Grade 10: The Force by Ellen Prager
Rating: 
Common Core Standards
Reading Informational Text
RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
RI.9-10.5 Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.
Writing
W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Language Standards
L.9-10.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.9-10.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
Reading in Science & Technical Subjects
RST.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
RST.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
RST.9-10.6 Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.
RST.9-10.7 Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
Description of Mini-Assessment
This Grade 10 mini-assessment titled “The Force, an excerpt from Furious Earth: The Science and Nature of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis by Ellen J. Prager” cited on achievethecore.org, measures both CCSS Reading Standards for Informational Text as well as Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects. Questions included in this assessment reflect the shift required by CCSS to read closely, examine textual evidence, and discern deep meaning as a central focus. The mini-assessment is comprised of eight text-dependent questions and an optional writing prompt that addresses the writing and language standards standard listed. The assessment is designed to be completed in one class session.
Cautions
Connecticut educators are encouraged to give students the time that they need to read closely and write to the source. While it is helpful to have students complete the mini-assessment in one class period, educators should allow additional time as is necessary to accommodate students who are ELL, have disabilities, or read well below the grade level text band. It is recommended that the writing prompt not be made optional. Two additional Reading in Science & Technical Subjects standards are not listed in either the mini-assessment or on the “Question Annotations for Teachers” document, and they should be since they are assessed: RST.9-10.4 (Question #1) and RST.9-10.5 (Question #8).
Rationale for Selection
This mini-assessment is a good example of how to design text-dependent questions aligned to specific Common Core Standards for Science and Technical Subjects. Information about determining text complexity (quantitative and qualitative data) is included with the assessment materials. A comprehensive chart that contains question annotations, answer and distractor justifications, and a specific rationale for the essay prompt is included along with additional resources for CCSS assessment and implementation, including an aligned writing rubric.