School Improvement in Maryland

Public Release Items: Reading Grade 3

Public release items have appeared on MSA forms and then are released for public viewing and use. Releasing items is one step to ensuring that schools, districts, and other stakeholders understand how the content standards are assessed on the MSA.

 (1) Selected Response Public Release
Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' and answer the following question.

What is the main idea of the story?

  1. A moose drinks all the water from a river
  2. A group of animals is afraid of a big moose
  3. A fly gets rid of a troublesome moose
  4. A group of animals is always quarreling

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_001.xml

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 (2) Selected Response Public Release
Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' and answer the following question.

The fly solved the animals' problem because he was brave, and he -

  1. frightened the moose
  2. didn't give up
  3. asked the moose to leave
  4. got the animals to work together

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_003.xml

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 (3) Selected Response Public Release
Read the story 'Mischief in the White House' and answer the following question.

Which question is not answered in the article?

  1. Did Tad's parents ever get angry with him?
  2. How did Tad spend his free time?
  3. Where in the White House did Tad play?
  4. What games did Tad and his father play together?

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_006.xml

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 (4) Selected Response Public Release
Read the story 'Mischief in the White House' and answer the following question.

Which of these is an opinion in the article?

  1. Tad drove his pet goat through a party at the White House.
  2. Tad was very much like a wiggly tadpole.
  3. Tad was 8 when the Lincolns moved into the White House.
  4. Tad named a turkey 'Jack' and trained it.

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_008.xml

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 (5) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' and answer the following question.

Write a summary of this story. Use the sentence below to begin your summary.
One day, some animals watched a big moose drink water from the river.

Write your answer on your answer document.

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_002.xml

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 (6) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read the story 'Saved by a Fly' and answer the following question.

What lesson could someone learn from this story? Use details from the story to support your answer.

Write your answer on your answer document.

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_004.xml

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 (7) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read the story 'Mischief in the White House' and answer the following question.

Choose a text feature from the article. Explain how that text feature helps the reader understand the article. Use details from the article to support your choice.

Write your answer on your answer document.

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_005.xml

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 (8) Brief Constructed Response Public Release
Read the story 'Mischief in the White House' and answer the following question.

Tad Lincoln did many things for which other children would be punished. Why do you think his parents allowed him to do these things? Use details from the article to support your answer.

Write your answer on your answer document.

/share/assessment_items/xml/items/msa_ela_3_007.xml

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