How are the personalities of the whale and the elephant the same? Use examples from the story to support your answer.

Write your answer on your answer document.

Score for Sample Student Response #1: Rubric Score 3

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text. The student identifies "self-centered and pompous" as personality traits shared by the whale and the elephant. The student effectively uses text-relevant information to clarify and extend the meaning of these traits: "We are the greatest," and "Naturally I'm the most largest, strongest, beautiful animal."

Score for Sample Student Response #2: Rubric Score 2

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a general understanding of the text. The student identifies a similar personality trait, "they both think that they are the best." The student uses text-relevant information to support this similarity: ". . . elephant says he is the strongest, largest, and most beautiful animal of the land. . . . Whale says he is the largest, strongest, and most beautiful animal of the ocean."

Score for Sample Student Response #3: Rubric Score 1

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text. The student identifies similar personality traits, ". . . they both think there better than somebody," but does not provide text-relevant information to support this idea.

Score for Sample Student Response #4: Rubric Score 0

Annotation, Using the Rubric: This response is irrelevant to the question. The student identifies physical characteristics of the characters rather than personality traits.

Score 3

The response demonstrates an understanding of the complexities of the text.

• Addresses the demands of the question
• Effectively uses text-relevant¹ information to clarify or extend understanding

Score 2

The response demonstrates a general understanding of the text.

• Partially addresses the demands of the question
• Uses text-relevant¹ information to show understanding

Score 1

The response demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text.

• Minimally addresses the demands of the question
• Uses minimal information to show some understanding of the text in relation to the question

Score 0

The response is completely incorrect, irrelevant to the question, or missing.²

Note 1:

Text-relevant: This information may or may not be an exact copy (quote) of the text but is clearly related to the text and often shows an analysis and/or interpretation of important ideas. Students may incorporate information to show connections to relevant prior experience as appropriate.

Note 2:

An exact copy (quote) or paraphrase of the question that provides no new relevant information will receive a score of "0".

Rubric Document Date: June 2003