All Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Passage 1: Passage and illustrations adapted from "How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner" in Indian Fairy Tales (1892; ed. Joseph Jacobs, illus. John D. Batten)
ne day Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dine with their uncle and aunts Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of the most distant Stars you see far up in the sky) waited alone for her children's return.
Now both Sun and Wind were greedy and selfish. They enjoyed the great feast that had been prepared for them, without a thought of saving any of it to take home to their mother—but the gentle Moon did not forget her. Of every dainty dish that was brought round, she placed a small portion under one of her beautiful long finger-nails, that Star might also have a share in the treat.
On their return, their mother, who had kept watch for them all night long with her little bright eye, said, "Well, children, what have you brought home for me?" Then Sun (who was eldest) said, "I have brought nothing home for you. I went out to enjoy myself with my friends—not to fetch a dinner for my mother!" And Wind said, "Neither have I brought anything home for you, mother. You could hardly expect me to bring a collection of good things for you, when I merely went out for my own pleasure." But Moon said, "Mother, fetch a plate, see what I have brought you." And shaking her hands she showered down such a choice dinner as never was seen before.
Then Star turned to Sun and spoke thus, "Because you went out to amuse yourself with your friends, and feasted and enjoyed yourself, without any thought of your mother at home—you shall be cursed. Henceforth, your rays shall ever be hot and scorching, and shall burn all that they touch. And men shall hate you, and cover their heads when you appear."
(And that is why the Sun is so hot to this day.)
Then she turned to Wind and said, "You also who forgot your mother in the midst of your selfish pleasures—hear your doom. You shall always blow in the hot dry weather, and shall parch and shrivel all living things. And men shall detest and avoid you from this very time."
(And that is why the Wind in the hot weather is still so disagreeable.)
But to Moon she said, "Daughter, because you remembered your mother, and kept for her a share in your own enjoyment, from henceforth you shall be ever cool, and calm, and bright. No noxious glare shall accompany your pure rays, and men shall always call you 'blessed.'"
(And that is why the moon's light is so soft, and cool, and beautiful even to this day.)
In the illustration, the title of the story is shown __________.
The title of the story is not shown in the illustration.
as the outline of food on a table
as the table on which the characters are eating
as part of the decorative border
as part of the decorative border
Looking carefully at each part of the illustration that is described in each of the answer choices, we can figure out which one is correct. Is the title of the story shown "as the table on which the characters are eating"? No, it is not. Is it shown "as the outline of food on a table"? Nope. Is it shown "as part of the decorative border"? Yes, it is! You can see the phrase ""How Sun Moon and Wind" in the upper-left-hand corner of the illustration, and "Went Out to Dinner" in the upper-right-hand corner. The correct answer is "as part of the decorative border."
Example Question #1 : Understand The Use Of Visuals
Passage 1: Passage and illustrations adapted from "How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner" in Indian Fairy Tales (1892; ed. Joseph Jacobs, illus. John D. Batten)
Image "Common Core Fifth Grade CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 - Analyze How Visual and Multimedia Elements Contribute to the Meaning, Tone, or Beauty of a Text - Image 1" in Indian Fairy Tales (ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.).
Image "Common Core Fifth Grade CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 - Analyze How Visual and Multimedia Elements Contribute to the Meaning, Tone, or Beauty of a Text - Image 2" in Indian Fairy Tales (ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.).
ne day Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dine with their uncle and aunts Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of the most distant Stars you see far up in the sky) waited alone for her children's return.
Now both Sun and Wind were greedy and selfish. They enjoyed the great feast that had been prepared for them, without a thought of saving any of it to take home to their mother—but the gentle Moon did not forget her. Of every dainty dish that was brought round, she placed a small portion under one of her beautiful long finger-nails, that Star might also have a share in the treat.
On their return, their mother, who had kept watch for them all night long with her little bright eye, said, "Well, children, what have you brought home for me?" Then Sun (who was eldest) said, "I have brought nothing home for you. I went out to enjoy myself with my friends—not to fetch a dinner for my mother!" And Wind said, "Neither have I brought anything home for you, mother. You could hardly expect me to bring a collection of good things for you, when I merely went out for my own pleasure." But Moon said, "Mother, fetch a plate, see what I have brought you." And shaking her hands she showered down such a choice dinner as never was seen before.
Then Star turned to Sun and spoke thus, "Because you went out to amuse yourself with your friends, and feasted and enjoyed yourself, without any thought of your mother at home—you shall be cursed. Henceforth, your rays shall ever be hot and scorching, and shall burn all that they touch. And men shall hate you, and cover their heads when you appear."
(And that is why the Sun is so hot to this day.)
Then she turned to Wind and said, "You also who forgot your mother in the midst of your selfish pleasures—hear your doom. You shall always blow in the hot dry weather, and shall parch and shrivel all living things. And men shall detest and avoid you from this very time."
(And that is why the Wind in the hot weather is still so disagreeable.)
But to Moon she said, "Daughter, because you remembered your mother, and kept for her a share in your own enjoyment, from henceforth you shall be ever cool, and calm, and bright. No noxious glare shall accompany your pure rays, and men shall always call you 'blessed.'"
(And that is why the moon's light is so soft, and cool, and beautiful even to this day.)
The illustrator may have chosen to picture __________ in the first letter of the story and not in the main illustration because this character __________, and so is not pictured with the guests.
Star . . . is not invited to dinner
Sun . . . is not invited to dinner
Star . . . is the one taking other characters out to dinner
Sun . . . is the one taking other characters out to dinner
Star . . . is not invited to dinner
First, let's try to figure out which character is pictured in the image depicting the "O" of "One," the word that starts the story. It is difficult to discern whether Star or Sun is pictured; based on just the image in the "O," it could really be either of them. Let's look at the other illustration, though. Sun is pictured drinking from a large glass. It makes sense that the illustrators would probably not draw the same character twice, so the illustration in the "O" is probably Star. Let's see what else we can figure out to support that conclusion by looking at the answer choices.
The answer choices consist of different selections from two pairs of options. The first option is whether Sun or Star is pictured in the illustration starting the word "one." The second states a reason why the illustrator might not have shown this character with the other characters: it is either because this character "is the one taking other characters out to dinner" or because the character "is not invited to dinner."
We learn from the first paragraph that neither Sun nor Star hosts the dinner party in the story:
One day Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dine with their uncle and aunts Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of the most distant Stars you see far up in the sky) waited alone for her children's return.
Thunder and Lightning take Sun, Moon, and Wind to dinner. So, we can ignore any answer choice that includes the "is the one taking the characters out to dinner" option. This leaves us to choose between whether Sun or Star "is not invited to dinner." Looking again at the first sentence of the story, we learn that Sun is invited to dinner, but Star does not go out to dinner with the group. Based on this conclusion, the correct answer is that the illustrator may have chosen to picture Star in the first letter of the story and not in the main illustration because this character is not invited to dinner, and so is not pictured with the guests ("Star . . . is not invited to dinner").
Example Question #3 : 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.
How does the image contribute to the story?
The illustration tells the entire story so reading the passage isn’t necessary.
The illustration can help readers picture what is happening in the story with more detail.
The illustration provides more information than the passage gives.
The illustration does not help the reader understand anything about the passage.
The illustration can help readers picture what is happening in the story with 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 #4 : 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.
What media form could this story be told in to help you understand the text better?
Graphs and data tables
Song
Video
Poem
Video
Seeing this story put in a video form will give readers a clearer picture of the details as well as the characters and settings. A video would help understand the nuances that can be difficult to picture in a text-based setting. In a video media form, music and sound effects can also be added to set the mood and tone of the story.
Example Question #5 : 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.
How could this illustration be improved to provide more information?
It could be a photo instead.
The illustration could be in color.
There is no way to improve the illustration.
A caption could be included.
A caption could be included.
A caption is a text feature that may be included to provide more detail and a deeper level of understanding between a visual and the passage. A caption detailing what is taking place in the visual readers are seeing may help the understanding of the text.
Example Question #6 : 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?"
What is a realistic prediction that can be made about this text based on the illustration?
This text is about someone who studies or likes space-related things like stars.
This text is about a pirate looking for land to conquer.
This story is about a man who is lost and dying in the woods.
This is a text about a scientist who has just made a brand new discovery.
This text is about someone who studies or likes space-related things like stars.
Based on the photo we see a man with stars and the Moon on his hat and he is holding a journal and telescope which alludes to him being someone who studies the sky and likes space-related things. If the reader has any background knowledge about the time period they may pick up on his attire being fairly traditional for someone who was in the science field at the time.
Example Question #7 : 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?"
What media form would be the least effective for telling this story?
Video
Audiobook
Graphs and data tables
Graphic novels
Graphs and data tables
Seeing this story put in a video form, a graphic novel, or hearing it read as an audiobook will give readers a clearer picture of the details as well as the characters, tone, and settings. This is a fiction text so graphs and data tables would be unnecessary and ill-fitting for this type of passage.
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.