School Improvement in Maryland

Sample Assessments: Each sample assessment item gives an idea of how an assessment item on the MSA might be presented. The items appropriately measure the content of the VSC and may be formatted similarly to those appearing on the MSA; however, these are sample items only and have not appeared on any MSA form.

Standard 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text

Indicator 5. Identify and explain the author's use of language

Objective a. Identify and explain specific words or phrases that contribute to the meaning of a text

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item
Read the article 'A Brick to Cuddle Up To' and answer the following question.

Read this sentence from paragraph 2.

Winters were hard in this New World, and the colonists had to think of clever ways to fight the cold.

Explain whether the word clever is a good word to describe the ways colonists fought the cold. In your response, use information from the passage that supports your answer. Write your answer on your answer document.

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Resources for Objective 2.A.5.a:
Lesson Seeds | SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS |