Grade 8 Sample Items - Plain Local School District...Grade 8 Sample Items October 28, 2013 3 D. “most dangerous thing” approach calls for close reading and careful analysis of

Grade 8 Sample Items October 28, 2013 1

Grade 8 Sample Items

A complete Literary Analysis Task (LAT) for 8th Grade contains seven items, with six items that are either Evidence-Based Selected

Response (EBSR) items or Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR) items and one Prose Constructed Response (PCR)

item. Students will read a purpose setting statement for the task and then read the first passage. After answering EBSR and TECR

items, the students will read a second passage and answer additional EBSR and TECR items. Finally, the students will response to the

PCR item.

Each sample item presented includes information on (1) the advances in assessment and answers to the items; (2) an explanation of

the alignment of the item to the standards and PARCC evidence statements; and (3) item scoring rules and rationale.


Sample Items for Grade 8: Excerpt from Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen Sample Item 1: Questions and Standards Sample Item 1: Advances and Answers

Part A Question: What is the meaning of the word

adversary as it is used in paragraph 21?

a. problem’s solution

b. indication of trouble

c. opposing force*

d. source of irritation

Part A Item Advances: The skills of reading carefully, making

inferences, and applying understanding of a text are essential for

college and career readiness. This Evidence-Based Selected-Response

question allows students to infer the meaning of an academic

vocabulary word that is important to understanding the text. Students

are asked to use the context to help them determine the definition of

“adversary.” The item advances assessment by asking students to

provide not only the meaning of the tested word but also the context

used to determine that meaning, as demonstrated by the inclusion of a

Part B.

Part A Answer Choice Rationales: Option C is the correct answer; the

word “adversary” means “opposing force.” In the context of this

excerpt, Brian’s lack of preparation for winter has made him guilty of

being his own opposing force to survival. Option A is incorrect; Brian

is looking for an answer to his problem about how to survive winter,

but “adversary” does not mean “problem’s solution.” Option B is

incorrect; although Brian realizes he has troubles ahead, “adversary”

does not mean “indication of trouble.” Option D is incorrect; although

Brian may be irritated at himself for not planning ahead and creating his

own problem, “adversary” does not mean “source of irritation.”

Part B Question: Which phrase from paragraph 21 best helps clarify the

meaning of adversary?

A. “own worst enemy”*

B. “the primary rule”

C. “missed the warnings”

Part B Item Advances: Part B of this Evidence-Based Selected-

Response question represents an innovation from past approaches

because it allows students to supply the context that help them

determine the meaning of the tested word in Part A, thus reducing the

chance that they simply guessed the meaning of the word. This


D. “most dangerous thing”

approach calls for close reading and careful analysis of the text in order

to be able to correctly answer the question.

Part B Answer Choice Rationales: Option A is the correct answer.

Brian’s lack of preparing for winter has made him his own “adversary,”

or “own worst enemy.” Option B is incorrect; the phrase “the primary

rule” applies to always paying attention to what is happening around

you. Breaking this rule has created Brian’s problem, but it does not

provide context for the meaning of “adversary.” Option C is incorrect;

although Brian “missed the warnings,” which led to his current problem

of not being prepared, these words do not help the reader determine the

meaning of “adversary.” Option D is incorrect; although the “most

dangerous thing” in Brian’s world is his lack of preparedness for the

coming of winter, the words do not help the reader determine the

meaning of “adversary.”

Sample Item 1: Alignment

Explanation of Alignment: The item meets the

PARCC Assessment Claim for Reading Literature, as

the question is based on a literary text. Additionally,

the item is aligned well to the three standards and the

evidence statements listed because the question

requires that students infer the meaning of an

academic vocabulary word by using the context of the

text. This item demonstrates a level of complexity not

seen in traditional tests, because students are asked to

provide both the definition and the context for

determining the meaning of the tested word.

PARCC Assessment Claim, Standards, and Evidence Statements

Assessed

PARCC Assessment Claim: Students read and demonstrate

comprehension of grade‐level complex literary text.

Standard RL.8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they

are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings;

analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,

including

analogies or allusions to other texts.

.

Evidence Statement for RL.8.4:

The student’s response


demonstrates the ability to determine the meaning of words and

phrases as they are used in a text (e.g., figurative, connotative)

and/ or provides an analysis of the impact of specific word

choice on meaning and/or tone.

Standard RL.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports

an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn

from the text.

Evidence Statement for RI.8.1:


provides textual evidence that most strongly supports analysis of

inferences drawn from the text.

Standard L.8.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and

multiple‐meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and

content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Evidence Statement for L.8.4:


demonstrates the ability to use context (e.g., the overall meaning

of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a

sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Sample Item 1: Scoring Points and Rationale

Scoring Rationale: Past tests would have given full

credit for a right answer regardless of how a student

arrived at the answer. The PARCC assessment reflects

the key shift of requiring students to read closely and

provide textual evidence for their answer by offering

Scoring Points:

2 points are awarded when the student correctly chooses the

answer to Part A (C) and the answer to Part B (A).

1 point is awarded when the student correctly chooses the

answer to Part A (C) but incorrectly answers Part B.


only partial credit if students answer Part A correctly

but answer Part B incorrectly. To receive full credit,

students must demonstrate that they not only can

make an inference in Part A but also can support or

apply that inference with textual evidence, showing

mastery of the skill rather than the ability to guess.

No points are awarded when the student answers both Part A

and Part B incorrectly, or the student answers only Part B

correctly.



Question: Create a summary of the excerpt from

Brian’s Winter by dragging four statements from the

list and dropping them in chronological order into the

table titled “Summary.” Note that not all statements

will be used.

Brian is sore as he gets into his bag that

night.

Brian attempts to scare away the bear that

wakes him up.*

The bear is more powerful than Brian

thinks.

Brian believes that he has learned to co-

exist with the bears.*

Brian takes a serious risk.

Brian thinks about solutions to his major

problem.*

The bear tosses Brian and eats the scraps of

Brian’s meal.*

The bear looks at Brian and walks away.

The bear sits back and sniffs the air.

Item Advances: The skills of reading carefully, evaluating the

importance of ideas in a text, and summarizing a text are essential for

college and career readiness. This Technology-Enhanced Constructed-

Response question allows students to evaluate nine text-based

statements to determine which are key to creating a summary of the

excerpt from Brian’s Winter. The item advances assessment by

allowing students to have more than four options to evaluate (nine in

this case) and to summarize the details chronologically, establishing the

chronological relationship among them.

Answer Choice Rationales: The correct answer, in order, is 4, 2, 7, 6.

The first statement of the summary is that Brian is under the

misconception that he has learned to co-exist with the bears while he

fights to survive (option 4). Then, Brian tries to scare off a bear that

wakes him up, quickly learning that he was wrong about having an

agreement with the bears (option 2). The next summary statement is

that the bear tears through Brian’s camp, tossing him around and eating

the scraps of Brian’s meal (option 7). Finally, Brian realizes he has

some problems because he hasn’t prepared for winter, and he realizes

that he needs to think about how to be more prepared (option 6). Some

statements (options 1, 8, and 9) are minor details that do not belong in a

summary, and other statements (options 3 and 5) are too general to

accurately capture the information that belongs in the summary.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9


Summary

1

2

3

4





the item is aligned well to the two standards and the

evidence statements listed because students must

summarize chronologically statements that are

significant events in a summary of the story, inferring

which statements are more important to a summary

than others.


Assessed


comprehension of grade‐level complex literary text.

Standard RL.8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and

analyze its development over the course of the text, including its

relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective

summary of the text.



provides an objective summary of a text.




from the text.






Scoring Rationale: Past tests would have given


arrived at the answer, but the PARCC assessment

reflects the key shift of requiring students to read

closely and provide textual evidence for their answer

by offering partial credit if the student correctly

identifies and sequences three of the four events and

full credit if the student correctly identifies and orders

all events, showing mastery of the ability to determine

key events that should be included in a summary.

Scoring Points:

2 points are awarded when the student correctly identifies

and orders all four events.

1 point is awarded when the student correctly identifies all

four events but incorrectly sequences the events OR correctly

identifies and sequences any three of the four events.

No points are awarded for any other answer combination.



Part A Question: In the excerpt from Brian’s

Winter, Brian comes to a major realization at the end

of the passage. Which statement best describes his

realization?

a. He needs to avoid confronting wild animals.

b. He needs to prepare for the perils of winter.*

c. He needs to create a better way to store food.

d. He needs to find a new, safer shelter.

Part A Item Advances: The skills of reading carefully, analyzing

deeply, making inferences, and applying understanding of a text are

essential for college and career readiness. This Evidence-Based

Selected-Response question asks students to consider what Brian learns

through his encounter with the bear: that he is unprepared for the

dangers that winter will bring. The item advances assessment by asking

students to offer proof of their answer as demonstrated by the inclusion

of a Part B.

Part A Answer Choice Rationales: Option B is the correct answer; it

correctly describes the realization Brian has: that he has not paid

attention to the signs around him and is unprepared for winter. Option

A is incorrect; Brian knew long before his encounter with the bear that

he should avoid confronting wild animals. In fact, much of his strategy

for co-existing was leaving the animals alone (paragraph 3). Option C is

incorrect; although the text mentions that the bear has come to the camp

because it smells the leftovers in Brian’s cooking pot, the major

problem Brian faces is not the storage of food but the upcoming winter.

Option D is incorrect; although Brian’s shelter has been damaged by the

bear, the fact that Brian needs a new, safer shelter is just one component

of his needing to prepare for the perils of winter.

Part B Question: Which detail best supports the

answer in Part A?

a. “The bear…turned back to ransacking the camp,

looking for where that delicious smell had come

from.” (paragraph 15)

Part B Item Advances: Part B of this Evidence-Based Selected-

Response question represents an innovation from past approaches

because it allows students to provide the evidence to support their

answer from Part A. This approach calls for close reading and careful

analysis of the text in order to be able to correctly answer the question.


b. “He would have to find some way to protect

himself, some weapon.” (paragraph 19)

c. “He kept putting wood on the fire, half afraid the

bear would come back.” (paragraph 20)

d. “…he had missed the warnings that summer was

ending…and what was coming would be the most

dangerous thing he had faced…” (paragraph 21)*

Part B Answer Choice Rationales: Option D is the correct answer.

Brian realizes that winter would be “the most dangerous thing he had

faced,” and that he needed to begin to prepare immediately since he had

missed the signs that summer was fading. Option A is incorrect; the

bear ransacking the camp does not support the fact that Brian needs to

prepare for the perils of winter but rather that he did not dispose of the

remnants of his food carefully after his meal. Option B is incorrect;

although Brian believes he needs to find a way to protect himself, this

would be true all year long, not just in winter. Also, protection is just

one aspect of preparation. Option C is incorrect; although gathering

firewood is one way of preparing for winter, in paragraph 19, Brian is

burning the wood to keep the bear from returning. This detail does not

support the fact that Brian realizes he needs to prepare for the dangers

of winter.





the item is aligned well to the two standards and the

evidence statements listed because the question

requires analysis of the decision a character makes as

a result of incidents in a story. Brian’s encounter with

the bear causes him to recognize that he has failed to

observe the signs of approaching winter, and he

decides that he needs to prepare for this danger. This

item demonstrates a level of complexity not seen in

traditional tests because students are asked to apply

knowledge demonstrated in Part A to locate evidence

in Part B.


Assessed


comprehension of grade‐level complex literature text.

Standard RL.8.3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents

in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or

provoke a decision.



provides an analysis of how particular lines of dialogue or

incidents in a story or drama propel the action.

provides an analysis of how particular lines of dialogue or

incidents in a story or drama provoke a decision.




from the text.






Scoring Rationale: Past tests would have given full


arrived at the answer. The PARCC assessment reflects

the key shift of requiring students to read closely and

provide textual evidence for their answer by offering

only partial credit if students answer Part A correctly

but answer Part B incorrectly. To receive full credit,

students must demonstrate that they not only can

make an inference in Part A, but also can support or

apply that inference with textual evidence, showing

mastery of the skill rather than the ability to guess.

Scoring Points:

2 points are awarded when the student correctly chooses the

answer to Part A (B) and the answer to Part B (D).

1 point is awarded when the student correctly chooses the

answer to Part A (B) but incorrectly answers Part B.

No points are awarded when the student answers both Part A

and Part B incorrectly, or the student answers only Part B

correctly.


Sample Items for Grade 8: Excerpt from Call of the Wild by Jack London Sample Item 4: Questions and

Standards

Sample Item 4: Advances and Answers

Part A Question: What does the word

placatingly mean as it is used in

paragraph 2?

a. in a warning tone

b. in an annoying manner

c. in an attempt to be agreeable*

d. in a way that expresses discomfort

Part A Item Advances: The skills of reading carefully, analyzing deeply, making

inferences, and applying understanding of a text are essential for college and career

readiness. This Evidence-Based Selected-Response question allows students to consider

how an academic word is used in the text. The word is key to the central idea that Buck

must adapt to his new environment, in this case being shown by Billee that acting

aggressively may not be a useful strategy for survival. The item advances assessment by

asking students to offer proof of their answer as demonstrated by the inclusion of a Part

B.

Part A Answer Choice Rationales: Option C is the correct answer; when Billee

“whined placatingly, squirmed and wriggled to show his good will and intentions,” he is

trying to make amends for scaring Buck. Option A is incorrect; Billee is trying to “show

his good will” by whining placatingly; he is not warning Buck. Option B is incorrect;

although whining can be annoying, Billee is not whining to annoy Buck but rather to

communicate his desire for peace. Option D is incorrect; Billee is not uncomfortable; in

fact, he is curled up in a “snug ball.”

Part B Question: Which phrase from

the passage provides the best clue to

the meaning of placatingly as it is used

in paragraph 2?

a. “bristling and snarling”

b. “a whiff of warm air”

c. “squirmed and wriggled”

d. “a bribe for peace”*

Part B Item Advances: Part B of this Evidence-Based Selected-Response question

represents an innovative approach to assessment because it allows students to provide

the context used to determine the meaning of the tested word in Part A. This approach

calls for close reading and careful analysis of the text in order to correctly answer the

question.

Part B Answer Choice Rationales: Option D is the correct answer. The phrase “a bribe

for peace” indicates that Billee has good intentions and is trying to make amends for

scaring Buck. Option A is incorrect; the phrase “bristling and snarling” shows how Buck

reacted when he became frightened, not how Billee was behaving to make up for scaring


Buck. Option B is incorrect; the phrase “a whiff of warm air” shows that the area Buck

is seeking radiates warmth, but it does not imply anything about Billee being placating.

Option C is incorrect; the phrase “squirmed and wriggled” shows how Billee was acting

to show his good will toward Buck, but “a bribe for peace” is the strongest clue to the

meaning of “placatingly,” which means in a manner that is trying to make amends.


Explanation of Alignment: The item

meets the PARCC Assessment Claim for

Reading Literature, as the question is

based on a literary text. Additionally, the

item is aligned well to the three

standards and the evidence statements

listed because the question requires

analyzing the text and then making an

inference based on context to determine

the meaning of an academic vocabulary

word. This item demonstrates a level of

complexity not seen in traditional tests

because in Part B students are asked to

identify which words best helped them

understand the meaning of the tested

word in Part A.

PARCC Assessment Claim, Standards, and Evidence Statements Assessed

PARCC Assessment Claim: Students read and demonstrate comprehension of grade‐level complex literary text.

Standard RL.8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a

text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word

choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.



demonstrates the ability to determine the meaning of words and

phrases as they are used in a text (e.g., figurative, connotative) and/ or

provides an analysis of the impact of specific word choice on meaning

and/or tone.

Standard RL.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of

what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.






Standard L.8.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words or

phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Evidence Statement for L.8.4:


demonstrates the ability to use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a

sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a

clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.


Scoring Rationale: Past tests would

have given full credit for a right answer

regardless of how a student arrived at the

answer. The PARCC assessment reflects

the key shift of requiring students to read

closely and provide textual evidence for

their answer by offering only partial

credit if students answer Part A correctly

but Part B incorrectly. To receive full

credit, students must demonstrate that

they not only can make an inference

about meaning in Part A but also can

provide the context they used to help

them determine meaning, showing

mastery of the skill rather than the

ability to guess.

Scoring Points:

2 points are awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer to Part A (C)

and the answer to Part B (D).

1 point is awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer to Part A (C)

but incorrectly answers Part B.

No points are awarded when the student answers both Part A and Part B

incorrectly.


Sample Items for Grade 8: Excerpt from Call of the Wild by Jack London Sample Item 5: Questions and Standards Sample Item 5: Advances and Answers

Part A Question: Which statement best

reflects a theme of the excerpt from Call of the

Wild?

a. Survival is unlikely when one is new to an

environment.

b. Survival requires adapting to one’s

surroundings.*

c. One cannot rely on others when learning

to survive.

d. Advanced preparation is necessary for

survival.

Part A Item Advances: The skills of reading carefully, analyzing deeply,

making inferences, and applying understanding of a text are essential for


question allows students to consider a specific theme that is developed in

this excerpt. The item advances assessment by asking students to offer

support for their answer as demonstrated by the inclusion of a Part B.

Part A Answer Choice Rationales: Option B is the correct answer; Buck’s

need to adapt to survive is woven throughout the text, including his learning

to stay outside of the humans’ tent, learning to “bristle” to protect himself

from other dogs, and learning how to sleep in the snow like Billee. One of

the humans even remarks on how quickly Buck learns. Option A is

incorrect; there is no textual evidence that Buck is unlikely to survive; in

fact, there is evidence to the contrary. Option C is incorrect; many of the

lessons Buck learns are from observing others. Option D is incorrect; Buck

is an animal and has not put thought into advanced preparation. He simply

observes others in his environment and reacts accordingly.

Part B Question: Which two details from the

excerpt best support the answer in Part A?

a. “Here and there savage dogs rushed upon

him, but he bristled his neck-hair and

snarled (for he was learning fast), and they

let him go his way unmolested.”

(paragraph 1)*

Part B Item Advances: Part B of this Evidence-Based Selected-Response

question represents an innovation from past approaches because it allows

students to provide evidence to support their answer from Part A. This

approach calls for close reading and careful analysis of the text in order to

be able to correctly answer the question.

Part B Answer Choice Rationales: Options A and D are the correct

answers. When Buck learns to “bristle” to keep other dogs away, and when

he mirrors Billee’s behavior to create a warm place to sleep, he shows that

he is learning to adapt to survive. Option B is incorrect; Buck’s wandering


b. “Again he wandered about through the

great camp, looking for them, and again

he returned.” (paragraph 2)

c. “He sprang back, bristling and snarling,

fearful of the unseen and unknown.”

(paragraph 2)

d. “Buck confidently selected a spot, and

with much fuss and wasted effort

proceeded to dig a hole for himself.”

(paragraph 3)*

e. “It was a token that he was harking back

through his own life to the lives of his

forebears…” (paragraph 4)

f. “…he saw the white camp spread out

before him and knew where he was…”

(paragraph 4)

around camp does not show him learning to adapt to survive. Option C is

incorrect; although Buck bristles and snarls, he is responding to fear rather

than applying the action to keep other dogs away, which is the lesson he

learned in order to survive. Option E is incorrect; the fact that Buck is

“harking back” to his instinct to be frightened when he feels trapped does

not demonstrate a lesson learned as he adapts. Option F is incorrect; Buck

does not learn to adapt to the whiteness before him; he falls back on his

prior knowledge and memory to determine where he is.



PARCC Assessment Claim for Reading

Literature, as the question is based on a literary

text. Additionally, the item is aligned well to the

two standards and the evidence statements listed

because the question requires analysis of a theme

in the text and asks students to cite evidence that

is used to develop this theme. This item

demonstrates a level of complexity not seen in

traditional tests because in Part B students are

asked to provide multiple pieces of supporting

evidence for the answer chosen in Part A.


Assessed

PARCC Assessment Claim: Students read and demonstrate comprehension

of grade‐level complex literary text.

Standard RL.8.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its

development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the

characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.



provides an analysis of how the theme or central idea relates to the


characters, setting, and/or plot.

Standard RL.8.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis

of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.







full credit for a right answer regardless of how a

student arrived at the answer. The PARCC

assessment reflects the key shift of requiring

students to read closely and provide textual

evidence for their answer by offering partial

credit. To receive full credit, students must

demonstrate that they not only can make an

inference in Part A but also can support or apply

that inference with multiple pieces of textual

evidence, showing true mastery of the skill rather

than the ability to guess.

Scoring Points:

• 2 points are awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer

to Part A (B) and the answers to Part B (A and D).

• 1 point is awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer to

Part A (B) but either gets one of the two possible correct answers in

Part B (A or D) correct OR incorrectly answers Part B

• No points are awarded when the student answers both Part A and

Part B incorrectly (choosing neither correct answer for Part B).


Sample Items for Grade 8: Excerpts from Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen and Call of the Wild by Jack

London Sample Item 6: Questions and Standards Sample Item 6: Advances and Answers

Part A Question: Which statement correctly

shows a difference between the beginnings and

endings of the excerpts from Brian’s Winter and

Call of the Wild?

a. Call of the Wild begins with a former

conflict between characters, and Brian’s

Winter ends with a current conflict

between characters.

b. Brian’s Winter begins by revealing a

character’s faulty reasoning, and Call of

the Wild ends with a character’s faulty

reasoning.

c. Call of the Wild begins with a crisis to be

resolved, and Brian’s Winter ends with a

crisis that needs to be resolved.*

d. Brian’s Winter begins with the thoughts

and actions of a character seeking shelter,

and Call of the Wild ends with the

thoughts and actions of a character

seeking shelter.

Part A Item Advances: The skills of reading carefully, analyzing deeply,

making inferences, and applying understanding of a text are essential for


question allows students to consider the structures of the two excerpts in this

set. The item advances assessment by asking students to offer support for

their answer as demonstrated by the inclusion of a Part B.

Part A Answer Choice Rationales: Option C is the correct answer; the

excerpt from Call of the Wild begins by describing that Buck is cold and

must find a way to adapt to the harsh environment. The excerpt from Brian’s

Winter ends with Brian realizing that he has not noticed the signs of winter

approaching and is now unprepared. Option A is incorrect; although the

excerpt from Call of the Wild shows a bit of conflict when Buck tries to

enter the human tent so he can stay warm, the excerpt from Brian’s Winter

doesn’t end with any conflict between characters. Option B is incorrect;

although the excerpt from Brian’s Winter begins by revealing his faulty

reasoning about co-existing with the bears, the excerpt from Call of the Wild

does not end with Buck’s faulty reasoning. Option D is incorrect; although

the excerpt from Brian’s Winter begins with the narrator explaining what

Brian thinks and does, he is not seeking shelter. The excerpt from Call of the

Wild begins but doesn’t end with a narrator sharing thoughts and actions of a

character seeking shelter.

Part B Question: Select one detail from the

list below from Brian’s Winter and one detail

Part B Item Advances: Part B of this Evidence-Based Selected-Response

question represents an innovation compared to past approaches because it


from the list below from Call of the Wild that

best support the answer in Part A.

a. “He had seen them several times while

picking berries, raking the bushes with their

teeth to pull the fruit off....” (Brian’s Winter

paragraph 2)

b. “Other than some minor scratches where the

bear’s claws had slightly scraped him—it

was more a boxing action than a clawing

one—Brian was in one piece.” (Brian’s

Winter paragraph 16)

c. “Everything in nature means something and

he had missed the warnings that summer

was ending, had in many ways already

ended, and what was coming would be the

most dangerous thing he had faced since the

plane crash. “(Brian’s Winter paragraph

21)*

d. “The tent, illumined by a candle, glowed

warmly in the midst of the white plain…”

(Call of the Wild paragraph 1)

e. “Miserable and disconsolate, he wandered

about among the many tents, only to find

that one place was as cold as another.” (Call

of the Wild paragraph 1)*

f. “The day had been long and arduous, and he

slept soundly and comfortably, though he

growled and barked and wrestled with bad

dreams.” (Call of the Wild paragraph 3)

allows students to provide evidence to support their answer from Part A.

This approach calls for close reading and careful analysis of the text in order

to correctly answer the question. This item is likely to be less difficult for

students than other items in this set; PARCC assessments must measure all

levels of mastery along the continuum of achievement in order to provide

useful information to students, teachers, and parents.

Part B Answer Choice Rationales: Options C and E are the correct

answers. As required by the stem, students must cite one piece of evidence

to support the answer in Part A: Option C (from Brian’s Winter) captures

the crisis that Brian is in because he didn’t notice winter was approaching

and he is now unprepared, and Option E (from Call of the Wild) establishes

the crisis Buck faces (he must find shelter from the cold). Option A (from

Brian’s Winter) is incorrect; the fact that Brian has seen the bears while he

picked berries does not establish a crisis, as he just moves elsewhere. Option

B (from Brian’s Winter) is incorrect; although it shows that Brian had an

altercation with the bear, his minor scratches are not a crisis to be resolved.

Option D (from Call of the Wild) is incorrect; it provides a detail of a place

that would offer warmth and shelter to Buck, but it doesn’t establish the

crisis—that Buck is cold and must find shelter. Option F (from Call of the

Wild) is incorrect; it provides evidence of what happens once Buck finds a

way to stay warm, but it doesn’t establish his initial crisis.




PARCC Assessment Claim for Reading

Literature, as the question is based on a literary

text. Additionally, the item is aligned well to the

two standards and the evidence statements listed

because the question requires analysis of an

aspect of the structure of the texts, how a crisis is

presented in each text, which is important to

understanding how structure contributes to style.

Standard RL.8.5 requires the pairing of two

literary texts in order to compare and contrast the

structures. Part B of the item requires that

students provide evidence for the answer chosen

in Part A, providing one piece of evidence from

each text.


Assessed



Standard RL.8.5: Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts

and

analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning

and style.



provides a comparison and contrast of the structure of two or more

texts.









full credit for a right answer regardless of how a

student arrived at the answer. The PARCC

assessment reflects the key shift of requiring

students to read closely and provide textual

Scoring Points:

• 2 points are awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer

to Part A (C) and the answers to Part B (C and E).


evidence for their answer by offering partial

credit. To receive full credit, students must

demonstrate that they not only can make an

inference in Part A but also can support or apply

that inference with additional pieces of textual

evidence, showing true mastery of the skill rather

than the ability to guess.

• 1 point is awarded when the student correctly chooses the answer to

Part A (C) but either gets one of the two possible correct answers in

Part B (C or E) correct OR incorrectly answers Part B.

• No points are awarded when the student answers both Part A and

Part B incorrectly (choosing neither correct answer for Part B).

Sample Items for Grade 8: Excerpts from Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen and Call of the Wild by Jack

London Sample Item 7: Questions and Standards Sample Item 7: Advances and Answers

Question: You have read excerpts from two

novels focused on survival in the wilderness.

These excerpts are from:

• Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen

• Call of the Wild by Jack London

Consider how the main character in each excerpt

reacts to the incidents that occur, and write an

essay in which you analyze how each character’s

thoughts and actions reveal aspects of his

personality.

You do not need to compare and contrast the

characters from the two texts. You may consider

each one separately. Be sure to include evidence

Item Advances: The ability to synthesize ideas across multiple texts is a

critical skill for college and careers, as is the ability to analyze textual

evidence to determine what characters’ thoughts and actions reveal about

them. Traditionally, many writing prompts have not called for the use of

textual evidence in a student’s response. This Prose Constructed Response

prompt allows students to delve deeply into two texts to gather evidence to

analyze the main character from each excerpt.

This prompt also demonstrates clearly what PARCC means by “writing

using and analyzing sources”—students must draw evidence from more than

one text and cite this evidence clearly to demonstrate the reading and writing

claims measured. Students are also required to demonstrate that they can

apply the knowledge of language and conventions when writing (an

expectation for both college and careers).


from each excerpt to support your analysis and

understanding.


Explanation of Alignment: The item aligns with

these claims, standards, and evidence statements

by asking students to write a text-based response

that analyzes the thoughts and actions of

characters in two excerpts in order to write about

what each character is like. The prompt calls for

use of textual evidence to be woven into the

student’s response, a key shift of the Common

Core.


Assessed



PARCC Assessment Claim: Written Expression: Students produce clear

and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are

appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

Standard W.8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a

topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,

organization, and analysis of relevant content (includes a-f).

Standard W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and

audience.

Standard W.8.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to

support analysis, reflection, and research (includes a).

PARCC Assessment Claim: Conventions and the Knowledge of

Language: Students demonstrate knowledge of conventions and other

important elements of language.

Standard L.8.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard

English grammar and usage when writing or speaking (includes a – d).


Standard L.8.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard

English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing (includes a –

c).

Standard L.8.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions

when writing, speaking, reading, or listening (includes a).

PARCC Assessment Claim: Reading Literature: Students read and

demonstrate comprehension of grade-level complex literary texts.






what the text says explicitly.



Standard RL.8.3: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a

story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a

decision.

Evidence Statements for RL.8.3:


provides an analysis of how particular lines of dialogue or incidents

in a story or drama reveal aspects of a character.


Scoring Rationale: The PARCC Scoring Rubric

for Analytic and Narrative Writing contains

Scoring Points: The scoring of PCRs will not occur until standard setting

has occurred. After a group of students responds to the item in a tryout or


details for all components being analyzed within

a student response. These components tie directly

to the PARCC Assessment Claims. Note that

students would not be penalized if they do not

compare/contrast the two characters, as long as

the information required by the prompt is

included.

field test, anchor papers (samples) will be selected to “anchor” each score

point. Each of the samples will be annotated. These annotations will include

explanations of how the sample papers exemplify (show evidence of) the

traits described in the rubric. After reviewing the student responses and

samples, the generic scoring rubric will also be tailored to create a specific

scoring rubric for this prompt.

Documents

Grade 8 Sample Items - Plain Local School District...Grade 8 Sample Items October 28, 2013 3 D. “most dangerous thing” approach calls for close reading and careful analysis of