Name ______Date ______
Making Meaning Grade 4
Unit 2
Exploring Expository Text
“Your Skeleton”
Directions: Read the selection and answer the questions.
Your Skeleton
by Sandra Markle
A building has a strong framework to support it. You have a framework, too. Yours is a bony skeleton. Without it, you would not have any shape at all. Imagine yourself as a blob, oozing out of bed in the morning!
In special pictures called X rays, you can easily see the bones inside your body. Look at the X rays on this page. Doesn’t it look like the two year-old’s hand has fewer bones than the adult’s?
Child’s hand Adult’s hand
This is because when you are young, some of your bones are made ofcartilage. Cartilage is a tough, rubbery material that does not break likehard bone. Cartilage also does not show up on an X ray. So all the bonesmade of cartilage in the X ray of the child’s hand look like blank spaces.
“Your Skeleton” reprinted with the permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an
imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division from Outside and Inside You by
Sandra Markle. Copyright © 1991 by Sandra Markle.
9-17824 WA2 LRW Gr4 ADP 10/17/01 17
Here you can see the spongy bone inside
the thigh bone. This, the largest bone in
your body, stretches between your hip and
your knee.
By the time you are six, most of the bones in your body have becomehard bone. Your hard bones are not solid like rock, though. Inside, boneslook like a sponge, with lots of spaces in between hard bone. By beinghard but not solid, your bones are strong enough to hold you up but alsolight enough so you can jump, and run, and move around easily.
Bones cannot bend. You can bend your body only at a joint, the placewhere two bones meet. So having a lot of joints in your hands and feetlets you move them in lots of different ways. Your knees and your jaware joints, too. What other joints can you find that let your body bend?
Some bones, like your kneecap, have another job besides holding youup: They protect parts of you. Your kneecap protects your knee joint ifyou get bumped or if you fall down.
Name ______Date ______
- Using the information in paragraph 1 of the selection, which phrase best describes what a framework does?
- A. Smoothes something out
- B. Holds something up
- C. Puts something down
- Explain two ways that the pictures under paragraph 2 show the difference between a child’s hand and an adult’s hand?Support you answer with two details from the selection.
- Based on the information in the selection, what is one reason young children breaks fewer bones than adults?
- A. Children’s bones are lighter in weight.
- B. Children have more muscle on their bodies.
- C. Cartilage does not break like hard bone.
- In the selection, Your Skeleton, explain the purpose of the following expository text features:
Text Feature / Purpose
Caption
Title
Pictures
5. The author's purpose for writing the selection may have been to inform the reader about the skeleton. Use two details from the selection to support this purpose.
Making Meaning Grade 4
Unit 2
Exploring Expository Text Rubric
“Your Skeleton” 2001 Reading Released Item
1. Using the information in paragraph 1 of the selection, which phrase best describes what a framework does? (GLE 1.3.2)1 point / Answer is B.
2. Explain two ways that the pictures under paragraph 2 show the difference between a child’s hand and an adult’s hand? Support you answer with two details from the selection. (GLE 2.2.2)
0 points / No answerOr answer does not include details from the story.
1 point / Provides one text-based piece of information to identify one difference between the two pictures
2 points / Provides two text-based pieces of information to identify two differences between the two pictures
3. Based on the information in the selection, what is one reason young children breaks fewer bones than adults? (GLE 2.1.5)
1 point / Answer is C.
4. In the selection, Your Skeleton, explain the purpose of the following expository text features: (GLE 2.2.2)
0 points / No answer, OR answer does not explain purpose of the text features.
1 point / Answerexplains the purpose of only one text feature OR one or more answers are incorrect.
2 points / Answerexplains the purpose two text features.
Examples:
Captions: Gives important information about the photos.
Title: Identifies the topic of the main idea of the text.
Pictures: Visually show information.
3 points / Answer explains the purpose of all three text features
5. The author's purpose for writing the selection may have been to inform the reader about the skeleton. Use two details from the selection to support this purpose. (GLE 2.4.2,)
0 points / No answer Or answer does not include details from the story.
1 point / Provides one text-based detail that shows the author's purpose may have been to inform
2 points / Provides two text-based details that show the author's purpose may have been to inform
Directions: Read the selection and answer the questions.
Community Dance Classes!
The City Parks Department is offering dance classes for all ages at the new community center located downtown. Here’s a list of the exciting new classes that will be available this spring.
Name of Class / Class Information / Description of ClassTap Dance – First Steps / Mondays
4–5 P.M.
Room 8 / Mark the beat with your feet!
Hop, step, and jump your way toa healthier heart while
developing a sense of rhythm through beginning tap movements.
Belly Dance / Wednesdays
6–7 P.M.
Room 2 / Shimmy that tummy! Get those hips, legs, and stomach muscles moving. Improve flexibility as you dance to the music of the Middle East.
Swing Kids / Mondays
5:30–6:30 P.M.
Room 10 / When the jazz band starts
playing, grab your partner and wow the crowd! In this class, you’ll learn the latest turns and lifts for two.
Latin Dance / Thursdays
6:30–7:30 P.M.
Room 4 / Cha, cha, cha! Learn basic
mambo, tango, and rumba
footwork. Also listen to the
exciting sound of Latin music.
World Beat / Tuesdays
4–5 P.M.
Room 8 / Love music and dance from
other cultures? Challenge
yourself by learning the dance customs of Cuba, Africa, Mexico, Japan, and China. You may even learn a bit of history!
Irish Dance / Tuesdays
5:30–6:30 P.M.
Room 2 / Grab some friends or go solo! Explore the dance customs of Ireland through its graceful folk dances, high-energy reels, and
light, happy jigs.
Modern Dance / Thursdays
5–6 P.M.
Room 4 / Go barefoot! Express yourself through graceful movement while building muscle strength and coordination.
Sign up now! Call the City Parks Department at 1-800-290-5992. You may also visit our website at to register for classes, learn about dance instructors, and print a map to the community center.
Name______Date______
1.Explain how the dance classes might improve a person’s health. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
2.According to the Class Chart, which statement is true?
A.One class is available on Wednesday.
B.Classes are open to people of all ages.
C.Information about dance instructors is provided.
3.Which of these sources would give the best information about the types of dances listed in the selection?
A.An instructional video on modern dancing
B.A movie about kids learning to swing dance
C.A television show about different styles of dancing
4.Which class will take place before Wednesday?
A.Swing Kids
B.Belly Dance
C.Modern Dance
5.What does the author mean by “wow the crowd” in the Swing Kids class description?
A.The crowd will be flattered.
B.The crowd will be impressed.
C.The crowd will be exhausted.
6.Read the chart below. Fill in one detail from the selection that belongs in the empty box.
Main Idea:
Classes on dances from different countries
Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3: Detail 4:
Belly DanceLatin DanceIrish Dance
______
______
MSP Reading Rubric
Grade: / 4 / Pilot Year: / 2010 / Released Year: / 2010Passage Title: / Community Dance Classes / Strand and Target: / LA / Sample Item Question Number: / 1
11 / Key: / SA
1.Explain how the dance classes might improve a person’s health. Include two details from the selection in your answer.
2 point / A 2-point response provides two text-based details to show how the dance classes might improve someone’s health.Example: Dance classes improve flexibility. Dance classes build muscle strength and coordination.
1 point / A 1-point response provides one text-based detail to show how the dance classes might improve someone’s health.
Text-based details may include, but are not limited to:
A. Hop, step, and jump your way/ to a healthier heart
B. Developing a sense of rhythm
C. Shimmy that tummy/get those hips, legs, and stomach (muscles moving)
D. Improve fl exibility
E. Lifts for two
F. High-energy reels
G. Building muscle strength/coordination
Grade: / 4 / Pilot Year: / 2010 / Released Year: / 2010Passage Title: / Community Dance Classes / Strand and Target: / LA / Sample Item Question Number: / 2
06 / Key: / A
2.According to the Class Chart, which statement is true?
A.One class is available on Wednesday.
B.Classes are open to people of all ages.
C.Information about dance instructors is provided.
Grade: / 4 / Pilot Year: / 2010 / Released Year: / 2010Passage Title: / Community Dance Classes / Strand and Target: / LA / Sample Item Question Number: / 3
09 / Key: / C
3.Which of these sources would give the best information about the types of dances listed in the selection?
A.An instructional video on modern dancing
B.A movie about kids learning to swing dance
C.A television show about different styles of dancing
Grade: / 4 / Pilot Year: / 2010 / Released Year: / 2010Passage Title: / Community Dance Classes / Strand and Target: / LC / Sample Item Question Number: / 4
05 / Key: / A
4.Which class will take place before Wednesday?
A.Swing Kids
B.Belly Dance
C.Modern Dance
Grade: / 4 / Pilot Year: / 2010 / Released Year: / 2010Passage Title: / Community Dance Classes / Strand and Target: / LC / Sample Item Question Number: / 5
04 / Key: / B
5.What does the author mean by “wow the crowd” in the Swing Kids classdescription?
A.The crowd will be flattered.
B.The crowd will be impressed.
C.The crowd will be exhausted.
Grade: / 4 / Pilot Year: / 2010 / Released Year: / 2010Passage Title: / Community Dance Classes / Strand and Target: / LC / Sample Item Question Number: / 6
01 / Key: / CP
6.Read the chart below. Fill in one detail from the selection that belongs in theempty box.
Main Idea:
Classes on dances from different countries
Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3:Detail 4:
Belly Dance Latin Dance Irish Dance
______
______