Grade 11: “This Day in History,” “Prayer of Twenty Millions” by Horace Greeley, and “The Union and Slavery” by Abraham Lincoln Mini-Assessment
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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).
RI.11-12.9 Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.
Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies
RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or informational of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
RH.11-12.5 Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
RH.11-12.6 Evaluate authors' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors' claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Writing
W.11-12.2 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.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Language
L.11-12.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.11-12.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.11-12.3 Apply knowledge of language and how it functions in different contexts, to make more effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Description of Assessment
This Grade 11 annotated mini-assessment titled “This Day in History,” “Prayer of Twenty Millions” by Horace Greeley, and “The Union and Slavery” by Abraham Lincoln” created by Student Achievement Partners and cited on achievethecore.org is intended to inform instruction about a student’s ability to engage in the close reading of complex text in order to demonstrate deep understanding. The assessment is based on three texts, an introductory article and a pair of letters written by Horace Greeley and Abraham Lincoln. It includes thirteen text-dependent questions that address the Reading Standards for Informational Texts and/or Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies. There is also an optional constructed-response item that addresses Reading, Writing, and Language Standards. The writing prompt requires students to write an analysis of the persuasive techniques used by the authors on the topic of slavery as it related to the war using details from the texts to support their answer.
Cautions
This mini-assessment is designed to be completed in one class period; however, educators are encouraged to allow students additional time as necessary. It is strongly recommended that the writing prompt not be optional.
Rationale for Selection
This mini-assessment is an exemplary example of how to design text-dependent questions aligned to specific Common Core Standards. While the historical time period of this mini-assessment does not align with the Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks for grades 9-12, it could be used as a formative assessment at the start of a school year and/or to measure student ability to read, analyze and write about complex text. An annotated Teacher’s Guide for the assessment gives specific rationale for each answer option and lists which standards it addresses. There is an aligned rubric for the writing prompt as well as assessment guidelines. Information about determining text complexity (quantitative and qualitative data) is included with assessment materials.