SBAC - Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium ELA Grade 5 Informational Text 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student reads an article about the water cycle. The article states that evaporation, condensation, and precipitation all work together to move water around Earth. Which of the following best describes the main idea of this article?
- Water is found in oceans, lakes, and rivers.
- The water cycle is a continuous process that moves water through Earth's systems. (Correct answer)
- Rain falls from clouds when water droplets become heavy enough.
- Evaporation happens faster on hot, sunny days.
Correct answer: The water cycle is a continuous process that moves water through Earth's systems.
The main idea is the central point the entire article supports. The other options are supporting details, not the overarching idea that ties all the information together.
Question 2: While reading a science article, a fifth grader encounters the word 'arid' in this sentence: 'The desert is an arid environment where very little rain falls each year.' What is the most likely meaning of 'arid'?
- Extremely cold
- Very dry (Correct answer)
- Highly polluted
- Densely populated
Correct answer: Very dry
Context clues in the sentence — 'desert' and 'very little rain falls' — point directly to the meaning of 'arid' as very dry. Readers can use surrounding words to figure out unfamiliar vocabulary.
Question 3: An author writes an article comparing wolves and dogs. She describes how wolves hunt in packs while dogs are domesticated pets, but notes that both have similar physical features and are closely related species. Which text structure is the author most likely using?
- Cause and effect
- Problem and solution
- Compare and contrast (Correct answer)
- Chronological order
Correct answer: Compare and contrast
When an author examines the similarities and differences between two subjects, this is the compare and contrast text structure. Signal words like 'while' and 'both' are clues.
Question 4: A student reads an article about how deforestation leads to soil erosion, which then causes rivers to become muddy and harm fish populations. What text structure does this article most likely use?
- Compare and contrast
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Description
- Sequence
Correct answer: Cause and effect
When one event leads to another, authors use cause and effect structure. Here, deforestation causes erosion, which in turn causes harm to rivers and fish — a chain of causes and effects.
Question 5: A student wants to find the meaning of a technical term used in an informational text about the human body. Which text feature would be MOST helpful?
- The table of contents
- The glossary (Correct answer)
- The index
- The bibliography
Correct answer: The glossary
A glossary defines key or technical terms used in a text. The table of contents shows chapter topics, the index lists where topics appear, and the bibliography lists sources — none of these define terms.
Question 6: An author writes: 'Many experts believe reducing plastic waste is the most important step we can take to protect ocean wildlife.' What should a careful reader do to evaluate this claim?
- Accept the claim because the author included it in the article.
- Look for specific evidence, data, or expert quotes that support the claim. (Correct answer)
- Skip the claim and focus only on facts with numbers.
- Assume the claim is false because it uses the word 'believe.'
Correct answer: Look for specific evidence, data, or expert quotes that support the claim.
Strong informational readers evaluate claims by looking for supporting evidence such as data, research, or expert testimony. A claim without evidence should be questioned, not automatically accepted or rejected.
SBAC - Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium ELA Grade 5 Informational Text 1
A student reads an article about the water cycle.
The article states that evaporation, condensation, and precipitation all work together to move water around Earth.
Which of the following best describes the main idea of this article?