Week 17
Dear Educator,
Problem of the Day Activities
The Third Grade Problem of the Day documents are designed to provide
teachers and parents preparation with the new Ohio’s State Assessment
for Reading. They are created to prompt collaborative discussion in the
classroom.
Questions to consider during discussions:
• Why is this answer choice the best answer?
• What answer choice confuses you?
• What strategy did you use to determine the answer?
• What evidence in the passage supports your answer?
There are key components in these documents:
I Can Statements:
The I Can Statements are located underneath each question. The
statements provide teachers and parents a clear indication of what
standard that particular question is assessing. This gives valuable
information on the standards each student is secure with, as well as the
ones where the student may require some extra help.
Test-Taking Strategy:
Each week includes a test-taking strategy. These strategies will help
prepare our students both at school and at home for the upcoming
assessment.
Questions to consider during discussions:
• Let’s try this week’s test-taking strategy, how did this strategy help you?
• How did the test-taking strategy help you locate evidence in the text?
• How did the test-taking strategy help you focus on what you were
reading?
Parent Connection Component:
The Parent Connection component includes questions that parents can
use to work with their students. The passage used in the parent
connection document is the same passage that is used in the problem of
the day activities conducted in class. This will help reinforce close reading
at home.
!
Test-Taking Strategy
Use the tutorials from ODE to practice the
technology questions.
This is essential for preparing students for
the online assessment that will be required.
It will familiarize them with the format and
structure of the test. The tutorials can be
found at http://oh.portal.airast.org/ocba/.
Directions
Monday
Read “State Parks inviting kids to trade screen time for green
time.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Tuesday
Reread or review “State Parks inviting kids to trade screen time
for green time.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Wednesday
Reread or review “State Parks inviting kids to trade screen time
for green time.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Thursday
Read “Pro/Con: Is it time to stop recycling our garbage?” Then,
write an essay in response to the writing prompt.
Friday
Reread or review “Pro/Con: Is it time to stop recycling our
garbage?” Then, use the Student Writing Checklist to revise and
edit the essay written on Thursday.
(*Included you will also find the Opinion/Argument Writing
Rubric, Grades 3-5. This rubric is for teacher use.)
State parks inviting kids to trade screen
time for green time
By Stateline.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.24.15
Word Count 581
Russell Norris, 15, of Tylertown, Mississippi, dives into the chilly Swift River at Coos Canyon in Byron, Maine. The canyon
is considered one of the premier swimming holes in the United States. Photo: AP/Robert F. Bukaty
1
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some states want to get kids to go play outside. They are offering
campouts and activities in state parks. The states want to get kids moving and teach them
that parks are important.
2
Experts say kids are hooked on technology. Kids spend about 7 hours a day with
electronic devices. They are watching TV and using computers and their phones. They are
playing outside less and less. Kids are not getting exercise, and the number of obese, or
overweight, kids has jumped recently.
3
Obesity in young kids has doubled in the last 30 years. Obesity in teens is 4 times what it
was 30 years ago. More than one-third of kids were obese in 2012.
Children Should Learn To Enjoy, Protect Nature
4
State parks officials say they have to get young people outdoors. Kids need to enjoy the
real world, said Lewis Ledford. He is chief of the National Association of State Park
Directors. Being outdoors will also teach kids to protect nature, said Ledford.
5
There are more than 5,000 state parks in the United States. They include wildlife and
historic sites.
6
The parks have been drawing more visitors in the last 4 years. However, parks are not
getting enough money from their states to pay their costs. Many parks have cut jobs or cut
hours and programs. Some have increased entrance and camping fees.
7
Our future leaders will not protect nature if they do not experience it, said Nita Settina. She
is a manager of the Maryland Park Service.
Make It Fun And Kids Will Come
8
If parks offer fun adventures, kids will visit, said Settina. Someday, they will bring their own
children, she added.
9
Parks in some states offer summer jobs for teens. They spend the summer working on the
parks and enjoying the activities.
10
Maryland parks have offered teens jobs for 8 years. This summer, about 300 teens worked
in the parks. They also spent part of their time canoeing, fishing and camping.
11
Most of the teens came from Baltimore or other city areas. Many of them were not familiar
with outdoor life. Some of them had never left their neighborhoods. It was the first time
many of them had seen the Atlantic Ocean or had been camping, Settina said.
12
“It’s one of the most important things we do. It’s also one of the most gratifying,” she said.
Campout Program Puts Families Under The Stars
13
Other states offer family campouts in their state parks. The program is called Capital
Campouts.
14
The governor of Delaware invited 10 families to a state park. They set up tents and
camped overnight. The campers learned about nature and roasted s’mores by the
campfire.
15
In New Mexico, the Parks Department trains teachers in state parks. Teachers learn about
water quality and how to spot insects and birds. They take their students to the parks for
lessons.
16
The program is trying to preserve the history of New Mexico, said Christy Tafoya. She is the
state parks director. She said the program teaches young people to appreciate the parks
and protect them.
Urging Kids To Plug Into Nature, Not Video Games
17
A whole generation of kids grew up with video games, said Ray Bivens. He is director of
Delaware State Parks. Those kids will not put down their devices and go outside, he said.
18
The parks need to have programs that teach kids outdoor skills, he said. "Being able to
identify a couple of stars in the night sky, they just love it."
Monday
State parks inviting kids to trade screen time for
green time
1. What caused states to offer campouts and activities in
state parks?
A. The president launched a nationwide program.
B. Kids are spending too much time with electronic devices
and not enough time exercising and being outdoors.
C. Kids interest in state parks significantly increased.
D. Many kids often visited the park with their parents.
RI 3.3 I can make a connection between events that happened in the past and
determine its relationship to time, sequence, or cause/effect.
2. Under which heading can you find information about a
program that helps families develop an appreciation for
nature?
A. Children Should Learn to Enjoy, Protect Nature
B. Make It Fun And Kids Will Come
C. Campout Program Puts Families Under The Stars
D. Urging Kids To Plug Into Nature, Not Video Games
RI 3.5 I can use text features to locate information in a text.
Tuesday
State parks inviting kids to trade screen time for
green time
3. According to the text, what are the effects of kids getting too
much screen time? Select two details from the text.
A. They are playing outside less and less.
B. They are pursuing careers in computer related fields.
C. They are not completing their homework.
D. They are not getting enough exercise and the number of
overweight kids has doubled.
E. They are able to have a better understanding of technology.
RI 3.8 I can describe how sentences connect to a text to show cause and effect.
4. What have parks had to do as a result of not getting enough
money to pay their costs?
Write your answer in the space provided.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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RI 3.3 I can make a connection between events that happened in the past and
determine its relationship to time, sequence, or cause/effect.
Wednesday
State parks inviting kids to trade screen time for green time
5. Part A
What is the main idea of the section “Make It Fun And Kids
Will Come?”
A. Some parks offer summer jobs for teens so they can work as
well as learn to enjoy nature.
B. Parks should offer technology and internet access to
encourage kids to come.
C. The governor of Delaware invited 10 families to a state park.
D. Teachers take their students to the parks for lessons.
RI 3.2 I can identify the main idea and key details that support it.
Part B
Which detail supports the answer to Part A?
A. “The parks have been drawing more visitors in the last 4
years.”
B. “Maryland parks have offered teens jobs for 8 years.”
C. “In New Mexico, the Parks Department trains teachers in
state parks.”
D. “The campers learned about nature and roasted s’mores by
the campfire.”
RI 3.2 I can identify the main idea and key details that support it.
PRO/CON: Is it time to stop recycling
our garbage?
By Tribune News Service, adapted by Newsela staff on 01.04.16
Word Count 1,082
Adonis Herring sorts cans and bottles at Capital Redemption Center on Sept. 22, 2015, in Albany, New York. The center
offers refunds on empty beverage containers before they are transported to distributors and recycled. Photo: AP/Mike
Groll
PRO: Recycling is more expensive than it's worth
1
If you want to save the planet, please make sure your garbage is buried in a landfill. There
is plenty of room.
2
People talk about “reduce, reuse, recycle.” It may sound like a good idea to those who
want to prevent climate change or keep garbage from piling up. Climate change is caused
by burning fuels like oil or gas.
3
The truth, however, is that recycling has a cost. A big cost.
It's Cheaper To Make New Things
4
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government department in charge of
the environment. The EPA says that it only makes sense to recycle about one-third of our
trash because recycling more than that is too expensive.
5
Recycling paper or aluminum does cause less pollution than making them from scratch.
6
It is not the whole story, though.
7
Paper companies pay for the trees they use. If it was cheaper to recycle scrap paper, they
would be beating down your door to buy it. They are not doing that, though.
8
It is more expensive to recycle old paper than to make new paper.
9
Plastic is another problem. It is made out of oil and recently the price of oil has gone way
down. Now, new plastic containers are cheaper to make than recycling old ones.
10
Also, it wastes water. Many people rinse their plastic containers with water before they put
them into a recycling bin. If they use hot water, gas or coal is burned to heat that water.
Recycling Doesn't Really Save Money
11
Glass is even worse. You have to recycle a lot of glass to reduce pollution by just a little.
Yet, there is more. The glass has to be collected from neighborhoods. The trucks that
collect the glass also cause pollution. Recycling glass is more expensive than making it
from scratch. New glass is made mainly from sand, and there is plenty of that.
12
Many cities pick up glass in recycling trucks. Then they just dump it at the local landfill.
13
Why are they pretending? Because people feel strongly about “reduce, reuse, recycle.”
They learn it in school and hear it all over the place. Most Americans do not know the
evidence about recycling.
14
City and state officials should think about the costs and benefits of recycling programs.
They should get rid of programs that waste money and hurt the environment.
15
If recycling saved money, companies would be lined up to buy your trash. Do not bother
looking because they are not there.
16
There is a true recycling test. Is someone actually willing to pay you to sort and save your
trash? If they are not, what you have been told about recycling in the past is probably just
garbage.
17
ABOUT THE WRITER William F. Shughart II is the research director of the
Independent Institute, 100 Swan Place, Oakland, Calif. He is also the J. Fish
Smith Professor in Public Choice at Utah State University’s Huntsman School
of Business.
18
This essay is available to Tribune News Service subscribers. Tribune did not
subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and
do not necessarily represent the views of Tribune or Newsela.
CON: Americans still throw away too much garbage
19
We Americans use a lot and waste a lot. We dump far more trash than we need to into
landfills. In fact, we make twice as much garbage per person as countries in Western
Europe.
20
Since 1960, the amount of trash thrown out each year has tripled. In 2013, it totaled 508
billion pounds. On average, each person threw out 4.4 pounds of garbage every day.
21
We have gotten a lot better at handling garbage. People began recycling much more after
the mid-1980s. Now, on average, Americans recycle about one-third of their trash.
Look At Seattle's Recycling Program
22
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government department. It reports
that we recycle two-thirds of all paper and half of all cans. However, we recycle less than
half of electronics, like cellphones and computers. We recycle only about a third of glass
and plastic bottles and jars.
23
We should be able to do much better than this. So why are we not? Some people just do
not want to do it. Many people do not think recycling is easy. A number of states say that
people have to recycle, but they do not make people follow their laws. In most cases, they
do not offer people much reason to recycle.
24
Some states and cities do much better because they take recycling seriously. Cities such
as Seattle, Washington, encourage recycling. They charge people money for throwing out
garbage. The more garbage they throw out, the more they have to pay. It works.
25
In 2014, half the people in Seattle recycled their trash. The city is trying to get rid of the
“maximum possible amount of waste.” Few other cities have set such a high goal.
How To Throw Away Less Trash
26
Some people see matters differently. They argue that recycling costs too much and is not
effective. Some states seem to agree with them. They do not want to give money to help
city recycling programs and say the cities should end their programs or pay for the cost
themselves.
27
Is this the right action to take? Recycle only if enough good things come from it? Doing that
would send exactly the wrong message.
28
Some experts believe that a good starting point is when a product is made. We should be
careful to avoid waste. Then we should reuse and recycle what is left over. Only then
should we throw out what cannot be recycled.
29
No one argues that the cost of recycling is not important. However, it is not a good enough
reason to stop recycling.
30
We are in the early stages of an important change. It will cut down on garbage and
pollution. It will also get people to change what they use and throw out. That is the way to
go.
31
ABOUT THE WRITER: Michael Kraft is a retired political science and public
and environmental affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Readers
may write him at UWGB, 2420 Nicolet Dr., MAC B310, Green Bay, WI 54311 or
e-mail him at [email protected]
32
This essay is available to Tribune News Service subscribers. Tribune did not
subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and
do not necessarily represent the views of Tribune or Newsela.
Thursday
Pro/Con: Is it time to stop recycling our
garbage?
Opinion/Argument
Writing Prompt:
Do you think that Americans should continue to recycle
their garbage? Write an essay addressing this question. Use
evidence from the text to support your answer.
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Friday
Pro/Con: Is it time to stop recycling our garbage?
Student Writing Checklist
Today you will review, revise, and edit the essay written on
Thursday. Use the checklist below to make sure all of the
necessary parts of the essay are included. If there are parts
that are not included, revise or edit your essay to make sure
they are included.
o I have a topic sentence.
o I clearly communicated my thoughts on the topic.
o I included a beginning, middle, and end.
o I included transitional words like first, next, then, and
finally.
o I included a balance of simple and complex
sentences.
o I included text evidence to support my ideas.
o I included key words from the text to support my
answer.
o I used correct spelling.
o I used correct capitalization.
o I used correct punctuation.
Ohio’s State Test
English Language Arts
Opinion Writing Rubric,
Grades 3–5
UPDATED OCTOBER 2015
Ohio’s State Test Opinion Writing Rubric, Grades 3–5
Score
Ohio’s State Test
Opinion Writing Rubric, Grades 3-5
(Score points within each domain include most of the characteristics below.)
Purpose, Focus, and Organization
Evidence and Elaboration
Conventions of Standard English
(4-points)
(4-points)
(Begins at score point 2)
4
The response is fully sustained and consistently
focused within the purpose, audience, and task;
and it has a clearly stated opinion and effective
organizational structure creating coherence and
completeness. The response includes most of the
following:
• A strongly maintained opinion with little or
no loosely related material
• Skillful use of a variety of transitional
strategies to clarify the relationships between
and among ideas
• Logical progression of ideas from beginning to
end with a satisfying introduction and
conclusion
The response provides thorough and convincing
support/evidence for the writer’s opinion that includes
the effective use of sources, facts, and details. The
response includes most of the following:
• Relevant evidence integrated smoothly and
thoroughly with references to sources
• Effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques,
demonstrating understanding of the topic and text
• Clear and effective expression of ideas, using precise
language
• Academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly
appropriate for the audience and purpose
• Varied sentence structure, demonstrating language
facility
3
The response is adequately sustained and generally
focused within the purpose, audience, and task;
and it has an opinion and evident organizational
structure with a sense of completeness. The
response includes most of the following:
• A maintained opinion, though some loosely
related material may be present
• Adequate use of transitional strategies with
some variety to clarify the relationships
between and among ideas
• Adequate progression of ideas from beginning
to end with a sufficient introduction and
conclusion
The response provides adequate support/evidence for
the writer’s opinion that includes the use of sources,
facts, and details. The response includes most of the
following:
• Generally integrated evidence from sources, though
references may be general, imprecise, or inconsistent
• Adequate use of some elaborative techniques
• Adequate expression of ideas, employing a mix of
precise and general language
• Domain-specific vocabulary generally appropriate for
the audience and purpose
• Some variation in sentence structure
Page 2 of 3
Ohio’s State Test Opinion Writing Rubric, Grades 3–5
Score
Purpose, Focus, and Organization
(4-points)
Evidence and Elaboration
(4-points)
Conventions of Standard English
(2-points)
2
The response is somewhat sustained within the
purpose, audience, and task but may include loosely
related or extraneous material; and it may have an
opinion with an inconsistent organizational
structure. The response may include the following:
• A partially focused opinion but
insufficiently sustained or unclear
• Inconsistent use of transitional strategies with
little variety
• Uneven progression of ideas from beginning to
end and an inadequate introduction or
conclusion
The response provides uneven, cursory support/evidence
for the writer’s opinion that includes ineffective use of
sources, facts, and details. The response may include the
following:
• Weakly integrated evidence from sources and erratic
or irrelevant references
• Repetitive or ineffective use of elaborative
techniques
• Imprecise or simplistic expression of ideas
• Inappropriate or ineffective domain-specific
vocabulary
• Sentences possibly limited to simple constructions
The response demonstrates an adequate command
of basic conventions. The response may include the
following:
• Some minor errors in usage but no patterns of
errors
• Adequate use of punctuation, capitalization,
sentence formation, and spelling
1
The response is related to the topic but may
demonstrate little or no awareness of the purpose,
audience, and task; and it may have no discernible
opinion and little or no discernible organizational
structure. The response may include the following:
• An absent, confusing, or ambiguous opinion
• Frequent extraneous ideas impeding
understanding
• Few or no transitional strategies
• Too brief to demonstrate knowledge of focus
or organization
The response provides minimal support/evidence for the
writer’s opinion, including little if any use of sources,
facts, and details. The response may include the
following:
• Minimal, absent, erroneous, or irrelevant evidence
from the source material
• Expression of ideas that is vague, unclear, or
confusing
• Limited or inappropriate language or domain-specific
vocabulary
• Sentences limited to simple constructions
The response demonstrates a partial command of
basic conventions. The response may include the
following:
• Various errors in usage
• Inconsistent use of correct punctuation,
capitalization, sentence formation, and spelling
0
Page 3 of 3
The response demonstrates a lack of command of
conventions, with frequent and severe errors often
obscuring meaning.
Answer Key
State parks inviting kids to trade screen time for
green time
1.
2.
3.
4.
B
C
A and D
Response includes the following:
• Cut jobs
• Cut hours and programs
• Increased entrance and camping fees
5. Part A – A
Part B - B