reading/literature grade 4 2009-2011...reading and literature t office of assessment and information...

Vocabulary

Read to Perform a Task

Demonstrate General Understanding

Develop an Interpretation

Examine Content and Structure: Informational Text

SAMPLE TEST

2009-2011GRADE 4

Reading/Literature

It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age or handicap in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Oregon Department of Education.

Office of Assessment and Information Services

Oregon Department of Education 255 Capitol Street NE

Salem, Oregon 97310-0203 (503) 947-5600

A product of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program, Oregon Department of Education

Susan Castillo State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Ken Hermens Language Arts Assessment Specialist

Doug Kosty Assistant Superintendent

Leslie Phillips Science and Social Sciences Assessment Specialist

Tony Alpert Director, Assessment and Evaluation

James Leigh Mathematics Assessment Specialist

Steve Slater Manager, Scoring, Psychometrics and Validity

Guillaume Gendre Education Program Specialist

Kathleen Vanderwall Manager, Test Design and Administration

Sheila Somerville Electronic Publishing Specialist

Holly Carter Assessment Operations and Policy Analyst

Kathy Busby Project Manager

“Wishbone’s Wish” form WISHBONE © 1997 Big Feats Entertainment, L.P. Used with permission. “Great Performances in Air” by Susan Ohanian, GREAT PERFORMANCES, copyright © 1991 published by McGraw-Hill. Used by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies. “We Have Lift-Off” reprinted by permission of CRICKET Magazine, 2001 May, copyright, © 2001 by Carus Publishing Company. “I’m Going to be Famous” copyright © 1986 by Tom Birdseye. All rights reserved. Reprinted from I'M GOING TO BE FAMOUS by permission of Holiday House, Inc. “The Glo-Sheet” excerpt from GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING: STORIES OF INGENIOUS INVENTIONS BY WOMEN by Catherine Thimmesh. Text copyright © 2000 by Catherine Thimmesh. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Office of Assessment and Information Services 2009-2011 Sample Test, Grade 4 Oregon Department of Education i August 2009

INTRODUCTION TO READING AND LITERATURE SAMPLE TESTS

The Oregon Department of Education provides sample tests to demonstrate the types of reading selections and questions students at grades 3 through 8 and grade 10 might encounter on the Oregon Statewide Assessment administered each year. Passages on the test represent literary, informative and practical reading selections students might see both in school and other daily reading activities. These sample questions were taken from previous years’ tests. They were designed to assess students’ abilities to:

understand vocabulary meaning within the context of a selection;

locate information in common resources (Read to Perform a Task);

understand information that is directly stated (Demonstrate General Understanding);

understand ideas which are not directly stated but are implied (Develop an Interpretation);

analyze informative reading selections and form conclusions about the information (Examine Content and Structure of Informational Text)

analyze literary selections and form conclusions about them (Examine Content and Structure of Literary Text).

WHY PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A SAMPLE TEST?

Most students feel some anxiety when they approach a test. The more confident students feel about their knowledge of the topic, the less anxious they will feel. It also may help students feel less anxious if they are familiar with the types of reading selections and questions they will encounter on the test. It is important that students feel comfortable with the test format and have some test-taking strategies to help them achieve the best possible score.

HOW TO USE THE SAMPLE TEST

The Oregon Department of Education has provided sample tests periodically beginning in 1997. The latest—Sample Test 2009-2011—appears in the student test booklet here. Students my take this sample test as a practice activity to prepare for the actual test.

A list of test-taking strategies and tips follows this introduction. Teachers may use the tips to:

generate individual and class discussion; call attention to helpful strategies students can use to

prepare for and take the test; and share ideas with parents of ways to help reduce test

anxiety and promote good study habits at home. In addition to gaining practice in reading and answering test questions in a paper and pencil format, students also may benefit from taking an online practice test. An online practice test is available on the OAKS online system. For this paper opportunity, an answer sheet for students to mark is provided at the end of each student test booklet. An answer key for each test is provided at the end of each of the sample tests. In addition to the correct answer, the key also identifies which reporting category each question is designed to assess (Vocabulary, Read to Perform a Task, Demonstrate General Understanding, Develop an Interpretation, and Examine Content and Structure: Informational and Literary Text). A table below the answer key converts the number of items correct on the sample test to a score similar to the scores students will receive on the Oregon Statewide Assessment (called a RIT score). However, this test is only a practice test. Scores on this sample test may not be substituted for the actual Oregon Statewide Assessment. In using the sample test, teachers may wish to have students take the entire sample test, or complete a passage and its questions and then discuss it in class before proceeding to the next selection. Students may benefit from re-reading the passages and analyzing both the correct and incorrect answers. Sample tests also may be shared with parents to help them understand the types of questions their child will encounter on the test and to practice with their child. Sample questions may be reprinted in newsletters or shared at community meetings to help constituents better understand the state assessment system. Although the sample tests are not as comprehensive as the actual tests, they do provide examples of the subject area content and difficulty level students will encounter as part of Oregon’s high academic standards.

ii

August 2009

Test-Taking Tips Students: Use these tips to help you prepare for the test.

Before the test

Develop a positive attitude. Tell yourself, “I will do my best on this test.”

Get a good night’s sleep the night before the test.

Get up early enough to avoid hurrying to get ready for school.

Eat a good breakfast (and lunch, if your test is in the afternoon).

During the test Stay calm.

Listen carefully to the directions the teacher gives.

Ask questions if you don’t understand what to do.

Before you read a selection on the test, preview the questions that follow it to help focus your reading.

After reading a selection, read the entire question and all the answer choices. Stop and think of an answer. Look to see if your answer is similar to one of the choices given.

Read each test question carefully. Try to analyze what the question is really asking.

Slow down and check your answers.

Pace yourself. If you come to a difficult passage or set of questions, it may be better to skip it and go on, then come back and really focus on the difficult section.

This is not a timed test. If you need more time to finish the test, notify your teacher.

If you are not sure of an answer to a question try these tips:

- Get rid of the answers that you know are not correct and choose among the rest.

- Read through all the answers very carefully, and then go back to the question. Sometimes you can pick up clues just by thinking about the different answers you have been given to choose from.

- Go back and skim the story or article to see if you can find information to answer the question. (Sometimes a word or sentence will be underlined to help you.)

- If you get stuck on a question, skip it and come back later.

- It is OK to guess on this test. Try to make your best guess, but make sure you answer all questions.

After the test Before you turn your test in, check it

over. Change an answer only if you have a good reason. Generally it is better to stick with your first choice.

Make sure you have marked an answer for every question, even if you had to guess.

Make sure your answer sheet is clearly marked with dark pencil. Erase any stray marks.

Don’t worry about the test once it is finished. Go on to do your best work on your other school assignments.

Reading and Literature

Office of Assessment and Information Services 2009-2011 Sample Test, Grade 4 Oregon Department of Education 1 August 2009

DIRECTIONS Read each of the passages. Then read the questions that follow and decide on the BEST answer. There are a lot of different kinds of questions, so read each question carefully before marking an answer on your answer sheet.

WISHBONE’S WISH In this passage, author Michael Jan Friedman introduces us to Wishbone and some of his friends. In this part of the story, Wishbone watches as his friends play a game called roller hockey.

THERE WAS ONLY ONE

PROBLEM. Wishbone wasn’t a roller-blading kind of guy. Feet were more his kind of thing—four of ‘em, to be exact. So all he could do was watch. The kids blasted back and forth across the gym floor, warming up for their chance at roller hockey glory.

Sighing, Wishbone snuffled and rested his head on his front paws. He wanted to be in the middle of the action. Center stage, as it were. That was where he really came alive.

If he couldn’t take part in the game, he could still root for his favorite humans. Joe, Samantha, and David were zipping around the place in their helmets and gloves and pads. They flipped a red ball back and forth with considerable grace and accuracy.

Joe was the friendly, easygoing kid Wishbone lived with. He was also the best, most loyal friend anyone could ask for. David was the inventor in the group. He was always ready to roll up his sleeves and build an answer to any problem.

And Samantha? She was the kind of human a person just couldn’t help liking—whether that person had two legs



or four. Sam could find something good to say even in the worst situation.

Damont, one of Wishbone’s least-favorite humans, was wheeling around the place like everyone else. Oh, sure, Damont could seem nice when he wanted to. However, he was a little too sly and slippery for Wishbone’s taste. Sort of like a bone with grease all over it.

Wishbone knew the other kids as well. After all, he got around. The only kid he didn’t know was a tall, blond boy. He’d heard Joe call the kid Nathaniel on the way to the gym.

As far as Wishbone could tell, Nathaniel seemed nice enough. A little awkward, but nice.

1 Joe is described as easygoing. You can tell from the root words in easygoing that it means

A. Joe is hard to be friends with. B. Joe is a friendly and calm person. C. Joe falls easily when roller-blading. D. Joe leaves the group very quickly.

2 According to Wishbone, who is the best friend to have?

A. Nathaniel B. Samantha C. Joe D. David

3 What was Wishbone’s problem in this story?

A. He disliked some of the kids. B. He forgot his roller-blades. C. He wasn’t picked for the team. D. He could not roller-blade.



4 The author wrote, “Wishbone wanted to be in the middle of the action.” This lets us know that usually Wishbone is

A. calm and quiet. B. old and tired. C. playful and active. D. mean and scary.

5 Which kid in the group is most likely new in the neighborhood?

A. Damont Β. David C. Sam D. Nathaniel

GREAT PERFORMANCES IN AIR Circus performers lead exciting lives. Often they find themselves in the air. Truly, Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus is the greatest show on earth.

AERIALISTS

Aerialists perform gymnastics high above the ground using ropes, rings, and bars.

In his act, Valeri Panteleenko climbs down a rope headfirst while supporting his partners. Their combined weight is 455 pounds.

FLYING TRAPEZE

A trapeze is like a swing—a very high swing. The rigging that holds a trapeze is 33 feet off the arena floor. Most trapeze bars weigh about 10 pounds. Performers called flyers and catchers swing back and forth on the trapeze. A flyer will let go and perform a daring stunt in midair. The catcher then swings out and catches the flyer. To complete a triple somersault, a flyer must go about 60 miles an hour. For a quadruple, the flyer travels about 80 miles per hour.



WIRE WALKING Most high-wires are about 35 feet long and 30 to 36 feet off

the ground. Daring performers walk the wire, balancing on each other's shoulders and doing somersaults. One of the greatest high-wire acts ever was the Wallenda Family. They would stand on their heads on a wire 40 feet in the air, and they'd ride bicycles across the wire. Seven of them stood on each others' shoulders to form a pyramid while walking along the wire—and there was no net below them!

In the Mednikov High-Wire act, Sasha Mednikov does a back somersault blindfolded!

HUMAN CANNONBALLS

These performers put on their back and knee braces and their costumes, slide into a double-barreled cannon, tighten every muscle, close their eyes, and wait. Boom! Out they go, flying through the air at 65 miles per hour. One goes 32 feet high and into the net 110 feet away. The other goes 26 feet high and hits the net 85 feet away. In four seconds it’s all over.



6 Under which heading would you find information about Sasha Mednikov?

A. Aerialists B. Wire Walking C. Flying Trapeze D. Human Cannonballs

7 The two types of trapeze performers are

A. flyers and boomers. B. flyers and catchers. C. catchers and balancers. D. swingers and partners.

8 A trapeze is most like a

A. balancing act. B. tight wire. C. very high swing. D. swinging rope.

9 The human cannonballs are planned with one person going farther than the other so that

A. the landing looks better. B. one can do more somersaults. C. they don’t land on each other. D. the audience can see better.

10 The author’s purpose in writing this story was to

A. share information about great performers. B. show the danger of cannonballs. C. show how much better the circus was in the past. D. invite children to join the circus.



WE HAVE LIFT-OFF! R03051 R03ABH The directions below tell you how to make your very own hot air balloon.

What You’ll Need: large plastic bag (be sure it has no holes) needle plastic cup scissors strong thread hair dryer What to do:

1. Carefully sew stitches around the open end of the bag. Pull threads together to form bag into a balloon shape.

2. Cut bottom off plastic cup. Decorate it with markers, crayons, bits of colored paper, or anything you like.

3. Sew cup to bottom of balloon, using looping threads as shown.

4. Fill balloon with hot air from hair dryer.

5. Watch your balloon rise in the air.

How does it work? The hot air from the hair dryer is more buoyant than the room-temperature air. Hot air always rises, so your balloon, filled with the hot air, floats upward. As the air in it cools, the balloon will descend.

11 As the air in it cools, the balloon will descend. Another word for descend would be

A. drop. B. rise. C. float. D. shrink.



12 The stitches around the open end of the bag are put there to

A. add decoration to the balloon. B. allow air to escape from the balloon. C. pull the bag into a balloon shape. D. cut down on the weight of the balloon.

13 The second step to making a hot air balloon involves

A. attaching the plastic bag. B. putting air in the plastic bag. C. sewing the plastic cup. D. preparing the plastic cup.

14 How many of the steps in the directions would involve using the needle?

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

I’M GOING TO BE FAMOUS Read this fun story by Tom Birdseye about Arlo Moore who has taken on a huge challenge.

I THOUGHT I WAS in big trouble, for sure. But Mr. Dayton wanted to hear my side of the story. So I

told him about trying to break a world record by eating seventeen bananas in less than two minutes. And I told him about my bets with Kerry and John. And I even told him about the Positive Brain Approach that Ben and I are using. I told him about Murray, and how mad it makes me that everybody is telling me I can’t break a world record and that it’s stupid that I would even try. I told Mr. Dayton everything. Then I stood there like I’d been caught with my hand stuck in the cookie jar. And I waited.



Mr. Dayton looked at me really hard and twitched his mustache again.

“Arlo,” he said, “I don’t see anything wrong with trying to break a world record.”

I think I probably let out a big sigh then. “But,” Mr. Dayton said, “I can’t help but

wonder why you really want to do it.” That seemed a plain fact to me: I want to

do it so I can be in the Guiness Book of World Records. It’ll be Arlo Moore, world-famous banana-eater extraordinaire. I’ll be on TV. I’ll be in the movies. I’ll win my bets.

“Arlo,” Mr. Dayton said. “Yes sir, Mr. Dayton,” I replied. “Think about why you are doing this. OK?” That sounded easy enough. I’ve already thought about it

enough to turn an apple brown. “And don’t let this interfere with your schoolwork,” he

added. That didn’t sound easy. But I figured I could manage to

pay better attention in class. And if I never talk to Murray the Nerd again, that would be too soon.

15 Arlo is told not to “let this interfere with your schoolwork.” Interfere means

A. become a part of. B. be less important. C. get in the way. D. make afraid of.

16 In the passage, Arlo talks of being “world-famous banana-eater extraordinaire.” Extraordinaire most likely means very

A. special. B. huge. C. ordinary. D. rich.



17 What is most likely to happen next in the story?

A. Arlo will choose a completely different record to try to break. B. Mr. Dayton will decide to try to break a record of his own. C. All the boys will help Arlo as he tries to break the record. D. Arlo will work on ways to help him break the banana-eating record.

18 Which character seems to be helping Arlo with his goal?

A. Murray B. Ben C. Kerry D. John

19 Based on what Arlo says in this part of the story, what most likely happened right before this meeting with Mr. Dayton?

A. Arlo set a new world record. B. Murray set a new world record. C. Murray took cookies out of a cookie jar. D. Arlo got into a fight with Murray.

THE GLO-SHEET R02739 R02ALY GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING by Catherine Thimesh is full of great stories about female inventors. Read this selection about a young inventor named Becky.

A PERSON HAS TO BE SIXTEEN to drive, seventeen to see

certain movies, and eighteen to vote. But creativity has no boundaries, no limitations. Anyone can invent. And they do. Inventors are popping up at the youngest of ages.

Sitting in the car waiting for her mom to return from shopping, Becky decided she might as well try to finish her math homework. But it was growing dark and getting hard to see the paper.

“I didn’t have a flashlight, and I didn’t want to open the car door because then the whole car would light up,” recalled Becky. “So I thought it would be neat to have my paper light up somehow, and that’s when the idea came to me.”



It isn’t every day that a ten-year-old invents a product eagerly sought by several businesses, but that’s exactly what Becky Schroeder did when she created a tool that enabled people to write in the dark. Her invention? The Glo-sheet.

That night Becky went home trying to imagine different ways of making her paper glow in the dark. She remembered all sorts of glow in the dark toys—like balls and Frisbees—and wondered how they were made. She was determined to find a solution. So the very next day, Becky’s dad took her on an outing to the hardware store. They returned with a pail of phosphorescent paint. She took the paint and stacks of paper into the darkest room in the house—the bathroom. There, she experimented.

“I’d turn on the light, turn it off, turn it on,” said Becky. “My parents remember me running out of the room saying, ‘It works, it works! I’m writing in the dark!’”

She used an acrylic board and coated it with a specific amount of phosphorescent paint. She took a complicated idea and made it work rather simply. When the coated clipboard is exposed to light, it glows. The glowing board then illuminates, or lights up, the paper that has been placed on top.

The New York Times wrote an article about this incredible invention—patented by a twelve-year-old—and the inquiries and orders streamed in. What began as a personal project, just for fun, blossomed into a business, with Becky as the president of the company. Proof that success can come at any age with a good idea and a little imagination.



20 This story tells you that Becky’s project blossomed into a business. This means that

A. she ran her business from her garden. B. she sold lots of Glo-sheets. C. she would only sell to flower shops. D. she became a teenager.

21 What caused Becky to think of inventing the Glo-sheet?

A. She wanted to start her own business and make money. B. She liked glow-in-the-dark toys. C. She wanted to be the youngest female inventor. D. She was having trouble seeing her math homework.

22 In order for Becky’s invention to glow after it was put away for a while, she would need to

A. paint it again. B. wash it off. C. expose it to light. D. keep it in the dark.

23 Why do you think the author probably wanted to tell this story?

A. So that people would buy the Glo-sheet B. To help young people become better writers C. So that people would know how to start their own company D. To encourage people of all ages to be creative inventors

24 Why does the author talk so much about age in the first paragraph?

A. Because age is the most important detail in the story B. To show that age shouldn’t stop us from using our imagination C. Because it is important to know how old you need to be to do things D. To let us know why Becky was doing math homework

Grade 4 Reading/Literature SAMPLE TEST KEY 2009-2011


Item Key Score Reporting Category 1 B Vocabulary 2 C Demonstrate General Understanding 3 D Demonstrate General Understanding 4 C Develop an Interpretation 5 D Develop an Interpretation 6 B Read to Perform a Task 7 B Demonstrate General Understanding 8 C Demonstrate General Understanding 9 C Develop an Interpretation

10 A Examine Content/Structure Informational Text 11 A Vocabulary 12 C Read to Perform a Task 13 D Read to Perform a Task 14 B Read to Perform a Task 15 C Vocabulary 16 A Vocabulary 17 D Develop an Interpretation 18 B Develop an Interpretation 19 D Develop an Interpretation 20 B Vocabulary 21 D Demonstrate General Understanding 22 C Develop an Interpretation 23 D Examine Content/Structure Informational Text 24 B Examine Content/Structure Informational Text

CONVERTING TO A RIT SCORE

Number correct RIT Score Number Correct RIT Score 1 176.5 13 211.3* 2 184.0 14 213.2 3 188.7 15 215.1 4 192.2 16 217.1 5 195.1 17 219.2 6 197.6 18 221.5 7 199.9 19 224.0** 8 201.9 20 226.9 9 203.9 21 230.5

10 205.8 22 235.2 11 207.7 23 242.7 12 209.5 24 250.0

*Likely to meet Grade 4 standards **Likely to exceed Grade 4 standards

Oregon Department of Education

255 Capitol St NE, Salem, Oregon 97310 (503) 947-5600

reading/literature grade 4 2009-2011...reading and literature t office of assessment and information...

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