4th Grade Assessment 2 - Weebly

4th Grade

Assessment 2

Table of Contents

Assessment Guide ……………………………………………..…………………………………………………………. Pages 2-5

Assessment Rubric..………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Pages 6-9

Ellis Island……………………………………………………………………….…………………………………….………. Pages 10-13

Name: ____________________________________________ Class: _______________

TCRWP 4th

Grade Nonfiction Reading and Information Writing Performance Assessment

DRAFT – 2013-2014

1

NOTE: PLEASE SEE NOTE ABOUT SECOND ROUND OF ASSESSMENTS

BEFORE DECIDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS ASSESSMENT IS RIGHT

FOR YOUR CLASS.

THIS ASSESSMENT ASSUMES YOU ARE ADAPTING A NONFICTION UNIT

IN READING TO ALLOW FOR TEACHING STUDENTS TO ANALYZE THE

REASONS AUTHOR’S GIVE TO SUPPORT POINTS IN A TEXT.

GRADE: Fourth

NAME OF ASSESSMENT:

Nonfiction Reading and Information Writing Performance Assessment

STANDARDS ASSESSED:

Students will determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific

words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area. (RI.4.4)

By the end of the year, students will read and comprehend informational texts,

including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text

complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the

range. (RI.4.10)

Students will explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support

particular points in a text. (RI.4.8)

Students will write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey

ideas and information clearly. (W.4.2)

Depth of Knowledge Level of task: Levels 2-3

Task Details:

Duration of administration: Pilot feedback needed

Time of year when administered: Spring

Materials needed:

Text: Ellis Island, by Judith Jango-Cohen. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2008, pp. 6-9,

“The Great Escape”.

Name: ____________________________________________ Class: _______________

TCRWP 4th


DRAFT – 2013-2014

2

Explanation of Standards Alignment:

Primary:

RI.4.4: Students will determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific

words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Students will determine the meaning of the academic word “refuge.”

RI.4.8: Students will explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support

particular points in a text.

Students will explain how Jango-Cohen uses reasons and evidence to support the

point that immigrants often came to America because they faced difficulties in

their homelands.

RI.4.10: By the end of the year, students will read and comprehend informational texts,

including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text

complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Students will analyze an informational text in grades 4-5 text complexity band.

W 4.2: Students will write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey

ideas and information clearly.

Students will write explanatory texts to examine the topic of Jango-Cohen’s use

of reasons and evidence to support points.

Name: ____________________________________________ Class: _______________

TCRWP 4th


DRAFT – 2013-2014

3

Overview of Assessment

**Note: Suggested teacher prompts follow – please alter and make note of alterations

based on your own conversational style and the ways in which you’ve talked about

reading and writing nonfiction in your own classroom. The tasks below could be

administered in many different ways.**

Suggested time frame:

The introduction and two tasks could be administered in one class period.

Task 1: Information writing/Analyzing an author’s reasons and evidence

Students will independently read the excerpted passage about immigration with the

prompt: “In “The Great Escape” the author makes the point that immigrants often

escaped to America because they faced so many difficulties in their homelands. What

evidence strongly supports this point in the text?”

Task 2: Determining meaning of a domain-specific word

Students will write to explain the meaning of the word “refuge” as it is used by Jango-

Cohen to describe many immigrants’ perception of the United States.

Name: ____________________________________________ Class: _______________

TCRWP 4th


DRAFT – 2013-2014

4

Fourth Grade Performance Assessment

Closely read the informational text “The Great Escape,” from a book called Ellis

Island, by Judith Jango-Cohen. Answer the two questions that follow. The first

question asks you to write a short response. The second question asks you to

write an essay.

Task 1: (Reading Standard 4)

In “The Great Escape,” on page 9, the author describes how the United States became a refuge for people from many countries. Explain what you think the word refuge means in this context, and why its meaning is important to „the Great Escape.‟

Task 2: (Reading Standard 8, Writing Standard 2)

Write an explanatory essay in which you answer this question:

In “The Great Escape” the author makes the point that immigrants often escaped

to America because they faced so many difficulties in their homelands. What

evidence strongly supports this point in the text?”

In your response, be sure to:

• restate the author‟s point

• support this point with details, quotations, and information from the text

• group information logically into paragraphs

• use precise language related to the topic

• provide a concluding statement related to the author‟s point

TCRWP Informational Reading and Information Writing Rubric-Fourth Grade – Spring 2014

TCRWP – Draft – 2013-2014

Fourth Grade

Reading Rubric

Level 1-

Novice

Level 2-

Intermediate

Level 3-

Proficient

Level 4-

Above Proficient

Determine meaning of

general academic and

domain-specific vocabulary

R. Standard 4.4

Determine the meaning of

general academic and domain-

specific words and phrases in

a text relevant to a grade 4

topic or subject area.

Student does not define given

term or defines the term

incorrectly. Alternatively, the

student may define the term

not using the provided text.

Student defines the term but

the explanation of meaning is

somewhat confusing or

merely restates what the text

says without rephrasing.

Determines meaning of

general academic and

domain-specific words and

phrases in a text relevant to

a grade 4 topic or subject

area.

Demonstrates understanding

of meaning of given term

through information gained

from provided source.

Attempts to rephrase meaning

given by the text and

explanation of term’s meaning

is clear.

Demonstrates understanding

of the meaning of the given

term, and pulls from more

than one part of the text to

support this understanding,

perhaps including examples.

Delineating and Evaluating

Argument and Claims

R. Standard 4.8

Explain how an author uses

reasons and evidence to

support particular points in a

text.

Wrongly attributes reasons

and evidence to a point which

they do not support.

Alternatively, the student

might list some unconnected

details.

Provides little to no

explanation of how reasons

and evidence support a

particular point

i.e. “A Russian girl hid with

her baby sister in the

basement so they wouldn’t get

killed.”

Recounts one or two details

and attempts to explain how

they support the main point.

The explanation may be

too brief to serve its

purpose, or parts of the

explanation may be

unclear. The student may have

identified details of unequal

weight.

i.e. “One reason that shows

this is a Russian girl was

almost killed. Another reason

that shows this is that there

were no jobs.”

Explains how an author uses

reasons and evidence to

support a particular point.

Explains how reasons and

evidence support a given

point. Provides at least two

reasons and uses text evidence

to support each reason.

i.e. “One reason that supports

the point is that immigrants

were escaping danger.

Another reason that supports

the point is that immigrants

were escaping hunger.”

Student identifies two or more

supportive reasons and

provides a clear explanation to

show how a particular reason

supports a point. Explanation

might show how reasons and

evidence support a second

point and/or might make

mention of the author as

deliberately including reasons

and evidence to support the

given point and

i.e. (After sufficiently

introducing the topic and

focus) “The author supports

this point by giving reasons

that showed what immigrants

were escaping. Immigrants

came to America to escape

danger and poverty.”



Fourth Grade

Writing Rubric

Level 1-

Novice

Level 2-

Intermediate

Level 3-

Proficient

Level 4-

Above Proficient

W. Standard 4.2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

a. Introduce a topic clearly

and group related

information in

paragraphs and sections;

include formatting (e.g.

headings), illustrations,

and multimedia when

useful to aiding

comprehension.

Does not provide an

introduction

or

merely makes clear the focus

of the explanation

i.e. “The reasons that support

the point are…”

Provides facts and details but

does not group information or

does so in a way that is

disorganized or unclear.

Provides a brief introduction

which may include the title of

the text and the focus of the

explanation.

i.e. “In Ellis Island it says that

immigrants escaped

difficulties. One reason…”

Groups related information

but does not always create

sections and paragraphs.

Introduces a topic clearly

Groups related information

in paragraphs and sections.

Introduces the author’s point

clearly by orienting the reader

to the topic and text

referenced. Provides title and

author of text.

i.e. “In Ellis Island by Judith

Jango-Cohen, the author

makes the point that

immigrants escaped

difficulties by coming to

America. One reason that

supports…

Groups supporting ideas and

relevant evidence in

paragraphs and sections. It’s

clear how each section has

been organized.

Introduces the topic, orienting

the reader by providing both a

general observation (i.e.

context) and focus (i.e. the

author’s point), referencing

the text and may preview the

content of the piece.

i.e. “In the late 1800s and

early 1900s millions of

immigrants left their homes

and came to America to start

new lives. In Ellis Island by

Jango-Cohen, the author

discusses reasons why

immigrants left their homes.

One point the author

makes…”

Creates an organizational

structure in some sections or

paragraphs of related

information are logically

ordered (i.e. choosing to put

the most persuasive

information last, ordering

information in particular

paragraph chronologically,

etc.)

b. Develop the topic with

facts, definitions, concrete

Does not use information

from the text to develop the

Attempts to develop the topic

using facts and details from Develop the topic with facts,

definitions, concrete details,

Develops the topic with a

variety of text evidence,



details, quotations, or

other information and

examples related to the

topic.

topic and/or uses information

that is inaccurate. May

include extraneous

information that does not

relate to the topic at hand.

Does not refer to text.

the text, though does so

sporadically or ineffectively

(i.e. citing evidence or details

that do not specifically

support a particular point).

Occasionally makes reference

to sources when including

information from them,

though not consistently and/or

vaguely.

quotations, or other

information and examples

related to the topic.

Provides a greater variety of

text evidence, including facts,

definitions, concrete details,

quotations, or other

information and examples

from the text provided. All

information is relevant.

Refers directly to sources

when including information

from them.

elaborating on the textual

information provided by

attempting to state how it

relates back to the topic or

idea.

Properly cites when quoting

from the text.

c. Link ideas within

categories of information

using words and phrases

(e.g. another, for

example, also, because).

Uses few, if any, linking

words or phrases to connect

ideas within categories of

information.

Uses some linking words and

phrases to connect ideas

within categories of

information (e.g. also,

another, and, more, but)

though many ideas remain

unconnected.

Links ideas within


using words and phrases

(e.g., another, for example,

also, because).

Uses a greater variety of

linking words to make more

complex connections within

categories of information.

Links ideas within and across


using words, phrases, and

clauses (e.g. in contrast,

especially).

d. Use precise language and

domain-specific

vocabulary to inform

about or explain the topic.

Does not incorporate precise,

domain-specific vocabulary.

Attempts to use precise,

domain-specific vocabulary

from the text, though terms

may be used incorrectly or

added without context.

Uses precise, domain-

specific vocabulary from the

text to inform about or

explain the topic.

Incorporates precise language

and domain-specific

vocabulary with a sense of

context, demonstrating that

the writer grasps the meaning

of the terms.

Uses precise, domain-specific

vocabulary from the text. This

vocabulary is integrated

smoothly into the child’s

writing.



e. Provide a concluding

statement or section

related to the information

or explanation presented.

Provides no sense of closure

or provides a brief conclusion

to make clear the focus of the

explanation

i.e. “That’s all the reasons.”

Provides a concluding

statement, though not one that

relates directly to the

information or explanation

presented.

i.e. “Wow, being an

immigrant was hard.”


statement or section related

to the information or

explanation presented.

Provides a related conclusion.

i.e. “Danger and hunger are

reasons that the author gives

to support the point that…”


statement or section related to

the information or explanation

presented and which attempts

to provide comments which

follow from the information.

i.e. “This makes me realize

that immigrants had really

hard lives before they

immigrated. If they didn’t

immigrate, who knows what

would have happened to

them!”

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4th Grade Assessment 2 - Weebly