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Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2 Grade 6 223

UNIT 5 WEEK 2

Read the passage “Ben Franklin and the Impossible Math Test” before answering Numbers 1 through 5.

Ben Franklin and the Impossible Math TestI come from a family of math geniuses. My mother is an engineer, my father is a college math professor, and my older brother Tyler wants to major in mathematics when he goes to college. If you think all that math brilliance is certain to be shared with me, I regret to say you are wrong.

In my family, I am the sole exception when it comes to math talent. I breeze through my other homework, but I can spend hours staring hopelessly at equations. That’s why I was dreading the big math test at the end of the semester.

“It’s just so frustrating,” I complained to my mother after a long session of studying graphs. “You, Dad, and Tyler master mathematics with practically no effort, but I struggle for hours to figure out every new concept.”

“Sometimes things that are worth learning take time,” she responded serenely. “Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I was grateful for my mother’s reassurances, but I could not avoid worrying about the test. I hated the thought of disappointing everyone with a poor math grade for the semester.

The next day in Language Arts class, we began a short unit on the sayings and proverbs of Benjamin Franklin. When our teacher wrote “Energy and persistence conquer all things” on the board, it seemed like old Ben Franklin was speaking directly to me. “Energy and persistence,” I muttered. “Let’s find out whether I’ve got those qualities. I’ll study every day between now and that impossible math test, and I’ll be sure to conquer it.”

The next three weeks were challenging. Once I made my plan to spend time studying every day, everyone invited me for some new, interesting activity. First, my friend Dave wanted me to join his basketball team. Then, my Uncle Ray invited me to go camping. Each time I refused an invitation, I pictured myself coming home waving that math test with a big A+ on it.

Happily for me, I received plenty of support from various sources. When I showed my study plan to my math teacher, she was impressed. “I admire what you’re doing, Will,” she said. Then she suggested some ideas for making my study sessions more effective.

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224 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2

UNIT 5 WEEK 2

At home, my brother volunteered to help me prepare. “I’m happy to be of assistance, little brother,” he said. “You helped me edit my Social Studies essay, and we improved my writing in the process, so one good turn deserves another.”

After three weeks of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication, I finally sat down to take the exam. I was still worried about disappointing my family, but I knew I had done everything I could. When I showed my mother the scored test with a B at the top, she gave a delighted cry and folded me into a hug. My brother and father greeted my grade with hearty congratulations.

“You knew the test would be tough, but you didn’t shrink from the challenge,” said my father. “Instead, you took the bull by the horns, you hunkered down and studied, you learned the concepts, and you earned yourself that grade! We’re so proud of you!”

So I guess old Ben Franklin was right! I may not have gotten an A+, but with energy and persistence, I definitely conquered what I thought would be the impossible math test.

Energy and persistenceconquer all things.

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Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2 Grade 6 225

Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on “Ben Franklin and the Impossible Math Test.”

1 Read the sentences from the text.

“Sometimes things that are worth learning take time,” she responded serenely. “Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Why does Will’s mother compare learning math to building a city?

A Both are necessary.

B Both require patience.

C Both cannot be done alone.

D Both need experienced teachers.

2 Draw a line to match each cause with an effect.

Cause Effect

Will’s parents and brother are very good at math.

Will decides to work hard at studying.

Will learns about Benjamin Franklin in school.

Will worries that he will disappoint his family.

Will helps his brother with his writing.

Will’s brother helps Will study for the math test.

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226 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2

3 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Which sentence tells how Will overcomes his difficulty with math?

A You can solve any problem with help.

B Some problems are not worth solving.

C Some problems are impossible to solve.

D You can solve any problem with hard work.

Part B: Which detail supports your answer in part A?

A Will has a difficult math test.

B Will’s brother is good at math.

C Will studies a lot for the math test.

D Will’s mother hugs him after the test.

4 Which sentence from the text tells what happens as a result of Will’s work?

A “‘I’ll study every day between now and that impossible math test, and I’ll be sure to conquer it.’”

B “First, my friend Dave wanted me to join his basketball team.”

C “When I showed my study plan to my math teacher, she was impressed.”

D “I may not have gotten an A+, but with energy and persistence, I definitely conquered what I thought would be the impossible math test.”

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Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2 Grade 6 227

5 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Read the sentence from the text.

“Instead, you took the bull by the horns, you hunkered down and studied, you learned the concepts, and you earned yourself that grade!”

What does it mean that Will “took the bull by the horns”?

A He felt pain.

B He was angry.

C He took charge.

D He was in danger.

Part B: What does the phrase “took the bull by the horns” show about Will?

A He can solve problems.

B He asks others for help.

C He is not like his family.

D He avoids bad situations.

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228 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2

UNIT 5 WEEK 2

Read the passage “On the Porch” before answering Numbers 6 through 10.

On the PorchHattie settled in her chair on the porch of her ranch house, waiting for the sun to rise above Tule Mountain. On her lap was a pillow, ready to be embroidered. She only needed the warm glow of the sun to provide light for her work. She could think of no other place where she could have fulfilled her dreams as she had on this ranch.

Everyone for miles around knew Hattie as one of the original inhabitants of the Big Bend region of western Texas, but she had not always been a Texan. Growing up in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, Hattie had always known she was made for adventure. After graduating from high school, she followed her dream and became a teacher in a border town along the Rio Grande. At the end of the Civil War, only 18 years old, she left the comforts of home to relocate to the distant area.

After working for a year in her small schoolhouse, she met Edward. She and Edward married and moved onto his ranch. Their first home was a one-room shack equipped with a wood stove, a table, two chairs, and one cabinet to hold their few possessions. They slept on quilts piled on the floor.

Together, Hattie and Edward built up the ranch and started a family. Their marriage had been a true partnership. Alongside Edward, Hattie baled the hay, mended broken fences, and herded the cattle to market. “Many hands make light work,” she liked to tell her husband as they worked side by side.

They increased the size of their home to make room for their children. Then one night their house burned down in a grass fire. As Edward kicked angrily in the rubble, Hattie patted his hand. “It’s no use crying over spilt milk,” she said. Instead of feeling sorry for her family, she planned a bigger house and helped to build it.

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Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2 Grade 6 229

UNIT 5 WEEK 2

Memories of their life together greeted Hattie ever since Edward’s death many years ago. He certainly would have been proud of the way that she managed without him. She always found a way for the family and ranch to thrive, despite hard times, and there had been plenty of those.

She ran the ranch single-handedly when her two oldest sons had joined the army to fight in World War I. A trusted ranch hand tried to take advantage of her worries by tricking her into selling the ranch. But she caught on to him, fired him, and kicked him out. Like other strong women of her generation, she had gritted her teeth and gotten on with life.

“I will always belong to this ranch,” she said as she admired the beauty of the land in the morning sunshine. “I rode the fence lines, I worked the cattle, and I hired every ranch employee. Yes, I have seen many sights in my ninety years. But this will always be the finest sight of all.” Hattie picked up her needle and thread. She would place this new pillow on her sofa, embroidered with the phrase, “Home is where the heart is.”

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230 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2

Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on “On the Porch.”

6 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Why does Hattie leave her parents’ home at the beginning of the passage?

A She gets married.

B She opens her own school.

C She goes to live on a ranch.

D She wants to experience new things.

Part B: Which detail from the passage tells why Hattie leaves?

A “Hattie settled in her chair on the porch of her ranch house, . . .”

B “She could think of no other place where she could have fulfilled her dreams . . .”

C “. . . she followed her dream and became a teacher in a border town . . .”

D “After working for a year in her small schoolhouse, she met Edward.”

7 Read the sentence from the passage.

“Many hands make light work,” she liked to tell her husband as they worked side by side.

What does “Many hands make light work” mean?

A All work is hard to do.

B There is always work on a ranch.

C Women can work as hard as men.

D Working as a team makes a job easier.

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Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2 Grade 6 231

8 Complete the chart with events from the passage that show a chain of causes and effects. Write the events from the list below.

Cause or Effect Event

Cause

Effect/Cause

Effect/Cause

Effect

Events:A grass fire starts on the ranch.

Hattie plans a new house to live in.

Hattie helps to build a larger house.

Hattie and Edward’s house burns down.

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232 Grade 6 Approaching-Level Weekly Assessment • Unit 5, Week 2

STOP

9 Why does Hattie continue to do well after Edward is gone?

A She sits on her porch.

B She knows how to sew.

C She solves her problems.

D She likes adventure stories.

10 Read the sentence from the passage.

She would place this new pillow on her sofa, embroidered with the phrase, “Home is where the heart is.”

What is the meaning of “Home is where the heart is”?

A The place that you build is your home.

B The place that you love best is your home.

C The place where you were born is your home.

D The place where your family lives is your home.

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