majority is necessary to prevail
in the presidential and the vice presidential elections, that is, half the
total plus one electoral votes are required. With 538 Electors, a candidate
must receive at least 270 votes to be elected to the office of President or
Vice President.
13 Select the two sentences that should be included in a summary of the text.
A The President must take an oath of office before being inaugurated.

B There is a primary election before a general election for the presidency.
C The President of the Senate counts the votes from the Electoral College.
D The President and Vice President are elected by an Electoral College, not
individuals.
E Presidential candidates use telephone campaigns and advertising to get the
public to vote for them.
F The Senate decides who the Vice President will be if there is no absolute
majority after the Electoral College vote.
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14 Read the sentence from the text.

The authors of the Constitution put this system in place so that careful and
calm deliberation would lead to the selection of the best-qualified candidate.
How does the phrase careful and calm deliberation impact the reader’s
interpretation of the meaning of the text?
A It suggests that a popular vote is undesirable because it is influenced
by emotion.
B It suggests that the voting system does not always work in the way it
was designed.
C It supports the idea that the authors of the Constitution were careful and
calm leaders.
D It supports the idea that individual voters should deliberate before voting for
a candidate.
15 What is the most likely reason the author organized the text by sections?
A The author wanted to examine specific faults with the electoral process.
B The author wanted to show the effects of the Electoral College on the entire
electoral process.
C The author wanted to show the presidential electoral process from beginning
to end in sequence.
D The author wanted to highlight the different procedures for becoming the
President or Vice President.
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Part A: Select the statement that best describes the author’s point of view

of voting.
A Individuals do not participate enough.

B Individuals often do not know how to participate.
C Individuals tend to participate when they should not.
D Individuals have multiple opportunities to participate.
A “It is at these local events that voters are given their first chance to
participate in electing the Nation’s next President.”
B “The candidates campaign right up until Election Day, when the Nation finally
votes for its President.”
C “Voters in each state actually cast a vote for a block of electors who are
pledged to vote for a particular candidate.”
D “The candidate who receives the most votes in a state at the general election
will be the candidate for whom the electors later cast their votes.”
17 What most likely did the author intend by mentioning independent candidates
who are not nominated by a political party? Support your answer with evidence
from the text.
GO ON
Hubble
Through the years, astronomers have made incredible discoveries and advancements
by exploring the mysteries of outer space. Every astronomer wants to be able to
look deeper into the universe. In 1990, this dream became a reality. NASA
released Hubble into space via the Space Shuttle Discovery. Today, Hubble is
found 350 miles above Earth and orbits our planet at a speed of about 17,500 mph.
It circles Earth once every hour and a half!
As it travels, Hubble takes astounding images of deep space, from which we have
gained an enormous amount of knowledge. For example, Hubble has provided
astronomers with enough detailed images to help them estimate a more accurate
age of the universe. In the past, scientists had determined that the universe was
roughly 10 to 20 billion years old, but Hubble was able to narrow this broad range
down to 13 to 14 billion years.
Before Hubble began sending images to Earth, scientists already knew that
the universe was expanding. They thought that gravity, over time, would slow
the rate of expansion, but Hubble’s findings helped to prove otherwise. Dark
energy, a force that is in many ways still mysterious to us, is actually causing the
universe to expand at a faster rate. We would not have this information without
Hubble’s advanced technology. Hubble has also witnessed galaxies in many
different stages of development. Astronomers can now better understand how
galaxies form.
Hubble continues to provide us with information today, but astronomers know
that it will eventually stop working. They are busy developing its new-and-

improved successor so that we can learn even more about the universe.
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18 What is the central idea of the text? Support your answer with details from
the text.
19 What conclusion can be drawn about the author’s point of view about Hubble?
Support your answer with evidence from the text.
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20 What most likely did the author intend by mentioning Hubble’s successor at the
end of the text? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
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Name: Date:
21 A student is writing a blog post for a school website about solar panels. The student
wants to revise the draft to improve the ending. Read the draft of the blog post. The
last sentence of the blog post is not the best conclusion.
Have you ever noticed large, shiny rectangles on the roof of a house or a
building? These black rectangles are called solar panels. Solar panels use
sunlight to make electricity, much like solar powered lights or watches. One
solar panel is made up of many solar cells that collect and capture light to
create solar energy. Each individual cell makes a small amount of electricity,
and then the panel combines the electricity produced by all of the cells.
Underline the sentence from the paragraph below that would make the best
concluding sentence.
People need electricity to light and heat our homes, operate our cars, and
power technologies such as computers, tablets, and video games. Installing
solar panels helps the environment by using a renewable resource to
produce an endless supply of energy. Fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, are
often burned to produce electricity. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources
that will eventually run out. Solar panels utilize sunlight, which will never
run out, as a source of energy. Solar panels also reduce air pollution by
reducing the need to burn fossil fuels to produce energy.
22 A student is writing an editorial for a school newspaper about the pros and cons
of lengthening the school day. Read the draft of the editorial and complete the
task that follows.
Traditionally the school day is six to seven hours long. Unfortunately, in

order to fit in more time for reading and math instruction, many schools
have cut recess, gym, or extracurricular classes such as art, music, and
drama. Without these classes, students are losing opportunities to explore
their creativity. If two hours were added to the school day, schools would be
able to keep the extracurricular classes and gym. They would also have more
time to spend on often neglected subjects like science and social studies.
A longer school day would also benefit working parents. Schools end much
earlier than most people’s jobs. Many kids go home to empty houses. By
lengthening the school day, students would spend less time on their own
after school.
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There are many advantages to a longer school day, but it would be difficult
to carry out. In addition, adding more hours to the school day could also
have negative effects.
Student notes:
• Teachers would have to work longer hours.
• School districts would have to pay teachers more money.
• Students would have less time to spend with family and friends.
• Students could become tired and worn out from the longer days.
• Students would have less time for after-school activities or jobs.
• Students would be healthier because of the extra time spent in gym or
at recess.
• Teachers would have more time to answer questions and spend on fun
activities.
• Adding time to school would also add costs that might be too expensive
for some districts.
Add one or two paragraphs of relevant evidence from the bulleted list of student
notes that would support the claim in paragraph 3.
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23 A student is writing a narrative for a literary magazine. The student wants to

revise the draft to the story. Read the draft of the narrative and complete the
task that follows.
Cameron could stay after school or fail biology class. As much as he disliked
the idea, Cameron decided to stay after. When he arrived at the biology lab,
Cameron slumped into a chair. He thought about all the fun his friends
were probably having. Then Mr. McCormick came into the room and
quickly started working.
Cameron was slightly curious as he watched Mr. McCormick take a dropper
of water from a small jar. He squeezed a drop onto a slide and stuck it
under the microscope. He encouraged Cameron to take a look, but
Cameron didn’t think he’d see anything in a drop of water. Then Cameron
looked through the microscope lens and he couldn’t believe his eyes! A
giant worm-like creature swam across the slide. Mr. McCormick explained
that the water came from a pond. He said even a drop of pond water can be
brimming with life.
The afternoon flew by as Cameron learned about the pond organisms
because Mr. McCormick made biology fun. Cameron was so interested that
he asked if he could come again. They decided to meet after school every
week. Each week Cameron looked forward to a new lesson.
Choose the two sentences that would best introduce and conclude the narrative.
A Mr. McCormick was not Cameron’s favorite teacher.

B Cameron Matthews had an important choice to make.
C Cameron Matthews wanted to meet up with his friends.
D Mr. McCormick told Cameron all of his hard work would pay off.
E Cameron didn’t understand why he had to learn about tiny organisms
and habitats.
F Cameron never thought learning with a teacher could be as fun as spending
time with friends.
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Name: Date:
24 A student is writing a biography for her teacher about Eleanor Roosevelt. Read the
draft of the biography and answer the question that follows.
Eleanor Roosevelt was married to Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second

president of the United States. She was an outspoken first lady, but as a
child Eleanor was very withdrawn. When she was just eight years old her
mother died and her father died two years later. Eleanor’s grandmother sent
her to school in England, which helped her come out of her shell.
After returning home from England, she met Franklin D. Roosevelt. They
became engaged and then married in 1905. Together they had six children.
Although she had a busy home life, Eleanor actively participated in public
service and her husband’s political career. When Franklin became president
in 1933, Eleanor forever changed the role of the first lady. She held press
conferences, gave lectures, and ran a newspaper column where she
expressed her opinions. Eleanor spoke out for civil rights and the rights of
women and children.
Shortly after her husband’s death in 1945, Eleanor began serving as a
spokeswoman for the United Nations General Assembly. In 1961, Eleanor
became the chair of the Commission on the Status of Women. She died
shortly after in 1962. Eleanor Roosevelt will always be remembered as a
humanitarian who fought for the underprivileged.
What is a more concise phrase to replace the underlined phrase?
A gain confidence
B become less shy

C transform herself
D develop her courage
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Name: Date:
25 A student is writing a narrative for a literary magazine about April Fool’s Day. Read
the draft of the narrative. For each blank, select the word that is the most precise.
Eva quietly worked outside her older brother’s bedroom. She carefully (25A)
a bucket filled with water above his bedroom door. She attached string to
the bucket and then tied it to the door knob. When Alex woke up he would
be in for quite a surprise. The water would dump on his head when he
opened the door! Alex was always playing April Fool’s Day tricks on Eva,
but this year she would get to him first. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction.
Eva proudly surveyed her work, then (25B) down in the hallway, and
waited patiently for her brother to wake up. Suddenly, she heard some
footsteps and she watched the door for signs of movement. Everything got
quiet and then Eva screeched. Her back was (25C) with ice cold water!
Alex had gotten up even earlier than Eva. He knew what she was up to and
had been waiting with his own bucket of water. Alex burst out laughing and
shouted, “April Fools! Better luck next year, Sis!”
25A:
A stuck
B secured
25B:
A bent
B crouched
25C:
A doused
B wet
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26 The sentence below contains two errors in grammar usage. Read the sentence and
the question that follows.
My coach prefers that each of the team members completes their homework
before baseball practice.
Which version of the sentence has been correctly edited for grammar usage?
A My coach prefer that each of the team members complete their homework
B My coach prefer that each team member completes their homework before
baseball practice.
C My coach prefers that each team member completes his or her homework
D My coach prefers that each of the team members complete his or her
homework before baseball practice.
27 Select two sentences that do not have errors in spelling.
A There room is currently painted a bright yellow color.

B They decided too compromise by painting the room yellow again.
C My parents said that if they kept disagreeing they would be disciplined.
D My sister had a misshap and got permanent marker on her bedroom wall.
E Then she had an arguement with my older sister about what color to paint
the walls.
F My older sister wanted the room to be a noticeable color, whereas my
younger sister wanted a pale color.
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Name: Date:
28 A student needs to edit her draft of an informational article. Underline two

sentences that have errors in grammar usage.
Wetlands are areas of low-lying land where the soil is saturated with water
most of the time. Some wetlands can be dry in certain seasons. They are
very useful ecosystems. They prevent flooding and erosion, and pollution is
filtered out by wetlands. They also provide habitats for many plants and
animals. Wetlands prevent flooding and erosion by storing and slowly
releasing water. The plants growing in and around wetlands help filter the
water. As the water flows through the plants, the roots absorb extra
nutrients in the water. Sediments containing other pollutants sink to the
bottom and are absorbed by soil microorganisms. In the past, people did
not understand the value or importance of wetlands and this is the reason
why many were destroyed. However, today we know that wetlands are very
vital ecosystems.
29 Choose the sentence that is correctly punctuated.

A It was almost 5 o’clock, we couldn’t get home on time for dinner.
B Which is why we should have left the park earlier.
C As we drove home from the park we picked some flowers for our mom then
she would know we were sorry.
D Our mom asked us to be more careful next time, but she loved the flowers,
which were very beautiful.
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30 A student is writing a research report for class. He needs to correct the punctuation
mistakes in his report. Read this paragraph from his research report. Underline two
sentences that need to be edited for punctuation.
Near the end of 1776, General George Washington’s American forces

desperately needed a victory against the British. They could not stop the
British occupation of New York City and had suffered several crushing
defeats in battle. Many American soldiers were injured starving and had
low morale. Soldiers and colonists believed that the Continental Army was
not capable of winning the war. Washington realized he must strike the
enemy before his army disbanded.
Washington and his soldiers were camped on the Pennsylvania side of the
Delaware River. On the New Jersey side of the river, a British army of
Hessian soldiers held the town of Trenton. Washington planned a much
needed strategic attack. On the night of December 25, Washington and
2,400 men crossed the Delaware River which was partially frozen. Early on
the morning of December 26, Washington and his men surprised the 1,500
men stationed at Trenton. The Hessian soldiers quickly surrendered to
Washington. The news of the victory at Trenton boosted the morale of the
American colonists and soldiers.
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31 A student is writing a report about the U.S. Senate. Read both sources and the
directions that follow.
Source 1
Congress of the United States was established in 1789. Just as today, it was
divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Senate is
made up of 100 members who serve 6 year terms. The people of each state,
independent of its population or size, vote for two senators to represent
them. The Senate and the House of Representatives make laws and
government budgets. They also share the responsibility for declaring
war and maintaining the military. Senators have some duties that
representatives do not. The Senate must give its consent to any treaties
and appointments made by the president. The Senate also oversees
impeachment trials of government officials.
Source 2
The legislative branch is made up of the Senate and the House of
Representatives. The elected members of these groups share responsibilities
including establishing the laws in our country. The idea of a bicameral
Congress, or having two houses, was developed by our Founding Fathers.
During the Constitutional Convention representatives from highly
populated states wanted representation to be based on state population.
Under this model, more populated states would receive more
representation. Representatives from smaller states felt that each state
should be equally represented. Eventually a compromise was made to
include the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate
based on equal representation.
The student took notes about information in the sources. Which note correctly
paraphrases, or restates, information from both sources?
A People in each state vote for two new representatives every six years.
B Members of the Constitutional Convention disagreed about how many
senators each state should receive.
C The idea of a bicameral Congress, or having two houses, was developed in
1789 by our Founding Fathers during the Constitutional Convention.
D Our Congress is separated into two houses due to the need for states to have
both equal representation and representation based on the amount of people
in the state.
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Name: Date:
32 A student is writing a research report about the carbon cycle for Biology class. Read
Source 1 and the directions that follow.
Source 1
Carbon Reservoirs on Earth
Stored Carbon Carbon per year (in gigatons)
Land Plants 550
Soil carbon 2,300
Fossil fuels carbon 10,000
Ocean Deep ocean 37,000
Ocean sediments 6,000
Ocean surface 1,000
Air Atmosphere 800
The student found another source. Read Source 2. Underline two sentences that
have information that conflicts with the information in Source 1.
Source 2
Every living thing on Earth is made up of carbon compounds. Carbon is
found in the air we breathe and the fossil fuels we burn, such as natural
gas, coal, and oil. Carbon cannot be created or destroyed, and it moves
through the earth in a cycle, much like water. Most of the carbon on Earth
is found on land. Land plants absorb carbon dioxide gas from the air by
photosynthesis. The carbon in plants is added back into the cycle when
plants decompose or are consumed by other organisms. These organisms
then release carbon dioxide back into the cycle when they break down

sugars from food during cellular respiration. They also add carbon back
into the cycle when they breathe, get consumed, or decompose. The ocean
also plays a role in the carbon cycle. Marine organisms also perform
photosynthesis and respiration. The deep ocean is a reservoir for dissolved
carbon, but most of the carbon in the ocean is found in sediments. Matter
containing carbon can get buried on land or in ocean sediments. Over
time the matter forms deposits that are transformed into fossil fuels or
limestone. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide back into the air
once again.
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33 A student is writing a research report about an interesting animal adaptation. Read

the sentences from his report and the directions that follow.
Most organisms have adaptations that help them survive in their particular
habitat. Some adaptations, like migration or hibernation, are shared by
many different organisms, but other adaptations are unique to a single
organism. One such organism with an interesting adaptation is the pistol
shrimp, or snapping shrimp. Pistol shrimp are found in coral reefs and
seagrass flats in tropical waters. They have one claw that is much larger in
comparison to the other claw. They use their overly large claws to defend
themselves against predators and for catching prey. However, they do not
have pincers on their claws the way crabs do. Instead, a pistol shrimp will
snap its claw shut and the pressure creates a large bubble, in a process
known as cavitation. When the bubble pops, it produces a shockwave that
emits an extremely loud sound. The sound is so loud that it can stun or kill
the pistol shrimp’s prey.
Which source would most likely give the student more information for the
paragraph from his report?
A a magazine with fictional stories about coral reefs

B a textbook that describes different types of adaptations
C a journal article with a diagram of how the snapping claw works
D a study that explains how cavitation bubbles form near boat propellers
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Name: Date:
34 A student is writing a research report about the Inuit people. Read the paragraphs
from her report and the directions that follow.
The harsh environment of the Arctic is not a place many people would
survive. Yet the Inuit people have lived in the Arctic regions of Siberia and
North America for thousands of years. Although the Inuit are spread out,
they share a common language and culture. Early Inuit people hunted for
food, like seals and bowhead whales, along the sea in Northern Alaska.
They made homes out of sod, wood, or whalebones.
Over time different events have affected the Inuit’s way of life. About four
thousand years ago they slowly moved into Canada’s Arctic region to find
more whaling grounds. Starting in 1300, the Arctic’s climate became colder,
so the Inuit had to move more often to find food. Many Inuit began making
their homes out of blocks of ice. The European explorers introduced the
Inuit people to iron, which they could use to make tools. Later, whalers hired
many Inuit to work on their ships and brought things like rifles, canvas,
boats, and flour to the Inuit culture. Today the Inuit in Canada own most of
the Arctic land. They respect nature and believe in living harmoniously with
their environment. They hope to preserve their culture for their children.
Which source would most likely give the student more information for the
paragraph from her report?
A The Arctic People

www.peopleofthearctic.com
The Arctic is home to Inuit, Yuit, and Aluet peoples. Each group developed
unique skills to help them live in the demanding Arctic environment.
B Arctic Adventures

www.arcticadventuresforkids.com
Explore the Arctic environment through games, videos, and quizzes. Learn
about the Arctic’s history, climate, organisms, and people and their way of life.
C Native American Cultures
www.culturespastandpresent.com/nativeamericans
Find out more about Native Americans and their cultures with articles, images,
and interviews. Get information about how they live today and in the past.
D What Caused the Decline in Bowhead Whales? - Endangered Wildlife Magazine
www.endangeredwildlifemagazine.com/bowhead
Bowhead whales have been hunted by Arctic peoples for thousands of years,
but today, due to the declining number of bowheads, whaling is strictly
regulated.
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Name: Date:
35 A student is writing a research report about using technology in the classroom.

Read the paragraph from his report and the directions that follow.
Technology is forever changing the way we do things. It’s bringing changes

to the classroom experience as well. Many schools have traded in their
chalkboards for smart boards. Instead of pencils and paper, some schools
have given their students tablets or laptops. How do these changes affect
the roles of teachers and students? Some suggest using technology in
schools is just adding to the problem of children having too much screen
time. However, there are many positive effects of giving students up-to-date
technology. It gives students the opportunity to play a more active role in
their education. It enables them to make decisions about how to generate
and manipulate information and problem solve. Teachers are then able to
support students in their endeavors, rather than solely instructing them.
Many teachers report that their students are more motivated and show
more initiative when doing technology-based tasks. They also notice
an increased amount of collaboration among students. Using and
understanding technology better prepares students for real-world
experiences outside of school.
Choose two pieces of information that best support the claim in the student’s
paragraph.
A Parents should encourage their children to use educational media during their
time spent in front of a screen.
B Using technology is more fun than learning by traditional methods, such as
teacher-led instruction.
C School difficulties, social problems, sleep disorders, and obesity are all linked
with too much media use.

D Some studies have shown that the use of technology helps students to better
retain information they learn.
E Tablets provide many individualized learning experiences, which allows
students to learn new material at their own pace.
F Research shows that when children spend two or more hours a day in front of
a screen, they are more likely to develop attention problems.
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Name: Date:
36 A student is writing an argumentative report about pesticides. She found possible

sources for her report. Read the sources and the directions that follow.
Source 1
Pesticides are substances that protect plants from insects, rodents, and
weed plants. However, through overuse, we are exposed to these harmful
chemicals in our air, water, foods, soil, homes, and yards. Scientists have
found links between exposures to pesticides and health issues, such as
headaches, dizziness, skin and eye irritation, and many types of cancer.
Pesticides are also damaging to the environment. They often kill beneficial
species along with the targeted pests. They can weaken the root systems of
plants. Pesticides also reduce the amounts of the nutrients nitrogen and
phosphorus in the soil.
Source 2
Most people want their homes and gardens pest free. There are many ways
to safely eliminate unwanted pests without using the toxic chemicals found
in most traditional pesticides. Keep ants out of your home by sprinkling
cayenne pepper or citrus oil near any entryways. Use soapy water to kill
ants already in your home. Eucalyptus oil is a natural fly repellant. Place
cloths soaked in eucalyptus near food to keep away flies. Some organisms
control common garden pests by consuming them. Aphids are pests that
feed on rose plants, and ladybugs feed on aphids. Planting flowers that
attract ladybugs will help eliminate aphids.
The student wrote down some claims to use in her report. Look at the claims listed
below. Decide if the information in Source 1, Source 2, Both Sources, or Neither
Source supports each claim.

36A: Claim 1. Pesticide alternatives are safer for the environment than traditional
pesticides.
A Source 1
B Source 2
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
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Name: Date:
36B: Claim 2. The continued use of pesticides can result in harmful effects in humans
and other organisms.
A Source 1
B Source 2
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
36C: Claim 3. Natural pesticides generate higher-quality plants than those treated with
chemical pesticides.
A Source 1
B Source 2
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
STOP

Answer Key Name:
1 B Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 3 2
2 see below Textual Evidence RL.8.1 Claim 1 Target 1 2
3 C, E Character RL.8.3 Claim 1 Target 5 3
5 see below Word Meanings L.8.4a Claim 1 Target 10 2
6 C Textual Evidence RL.8.a Claim 1 Target 8 2
7A B Author’s Purpose and

RI.8.6,
RI.8.1
7B B Textual Evidence
8 C Informational Text Elements RI.8.3 Claim 1 Target 12 3
9 B Tone RL.8.4 Claim 1 Target 7 3
10 C Poetic Structure RL.8.5 Claim 1 Target 6 3
11A C
Point of View, Textual RL.8.6,
Evidence RL.8.1
11B D
12 see below Textual Evidence RL.8.1 Claim 1 Target 8 2
13 B, D Central or Main Idea RI.8.2 Claim 1 Target 9 2
14 A Word Relationships L.8.5b Claim 1 Target 10 3
15 C Informational Text Structure RI.8.5 Claim 1 Target 13 3

16A D Author’s Purpose and
Author’s Point of View, RI.8.6 Claim 1 Targets 8, 12 3
16B A Textual Evidence

18 see below Central or Main Idea RI.8.2 Claim 1 Target 9 3
20 see below Informational Text Elements RI.8.3 Claim 1 Target 11 3
Organize Informative
21 see below W.8.2f Claim 2 Target 3b 2
Writing
Organize Argumentative
22 see below W.8.1b Claim 2 Target 6a 3
Writing

Answer Key Name:
W.8.3a,
23 B, F Organize Narrative Writing Claim 2 Target 1b 2
W.8.3e
24 A Precise Language W.8.2d Claim 2 Target 8 2
25 B, B, A Precise Language W.8.3d Claim 2 Target 8 2

English Language
26 C L.8.1c Claim 2 Target 9 1
Conventions
English Language
27 C, F L.8.2c Claim 2 Target 9 1
Conventions
English Language
28 see below L.8.1 Claim 2 Target 9 1
Conventions
English Language
29 D L.8.2 Claim 2 Target 9 1
Conventions
English Language
30 see below L.8.2a Claim 2 Target 9 1
Conventions
31 D Research W.8.8 Claim 4 Target 2 2
32 see below Research RI.8.9 Claim 4 Target 2 2
33 C Research W.8.8 Claim 4 Target 3 2
34 A Research W.8.8 Claim 4 Target 2 2
35 D, E Research RI.8.1 Claim 4 Target 4 2
36A B
36B A Research W.8.1b Claim 4 Target 4 2
36C D
Comprehension: Selected Response 2, 3, 6, 7A, 7B, 8, 10, 11A, 11B, 12, /22 %
13, 15, 16A, 16B
Comprehension: Constructed Response 4, 17, 18, 19, 20 /10 %
Vocabulary 1, 5, 9, 14 /8 %
Drafting, Editing, Revising 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 /10 %
English Language Conventions 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 /10 %
Research 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 /12 %
Total EOY Assessment Score /72 %
2
Students should underline the following sentences:
• All began bravely, but broke down one by one till Beth was left alone, singing with all her
heart, for to her music was always a sweet consoler.
• “Good night, my darlings,” said Mrs. March, as the hymn ended, for no one cared to try
another.

Answer Key Name:
4 2-point response: The theme of the text is that we willingly sacrifice for the sake of family.

Family is more important than individual vanities. When Jo sells her hair, she says to her
family, “That’s my contribution toward making Father comfortable and bringing him home!”
Even though she is upset for her personal loss, she goes on to explain, “I’d do it again
tomorrow, if I could. It’s only the vain part of me that goes and cries in this silly way.” Jo cries
for her lost hair, but she feels proud of what she did to help her father.
5
Students should underline the word “invoke.”
12
• An absolute majority is necessary to prevail in the presidential and the vice presidential
elections, that is, half the total plus one electoral votes are required.
• With 538 Electors, a candidate must receive at least 270 votes to be elected to the office of
President or Vice President.
17 2-point response: The author wanted to show that candidates are not restricted by political

parties and anyone can run for President, although certain procedures must be followed for
an independent candidate. The author explains, “For example, independent candidates are
required to collect a large number of signatures to support their nominations and typically
submit a qualifying petition.”
18 2-point response: The central idea of the text is that the Hubble Telescope has helped us

learn many important things about the universe. The author supports this idea by explaining
how Hubble has helped us determine the age of the universe and that the universe is still
expanding. It has also given us images of distant galaxies that helped us understand how
galaxies form.
19 2-point response: The author thinks that Hubble is a huge advancement for astronomy. In

the text, the author describes multiple important ways that Hubble has helped us understand
the universe. The entire text is dedicated to describing Hubble’s achievements as witnessed
through the images it is able to take.
20 2-point response: The author wanted to show that the future of science will teach us new

and exciting things about the universe. There are many more amazing things to learn about
outer space. As the author states, scientists are working on Hubble’s successor “so that we
can learn even more about the universe.”
21
Students should underline the following sentence:
• Installing solar panels helps the environment by using a renewable resource to produce an

endless supply of energy.
22 2-point response: School districts would have to pay teachers more money to work longer

hours. These extra costs might be too expensive for some districts to afford. The extra hours
could cause some students to become tired or worn out. It would limit their personal time
after school. They would not have as much time for after school activities such as playing
on sports teams or getting jobs. They would also have less time to spend with their families
or friends.
28
• They prevent flooding and erosion, and pollution is filtered out by wetlands.
• In the past, people did not understand the value or importance of wetlands and this is the
reason why many were destroyed.

Answer Key Name:
30
• Many American soldiers were injured starving and had low morale.
• On the night of December 25, Washington and 2,400 men crossed the Delaware River
which was partially frozen.
32
• Most of the carbon on Earth is found on land.
• The deep ocean is a reservoir for dissolved carbon, but most of the carbon in the ocean is
found in sediments.

Explanatory Performance Task

Task
You are studying different types of precipitation as part of a group project in
science class. Your teacher has asked you to research snow to learn some interesting
things about this type of precipitation. As part of your research, you have found
three sources about snow.
Briefly scan the sources and the three questions that follow. Then, go back and read
the sources carefully so you will have the information you will need to answer the
questions and complete your research. Take notes while you read.
In Part 2, you will write an explanatory article on a topic related to the sources.

You will now examine several sources. You can re-examine any of the sources as
often as you like.
Research Questions
After reviewing the research sources, use the remaining time in Part 1 to answer
should help you write your explanatory article.
You may refer back to your notes when you think it would be helpful. Answer the
questions in the spaces below the items.
Your notes will be available to you in Part 1 and Part 2 of the performance task.
GO ON
162 Grade 8 • End-of-Year Assessment • Performance Task
Source #1: Snow Characteristics

Here is an article based on scientific research about snow.
Snow is an accumulation of packed ice crystals, and the condition of the snowpack
determines a variety of qualities, such as color, temperature, and water equivalent.
As weather conditions change, the snowpack can change as well, and this affects
the characteristics of the snow.
The colors of snow
Generally, snow and ice present us with a uniformly white appearance. This is
because visible light is white. Most all of the visible light striking the snow or ice
surface is reflected back without any particular preference for a single color. Most
natural materials absorb some sunlight, which gives them their color. Snow,
however, reflects most of the sunlight, creating a white appearance.
However, snow may also appear blue. As light waves travel into the snow or ice,
the ice grains scatter a large amount of light. If light travels over any distance, it
must survive many such scattering events. That is, it must keep scattering and not
be absorbed. The observer sees the light coming back from the near surface layers
after it has been scattered or bounced off other snow grains only a few times and
it still appears white. This absorption is preferential: More red light is absorbed
than blue. The difference in absorption is small, but is enough that over a
considerable distance, say a meter (3.3 feet) or more, photons emerging from the
snow layer tend to be made up of more blue light than red light. For instance, if
you were to poke a hole in the snow and look down into the hole, you may see a
bluish color. In each case, the blue light is the product of a relatively long travel
path through the snow or ice. Think of the ice or snow layer as a filter. If it is only
a centimeter (0.39 inches) thick, all the light makes it through, but if it is about
one meter (3.3 feet) thick, mostly blue light makes it through.
Particles or organisms within the snowpack may also affect the color of the snow.
Watermelon snow, for instance, appears red or pink. This coloration is caused by
a form of cryophilic, or cold-loving, fresh-water algae that contain a bright red
pigment. Watermelon snow is most common during the summertime in high
alpine areas as well as along coastal polar regions. Although this snow may look
candy-colored, it is not wise to eat it. Blood Falls, in Antarctica’s Taylor Glacier,
also has red snow, but for a different reason. There, the deep red color is caused
by saltwater leaking from an ancient reservoir under the glacier. This water is rich
in a form of iron that oxidizes when it comes into contact with the atmosphere,
producing a bright red waterfall.
GO ON
Grade 8 • End-of-Year Assessment • Performance Task 163
Snow and sound

The characteristics and age of snow can affect how sound waves travel,
dampening them in some cases, or enhancing them in others. For instance,
people often notice how sound changes after a fresh snowfall. When the ground
has a thick layer of fresh, fluffy snow, sound waves are readily absorbed at the
snow surface, dampening sound. However, time and weather conditions may
change the snow surface. If the surface melts and refreezes, the snow becomes
smooth and hard. Then the surface will help reflect sound waves. Sounds may
seem clearer and travel farther under these circumstances.
Snow may also crunch and creak. A layer of snow is made up of many tiny ice
grains surrounded by air and when you step on it, you compress the grains. As
the snow compresses, the ice grains rub against each other. This creates friction or
resistance; the lower the temperature, the greater the friction between the grains
of ice. The sudden squashing of the snow at lower temperatures produces the
familiar creaking or crunching sound. At higher temperatures, closer to melting,
this friction is reduced to the point where the sliding of the grains against each
other produces little or no noise. It is difficult to say at what temperature the snow
starts to crunch, but the colder the snow, the louder the crunch.
GO ON
Source #2: Snow and Weather

This article explains how snow is forecasted and describes different types of weather that
involve snow.
Forecasting snow
Snow forecasts are better than they used to be and they continue to improve, but
snow forecasting remains a difficult challenge for meteorologists. One reason is
that during intense snows, the heaviest snowfall can occur in surprisingly narrow
bands, and on a smaller scale than observing networks and forecast zones can
see. Also, the extremely small temperature differences that define the boundary
line between rain and snow make large differences in snow forecasts. This is part
of the fun and frustration that makes snow forecasting so interesting.
Because conditions in the atmosphere and on the ground can vary, each storm
might produce a different type of snowfall. In addition, snow does not fall evenly
everywhere. Even during the same storm, one neighborhood may receive deep
snow, while an adjacent neighborhood may only receive a light dusting. At the
local scale, variations in snow depth are caused primarily by wind during and
after the storm, and by melting after the storm. At the larger scale, say across an
entire state, it also depends on the storm track. Places in the middle of the storm
track may receive significant snowfall, while locations along the edges of the
storm may receive much less.
Weather forecasters use a variety of terms to describe the intensity of snowfall:
snow flurry refers to light showers of snow that do not cover large areas and
• A
do not fall steadily for long periods of time.
• F
reezing rain is precipitation that cools below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees
Fahrenheit), but does not turn to ice in the air. The water is supercooled. When
the drops hit anything they instantly turn into ice.
n ice storm is a storm with large amounts of freezing rain that coats trees,
• A
power lines and roadways with ice.
blizzard is a severe winter storm that packs a combination of snow and
• A
wind, resulting in very low visibility. Officially, the National Weather Service
defines a blizzard as large amounts of falling or blowing snow with winds
in excess of 56 kilometers (35 miles) per hour and visibilities of less than
0.40 kilometers (0.25 miles) for more than 3 hours. While heavy snowfall and
severe cold often accompany blizzards, they are not required. Sometimes
strong winds pick up snow that has already fallen, creating a ground blizzard.
GO ON
Forecasters also rate the expected severity of blizzards and other snowy weather
using a scale:
Winter Weather Advisory is issued for accumulations of snow, freezing
• A
rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet that may present a hazard but does not merit
a warning.
Winter Storm Watch is issued to alert the public to the possibility of a
• A
blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet.
Winter Storm Warning is issued when a hazardous winter weather event
• A
is imminent or occurring, and is considered a threat to life and property.
Blizzards
Blizzards can create a variety of dangerous conditions. Traveling by automobile
can become difficult or even impossible due to whiteout conditions and drifting
snow. The strong winds and low temperatures accompanying blizzards can
combine to create other dangers. For instance, the windchill factor is the amount
of cooling one feels due to the combination of wind and temperature. A strong
wind combined with a temperature of just below freezing can have the same effect
as a still air temperature about 35 degrees colder. A windchill chart may be used
to estimate the windchill factor. Exposure to low windchill values can result in
frostbite or hypothermia. Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure that can
permanently damage its victim. Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the
body temperature drops dangerously low, and can be fatal if not caught in time.
Blizzards also often cause related problems. Strong winds and heavy snow can
cause tree limbs to fall onto structures or even utility lines, resulting in power
outages. Drifts can block roads and sidewalks and make traveling difficult well
after the storm is over.

Thunder snow
Although snowstorms typically occur in the winter, and thunderstorms typically
occur during the summer, there are rare instances when meteorological
conditions produce a phenomenon called thunder snow. In these instances,
temperatures are low enough to generate snow instead of rain, and turbulence in
the atmosphere causes the lighting and thunder.
Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/snow/
science/weather.html
GO ON
Source #3: Snow Ecology

Here is an article that explains how snow affects plants and animals, and how these
living things adapt to their environment.
Ecology is the study of the complex ways that living things interact with their
environment. In regions that receive a lot of snow, plants and animals have to
cope with unique challenges. For example, how do animals find food in the snow?
And how do plants survive through the winter?
To survive in places with snow, living things have evolved some interesting
adaptations.
Snow and Plants
How do plants survive the icy cold of snow and winter? Unlike animals, which
can often leave, hibernate, or otherwise escape a harsh environment, plants
cannot. Plants must stay where they are rooted and adapt to the conditions
around them. One of the most difficult aspects of cold, wintery places is that
most water is frozen, and plants cannot take up ice.
Adaptations
Deciduous plants handle the lack of water by shedding their leaves, which tend to
evaporate water into the air. During cold winter months, most deciduous plants
drop their leaves and go dormant. Evergreen plants keep their foliage, but their
leaves and needles have a thick, waxy coatings to reduce water loss.
In areas that receive frequent snow and may have cold weather year-round, such
as in the Arctic, plants have adapted in other ways. Trees may grow close to the
ground, or grow in shapes that help them shed heavy snow more easily. Plants
may hold onto dead leaves for insulation, or use deep snow like a blanket to
protect against the cold. Some evergreens also have a special valve in their cells.
This valve automatically seals off individual frozen cells to prevent a chain
reaction of freezing.
Snow and Animals
It can be difficult for animals to live in places that receive large amounts of snow,
such as in the high latitudes and at high elevations. Snowy places tend to receive
less sunlight, which decreases temperatures and makes it hard for animals to stay
warm. Deep snow can also be difficult to move around in; animals must spend
more time and energy walking through it or finding food beneath it.
GO ON
Adaptations
Some animals have adapted to co-exist with the cold. Deer, elk, bison, and other
grazing animals use their hooves and muzzles to clear snow away from plants
they need to eat to survive. To help retain warmth throughout the winter, they
also grow thicker, shaggier coats, which they shed in the spring when the weather
becomes warm again.
Other animals, like the snowshoe hare, develop ways to travel on top of deep
snow. Snowshoe hares have large hind feet, and they can spread their toes to act
like snowshoes, which helps them walk on the surface of deep snow without
falling through. Similarly, the ptarmigan, a bird common to the Rocky Mountains,
saves energy by walking on top of the snow with its feather-covered feet.
The pika, another Rocky Mountain native, dries little bundles of hay in the fall,
then brings this food under the snow to spend the winter. The Arctic fox, which
must deal with the cold, snowy conditions of the Arctic all year, grows thick fur
all the way down to the bottoms of its paws. It has a stocky body, short legs, and
small ears, all of which conserve body heat.
During cold periods, frogs, snakes, and other amphibians and reptiles slow their
body processes almost to a stop, using up their energy very slowly. Some insects
have adapted a lifecycle that follows the seasons. They grow and reproduce during
the summer months, then die in the fall, leaving their offspring in protective
cocoons that will open the following spring.
Hibernation
Deep snow can prevent some animals from finding food, but it also acts like a
blanket, keeping the ground beneath it warmer than the surrounding air
temperature. Some animals take advantage of snow’s insulation, and cope with

the cold season by building in a protective den or burrow and going into a deep,
long sleep, a process called hibernation. Bears and groundhogs, for instance,
build up fat reserves in the fall so they can survive hibernating through the snowy
winter months, usually not waking again until spring.
Migration
Some animals simply leave snowy, cold regions during the toughest seasons.
Arctic terns, for example, spend the Northern Hemisphere summer in the Arctic,
and then migrate to Antarctica for the Southern Hemisphere summer, traveling
about 39,000 kilometers (24,000 miles) round-trip each year. Migration can also
happen over shorter distances: Deer and elk in the Rocky Mountains of the
United States tend to migrate down into valleys during the winter.
GO ON
The timing of spring snowmelt and autumn snowfall also affects migration. Many
migratory water birds take advantage of the 24-hour sunlight and extensive food
supplies available during the Arctic summertime. But the timing of birds’
breeding and nesting depends on when particular regions in the Arctic become
snow-free each spring. Some populations nest in Greenland, where snow melts
later in the spring season, and there is a smaller window of opportunity for the
species migrating there. Arctic areas of Europe, Asia, and Alaska, however, have
recently experienced earlier springtime thawing, resulting in more snow-free
patches and longer summer seasons for migrating birds.
Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/snow/
ecology.html
GO ON
Name: Date:
1 Look at the claims listed below. Decide if the information in Source #2, Source #3,
both sources, or neither source supports each claim.
1A: Claim 1. It is difficult to know where snow will fall.
A Source #2
B Source #3
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
1B: Claim 2. Snow can change in texture.
A Source #2
B Source #3
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
1C: Claim 3. Snow has an effect on life in the area.
A Source #2
B Source #3
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
1D: Claim 4: Some animals leave an area to avoid snow.

A Source #2
B Source #3
C Both Sources
D Neither Source
GO ON
Name: Date:
2 Explain what Source #1 and Source #2 say about temperature and how it affects
snow by paraphrasing the information while avoiding plagiarism.
3 All of the sources provide information about snow. Which source would most
likely be relevant to students researching the long-term effects of snow on its
environment? Justify your answer and support it with two pieces of information
from the sources.
GO ON

You will now review your notes and sources, and plan, draft, revise, and edit
your writing. You may use your notes and refer to the sources. Now read your
assignment and the information about how your writing will be scored; then
begin your work.
Your Assignment
Now that you have completed research on the topic of snow, your teacher has
asked you to write an explanatory article about snow for a weather blog that your
class has created. The audience for your article will be other students, teachers,
and parents.
Using multiple sources, develop a thesis/controlling idea to explain about snow
and its effect on us. Once you have a thesis/controlling idea, select the most
relevant information from more than one source to support your thesis/
controlling idea. Then, write a multi-paragraph explanatory article explaining
your thesis/controlling idea. Clearly organize your article and elaborate your
ideas. Unless quoting directly from the sources, use your own words. Be sure to
reference the source title or number when quoting or paraphrasing details or facts
from the sources.
Explanatory Article Scoring
Your explanatory article will be scored using the following:
1. Organization/purpose: How well did you state your thesis/controlling idea,
and maintain your thesis/controlling idea with a logical progression of ideas from
beginning to end? How well did you narrow your thesis/controlling idea so you
can develop and elaborate the conclusion? How well did you consistently use a
variety of transitions? How effective was your introduction and your conclusion?

2. Evidence/elaboration: How well did you integrate relevant and specific
information from the sources? How well did you elaborate on your ideas? How
well did you clearly state ideas using precise language that is appropriate for your
3. Conventions: How well did you follow the rules of grammar usage,
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling?
Now begin work on your explanatory article. Manage your time carefully so that
you can plan, write, revise, and edit the final draft of your article. Write your
STOP

Answer Key Name:
Item Answer CCSS Claim # Target # DOK
1A A
1B D
Claim 4 Target 4 3
1C C
RI.8.1, RI.8.8, RI.8.9, W.8.2,
1D B W.8.4, W.8.5, W.8.8,
W.8.9b
2 see below Claim 4 Target 2 4
3 see below Claim 4 Target 3 4
Article see below Claim 2 Target 4 4
Comprehension: Selected Response 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D /1 %

Comprehension: Constructed Response 2, 3 /4 %
Explanatory Article /4 [O/P]
/4 [E/E] %
/2 [C]
Total End-of-Year Performance Task Assessment Score /15 %
2 2-point response: Source #1 explains that temperature differences cause snow to sound

different when you walk on it. The lower the temperature, the louder the crunch that packed
snow makes. Source #2 explains how temperature affects different types of snowy weather.
Freezing temperatures are often found with blizzards, and if the temperature drops to a
certain degree, the snow turns into freezing rain.
3 2-point response: Source #3 would be the most relevant source for students researching

the long-term effects of snow on its environment. This is because Source #3 provides many
examples of how plants and animals have adapted through the years to survive in a snowy
world. For example, evergreen trees have developed a waxy layer over their needles to help
them retain water, and the snowshoe hare has evolved to have wide feet that can walk on top
of the snow without falling through it.
10-point anchor paper: When we think of snow, we often picture ourselves doing fun things—
building a snowman, having a snowball fight, maybe even sledding down a large hill—but from a
scientific standpoint, snow is much more important than simply the pleasure it offers us. In fact,
snow affects Earth in many important ways.
Most of us know what snow looks and feels like, but what we don’t realize is that snow changes
the environment around us. Source #1 explains that snow is often white, reflecting light and making
everything outside seem brighter and lighter as a result. Fluffy snow also absorbs sound, according
to Source #1, so the world seems a lot quieter when soft snow has just fallen. As the snow gets
more packed and harder, sound begins to reflect off of it and noises suddenly return to the area.
It’s amazing how snow can change the environment around it so easily!

Answer Key Name:
Snow also affects the behavior and physical attributes of living things. Source #2 describes how
blizzards make it dangerous to be outside due to the blinding snow, and Source #3 shows that
plants and animals adapt to snow conditions in their habitats. Plants may go dormant or grow in
certain rounded shapes to help shed snow that falls on them. Animals grow thick coats and some
have the ability to walk on top of the snow without falling through it. Still others hibernate when
there is snow outside as an adaptation that helps them survive. Other animals simply leave the
area, migrating to a warmer climate for the winter months.
Snow affects its immediate environment, plants, and animals (including people) in a multitude of
ways, just by falling from the sky. So the next time you are outside in the snow, stop and look at
the world around you. Look at the sky and listen to the silence. Look at the plants hidden beneath
their soft white blankets. Look at the birds and the squirrels and any other animals you may see
nearby. You will find that, like you, they are all affected by this wonderful element of nature that
we call snow!

Use the rubrics to score the task holistically on a 10-point scale:
4 points for purpose/organization [P/O]; 4 points for evidence/elaboration [E/E] or
development/elaboration [D/E]; and 2 points for English language conventions [C]
Unscorable or Zero responses are unrelated to the topic, illegible, contain little or
no writing, or show little to no command of the conventions of standard English.
EXPLANATORY PERFORMANCE TASK SCORING RUBRIC

Score Purpose/Organization Evidence/Elaboration Conventions
•e ffective organizational •c onvincing support for main
structure idea; effective use of sources
• clear statement of main • integrates comprehensive
idea based on purpose, evidence from sources
4 audience, task • relevant references
• consistent use of various • effective use of elaboration
transitions • audience-appropriate domain-
• logical progression of specific vocabulary
ideas
•e vident organizational •a dequate support for main
structure idea; adequate use of sources
• adequate statement • some integration of evidence
of main idea based on from sources
3 purpose, audience, task • references may be general
• adequate, somewhat • adequate use of some
varied use of transitions elaboration
• adequate progression of • generally audience-appropriate
ideas domain-specific vocabulary
• inconsistent •u neven support for main idea; •a dequate
organizational structure limited use of sources command
• unclear or somewhat • weakly integrated, vague, of spelling,
unfocused main idea or imprecise evidence from capitalization,
2 • inconsistent use of sources punctuation,
transitions with little • references are vague or absent grammar, and
variety • weak or uneven elaboration usage
• formulaic or uneven • uneven domain-specific • few errors
progression of ideas vocabulary
• little or no •m inimal support for main idea; •p artial command

organizational structure little or no use of sources of spelling,
• few or no transitions • minimal, absent, incorrect, capitalization,
• frequent extraneous or irrelevant evidence from punctuation,
ideas; may be formulaic sources grammar, and
1
• may lack introduction • references are absent or usage
and/or conclusion incorrect • some patterns of
• confusing or ambiguous • minimal, if any, elaboration errors
focus; may be very brief • limited or ineffective domain-
specific vocabulary
Grade 8 • Rubrics 175

NARRATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK SCORING RUBRIC
Score Purpose/Organization Development/Elaboration Conventions
• f ully sustained organization; •e ffective elaboration
clear focus with details, dialogue,
• effective, unified plot description
• effective development of setting, • clear expression of
characters, point of view experiences and events
• transitions clarify relationships • effective use of relevant
4
between and among ideas source material
• logical sequence of events • effective use of various
• effective opening and closing narrative techniques
• effective use of
sensory, concrete, and
figurative language
•a dequately sustained •a dequate elaboration with
organization; generally details, dialogue, description
maintained focus • adequate expression of
• evident plot with loose experiences and events
connections • adequate use of source
3 • adequate development of setting, material
characters, point of view • adequate use of various
• adequate use of transitional narrative techniques
strategies • adequate use of sensory,
• adequate sequence of events concrete, and figurative
• adequate opening and closing language
• s omewhat sustained •u neven elaboration with •a dequate
organization; uneven focus partial details, dialogue, command
• inconsistent plot with evident description of spelling,
flaws • uneven expression of capitalization,
• uneven development of setting, experiences and events punctuation,
characters, point of view • vague, abrupt, or imprecise grammar,
2
• uneven use of transitional use of source material and usage
strategies, with little variety • uneven, inconsistent use of • few errors
• weak or uneven sequence of narrative technique
events • partial or weak use of

• weak opening and closing sensory, concrete, and
figurative language
•b asic organization; little or no •m inimal elaboration with •p artial
focus few or no details, dialogue, command
• little or no discernible plot; may description of spelling,
just be a series of events • confusing expression of capitalization,
• brief or no development of experiences and events punctuation,
setting, characters, point of view • little or no use of source grammar,
1
• few or no transitional strategies material and usage
• little or no organization of event • minimal or incorrect use of • some
sequence; extraneous ideas narrative techniques patterns of
• no opening and/or closing • little or no use of sensory, errors
concrete, and figurative
language
176 Grade 8 • Rubrics

ARGUMENTATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK SCORING RUBRIC
Score Purpose/Organization Evidence/Elaboration Conventions
•e ffective organizational •c onvincing support/
structure; sustained focus evidence for main idea;
• consistent use of a variety of effective use of sources;
transitions precise language
• logical progression of ideas • comprehensive evidence
• effective introduction and from sources is integrated
4
conclusion • relevant, specific references
• clearly communicated • effective elaborative
argument for purpose, techniques
audience, task • appropriate domain-specific
vocabulary for audience,
purpose
•e vident organizational •a dequate support/evidence
structure; adequate focus for main idea; adequate
• adequate use of transitions use of sources; general
• adequate progression of language
ideas • some evidence from sources
• adequate introduction and is integrated
3
conclusion • general, imprecise
• clear argument, mostly references
maintained, though loosely • adequate elaboration
• adequate argument for • generally appropriate
purpose, audience, task domain-specific vocabulary
for audience, purpose
• inconsistent organizational •u neven support for main •a dequate
structure; somewhat idea; partial use of sources; command
sustained focus simple language of spelling,
• inconsistent use of transitions • evidence from sources is capitalization,
• uneven progression of ideas weakly integrated, vague, punctuation,
• introduction or conclusion, if or imprecise grammar, and
2
present, may be weak • vague, unclear references usage
• somewhat unclear or • weak or uneven elaboration • few errors
unfocused argument • uneven or somewhat
ineffective use of domain-

specific vocabulary for
audience, purpose
• little or no organizational •m inimal support for main • partial
structure or focus idea; little or no use of command
• few or no transitions sources; vague language of spelling,
• frequent extraneous • source material evidence capitalization,
ideas are evident; may be is minimal, incorrect, or punctuation,
formulaic irrelevant grammar, and
1
• introduction and/or • references absent or usage
conclusion may be missing incorrect • some patterns of
• confusing argument • minimal, if any, elaboration errors
• limited or ineffective use of
domain-specific vocabulary
for audience, purpose
Grade 8 • Rubrics 177

Modify Instruction
Grade 8 Unit 1
IF . . . THEN . . .
Students score less than 75% on . . . reteach the following skills lessons as needed,
the comprehension items in unit using the Access 4 Handout and the Approaching
assessment . . . instructional scaffolds in the Access Path: Textual
Evidence, Theme, Author’s Purpose and Author’s Point
of View, Story Elements, Character.
Students score less than 75% on the . . . reteach the Word Meaning skill lesson using the
vocabulary items in unit assessment . . . Access 4 Handout and the Approaching instructional
scaffolds in the Access Path.
. . . use the Access 4 Handout vocabulary activity in
the Close Read lessons for additional practice with
word meaning.
. . . use the Vocabulary Workbook lessons 9, 18, 19, and
23 for additional practice with Context Clues.
Students score less than 7 on the . . . reteach the following skill lessons from the
Performance Task full write for unit Extended Writing Project, as needed, using the Access
assessment . . . 4 Handout and the Approaching instructional scaffolds
in the Access Path: Organize Narrative Writing,
Introductions, Narrative Techniques and Sequencing,
Descriptive Details, Writing Dialogue, Audience and
Purpose, Conclusions, and Transitions.
Grade 8 Unit 2
IF . . . THEN . . .
Students score less than 75% on the . . . reteach the following skill lessons as needed,
comprehension items in unit assessment using the Access 4 Handout and the Approaching
... instructional scaffolds in the Access Path: Character,

Theme, Author’s Purpose and Author’s Point of View,
Textual Evidence, Argument and Claim, Reasons and
Evidence.
Students score less than 75% on the . . . use the Access 4 Handout vocabulary activity in the
vocabulary items in unit assessment . . . Close Read lessons for additional practice with word
meaning.
Performance Task full write for unit Extended Writing Project as needed, using the 4
assessment . . . Access Handout and the Approaching instructional
scaffolds in the Access Path: Audience and Purpose,
Research and Note-Taking, Thesis Statement,
Organize Argumentative, Writing, Supporting Details,
Introductions and Conclusions, Sources and Citations.
178 Grade 8 • Modify Instruction

Modify Instruction
Grade 8 Unit 3
IF . . . THEN . . .
Students score less than 75% on . . . reteach the following skill lessons as needed,
the comprehension items in unit using the Access 4 Handout and the Approaching
assessment . . . instructional scaffolds in the Access Path: Theme,
Character, Textual Evidence, Central or Main Idea,
Point of View, Reasons and Evidence, Tone.
Students score less than 75% on the . . . use the Access 4 Handout vocabulary activity in
vocabulary items in unit assessment . . . the Close Read lessons for additional practice with
word meaning.
Performance Task full write for unit Extended Writing Project as needed, using the
assessment . . . Access 4 Handout and the Approaching instructional
scaffolds in the Access Path: Thesis Statement,
Organize Argumentative Writing, Supporting Details,
Introductions, Transitions, Conclusions, Style, Sources
and Citations.
Grade 8 Unit 4
IF . . . THEN . . .
Students score less than 75% on the . . . reteach the following skill lessons as needed,
comprehension items in unit assessment using the Access 4 Handout and the Approaching
... instructional scaffolds in the Access Path: Point of
View, Character, Theme, Argument and Claim, Central
or Main Idea, Textual Evidence, Plot.
Students score less than 75% on the . . . use the Access 4 Handout vocabulary activity in
vocabulary items in unit assessment . . . the Close Read lessons for additional practice with
word meaning.
. . . use the Vocabulary Workbook, lessons 9, 18, 19,
and 23, for additional practice with Context Clues.
Students score less than 7 on the . . . reteach using the following skill lessons from the
Performance Task full write for unit Extended Writing Project as needed, using the Access
assessment . . . 4 Handout and the Approaching instructional scaffolds
in the Access Path: Thesis Statement, Audience and
Purpose, Organize Informative Writing, Supporting
Details, Introductions, Body Paragraphs and Transitions,
Conclusions, Style, Sources and Citations.
Grade 8 • Modify Instruction 179

RLMJH-Grade 8 ELA Core Assessment

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END-OF-YEAR ASSESSMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Units 1 and 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

The Core ELA Assessments component is an integral part of the complete

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Selections and Assessment Items

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Short Response Score: 2

Short Response Score: 1

Extended Response Score: 4

Extended Response Score: 3

Extended Response Score: 2

Extended Response Score: 1

Teacher Introduction vii

Item Information and Student Performance

DOK 1 in comprehension involves students identifying/locating information in the text.

DOK 1 in ELC/PTs involves students editing to fix errors.

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viii Teacher Introduction

Read the text. Then answer the questions.

from “To Build a Fire”

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A The man is trying to meet up with others where he will be safe.

Part A: Which statement best expresses a theme of the text?

A One should not travel the woods in winter.

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Part A: Read the sentences from the text.

What does the word floundered most likely mean?

A “. . . it went quickly across the white, unbroken surface.”

Part A: Read the sentences from the text.

What does the word crypts most likely describe?

A the dog’s learned talents

A “The dog did not want to go.”

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Read the text. Then answer the questions.

For the Love of MOOCs

The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-mortar

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Part A: Which statement best describes the author’s point of view?

A “The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-mortar

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Part A: Read the sentences from the text.

What does the word retraction most likely mean?

The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-

What does simultaneous mean as it is used in the text?

A at the same time

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Read the texts. Then answer the questions.

Why Even Argue Climate Change?

Critics point to natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions to explain

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We were still trapped, but we were united—survivors. We organized ourselves into

Answer these questions about “Why Even Argue Climate Change?”

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Part A: Read the paragraph from the text.

What does the word naysayers most likely mean?

14 Read the paragraph from the text.

A The man is trying to meet up with others where he will be safe.

A One should not travel the woods in winter.

A “. . . it went quickly across the white, unbroken surface.”

A the dog’s learned talents

A “The dog did not want to go.”

A “The only major difference between MOOCs and traditional brick-and-mortar

A at the same time

14 Read the paragraph from the text.

A problems that can be avoided

A Those who hold onto hope find luck.

17 “Why Even Argue Climate Change?” is an opinion essay, whereas “Trapped

A The author thinks that sometimes it is better to simply appreciate the

28 Grade 8 • Unit Assessment • Unit 1

30 Grade 8 • Unit Assessment • Unit 1

32 Grade 8 • Unit Assessment • Unit 1

A He is a trained and skilled physician.

A “Deaths were by no means uncommon in Roaring Camp, but a birth was a

Part A: Which of these inferences about Kentuck’s personality is best supported

A Self-reliance is a necessary means of survival.

A Sal is the only woman in Roaring Camp, a camp full of men.

A “It was a name familiar enough in the camp,—‘Cherokee Sal.’”

A “A fire of withered pine boughs added sociability to the gathering.”

A “Men of my age flock together; we are birds of a feather”