Grade 5: The Princess and the Pea
Rating: 
https://www.commonlit.org/texts/the-princess-and-the-pea
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Common Core Standards
Reading Literature
RL.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
Description of Assessment
This grade 5 assessment titled “The Princess and the Pea” cited on commonlit.org is based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. The assessment is intended to inform instruction about a student’s ability to engage in the close reading of complex literary text in order to demonstrate deep understanding. In this assessment there are four text-dependent questions that address the reading standards listed above and one constructed-response question.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers are cautioned that it is unclear the amount of time it will take for students to complete this assessment. Since a writing prompt is included, writing and language standards that apply should be added.
Rationale for Selection
This assessment is a good example of how to design text-dependent questions aligned to specific Common Core Standards. The task could be used as a formative assessment to assess students’ abilities to engage in the close reading of a complex text. Assessment guidelines that provide sufficient guidance for interpreting student performance are included in the Teacher’s Guide along with which standards each question addresses. Paired Texts, Related Media, and a Parent Guide are included in the assessment materials.