th
5 Grade
Problem of the Day
Columbus City Schools
Reading Department
Week 3 - 4
2015-2016
Dear Educator,
Problem of the Day Activities
The Fifth 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.
Directions
Week 1
Monday
Read “10-year-old entrepreneur launches own company from
lemonade stand.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Tuesday
Reread or review “10-year-old entrepreneur launches own
company from lemonade stand.” Then, answer the multiplechoice questions.
Wednesday
Reread or review “10-year-old entrepreneur launches own
company from lemonade stand.” Then, answer the multiplechoice questions.
Thursday
Reread or review “10-year-old entrepreneur launches own
company from lemonade stand.” Then, answer the multiplechoice questions.
Friday
Read “Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives.” Then,
answer the multiple-choice questions.
Directions
Week 2
Monday
Reread or review “Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives”
Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Tuesday
Reread or review “Young entrepreneur’s products can save
lives.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Wednesday
Reread or review “10-year-old entrepreneur launches own company
from lemonade stand” and “Young entrepreneur’s products can
save lives.” Then, answer the multiple-choice questions.
Thursday
Read “Paying for Sports TV even if you don’t click the channel.”
Then, write an essay in response to the writing prompt.
Friday
Reread or review “Paying for Sports TV even if you don’t click the
channel” Then, use the Student Writing Checklist to revise and edit
the essay written on Thursday.
(*Included you will also find the Informative/Explanatory Writing
Rubric, Grades 3-5. This rubric is for teacher use.)
10-year-old entrepreneur launches own
company from lemonade stand
By Dallas Morning News, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.22.15
Word Count 836
Mikaila Ulmer, 10, of Austin, Texas, (left) asks contestant Madyson Mitchell, 11, questions while judging the Advocare
Best Tasting Lemonade Contest at NorthPark Center in Dallas, Texas, April 25, 2015. Mikaila is a past winner and now
owns BeeSweet Lemonade, which is sold in Whole Foods grocery stores. Photo: Ashley Landis/Dallas Morning News/
TNS
1
DALLAS — For a young businesswoman still learning about finance, Mikaila Ulmer has
made a pretty sweet deal for herself and her company.
2
Mikaila, 10, is chief executive of BeeSweet Lemonade, which she launched at age 4 1/2.
She began the company after participating in a children’s business competition and in
Lemonade Day, a national program that teaches children financial literacy by empowering
them to open their own business.
3
BeeSweet has been so successful that Whole Foods, the upscale grocery store, is now
carrying the drink. In March, Mikaila accepted a $60,000 investment offer from Daymond
John on the television show "Shark Tank" in exchange for 25 percent of the company. The
TV show matches aspiring company owners with successful businessmen and
businesswomen who are looking to invest.
4
Not bad for any young business, much less one that started with a lemonade stand.
The 1 Million Lemonade-Stand Goal
5
Lemonade Day was created in 2007 by Michael Holthouse, co-founder of the Houston
nonprofit organization Prepared 4 Life. The day is inspired by lessons he taught his young
daughter when she set up her first lemonade stand.
6
Nationwide, more than 225,000 kids from pre-kindergarten through high school in 35 U.S.
cities participated in last year’s Lemonade Day. Nearly 50 cities will take part this year.
Organizers are aiming for an eventual goal of 1 million lemonade stands in 100 cities
across America.
7
The second annual Lemonade Day Greater Dallas was held earlier this month.
8
Lemonade stands were expected "all across the city,” Peggy Bessellieu said of event. She
is the executive director of Lemonade Day Greater Dallas. “Lemonade Day teaches youth
about financial literacy and the value of a dollar and offers skills they need to become
successful in all areas of their lives.”
Careful Finances
9
For example, the kids have to learn how to figure their costs and budget for producing
lemonade.
10
“What I’ve seen a lot of times when we sit down with these kids, they want to do organic
lemons and they want to have fresh raspberries in there,” Bessellieu said. Organic lemons
cost more to buy because farmers grow fewer of them. “When we put the numbers to it,
they realize they would have to charge about $7 a glass to make a profit.”
11
For Mikaila, the birth of BeeSweet came when she was 4.
12
Two events occurred at about the same time.
13
First, she got stung by two bees in one week. “I hated the bees," Mikaila said. "I would
freak out, but my parents — they made me do some research on the bees and from that
research, I found out how incredibly important bees were to our world.”
14
Then, her great-grandmother sent Mikaila’s family a 1940s cookbook, which included a
special recipe for flaxseed lemonade.
15
“I decided to create a product that helped save the bees and use Great Granny Helen’s
recipe as well,” Mikaila said.
An Old Recipe Is New Again
16
“Mikaila took some license by adjusting the formula to make it her own,” said her father,
Theo, whose official title at his daughter’s company is “Chief Worker Bee.” He added, “She
used the original recipe as the basis for the lemonade.”
17
BeeSweet’s flavors include mint, iced tea and “Prickly Pear.” A ginger flavor was the idea
of her 7-year-old brother Jacob, the top salesman at his sister’s company.
18
Mikaila’s mother, D’Andra, serves as “Chief Marketing Bee.”
Good Business Sense
19
Mikaila is the first to admit that she’s still learning about finances.
20
“When I first started BeeSweet, I had a little trace of finance, but I didn’t know exactly what
it was,” she said. “I had mentors along the way who helped me and I kept on learning, and
I’m still learning right now.”
21
Her most influential adviser has been her dad, who has a finance and business
background. Mikaila has had a bank account since she was in kindergarten.
22
Even when she was in kindergarten her parents tried to teach her good business sense,
good judgment and social responsibility, Theo Ulmer said.
23
“The three things I do with my money, even before I started with BeeSweet, was I give,
save and I spend,” Mikaila said. “So I give to organizations that help the honeybees or to
church. I also save for things that I may need in the future like college or fun things that
may cost more money and I have to save up to get it, or I get to spend on fun things for
me, my friends or my brother like arts and crafts and toys.”
Back To The Bees
24
Her company also donates a portion of its profits to organizations fighting to protect bees.
25
One of the first lessons Mikaila learned from her parents was that to make lemonade,
you’re going to have to spend some money.
26
The first lesson is "you have to first have some money to start out, and if you’re going to
spend $20, you have to earn at least $21,” Theo Ulmer said.
27
“The $1 is called a profit,” Mikaila chimed in.
Monday
10-year-old launches own company from lemonade
stand
1. How did Michael Holthouse inspire Mikaila to start her own
business?
A. He encouraged her to go on the television show Shark Tank.
B. He created Lemonade Day, a national program that
teaches children financial literacy.
C. He convinced Whole Foods to sell Mikaila’s lemonade.
D. He selected her to help him with his lemonade business.
RI 5.3 I can explain the relationships and interactions between events that happened
and determine why they occurred, based upon the evidence in a text.
Part B
Which detail from the text supports the answer to Part A?
A. “…they want to do organic lemons and they want to have
fresh raspberries in there.”
B. “BeeSweet’s flavors include mint, iced tea and “Prickly Pear.”
C. “…whose official title at his daughter’s company is “Chief
Worker Bee.”
D. “Nationwide, more than 225,000 kids from pre-kindergarten
through high school in 35 U.S. cities participated in last year’s
Lemonade Day.”
RI 5.1 I can quote specifically from a text and use that information to explicitly refer to a
text.
Tuesday
10-year-old launches own company from
lemonade stand
2. What is the relationship between Mikaila and Daymond
John?
A. Daymond John is an investor in her company.
B. Daymond John is her father.
C. Daymond John is the owner of Whole Foods.
D. Daymond John advised Mikaila to participate in
Lemonade Day.
RI 5.3 I can explain the relationships and interactions between individuals
or events that happened and determine why they occurred, based upon
the evidence in a text.
3. Which sentence from the text best shows that Mikaila is
responsible with her money?
A. “Then, her great-grandmother sent Mikaila’s family a
1940s cookbook…”
B. “A ginger flavor was the idea of her 7-year-old
brother Jacob.”
C. “Mikaila has had a bank account since she was in
kindergarten.”
D. “First she got stung by two bees in one week.”
RI 5.1 I can quote specifically from a text and use that information to
make an inference.
Wednesday
10-year-old launches own company from
lemonade stand
4. Which of these is the most important detail to include in
a summary of the section “Good Business Sense?”
A. Mikaila uses her grandmother’s recipe to make her
lemonade.
B. Mikaila makes wise decisions about how to spend
her money using the skills her parents taught her.
C. Mikaila did some research on bees and found out
how important they were.
D. Mikaila decides to participate in Lemonade Day.
RI 5.2 I can summarize two texts.
5. What does the word profit mean as it is used in
paragraph 27 of the text?
A. To take advantage
B. To make progress
C. A financial gain
D. To be of service
RI 5.4 I can determine the meaning of domain specific words in a text.
Thursday
10-year-old launches own company from lemonade
stand
6. The author thinks that BeeSweet’s Lemonade business is
impressive, and a huge accomplishment. Which sentence has
evidence supporting this point?
A. “For a young businesswoman still learning about finance,
Mikaila Ulmer has made a pretty sweet deal for herself and her
company.”
B. “She began the company after participating in a children’s
business competition and in Lemonade Day…”
C. “One of the first lessons Mikaila learned from her parents was
that to make lemonade, you’re going to have to spend
finances.”
D. “Mikaila is the first to admit that she’s still learning about
money.
RI 5.8 I can explain how an author uses reasons or evidence to support a
claim or point.
7. In the section “Careful Finances” what text structure is used?
A. Compare and contrast
B. Figurative language
C. Argument
D. Cause and effect
RI 5.5 I can describe the structure of two texts written in a cause and
effect structure.
Young entrepreneur's products can save
lives
By Alaska Dispatch News, adapted by Newsela Staff on 04.16.15
Word Count 908
Grayson Davey works on making one of his Alaska Survival Bracelets on a desk at his home in Anchorage, Alaska. The
bracelet is made from about 17 feet of parachute cord and includes a scraper and fibers for starting a fire. Photo: Marc
Lester/Alaska Dispatch News/TNS
1
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Many middle school students in south-central Alaska spent
spring break playing video games. Others spent time skiing in what little snow had fallen or
just enjoying a lazy week away from school. Grayson Davey, an eighth-grader, spent most
of his week off looking for new employees.
2
Grayson is just 13 years old, but he already owns a business called Alaska Paracord
Designs. With more than $40,000 in sales in three years, Grayson is looking to expand and
hire people to make his paracord products. The neatly woven bracelets or keychain
dangles are made from tough nylon cord usually used for parachutes. While there are
many similar designs for sale on the Internet, Grayson’s products, which he makes himself
at his home, hide some unique items that could possibly save lives.
Woven Products Include Survival Items
3
The fire-starter bracelet looks like many other woven bracelets being sold online to outdoor
enthusiasts. In an emergency, the bracelet can be unraveled and the parachute cord used
in a variety of ways — to create a shelter or make a tourniquet, or tight bandage, for
example. But Grayson’s bracelet is much more than a bundle of cord. Its clasp is also a
whistle that can be used to signal for help. When unwound, the fire-starter bracelet reveals
not only 17 feet of military-grade paracord, but also a piece of firesteel and a striker that
can be used to start a fire. Also inside: 10 inches of waxed jute twine, a waterproof tinder
that will light and burn easily.
4
When your adventure goes wrong, "what you have on you is your survival kit,” he said.
5
Since he began making them in 2013, at the age of 11, Grayson has sold more than 1,000
of his fire- starter bracelets and fire bugs, a version that connects to a keychain and
contains a mylar signal mirror and X-Acto knife. The fire-starter bracelet costs $35; the fire
bug costs $25.
More Young People Want To Be Their Own Boss
6
Over spring break, he picked out two possible employees, and he is looking for at least
three more. Even though he’s not in high school yet, Grayson has invested $10,000 in
profits into the stock market and put the rest of the profits back into his growing company.
7
“I want to grow the company as big as I can and at least get enough money for college,”
Grayson said. “And it could end up being my career.”
8
And Grayson is not alone in his youthful entrepreneurship. He is a member of a local
Young Entrepreneurs’ Academy — a group of teens who meet with experienced business
professionals for advice and startup capital. People who work with the group, and other
business organizations, claim that more and more young people are looking to be their
own boss, and not go to work for someone else.
Idea Inspired By Near Tragedy
9
Grayson said he got his big idea after a family friend almost died while boating on a local
river. The boat overturned, sending the man and his young daughter into the churning
waters. After swimming to a nearby island, the pair was stranded for three days before
being rescued. They couldn’t build a fire or shelter because all their gear was lost.
Grayson said that’s when he realized that a woven paracord bracelet, with small, but
useful, survival tools planted inside would have made a difference.
10
Three years later, Grayson owns his own company, and is selling his expanding his
product line on the Web and at several local stores.
11
“He (Grayson) was just coming in to buy fishing gear and he told me he was getting into
paracord a lot,” said Stewart Valladolid, the buying manager at one of those stores. He met
Grayson in 2013 when he first started making the bracelets.
12
“And I told him to bring some in," Valladolid said. "I knew it is a growing niche. And he
brought his first sample in and I was absolutely amazed on the detail and the survivability,
and the features that he put into the survival bracelet.”
13
Since then, Valladolid said his shop continues to sell the popular item. But they don’t just
sell the product, Grayson’s ideas and products have found a number of fans. Valladolid
has one, as does his wife and many of the store’s employees.
Experience Has Been A Life Lesson
14
Grayson said the only way he can expand his business and handle bigger orders is to hire
people to make his products for him. He was looking into hiring home-bound people who
want to pick up work and can learn the complex weaving pattern needed for the designs.
Grayson thinks his new employees could make $15 to $20 per hour, working part time.
15
But the entire experience of starting a company, helping it to grow and expanding its sales
reach and inventory is more than a money-maker for Grayson. It has been a life lesson.
16
“Entrepreneurship is something they don’t do enough teaching about in school, and it’s
one of the things he seemed to have natural interest in,” said Grayson’s mom, Lori Davey.
17
Grayson said he doesn’t think enough people follow both their dreams, and their ideas.
18
“If you have an idea that can be a business, just see the different ways you can start it up,
and see how you can grow it from there,” he said. “But it might not be easy. You have to
work hard too.”
Friday
Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives
1. Which of these facts about Grayson’s bracelets is
included in the text?
A. The bracelets are only sold at Grayson’s home.
B. The bracelets are made of unique items that could
possibly save lives.
C. The bracelets are made from plastic.
D. The bracelets are available in many different sizes.
RI 5.1 I can quote specifically from a text and use that information to
explicitly refer to a text.
2. In paragraph 8, what is the meaning of the word
capital?
A. The distinct, typically broader section at the head of a
pillar or column.
B. The city or town that is the official seat of government in
a country or state.
C. Money that is used to generate income or make an
investment.
D. Large in size and of the form to begin sentences and
names.
RI 5.4 I can determine the meaning of domain-specific words in a text.
Monday
Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives
3. Which of the following statements best describes the
relationship between Grayson and Stewart Valladolid?
A. Stewart Valladolid is the president of the Young
Entrepreneurs’ Academy.
B. Stewart Valladolid inspired Grayson to make the survival
bracelets.
C. Stewart Valladolid is an employee of Grayson’s
D. Stewart Valladolid sells Grayson’s bracelets in his store.
RI 5.3 I can explain the relationships and interactions between individuals or
events that happened and determine why they occurred, based upon the
evidence in a text.
4. Which sentence from the text is supported by the
photograph?
A. “…Grayson’s products, which he makes himself at his
home, hide some unique items that could possibly save
lives.”
B. “Many middle school students in south-central Alaska
spent spring break playing video games.”
C. “Grayson said the only way he can expand his business
and handle bigger orders is to hire people to make his
products for him.”
D. “…Grayson’s ideas and products have found a number
of fans.”
RI 5.7 I can analyze how a visual element contributes to the meaning of a text.
Tuesday
Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives
5. What does the word mylar mean as it is used in
paragraph 5 of the text?
A. A highly flammable material.
B. A strong coarse fiber.
C. A polyester film or plastic sheet.
D. A strong thread or string.
RI 5.4 I can determine the meaning of domain-specific words in a text.
6. Which of these facts about the uses of the survival
bracelets is included in this text?
A. It can be used to make a tourniquet, or tight
bandage.
B. It can be used to drink water.
C. It can be used to see at a distance.
D. It can be used to create a raft.
RI 5.1 I can quote specifically from a text and use that information to
explicitly refer to a text.
Wednesday
10-year-old entrepreneur launches own company from
lemonade stand
and
Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives
1. What is a similarity between 10-year-old entrepreneur launches own
company from lemonade stand, and Young entrepreneur’s products
can save lives?
A. Both stories highlight the importance of Lemonade Day and how
it helps many kids start their own business.
B. Both stories highlight children working hard and starting a
successful business.
C. Both stories highlight how survival bracelets can help save lives.
D. Both stories highlight children helping their parents have a
successful business.
RI 5.9 I can integrate information from two texts on the same topic.
2. According to both stories, what do Grayson and Mikaila spend some
of the profits of their business towards?
A. Purchasing fun things.
B. Putting money into the stock market.
C. Saving money for college.
D. Giving to groups that help the honeybees.
RI 5.9 I can integrate information from two texts on the same topic.
Paying for sports TV, even if you don't
click the channel
By Kansas City Star, adapted by Newsela staff on 06.05.13
Word Count 839
Missouri's Jabari Brown (32), Earnest Ross (33) and Alex Oriakhi (42) are on the bench as time runs off of the clock in the
second half in the NCAA Tournament second-round game in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo: Shane Keyser/Kansas City Star/
MCT
Ryan Bennett of Kansas City records a few programs and does not demand much from his
television.
But he wants his sports . . . when he wants his sports.
Chiefs on Sundays, plus the Royals and Missouri football and basketball when his
schedule allows. “I don’t really watch anything live, except sports,” Bennett said.
Viewers like Bennett are critical in the world of sports, where the costs of running pro
teams and college broadcast fees paid by networks keep going up.
Bennett’s cable company makes deals to carry ESPN and other networks that feature
sports. ESPN and other channels bid in the billions of dollars for the rights to broadcast
professional and college sports.
Then the cost gets passed to consumers — whether they know it or not and whether they
like sports or not.
“Until I saw something about it recently, I had no idea how much,” Bennett said.
According to the media research SNL Kagan, basic cable customers paid an average of
$5.06 a month for ESPN in 2012. With nearly 100 million subscribers, ESPN is by far the
most expensive product on basic cable.
Big Chunk Of The Cable Bill
In the grand scheme of things, the deal seems reasonable to sports fans. For about the
price of a large Frappuccino at Starbucks, you get a month’s worth of America’s best live
sports lineup. But non-sports watchers or those who do not want some sports channels
also are paying and have no choice.
“For them to get more than $1 out of a cable bill is racketeering,” said cable subscriber
Jim Bredemeier of Wichita, Kan.
Some have called it a sports tax on their cable bill, and Sen. John McCain has introduced
legislation that would allow consumers to pay only for the programs they want to watch: a
la carte pricing. The idea would be to pick channels from a menu.
TNT received $1.21 per subscriber last year. For that, viewers got NBA playoff and NCAA
men’s basketball tournament games. But they also got full seasons of police dramas such
as “Southland” and “Rizzoli & Isles.” News station CNN received 57 cents and the Cartoon
Network 20 cents.
The average monthly basic cable bill was about $90 in 2012.
ESPN was beamed into 98.9 million households in 2012. That made it one of the mostwidely distributed cable networks. It took in more than $6 billion in yearly subscriber fees.
Subscriber Fees Pay For Everything
Subscribers are the lifeblood of cable television.
“The cable customer pays for just about everything in the industry,” said John Denison, a
founder of Metro Sports. That includes “the documentary that follows lions in Africa."
As live sports programming has become more expensive for networks to buy, multimilliondollar salaries for professional athletes and college coaches have increased as well. Some
of the costs make their way down to subscribers — sports fans or not.
DirecTV added a $3 monthly fee to the bills of new customers in markets where there is
more than one local sports channel.
Time Warner subscribers in Southern California probably will see their bills go up, too. This
is because of the cable company’s $7 billion deal for Los Angeles Dodgers games.
The nine highest-rated single telecasts of 2012 involved live sporting events. And while
skipping commercials is easy on a recorded program, sports is real reality TV that is
coveted by advertisers.
But A.J. Maestas, president of Navigate Research, said it all goes back to your cable bill.
“Sports, as much as anything, is must-see TV to the point where people will switch their
cable carrier if they don’t have what they want,” Maestas said.
Cable and satellite companies make deals to carry cable networks. They are not part of
the negotiations between sports channels and pro teams and college conferences. But the
cable providers can decide what channels to carry.
"We have to step in and act in the best interest of our customers,” said Mike Pedelty, a
spokesman for Time Warner Cable Inc.
Another sports network is on the way. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. is launching Fox
Sports 1, a national sports network to challenge ESPN. Fox Sports 2 is in the works.;
Comcast and CBS also have sports networks.
All are angling for cable dollars, whether you want sports channels or not.
Cut The Cord?
McCain, an Arizona Republican, wants to change that. He wants to give cable television
consumers the ability to pay as they go.
Cable companies do not want this because they are able to bundle popular channels like
ESPN with less desirable ones.
A growing trend — cord-cutting — could give the consumer the final word.
According to one report, about 4.7 million American households that previously paid for TV
will have dumped cable by the end of the year. They get their entertainment streamed from
the Internet using services such as Netflix, iTunes and Hulu. That’s up from about 3.74
million cord-cutters in 2012.
Maestas tried cutting the cord himself last fall, but it didn’t last. “I had to have my
Washington Huskies,” he said.
Thursday
Paying for sports TV even if you don’t click the
channel
Informative/Explanatory Writing
Writing Prompt:
After reading “Paying for sports TV even if you don’t click
the channel,” write an essay explaining how cable
subscribers are affected by the pricing of sports channels.
Explain other options that cable subscribers may explore as
a result of the costs associated with sports TV. Support your
essay with evidence from the text.
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Friday
Paying for sports TV even if you don’t click the
channel
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
Informative/Explanatory
Writing Rubric, Grades 3–5
UPDATED OCTOBER 2015
Ohio’s State Test Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric, Grades 3-5
/
Ohio’s State Test
Informative/Explanatory Writing Rubric, Grade 3-5
(Score points within each domain include most of the characteristics below.)
Purpose, Focus, and Organization
Evidence and Elaboration
Score
(4-points)
(4-points)
4
The response is fully sustained and consistently
focused within the purpose, audience, and task;
and it has a clearly stated controlling idea and
effective organizational structure creating
coherence and completeness. The response
includes most of the following:
• A strongly maintained controlling idea 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, including a satisfying introduction and
conclusion
3
The response is adequately sustained and generally
focused within the purpose, audience, and task;
and it has a controlling idea and evident
organizational structure with a sense of
completeness. The response includes most of the
following:
• A maintained controlling idea, 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, including a sufficient introduction and
conclusion
Page 2 of 3
The response provides thorough and convincing
support/evidence for the controlling idea or main idea
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
(including but not limited to definitions, quotations,
and examples), demonstrating an 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
The response provides adequate support/evidence for
the controlling idea or main idea 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
Conventions of Standard English
(Begins at score point 2)
Ohio’s State Test Informative/Explanatory 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 a controlling idea with an inconsistent
organizational structure. The response may include
the following:
• A partially focused controlling idea,
but insufficiently sustained or
unclear
• Inconsistent use of transitional strategies with
little variety
• Uneven progression of ideas from beginning to
end and may include an inadequate
introduction or conclusion
The response provides uneven, cursory support/evidence
for the controlling idea or main idea that includes
ineffective use of sources, facts, and details. The response
includes most of 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 little or no
discernible controlling idea or organizational
structure. The response may include the following:
•
Confusing or ambiguous ideas
•
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
controlling idea or main idea, including little if any use of
sources, facts, and details. The response includes most of
the following:
• Minimal, absent, erroneous, or irrelevant evidence
from the source material
• Expression of ideas that is vague, lacks clarity, or is
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
10-year-old entrepreneur launches own company from
lemonade stand
1. Part A – B
Part B – D
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. D
Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives
1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. C
6. A
10-year-old entrepreneur launches own company from
lemonade stand
and
Young entrepreneur’s products can save lives
1. B
2. C
Test-Taking Strategies
Answer all of the questions.
Do not leave any answers blank on your
test. Make your best guess on questions you
don’t know. You can do this by eliminating
answer choices that do not seem correct.