2019 MCAS
Grade 5 English Language Arts
Question 17

The essay clearly and fully develops the central idea that Catalina's and the student's feelings about their futures are similar. This is evidenced in the first paragraph: "They both feel like they know exactly what they want, feel very determined to reach their goals, and feel hopeful." The central idea is developed using effective and varied evidence from both the passage and the poem. For example, the writer quotes Catalina saying, "'I want to be an astronomer when I grow up,'" and from the poem, "'And said with pride and confidence, I plan to live in space.'" Additional evidence supports the idea that Catalina and the student are determined and hopeful for their futures, including this description of Catalina: "But, instead of giving up her dream she continued to wonder and wish." The essay is organized effectively as the topic is clearly introduced, and ideas are expressed within paragraphs with a skillful use of appropriate transitions: "First of all," "Also," "Finally," and "As you can see." The conclusion restates the topic and clearly summarizes the main points, demonstrating a full awareness of the purpose for writing.

The essay demonstrates consistent control of a variety of sentence structures, as shown in this example: "Also, they both feel very determined. In Lace Round the Sky, in paragraph 7 after Catalina says that she wants to be an astronomer, her father says. . . ." Proper punctuation of evidence from the passage and the poem is consistent throughout the essay. While there are a few minor errors, they do not detract from overall understanding. Based on its length and complexity, the writing demonstrates consistent control of Standard English conventions for this grade level.