Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about an Informational Text | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G3:M4:U1:L5

Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about 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.3.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or 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).
  • SL.3.2: Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
  • L.3.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.3.1a: Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.
  • 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 determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud. (SL.3.2)
  • I can explain the function of nouns and pronouns. (L.3.1a)
  • I can use the text to answer questions about pages 8-9 of One Well. (RI.3.1, RI.3.4, RI.3.7, L.3.4)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about an Informational Text (RI.3.1, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, SL.3.2, L.3.1a, L.3.4)
  • Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text (R.1, R.4, R.10, L.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about an Informational Text (40 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. 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 Work Time A, students complete the mid-unit assessment, in which they hear pages 8-9 of One Well read aloud and determine the main idea(s) and supporting details. They then read the pages themselves to answer text-dependent questions (RI.3.1, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, SL.3.2, L.3.1a, L.3.4).
  • After the assessment, students use the Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text recording form to formally keep track of and reflect on their own learning.
  • In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by persevering as they complete their assessments.

How this lesson builds on previous work: 

  • In Lessons 1-4, students practiced finding the main idea and supporting details of previous pages read aloud from One Well and also answered text-dependent questions about these pages. In this lesson, they complete those same activities for the mid-unit assessment using new pages in One Well.

Assessment guidance:

  • All assessment materials (student copy, answer key, student exemplar) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources.
  • When assessing and providing feedback, use the teacher answer key (see Assessment Overview and Resources) to help complete the student Tracking Progress recording form.
  • In this assessment, students are tracking progress toward anchor standards:
    • R.1: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: 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: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: 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: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
    • L.4: By the end of Grade 12 I will be able to: 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.

Areas in which 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.
  • Some students may require longer than the time allocated to complete the assessment.

Down the road: 

  • In the second half of the unit, students will read more of One Well in conjunction with research articles that focus on the three water issues highlighted in the book: access to water, demands on water, water pollution.

In Advance

  • Prepare the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Gather Tracking Progress folders.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 3.I.A.1, 3.I.B.5, 3.I.B.6, 3.I.B.7, 3.I.B.8, 3.II.A.2, 3.II.B.4, 3.II.C.6

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 1-4.
  • ELLs may find the assessment challenging. Encourage students to consult classroom resources and give them specific, positive feedback on the progress they've made learning English.
  • Allow students to review note-catchers, the Academic and Domain-Specific Word Walls, and vocabulary logs and other classroom resources.
  • Ensure 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. Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): To set themselves up for success for the mid-unit assessment, students need to generalize the skills that they learned from the previous sessions. Similar to Modules 1-2, before administering the assessment, activate their prior knowledge by recalling the learning targets from the previous lessons. Also, present the directions for the assessment both visually and verbally and display a map of the assessment parts.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, students read from One Well and answer selected-response questions as the mid-unit assessment. Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to support students in limiting distractions during the mid-unit assessment. Also, continue to provide variation in time for completing the assessment as appropriate. Consider breaking the assessment into parts and offering breaks at certain times.

Vocabulary

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

  • Do not preview vocabulary for this assessment lesson.

Materials

  • Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about an Informational Text (one per student and one to display; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • One Well (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text (one per student)
  • Tracking Progress folders (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Sticky notes (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 Lesson’s Assessment

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 

  • Direct students' attention to the learning targets and read them aloud:

"I can determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud."
"I can explain the function of nouns and pronouns."
"I can use the text to answer questions about pages 8-9 of One Well."

  • Remind students that these learning targets are very similar to those they saw in the previous lesson, but this time they are about pages 8-9 of One Well.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Working on Same Learning Target) Invite students to discuss how they previously worked toward each learning target. (MMR, MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about an Informational Text (40 minutes) 

  • Distribute and display the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Answering Questions about an Informational Text and read the instructions aloud.
  • Answer any clarifying questions.
  • Read aloud pages 8-9 of One Well three times, leaving sufficient time between each reading for students to complete their note-catchers and answer the questions. Note: Ensure that students'copies of the text are closed.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and remind them specifically of perseverance, as they will work independently to complete the second part of the assessment.
  • Invite students to begin. Remind them to refer to:
    • One Well
    • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart
  • Circulate to provide support as needed.
  • At the end of the allocated time, refocus whole group.
  • Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the learning targets and against how well they persevered.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Assessment Map) While explaining, display a "map" of the assessment. (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: (Rephrasing Selected Response) Invite students to rephrase selected response questions--and answer them--before they read each answer choice. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Tracking Progress (15 minutes) 

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment.
  • Distribute Tracking Progress: Reading, Understanding, and Explaining New Text and sticky notes.
  • Tell students the sticky notes are for them to find evidence of the following criteria:
    • RL.3.1, RI.3.1
    • RL.3.1, RI.3.4, L.3.4
  • Guide students through completing the form.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Orally Paraphrase) Allow students to orally paraphrase the meaning of the Tracking Progress criteria, self-assess, and discuss the evidence with a partner before they begin writing. (MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with monitoring their own learning: Self-assessment may be an unfamiliar concept for some students. Tell students that thinking about how well they did will help them do even better next time. (MME)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs: (Oral Response) Read aloud, discuss, and respond to your prompt orally, either with a partner, family member, or student from grades 2 or 4, or record an audio response.

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