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2018 MCAS
Grade 5 English Language Arts
Question 24

Idea Development - Score Point 3

The essay moderately develops the central idea by describing the challenges Brian and Andy face and explaining how each character overcomes those challenges. Details supporting how each character overcomes the challenges are appropriate but generally summarize the passages. For example, the first paragraph states, "Brian's challenge . . . is that he is in the Canadian [wilderness] and hungry." The essay then describes how Brian overcomes his hunger after finding bushes with berries on them by using his "previous knowledge to figure out they are ras[p]berries." The explanation in the second paragraph is also appropriate, although it is a general summary of events that occur in Wild Man Island: "Andy's challenge . . . is that he is [stranded] on an island off the coast of Alaska freezing, wet, no real source of [warmth] and rain is coming." The essay explains how Andy overcomes this challenge by using a log as shelter, "until he stopped shaking, stopped shivering, and got warmer." The essay is moderately organized with introductory and concluding sentences and sequential transitions within body paragraphs. Ideas are expressed adequately, and there is sufficient awareness of the purpose for writing.

Standard English Conventions - Score Point 3

The essay displays consistent control of conventions relative to its length and complexity. Some sentences are of simpler construction, but punctuation throughout the essay is correct. There are minor errors in mechanics, but the overall length and complexity of the essay demonstrates consistent control of Standard English conventions for this grade level.
Answer for Idea Development Score Point 3, and Standard English Conventions Score Point 3 Both characters, Brian and Andy face different challenges and over come them in different ways. Brian's challenge, is that he is in the Canadian wilderness and hungry. Although he has his "gut cherries" as a food suplie, Brian is looking for a more sweet berrie that he could eat. Brian solves his first problem by first eating some of his gut cherries. He does this, because he need some energy to go look for other berries. He walked one hundred yards until he found a clearing which had a small number of trees (they were dead). Thats when he found thorny bushes covered with berries. These berries could have been poisinous. Although, Brain uses his previous knowledge to figure out they are rasberries. He reconized these from a park back at home that had lots of rasberries that he would eat all the time. Andy's challenge, is that he is strandded on an island off the coast of Alaska freezing, wet, no real source of warmpth and rain is coming. Andy solves this problem by first getting to the forest to avoid the freezing rain. Then, far into the forest, he sat down on a mossy log, and took off all his cloths, got the water out of them, then put them back on. Next, he looked for a source of warmpth. He couldn't get a fire going, do he looked for easy shelter. He found a fallen over log. He then dug a hole under the log, and used it as a shelter. He stayed there until he stopped shaking, stopped shivering, and got warmer. Both characters used there knowledge to help them survive.



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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Print Now | Close Window