Grade 11: "Is it a Crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote?" by Susan B. Anthony
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Common Core Standards
Reading Informational Text
RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
RI.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
RI.11-12.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
RI.11-12.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
RI.11-12.8 Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses).
Writing
W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Description of Mini-Assessment
This Grade 11 mini-assessment titled "Is it a Crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote?" by Susan B. Anthony cited on achievethecore.org is intended to inform instruction about a student’s ability to engage in the close reading of a complex text to demonstrate deep understanding. In this mini-assessment there are seven multiple-choice questions that address the reading standards listed above and one constructed-response question that addresses the targeted writing standards.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers should be cautioned that before this mini assessment is used in a history/social studies course, some modifications will be necessary: the replacement of the ELA standards listed above with the English Language Arts Standards in History/Social Studies that are targeted and possible assessment revision to reflect more content. It is recommended that the writing prompt not be optional.
Rationale for Selection
This mini-assessment is a good example of how to design text-dependent questions aligned to specific Common Core Standards. An annotated Teacher’s Guide gives a specific rationale for each answer option and lists the standards addressed. Information about determining text complexity (quantitative and qualitative data) is included with assessment materials, as well as an aligned scoring rubric for text-based writing prompts.