Systematic Review of Common Core Skills • Prepares students for new state, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced assessments • Comprehensive coverage—all standards covered in depth • Diagnostic tryout test guides individual instruction • Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring • English Language Arts lessons feature authentic texts and focus on offering textual evidence and writing in response to reading • Mathematics lessons feature scaffolded review, multi-step problems, and support for mathematical practices (800) 831-4190 perfectionlearning.com
Transcript
Systematic Review of Common Core Skills• Prepares students for
new state, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced assessments
• Comprehensive coverage—all standards covered in depth
• Diagnostic tryout test guides individual instruction
• Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring
• English Language Arts lessons feature authentic texts and focus on offering textual evidence and writing in response to reading
• Mathematics lessons feature scaffolded review, multi-step problems, and support for mathematical practices
1 A lion lies on its back and basks in the warm desert sun. A baboon barks, and its cry echoes off the cliffs of a mountainside. A mongoose surveys the plains on the lookout for predators. These threeanimalsallliveinoneoftheworld’smost geographically diverse countries, South Africa. This country is home to an amazing variety of animals that live in three main geographic regions: the deserts, the mountain ranges, and the plateau.
Desert 2 Deserts are an important part of South
Africa’slandscape.Largepartsoftwomajordesertsarewithinthecountry’sborders. The Namib Desert lies along the Atlantic coast of South Africa and extends far into the country of Namibia.
This desert is known for its towering sand dunes. It is an area that receives almost no
rainfall. As a result, plant and animal life in the region has adapted to take water from coastal fog.
3 The Kalahari Desert lies in the northwest part of South Africa and extends into Namibia and Botswana. This region is covered with fine, red sand. The climate is hot and arid with very little rainfall. When rain does fall, grasses quickly sprout. Although the Kalahari is a harsh environment, many animals, including lions, hyenas, and antelope, thrive there. For example, the lions of the Kalahari can go for long periods without much water. Theselionsalsohavelight-coloredfurthathelps them hide while stalking prey.
4 People live in the Kalahari too. The San people of South Africa are one of the oldest cultures in the world. They are a nomadic people who never settle in one area for very long. They travel throughout the desert, hunting, gathering food, and collecting water. They sleep in caves and rock shelters. They carry their belongings with them wherever they go.
Mountains 5 Long ago, the travels of the San brought
themtoanotherofSouthAfrica’smaingeographic regions—the mountains. San rock paintings dating back more than 2 million years have been found in the Drakensberg Mountain Range. This ancient range runs along the southeastern part of South Africa. Some of its peaks rise more than 10,000 feet above sea level. Drakensbergmeans“dragon’smountain”
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Score your answers on the Tryout Test, then use this chart to find your strengths and weaknesses in the skills covered on the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. 1. Place the number of points earned in each white box below. For each incorrect answer,
place a 0 in the white box. 2. Add each column and write the total points earned in the box at the bottom of the column. 3. For example, if you answer question 6 correctly, you have 3 out of 6 points on the Lesson 1 part
of the test. You may want to focus on these skills as you work through the lessons.
Sample page from the Grade 6 English Language Arts Student Book
Sample page from the Grade 6
English Language Arts Teacher Guide
1 Diagnostic Pretest • questions match those
found on new state, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced assessments
• students document scores on the Tryout Test Skills Chart to determine specific skills for review and practice
• identifies skill gaps
2 Review Each unit features lessons
based on new state standards and CCSS.
English Language Arts • questions based on
authentic fiction and informational texts provide guided review of each standard
• lessons focus on the deep understanding of the texts to meet the rigor of the new tests
Mathematics • lessons focus on concept,
procedure, fluency, and application
• Unit Application lessons guide students in solving multi-step, performance-based problems
• Mathematical Practices are identified for Unit Application lessons
four steps to success
Sample page from the Grade 6 English Language Arts Student Book
“I love the design of the book. Having students take a pre-test to determine actual skill deficiencies is wonderful. It allows for teachers to have the ability to group students by skill and differentiate instruction based on student need. The lessons are well thought out.”— Third Grade Teacher, Jamie McGee Elementary, Bolingbrook, Illinois
Sample page from the Grade 6 Mathematics Student Book
Sample page from the Grade 4 Mathematics Student Book
Extensive Writing Test Workshops in each English Language Arts book• individual sections on Argumentative, Informative, Narrative, and Research Report writing
as emphasized in the Common Core State Standards
• how to read a writing test prompt
• model student essays
• rubrics
4 Mastery Both comprehensive
and lesson-level tests assess each standard and measure progress and skill mastery with questions mirroring those on new assessments.
• lesson tests • full-length Mastery Test • writing assessments
Unit Eight Practice Test Estimated time: 10 minutes
Directions: Read each question and choose the best answer.
1 Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
A The optometrist asked, Can you read the chart? B Theoptometristasked,“Canyoureadthechart?” C “Theoptometristasked,Canyoureadthechart?” D “Theoptometrist”asked“Canyoureadthechart?
2 Complete the sentence below by choosing the word that is spelled correctly.
She peered over the side of a -foot drop.
A forty B fortey C fourty D fordy
3 Which sentence uses capitalization correctly?
A Last Memorial day we visited the cemetery. B WeputflowersongrandpaMunoz’sgrave. C He fought in the Korean War. D Mamasaid,“HewasawonderfulMan.”
4 Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
A Onedayafterschool;SarahandIdecidedtobakecookies. B We found a recipe in Home Cooking one of my favorite cookbooks. C The recipe called for the following: eggs, flour, sugar, and vanilla. D I will send some cookies to my grandmother in New York, City.
5 Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
A Darla’sbook—The Hunger Games—was overdue at the library. B Thebook,whichDarladidn’thavetimetoread,wasduelastweek. C After Darla got to the library—she discovered that her money a dollar in
quarters was gone. D The librarian (on duty that day) said that Darla could pay the fine later.
Unit Eight Practice Test
Sample pages from the Grades 6 and 7 English Language Arts Student Book
This test will tell you how well you understand the Common Core Reading Performance Standards after using this book.
1 Alex shivered and snuggled into the blankets. She rolled over and closed hereyes,butshecouldn’tfallasleep.Something had made a noise somewhere in the house. The sounds were barely audible—a faint noise like fingernails scratching a chalkboard, followed by tiny footsteps. Alex sat up in bed, her heart beating fast. She knew that her parents were fast asleep. If she woke them up, theyprobablywouldtellheritwasjustthewind. So again she tried to fall asleep, but it was no use. Alex was up late wondering about the sounds.
2 The next day at school during lunch, she told her friends what she had heard.
3 “Doyouthinkitwasaprowler?”askedEliza.
4 “Ibetitwasaghost!”saidMiko.“That’ssocool!”
5 “Idon’tknowwhatitwas,”Alexsaid,“butitsurewasweird.AndI’mgoingtoneedyourhelptofigureitout.”Herfriendsnodded their heads in agreement. “Emergency sleepover party at my house tonight,”Alexsaid.“We’regoingtogettothebottomofthismystery.”
6 That night Eliza, Miko, Becky, Sarah, andOliviacametoAlex’shouse.Thegirlshad a taco dinner together and watched a movie. Afterward, it was time to go up to Alex’sroomandgetreadyforbed.Whenthey all were finally lying down, the girls became quiet and listened. They heard nothing for a long, long time. Miko
declared that she was bored. Just then, they heard a scratch. Scratch, scratch, scratch. The girls listened closely and then made a plan to explore the house in pairs. That way no one would have to be alone.
7 Becky and Eliza carried a flashlight into thecold,darkbasement.SarahandOliviasearched the attic. Miko and Alex started in the living room. They were the first to hear the scratching sounds again. Miko almost screamed, but Alex clamped her handoverMiko’smouth.“Shhhh,”shesaid.Then they heard tiny footsteps.
8 “We’rebeingfollowed!”saidMiko.Alexshushed her again. They heard what soundedlikesoftvoices.Miko’seyesgrewwide.
9 “OK,I’vehadenoughofthis,”saidAlexas she flipped on the light. The two girls stopped in their tracks.
10 There on the table were two squirrels, eatingleftovercornchipsfromthegirls’dinner. Miko and Alex looked at each other. Then they burst into nervous laughter.“Well,”saidAlex,“there’sourghost!”
Mastery Test: Part 1 Estimated time: 30 minutes
Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
Sample page from the Grade 6 English Language Arts Student Book
“I really liked the lessons by unit because they are separated by strand (i.e. algebra, number sense, etc.) and are
very kid-friendly. They show multiple ways to solve a problem… Overall, I absolutely love the student book!”
—Third Grade Teacher, Lincoln Elementary School Elmhurst, Illinois
Sample page from the Grade 3 Mathematics Student Book
Sample page from the Grade 4 Mathematics Student Book
3 Practice Authentic, independent
practice of each skill.
English Language Arts Lessons are built on
authentic selections, many featuring Exemplar texts and Exemplar authors. Students return to the selection to
• answer standards-based questions and offer textual evidence to substantiate their answers
• write in response to their reading as evidence of understanding
Mathematics • questions feature
application of math skills to everyday problems and ask students to show their work and explain their thinking
• practice includes selected-response, short answer, and constructed-response questions
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View sample pages and ccss correlations at perfectionlearning.com/common-core-practice-ela-samples orperfectionlearning.com/common-core-practice-math-samples
