Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts : Reading
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts
All Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #8 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Image adapted from the book “The Aesop for Children: with Pictures by Milo Winter,”. Aesop’s fable The Astrologer. Image retrieved from the Library of Congress, <http://read.gov/aesop/100.html>.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Astrologer (620-560 BCE)
A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars. He called himself an Astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.
One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village. His eyes were fixed on the stars. He thought he saw there that the end of the world was at hand, when all at once, down he went into a hole full of mud and water.
There he stood up to his ears, in the muddy water, and madly clawing at the slippery sides of the hole in his effort to climb out.
His cries for help soon brought the villagers running. As they pulled him out of the mud, one of them said: "You pretend to read the future in the stars, and yet you fail to see what is at your feet! This may teach you to pay more attention to what is right in front of you, and let the future take care of itself." "What use is it," said another, "to read the stars, when you can't see what's right here on the earth?"
If more illustrations were to be included along with the text which one would be the best choice?
The Astrologer napping when he is supposed to be working
The Astrologer stuck in the mud
The Astrologer talking with the townspeople
The Astrologer taking notes in his journal
The Astrologer stuck in the mud
A major event in the story was the Astrologer tripping and falling into the mud requiring him to be rescued. This would be an important illustration to include to help readers see key details form the passage.
Example Question #9 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Image adapted from the book “The Aesop for Children: with Pictures by Milo Winter,”. Aesop’s fable The Astrologer. Image retrieved from the Library of Congress, <http://read.gov/aesop/100.html>.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Astrologer (620-560 BCE)
A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars. He called himself an Astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.
One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village. His eyes were fixed on the stars. He thought he saw there that the end of the world was at hand, when all at once, down he went into a hole full of mud and water.
There he stood up to his ears, in the muddy water, and madly clawing at the slippery sides of the hole in his effort to climb out.
His cries for help soon brought the villagers running. As they pulled him out of the mud, one of them said: "You pretend to read the future in the stars, and yet you fail to see what is at your feet! This may teach you to pay more attention to what is right in front of you, and let the future take care of itself." "What use is it," said another, "to read the stars, when you can't see what's right here on the earth?"
How does the image contribute to the story?
The illustration does not help the reader understand anything about the passage.
The illustration helps readers understand what is happening in the story in more detail.
The illustration provides more information than the passage gives so we learn more from an illustration.
The illustration tells the entire story so reading the passage isn’t necessary. It basically replaces the passage.
The illustration helps readers understand what is happening in the story in more detail.
A visual such as an illustration or photograph is a text feature that can assist readers with understanding more about a story. This illustration provides examples of the setting and characters to help readers picture the events and happenings in the passage.
Example Question #10 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Image adapted from Edward de Deene, De warachtighe fabvlen der dieren, Brugghe, 1567, plate 26. Aesop's fable of the grasshopper and the ant. Image retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3b06025/>.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Ants & the Grasshopper (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Authors will use different media or text features to tell a story. In the case of “The Ants & The Grasshopper,” there is an illustration provided with the passage. How is an illustration different from a photograph?
An illustration is extremely detailed and colored while a photograph is black and white.
An illustration is a drawing and a photograph is an image taken with a camera.
An illustration is an image taken with a camera and a photograph is a drawing.
An illustration and a photograph are the same so there are no differences.
An illustration is a drawing and a photograph is an image taken with a camera.
Both are text features and types of media used to help readers understand a story or passage but they are different forms of artwork.
Example Question #11 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Image adapted from Edward de Deene, De warachtighe fabvlen der dieren, Brugghe, 1567, plate 26. Aesop's fable of the grasshopper and the ant. Image retrieved from the Library of Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3b06025/>.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Ants & the Grasshopper (620-560 BCE)
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants was bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Which of the following can we learn from looking at the illustration, but not from reading the passage?
There are multiple grasshoppers and one ant.
The grasshopper and ants live near a village of humans.
The grasshopper is smaller than the ants.
The ants are incredibly cruel and tease the grasshopper.
The grasshopper and ants live near a village of humans.
By looking at the illustration we can see the proximity of the ants and grasshopper to a human settlement. This is not mentioned in the text so the visual gives this level of detail that was missing from the passage.
Example Question #12 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Image adapted from the book “The Aesop for Children: with Pictures by Milo Winter,”. Aesop’s fable The Astrologer. Image retrieved from the Library of Congress, <http://read.gov/aesop/100.html>.
Adapted from Aesop’s The Astrologer (620-560 BCE)
A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars. He called himself an Astrologer and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.
One evening he was walking along the open road outside the village. His eyes were fixed on the stars. He thought he saw there that the end of the world was at hand, when all at once, down he went into a hole full of mud and water.
There he stood up to his ears, in the muddy water, and madly clawing at the slippery sides of the hole in his effort to climb out.
His cries for help soon brought the villagers running. As they pulled him out of the mud, one of them said: "You pretend to read the future in the stars, and yet you fail to see what is at your feet! This may teach you to pay more attention to what is right in front of you, and let the future take care of itself." "What use is it," said another, "to read the stars, when you can't see what's right here on the earth?"
Which of the following can we learn from looking at the illustration, but not from reading the passage?
Readers can learn about the Astrologer’s clothing choices
There is nothing that can be learned from the illustration and not the passage
Readers can see what the villagers look like
Readers can learn that this story takes place at night time
Readers can learn about the Astrologer’s clothing choices
The passage mentions nothing about what the Astrologer wears so the illustrations allow readers to get a glimpse into his attire. He is dressed in a long brown cloak and tall brown hat with the Moon and stars printed on it. The passage does not mention his clothing choices to this gives readers more detail.
Example Question #161 : Reading
If a class is reading a non-fiction text about the way energy moves through different members of an ecosystem why might the author include a photo like the one below?
A visual representation of a food chain or food web may help readers better understand what is taking place in the text.
A visual representation of a food web or food chain will not impact the reader's experience, so it is unnecessary.
The visual will keep the reader's attention since non-fiction texts are often boring.
The visual will catch the eye of the reader and encourage them to read the text about ecosystems.
A visual representation of a food chain or food web may help readers better understand what is taking place in the text.
Many authors will use illustrations, pictures, photographs, diagrams, maps, or other visual text features to help readers understand what they are seeing. If a food web or food chain like the one above is explained in the text, it may not be easy to follow or picture. If the author provides graphic representation, the reader can better follow the matter or energy as it travels and follows the path more clearly. Visuals are a text feature that add to the text.
Example Question #162 : Reading
Which text feature(s) listed below is an example of a visual way to enhance a text?
Picture
Map
Graph
Diagram
All of the answer choices are correct.
All of the answer choices are correct.
All of the text features listed below are ways to enhance a story or text visually. Authors will often use pictures, photographs, illustrations, maps, timelines, graphs, or diagrams to help readers understand what they are reading in the text. The captions will often include new information that helps expand the reader's knowledge of the topic and picture.
Example Question #163 : Reading
This is a map of different active volcanoes in California and their hazard levels and zones. An author wants to include this in the text she is currently writing. It is a non-fiction text about the hazards of volcanoes. Which title would most likely fit her desired genre, topic, and visual text feature?
The Scariest Volcano Ever!
The Dangers of Volcanoes
Are There Volcanoes on the Moon?
How Volcanoes Contribute to the Environment
The Dangers of Volcanoes
The question has given us hints about the type of text that is being written - it is non-fiction, about the hazards of volcanoes, and includes a map with data about the hazard levels and zones of volcanoes in California. The title that would best fit this genre, topic, and visual text feature are The Dangers of Volcanoes. The other answer choices lend themselves to a fiction story - The Scariest Volcano Ever!, positives about volcanoes - How Volcanoes Contribute to the Environment, and an irrelevant topic - Are There Volcanoes on the Moon?.
All Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts Resources
