Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Answering Questions and Identifying the Main Idea of an Informational Text | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G3:M1:U2:L6

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Answering Questions and Identifying the Main Idea of an Informational Text

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
  • RI.3.2: Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
  • RI.3.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
  • RI.3.7: Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
  • RI.3.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
  • L.3.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • L.3.4a: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • L.3.4b: Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).
  • L.3.4c: Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).
  • L.3.4d: Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can refer explicitly to the text to answer questions about the text. (RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.4, RI.3.7, RI.3.10, L.3.4)
  • I can find the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. (RI.3.4, L.3.4)
  • I can determine the main idea of a text and explain how key details support the main idea. (RI.3.1, RI.3.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment (RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.4, RI.3.7, RI.3.10, L.3.4)
  • Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Texts (RI.3.1, RI.3.4, RI.3.10, L.3.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Returning End of Unit 1 Assessment (5 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Answering Questions and Identifying the Main Idea of an Informational Text (35 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Launching Tracking Progress (15 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students complete the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, reading a new excerpt from My Librarian Is a Camel, answering selected response and short answer questions about the text, and determining the main idea of the text (RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.4, RI.3.7, L.3.4).
  • In Opening A, students' End of Unit 1 Assessments are returned with feedback. The purpose of this is for students to have the opportunity to see how they performed in order to improve in their next assessment, and to ask questions if they don't understand the feedback.
  • In the Closing, students reflect on the learning targets on the Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Texts recording form. This exercise is meant to provide them with time to formally keep track of and reflect on their own learning.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to overcoming challenges in access to education, books, and reading near and far. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

How it builds on previous work:

  • Throughout the first half of the unit, students practiced reading, analyzing, and determining the main idea of excerpts from My Librarian Is a Camel.
  • Throughout Unit 1, students were introduced to various total participation techniques (e.g., cold calling, equity sticks, Turn and Talk, Think-Pair-Share, etc.). When following the directive "Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group," use one of these techniques or another familiar technique to encourage all students to participate.

Areas where students may need additional support:

  • If students receive accommodations for assessments, communicate with the cooperating service providers regarding the practices of instruction in use during this study as well as the goals of the assessment.
  • For some students, this assessment may require more than the 35 minutes allotted. Consider providing time over multiple days if necessary.

Assessment guidance:

  • All assessment materials (student copy, answer key) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources.
  • When assessing and providing feedback to students on this assessment, use the teacher answer key and sample student responses (see Assessment Overview and Resources) to help you complete the student Tracking Progress recording form. Consider making notes in the appropriate column for each criterion and marking evidence with sticky notes on student work in a different color than student responses. There is also space provided to respond to student comments.
  • In this assessment, students are tracking progress toward these anchor standards:
    • R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
    • R.4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
    • R.10: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
    • L.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Down the road:

  • In the second half of the unit, students shift their focus to writing informational texts. They will use what they have learned about their expert group's country to write an informational paragraph about how some people access books in that country. For the end of unit assessment, students will use the excerpt of My Librarian Is a Camel read for the mid-unit assessment to write a paragraph about how some people access books in Mongolia.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • End of Unit 1 Assessments with feedback from Unit 1, Lesson 11.
    • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
    • Tracking Progress folder for each student. This will be a folder with six tabs, one for each type of tracking progress sheet students will complete: Collaborative Discussion, Informative Writing, Narrative Writing, Opinion Writing, Reading, Understanding and Explaining New Text, and Research. Students will keep their Tracking Progress forms from throughout the school year in this folder to refer to the relevant form before completing an assessment.
  • Post: Learning targets and Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Students complete the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment online with questions set up on a Google Form, for example.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 3.I.B.6 and 3.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by inviting them to complete assessment tasks similar to the classroom tasks completed in Lessons 1-5.
  • The Mid-Unit 2 Assessment may be challenging for ELLs, as it is a big leap from the heavily scaffolded classroom interaction. ELLs will be asked not only to independently apply cognitive skills developed in Lessons 1-5, but also to independently apply new linguistic knowledge introduced in those lessons.
  • Allow students to review language they've written on the Word Wall or in their vocabulary logs.
  • Make sure that ELLs understand the assessment directions. Answer their questions, refraining from supplying answers to the assessment questions themselves. See additional support in the lesson.
  • After the assessment, ask students to discuss which assessment task was easiest and which was most difficult, and why. In future lessons and for homework, focus on the language skills that will help students address these assessment challenges.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation: To set themselves up for success on the mid-unit assessment, students will need to generalize the skills that they learned from the previous sessions. Before administering the assessment, activate their prior knowledge by recalling the learning targets from the previous lessons. Additionally, present the directions for the assessment both visually and verbally. Facilitate comprehension by displaying a map of the assessment parts.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: It is important to provide all students access to the assessment so that they have the best chance of demonstrating their knowledge and skills. My Librarian Is a Camel may be higher than some students' independent reading levels. Consider reading the book aloud to students or offering the book on tape to support students with their reading.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement: Some students may require support with limiting distractions during the assessment (e.g., using sound-canceling headphones or dividers between workspaces). Similarly, some students may require variations in time for the assessment. Consider breaking the assessment into more manageable parts and offering breaks at certain times. During the assessment, provide scaffolds that support executive function skills, self-regulation, and students' ability to monitor progress before and after the assessment (e.g., visual prompts, reminders, checklists, rubrics, etc.).

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • Do not preview vocabulary for this assessment lesson.

Materials

  • End of Unit 1 Assessments with Feedback (one per student; completed in Unit 1, Lesson 11)
  • Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Answering Questions and Identifying the Main Idea of an Informational Text (one per student; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Texts (one per student)
  • Tracking Progress folder (one per student)
  • Sticky notes (at least three per student)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Download this Assessment

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Returning End of Unit 1 Assessment (5 minutes)

  • Return students' End of Unit 1 Assessments with Feedback.
  • Invite students to spend a few minutes reading the feedback. If they require teacher support to understand the feedback, encourage them to write their names on the board so you can visit with them in this lesson.
  • For ELLs and students who need support with reading: Reassure them that if they don't understand or cannot read the feedback, they will have an opportunity to review it with you during the lesson. (MME)
  • Build an accepting and supportive by reminding students that everyone is working toward individual goals and that learning is about continued growth and development. (MME)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:
    • "I can refer explicitly to the text to answer questions about the text."
    • "I can find the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary."
    • "I can determine the main idea of a text and explain how key details support the main idea."
  • Remind students that they have practiced the skills required by these learning targets multiple times over the course of this unit. In this assessment, they will apply these skills to read and analyze an informational text.
  • Answer any clarifying questions.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with memory: Ask students to recall and describe one example of how they worked toward meeting these learning targets in the past two lessons. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Answering Questions and Identifying the Main Idea of an Informational Text (35 minutes)

  • Distribute the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Answering Questions and Identifying the Main Idea of an Informational Text.
  • Tell students that this assessment focuses on reading a new excerpt from My Librarian Is a Camel and determining the main idea of this excerpt.
  • Direct students' attention to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and quickly review it.
  • Remind students of the process they went through when reading about Kenya and their expert group's country in My Librarian Is a Camel and encourage them to do the same when completing this assessment:
    • First, they read the excerpt for the gist and to find the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
    • Then, they reread the excerpt more closely to think about the main idea of the text.
  • Invite students to read the excerpt from My Librarian Is a Camel for the gist, noting any unfamiliar vocabulary as they read.
  • Ask students to continue the assessment. While they are taking the assessment, circulate to monitor their test-taking skills. This is an opportunity to analyze students' behaviors while taking an assessment. Document strategies you observe them use, such as referring to the text as they answer questions.
  • After 35 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with executive function skills: As you explain, write a "map" of the assessment on the board. (MME, MMAE)

Example:

One part:

  1. Answer questions and identify the main idea of a text.

A. Read a new chapter of My Librarian Is a Camel.

B. Determine the gist and find the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary

C. Read closely to find the main idea of the text.

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Consider reading aloud or providing an audio version of the excerpt from My Librarian Is a Camel. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Ensure that all students are clear about all test directions. Rephrase the directions for them. Monitor during the assessment to see that students are completing it correctly. Stop those who are on the wrong track and make sure they understand the directions. (MMR)
  • Minimize distractions during the assessment by providing tools such as sound-canceling headphones or individual dividers. (MME)
  • Since this is a long assessment, consider offering built-in breaks, during which students can choose an activity such as getting water or stretching. Reduce the number of these breaks over time as students increase their stamina. (MME)
  • For students who may need additional support with fine motor skills: Consider providing tools to support their writing (e.g., pencil grips, slanted desk, or word processor). (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Launching Tracking Progress (15 minutes)

  • Give students specific positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment. (Example: "I admire your perseverance in reading and analyzing a new complex informational text to complete the assessment.")
  • Distribute Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Texts and Tracking Progress folders. Explain that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning. Tell students that they will do this after most assessments this school year.
  • Select volunteers to read aloud each criterion for the whole group. After hearing it read aloud, invite students to turn and talk with an elbow partner:

 "What does that criterion mean in your own words?"

  • Read the directions aloud for students and explain the scale and what each number represents. They should score themselves a 3 if they think they have achieved that criterion in their reading of new texts, a 4 if they think they have done even more than the criterion asks, 2 if they think they are nearly there but not quite, and 1 if they think they still have a lot of work to do.
  • Distribute sticky notes. Tell students they will use these to identify evidence in their work from the unit of their progress toward each criterion.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What handouts or work can you use to find evidence of your progress?" (Responses will vary, but may include students' Close Read note-catchers or independent reading journals.)

  • Model reviewing a Close Read note-catcher from Lesson 2 or 5 and marking evidence of the first criterion with an evidence flag or sticky note.
  • Guide students through completing Question 1 of the Tracking Progress form.
  • Direct students' attention to Question 2 on the form and select a volunteer to read it aloud for the group:
    • "How have I improved since I last worked on this skill?"
  • Point out that even though they did not formally reflect on this skill in Unit 1, they were introduced to and practiced it in that unit.
  • Invite students to reflect on their own or with a partner on how they have improved on this skill since Unit 1. Select volunteers to share with the group.
  • Invite students to record their thinking in the appropriate spot on the Tracking Progress form.
  • Point out the "Teacher Response" part under Question 2 and tell students that after class, you will read each student's reflection and respond with your feedback about their progress toward the skill.
  • Direct students' attention to Question 3 on the form and select a volunteer to read it aloud for the group:
    • "How can I improve next time?"
  • Invite students to reflect on their own or with a partner on how they can improve on this skill in the future. Select volunteers to share with the group.
  • Invite students to record their thinking in the appropriate spot on the Tracking Progress form.
  • Invite students to place the form in their Tracking Progress folder and collect students' folders.
  • Developing self-assessment and reflection supports all students, but research shows it supports struggling learners most. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Self-assessment may be an unfamiliar concept for some students. Tell them that thinking about how well they did will help them do even better next time.
  • When completing the teacher response on the reflection form, provide feedback that emphasizes individual effort, improvement, and achieving a standard, rather than performance relative to other students. (MME)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: Discuss and respond to your prompts orally, either with a partner, family member, or student from grades 1 or 2, or record a response. (MMAE)

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