Sample Assessment

QuestionsEnglish Language Arts G

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Copyright 2016, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, Alberta Education, Provincial Assessment Sector, 44 Capital Boulevard, 10044 108 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5E6, and its licensors. All rights reserved.

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Contacts

Julia Lee-Schuppli, Grade 3 Team Leader, Provincial Assessment Sector, at Julia.Lee-Schuppli@gov.ab.ca; or

Catherine Muri, Grade 3 Examiner, Provincial Assessment Sector, at Catherine.Muri@gov.ab.ca; or

Nicole Lamarre, Director, Achievement Testing Program and Document Production and Design, Provincial Assessment Sector, at Nicole.Lamarre@gov.ab.ca, or call 780-427-0010. To call toll-free from outside Edmonton, dial 310-0000.

The Alberta Education website.

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Sample Assessment Questions

Grade 3 English Language Arts

Overview

Purpose

This document is designed to support classroom assessment practices. The questions offer insights regarding some of the knowledge and understanding as well as some of the skills and processes students are expected to demonstrate in English Language Arts by the end of Grade 3.

This resource is just one of many that teachers may use at their discretion in their classrooms to assess students, and is not intended to act as a formal assessment tool on its own.

Contents

There are 40 multiple-choice questions in this document. They are based on outcomes from the Grade 3 English Language Arts Program of Study. Information about the outcomes and the key is also provided.

Example Question

1. Which type of story is “Sleeping Beauty”?

A poem A journal A fairy tale A newspaper article

The correct answer in this example is A fairy tale.The circle beside the correct answer has been filled in.

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Sample Assessment QuestionsGrade 3 English Language ArtsKey and Outcome Information

The table below provides information about each question: the keyed response, the primary outcome on which the question is based.

Question Key Primary Outcome Outcome Information

1 A ELA 2.1.8 Monitor and confirm meaning by rereading when necessary, and by applying knowledge of pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cueing systems

2 C ELA 2.1.4Apply a variety of strategies, such as setting a purpose, confirming predictions, making inferences, and drawing conclusions

3 D ELA 2.2.5 Connect portrayals of characters or situations in oral, print and other media texts to personal and classroom experiences

4 D ELA 2.2.8 Make inferences about a character’s actions or feelings

5 C ELA 2.1.5 Identify the main idea or topic and supporting details in simple narrative and expository passages

6 C ELA 3.1.3 Ask topic-appropriate questions to identify information needs

7 B ELA 3.2.2 Use text features, such as titles, pictures, headings, labels, diagrams, and dictionary guide words, to access information

8 D ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

9 B ELA 1.1.1 Connect prior knowledge and personal experiences with new ideas and information in oral, print, and other media texts

10 C ELA 3.1.1 Use self-questioning to identify information needed to supplement personal knowledge on a topic

11 C ELA 2.3.4 Describe the main characters in terms of who they are, their actions in the story, and their relations with other characters

12 D ELA 2.2.8 Make inferences about a character’s actions or feelings

13 A ELA 2.3.6 Recognize examples of repeated humour, sound, and poetic effects that contribute to audience enjoyment

14 A ELA 2.1.5 Identify the main idea or topic and supporting details in simple narrative and expository passages

15 A ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

16 B ELA 2.2.8 Make inferences about a character’s actions or feelings

17 D ELA 2.1.4Apply a variety of strategies, such as setting a purpose, confirming predictions, making inferences, and drawing conclusions

18 A ELA 2.1.4Apply a variety of strategies, such as setting a purpose, confirming predictions, making inferences, and drawing conclusions

19 B ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

20 D ELA 2.2.3 Identify types of literature, such as humour, poetry, adventure and fairy tales, and describe favourites

21 C ELA 3.2.2 Use text features, such as titles, pictures, headings, labels, diagrams and dictionary guide words, to access information

22 B ELA 2.1.4 Apply a variety of strategies, such as setting a purpose, confirm-ing predictions, making inferences, and drawing conclusions

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Question Key Primary Outcome Outcome Information

23 D ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

24 D ELA 3.1.2 Identify facts and opinions, main ideas, and details in oral, print, and other media texts

25 B ELA 2.1.8Monitor and confirm meaning by rereading when necessary, and by applying knowledge of pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cueing systems

26 A ELA 2.1.8Monitor and confirm meaning by rereading when necessary, and by applying knowledge of pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cueing systems

27 D ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

28 B ELA 2.1.4Apply a variety of strategies, such as setting a purpose, confirming predictions, making inferences, and drawing conclusions

29 D ELA 2.1.10

Attend to and use knowledge of capitalization, commas in a series, question marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks to read accurately, fluently, and with comprehension during oral and silent reading

30 C ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

31 D ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

32 B ELA 2.1.8Monitor and confirm meaning by rereading when necessary, and by applying knowledge of pragmatic, semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cueing systems

33 C ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

34 A ELA 2.1.2

Identify the different ways in which oral, print, and other media texts, such as stories, textbooks, letters, pictionaries and junior dictionaries, are organized and use them to construct and confirm meaning

35 D ELA 2.3.6 Recognize examples of repeated humour, sound, and poetic effects that contribute to audience enjoyment

36 A ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

37 B ELA 2.1.5 Identify the main idea or topic and supporting details in simple narrative and expository passages

38 B ELA 3.2.3 Locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print, and other media texts

39 B ELA 2.1.5 Identify the main idea or topic and supporting details in simple narrative and expository passages

40 D ELA 2.1.4Apply a variety of strategies, such as setting a purpose, confirming predictions, making inferences, and drawing conclusions

I. Read the following selection and answer questions 1 to 4.

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Jason has met someone named Quicksilver. They are discussing the

wishes that Jason is planning to make.

from The Three and Many Wishes of Jason Reid

“Well,” said Quicksilver impatiently, “what do you wish for?”

“I was hoping,” began Jason. “I was hoping … that is, if you don’t

mind … if it’s not too much trouble …”

“Out with it. Out with it!” said Quicksilver.

Jason took a deep breath.

“I wish that everybody in the whole world was rich. I don’t mean

super rich. I just mean rich enough to have enough food and clothes

and a chance to go to see a ball game once a week or whatever they

do where they live. That’s wish number one, but don’t do anything yet

because wish number two goes along with it.”

“I see,” said Quicksilver sternly. “And what is wish number two?”

“No more fighting,” said Jason. He said it in a very sensible, very

practical voice. “Wish number two is no more fighting, especially wars,

but also the small, mean type. I wish that.”

“And?” asked Quicksilver.

“And what?” asked Jason.

“Wish number three?” asked Quicksilver.

“Well, I’d like to see how the first two work before I try the third one,”

explained Jason.

Quicksilver nodded. He looked very stern. He sat looking stern for

quite a long time.

Hazel Hutchins

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1. In the phrase “super rich” (line 7), the word super means

very mainly simply powerfully

2. Jason PROBABLY wishes for “No more fighting” (line 12) because he wants

everyone to be rich the world to be more fun the world to be a kinder place everyone to be more practical

3. Jason does not want to make his third wish because he

cannot make up his mind cannot think of another idea wants to see if his other wishes are sensible wants to know if his other wishes will succeed

4. The BEST word to describe Quicksilver is

angry lonely unkind serious

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II. Read the following information and answer questions 5 to 8.

from Dogs Bring Newspapers but Cats Bring Mice

Melvin and Gilda Berger

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5. According to lines 6 to 10, a house cat hardly ever changes its

choice of toys choice of food way of behaving way of communicating

6. If the answer is in “a safe, dark place” (line 15), then the question MOST LIKELY being asked is

Where do cats live? Where do cats eat food? Where do cats have their young? Where do cats hunt for their food?

7. Which of the following Speedy Facts describes one way that a cat can get food?

Speedy Fact 1 Speedy Fact 2 Speedy Fact 3 Speedy Fact 4

8. According to the information, what sound will a cat PROBABLY make if it is hurt?

A hiss A purr A chirp A scream

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Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face

Be glad your nose is on your face,

not pasted on some other place,

for if it were where it is not,

you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose

were sandwiched in between your toes,

that clearly would not be a treat,

for you’d be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread

were it attached atop your head,

it soon would drive you to despair,

forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be

an absolute catastrophe,

for when you were obliged to sneeze,

your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,

remains between your eyes and chin,

not pasted on some other place—

be glad your nose is on your face!

Jack Prelutsky

III. Read the following selection and answer questions 9 to 13.

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9. In the phrase “not pasted on some other place” (line 2), the word pasted means

pinned attached squeezed displayed

10. It would be difficult to have a nose “attached atop your head” (line 10) because it would

make a breeze rattle your brain be tickled by your hair be forced to smell your hair

11. The poet predicts that if you sneeze when your nose is “Within your ear” (line 13)

your nose will be tickled you will smell your feet your brain will rattle you will feel despair

12. According to the poet, when “your nose is on your face” (line 20) you should feel

upset clever strange pleased

13. The poet describes different places a nose could be found to

create humour use exciting words encourage daydreaming add important information

IV. Read the following selection and answer questions 14 to 18.

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from The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul

As soon as Mom and I came home from shopping, I stuffed the neon

green corduroy pants in my sock drawer. I could never find socks

that matched, and I was sure it was because a sock monster lived in my

drawer and ate one sock a week. I hoped the monster would swallow my

new pants. Just to be sure, I moved all my socks into the closet so the

sock monster would have nothing but the corduroys to feed on.

But on Monday morning the pants had crawled out of the drawer,

slithered on top of my bed, crawled across my Spider-Man blanket

and climbed up my legs. I kicked them to the floor before they could

completely wrap around me. I peeked over the edge of the mattress. On

the floor, the pants seemed to curl around the leg of the bed like a fuzzy

python. The pants had survived the sock monster and now they were

after me.

Mom knocked on my bedroom door and shouted, “Marty, you wear

the new pants today.”…

The pants had to disappear fast, or else I’d be stuck wearing them to

school. Maybe I could stick them under my mattress.

Mom yelled, “Don’t make your bed. I wash the sheets today.”

Was she reading my mind? I had to hide the pants somewhere other

than my bedroom. Our family lived in the back of a grocery store, which

gave my parents a chance to save money by working and living in the

same place, and which also gave me a chance to hide the pants in one of

the store’s many nooks and crannies. But first I had to sneak past Mom.

Marty Chan

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14. When Marty “hoped the monster would swallow my new pants” (lines 4 to 5), he wanted his new pants to

disappear get washed become faded stay in the drawer

15. When Marty sees his new pants on his bed, he believes they are

following him peeking at him too fuzzy to wear too large for the drawer

16. When Marty’s mom told him to wear his new pants, Marty PROBABLY felt

tired upset curious surprised

17. If Marty is not able to hide his new pants from his mother, what will MOST LIKELY happen?

Marty’s mother will wash the new pants. Marty’s mother will give him different pants. Marty will put on his old pants after breakfast. Marty will have to wear the new pants to school.

18. The author MOST LIKELY wrote this passage to

entertain the reader by describing Marty’s problems explain the problems with wearing new pants show that Marty’s mother is very smart warn the reader about sock monsters

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Jacqueline FarmerIllustrated by Page Eastburn O’Rourke

V. Read the following selection and answer questions 19 to 23.

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19. Chutney is a

fried snack spicy relish ripe banana seasoned plantain

20. In this information, the author includes a

poem about bananas story about bananas recipe for tostones recipe for chutney

21. In the list of items that are used to make banana chutney, the numbers

explain the directions organize the information show the amounts needed show the number of servings

22. Banana chutney is PROBABLY stored in the refrigerator because the banana chutney

is in a glass jar will stay fresher will be easy to find is made with cloves

23. The information states that banana chutney could be eaten for

lunch and a snack dinner and a snack lunch and breakfast dinner and breakfast

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VI.

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Read the following selection and answer questions 24 to 28.

from Robert and the Great Pepperoni

The class was in high spirits on the bus to Forest Park.…

Robert and Paul ignored the noise and compared sneakers. They had made

sure to follow Mrs. Bernthal’s instructions about what shoes to wear. Paul’s had a

lot of spiky things on the bottom. Robert’s had treads like car tires.

At Forest Park, a guide led the class to the climbing wall. He wore a brown

ranger’s hat and a green uniform. The words Park Service were sewn on his

sleeve.

“It’s thirty feet tall,” he told them, “or about three stories high. There are

finger- and toeholds built into it. They are small—some of them too small for

much of a grip—but the challenge is to find a hold and get enough leverage to

help you advance up the wall. You will be wearing a harness that’s attached to

the wall by a rope when you climb, so you won’t get hurt if you slip. Two of you

can climb at the same time. Just follow my instructions. You have to trust me.”

Robert waited his turn in line. He watched as Paul, in front of him, put the

harness on. He felt a little like he would throw up as he moved to the first place

in line. That wall looked pretty high, and it was straight up. Mountains were on a

slant, weren’t they? He could hardly see the finger- and toeholds from where he

stood.

Now Matt Blakey was on the wall. He seemed to be in a hurry to get to the

top.

“Slow down,” the guide called to Matt. “Think about each step carefully.”

Paul was halfway up the wall.

“That’s right, son, you’ve got it,” the guide called after him.

Robert thought about what the guide had said. You had to trust him to climb

the wall.… They took one step at a time. Robert trusted the guide.

He would do just what he said, and think about each move he made.

Barbara Seuling

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24. The climbing wall in the selection is

taller than a mountain as high as a mountain about three feet tall about three stories high

25. The phrase “get enough leverage” (line 10) means to have enough

time support practice direction

26. In the phrase “advance up the wall” (line 11), the word advance means

move jump push slide

27. What did the guide talk about right after explaining the purpose of wearing a harness?

The shape of the finger- and toeholds The number of finger- and toeholds Crawling up the wall Climbing two at a time

28. According to the selection, the guide

helps the teacher provides instructions checks the children’s footwear provides uniforms for the adults

VII. Read the following poem and answer questions 29 to 32.

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Traffic Light

The traffic light simply would not turn green

So the people stopped to wait

As the traffic rolled and the wind blew cold

And the hour grew dark and late.

Zoom-varoom, trucks, trailers,

Bikes and limousines,

Clatterin’ by—me oh my!

Won’t that light turn green?

But the days turned weeks, and the weeks turned months

And there on the corner they stood,

Twiddlin’ their thumbs till the changin’ comes

The way good people should.

And if you walk by that corner now,

You may think it’s rather strange

To see them there as they hopefully gaze

With the very same smile on their very same face

As they patiently stand in the very same place

And wait for the light to change.

Shel Silverstein

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29. In lines 5 to 8, what punctuation shows excitement?

Comma Apostrophe Question mark Exclamation mark

30. What are the people doing while they wait at the corner?

Talking with their friends Waving at the busy traffic Playing with their thumbs Frowning at the noise level

31. According to the poet, “if you walk by that corner now” (line 13), you will think

“me oh my!” (line 7) “Won’t that light turn green?” (line 8) “And there on the corner they stood” (line 10) “it’s rather strange” (line 14)

32. The word “patiently” (line 17) means

loudly calmly happily nervously

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A girl named Tess lives on a farm. She often rides her horse named Chinook. One morning, as she looks across the fields near her home, Tess senses that something is wrong.

from Tess

And then she saw, halfway between her farm and the Wright place, Mr. Wright’s dog and a single coyote, playing out on the snows. They were playing and weaving and doing a kind of little dance on the white flatness, except the dance led every moment closer and closer to the coulee.* Quickly Tess ran to the barn. She knew the coyote wasn’t playing. It was leading the young dog into a trap. Her fingers fumbled in their haste as she slipped a rope through Chinook’s halter. She whistled for their own lumbering hunting dog, Sampson, and grabbed a rope from the corral post. She slid her hand into Chinook’s thick mane and swung aboard. “Hurry, Chinook. Hurry.” Across the snowy pasture to the lip of the coulee they raced. There below was the young dog and the coyotes and—oh!—already they had turned on him. They had come in as a pack, circling and rushing in, circling and rushing in. “Yaaaaaaaaaaaah!” cried Tess. Like a winter storm they flew down the snowy slope—the fearless Chinook and the great howling Sampson and Tess yelling and flailing with the rope. The coyotes reeled and fled. Sampson gave chase, but Tess knew he was too wise to follow them far. She bent over Mr. Wright’s dog.... As carefully as she could, Tess gathered him in her arms and struggled up out of the coulee.

Hazel Hutchins* coulee—a deep, steep-walled valley

VIII. Read the following selection and answer questions 33 to 37.

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33. What is the coyote trying to do with the young dog?

Fight with the dog Dance with the dog Lead the dog into a trap Make the dog join the pack

34. Another way to write the phrase “swung aboard” (line 11) is

climbed onto moved under stepped beside jumped around

35. The author repeats the phrase “circling and rushing in” (lines 15 to 16) so that the reader will

realize help has arrived understand how the dog feels imagine what will happen next imagine the movement of the coyotes

36. The reason “The coyotes reeled and fled” (line 21) was that they

were afraid of Tess lost interest in the dog saw the dog was alone wanted to chase Sampson

37. Tess PROBABLY carries Mr. Wright’s dog out of the coulee because the

dog is howling dog needs help coyotes are watching the dog coyotes want to play with the dog

IX. Read the following selection and answer questions 38 to 40.

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from Bald Eagles

The bald eagle’s head is very large. It is covered with white feathers.

These white feathers extend down the neck. The large yellow eyes are on

the sides of its head. Nevertheless, the bird can look straight ahead.

Eagles have the best eyesight of any bird. Their eyesight may be five

or six times better than ours.

Bald eagles are birds of prey.

While flying high in the air, they can spot their prey. However, they

usually hunt much closer to the water or ground.

Their bright yellow beaks are large and strong. The sharp hook at the

tip helps them tear up their food.

The bald eagle’s feet and legs are strong. The bright yellow feet

have long, curved talons. The birds kill with these talons. Often they

carry their food back to their nests. Young chicks, or eaglets, in the nest

eagerly wait for their parents to bring them food.

Emilie U. Lepthien

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38. The hook on an eagle’s beak is MOST USEFUL for

finding food tearing food calling for food fighting for food

39. Which parts of the bald eagle are the same colour?

Eyes, beak, and head Eyes, beak, and feet Talons, feet, and neck Talons, head, and neck

40. The MAIN reason the author wrote this selection is to

narrate a story state an opinion amuse the reader give the reader information

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CREDITS

Hutchins, Hazel. The Three and Many Wishes of Jason Reid. Illustrated by John Richmond. Toronto: Annick Press Ltd., 2000. Reproduced with permission from Annick Press.

From DOGS BRING NEWSPAPERS BUT CATS BRING MICE: AND OTHER FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL BEHAVIOR by Melvin and Gilda Berger. Copyright © 2004 by Melvin and Gilda Berger. Reprinted by permission of Scholastic Inc.

Prelutsky, Jack. “Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face.” In The New Kid on the Block. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1984. TEXT COPYRIGHT © 1984 BY JACK PRELUTSKY Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Excerpt from The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul by Marty Chan (Thistledown Press, 2006).

Bananas! Text copyright © 1999 by Jacqueline FarmerIllustrations copyright © 1999 by Page Eastburn O’RourkeUsed with permission by Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. 85 Main StreetWatertown, MA 02472(617) 926-0329www.charlesbridge.comAll rights reserved.

Seuling, Barbara. Robert and the Great Pepperoni. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2001.© by Carus Publishing Company. Reproduced with permission. All Cricket Media material is copyrighted by Carus Publishing Company, d/b/a Cricket Media, and/or various authors and illustrators. Any commercial use or distribution of material without permission is strictly prohibited. Please visit http://www.cricketmedia.com/info/licensing2 for licensing and http://www.cricketmedia.com for subscriptions.

COPYRIGHT © 1974, renewed 2002 EVIL EYE MUSIC, LLC. Reprinted with permission from the Estate of Shel Silverstein and HarperCollins Children’s Books.Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.“Traffic Light” from WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS by Shel Silverstein. © 1974, renewed 2002 Evil Eye, LLC. By permission of Edite Kroll Literacy Agency Inc.

Hutchins, Hazel J. Tess. Illustrations by Ruth Ohi. Toronto: Annick Press, 1995. Reproduced with permission from Annick Press.

Copyright © 1989 by Children’s Press®, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Children’s Press, an imprint of Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc.