General Information
Test Item Specifications
- Requires the student to select sentences or phrases in the text that contribute to the development of a particular theme, setting, or plot.
- Requires the student to select a sentence, chapter, paragraph, or section of a text and then select a description of how it fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the text’s ideas.
- Requires the student to select sentences or phrases from the text and then to select an explanation for how they contribute to the development of the text’s structure and meaning.
- Requires the student to select how a sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section contributes to overall structure and meaning.
- Requires the student to complete a table by matching text elements to explanations of how they develop the text’s ideas.
Items may ask the student to analyze the purpose ofspecific sentences, paragraphs, chapters, or sections. Items may ask the student to consider the effect of a particular sentence,paragraph, chapter, or section on the overall structure and meaning. Items should focus on how specific structural elements work together and/or help to develop ideas.
Items assessing this standard may be used with one ormore grade-appropriate informational texts. Texts may vary in complexity.
The Enhanced Item Descriptions section on page 3 provides a list of Response Mechanisms that may be used to assess this standard (excluding the Editing Task Choice item type). The Sample Response Mechanisms may include, but are not limited to, the examples below.
Task Demand
Explain how a specific element contributes to overall structure and development of the text’s ideas. The part of text to be analyzed may be provided.
Sample Response Mechanisms
Selectable Text
Related Courses
Course Number1111 | Course Title222 |
1000000: | M/J Intensive Language Arts (MC) (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022 (course terminated)) |
1000010: | M/J Intensive Reading 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2021, 2021 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current)) |
1000020: | M/J Intensive Reading and Career Planning (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2019, 2019 - 2021, 2021 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current)) |
1001010: | M/J Language Arts 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current)) |
1001020: | M/J Language Arts 1 Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current)) |
1002000: | M/J Language Arts 1 Through ESOL (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
1002180: | M/J English Language Development (MC) (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
1008010: | M/J Reading 1 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2021 (course terminated)) |
1008020: | M/J Reading 1, Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2021 (course terminated)) |
1100000: | M/J Library Skills/Information Literacy (MC) (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current)) |
1700060: | M/J Career Research and Decision Making (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2019, 2019 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current)) |
7810011: | Access M/J Language Arts 1 (Specifically in versions: 2013 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
1002181: | M/J Developmental Language Arts Through ESOL (Reading) (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
Related Resources
Lesson Plan
Name | Description |
I've Got It Covered! Creating Magazine Covers to Summarize Text | Students can improve their comprehension of content area textbooks by summarizing chapters in the form of magazine covers. The lesson begins by asking students to examine a magazine and discuss the ways in which the magazine cover's headlines and graphics express the main ideas of its articles. They then review a chapter in a content area textbook and use an interactive tool to create a magazine cover that summarizes the textbook information. This process enables students to form connections and create visual representations to share information. Although the focus is on informational texts, this assignment could potentially be expanded to include other types of text as well. |
Original Student Tutorial
Name | Description |
Parts of a Whole | Learn about the common text structures used in informational texts. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying these four frequently used text structures: problem/solution, cause and effect, sequence, and compare and contrast. You'll also learn to recognize the signal words that often accompany each type of text structure. |
Unit/Lesson Sequences
Name | Description |
Using "The Bully" by Paul Langan to Teach Tolerance | This unit plan uses the book "The Bully" by Paul Langan, which is from the Bluford series, to teach tolerance. There are a plethora of resources and activities including graphic organizers, reflective journals, and reader's theater. Students work together to gain an understanding of the effects of bullying and an awareness of this important issue. |
Investigating a Mystery in "Chasing Vermeer" | This sixth grade unit is based on the mystery novel Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Students will analyze clues and motives, study plot, and make predictions while learning about the artist Johannes Vermeer. It includes a complete packet with creative activities, graphic organizers, a pacing guide, and an assessment with answer key and possible student responses. |
Examining an Autobiography: "The Lost Garden" by Laurence Yep | This is a sixth grade unit on Laurence Yep's autobiography, The Lost Garden. Students analyze author's purpose and the key characteristics of an autobiography. This unit contains a student packet, pacing guide, and an assessment with answer key and sample student responses. In addition, this unit includes instructional techniques such as a PIES chart, a T chart, and more! |
Analyzing an Autobiography through "Rosa Parks: My Story" | This sixth grade unit on Rosa Parks is a thorough examination of an autobiographical novel and includes the study of author's purpose, main idea, and fact and opinion. It includes a student packet, graphic organizers, a pacing guide, and a unit assessment with sample responses. |
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorial
Name | Description |
Parts of a Whole: | Learn about the common text structures used in informational texts. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying these four frequently used text structures: problem/solution, cause and effect, sequence, and compare and contrast. You'll also learn to recognize the signal words that often accompany each type of text structure. |