2019 MCAS
Grade 7 English Language Arts
Question 8
Idea Development - Score Point 5
The central idea of the essay, that several character traits made Newton a great scientist, is insightfully developed. Details drawn from Newton's life fully support an analysis of each trait and illustrate how his scientific knowledge grew as a result of his determination, intelligence, and curiosity. A balance of evidence and explanation contributes to subtle organization, particularly within paragraphs: "Within the span of a year and a half, Isaac came up with three major discoveries that changed the world, which were calculus, spectrums, and most importantly, gravity. This just goes to show the high amount of [intelligence] that the man had. Even as a child, Isaac would experiment and build things. 'He built sundials. . . . He put together a model windmill.'" Later, Newton's curiosity is described using words and phrases like "always questioning," "pondered," "invented," and "plain curiosity," building to a rich explanation for how this trait contributed to the scientist's success: "His inquisitive mind and questioning ways [are] what a real scientist must possess." Newton's scientific contributions and inventions are referenced throughout the essay, further demonstrating skillful application of details and full awareness of the task.
Standard English Conventions - Score Point 3
The essay demonstrates control of a variety of sentence structures and punctuation skills, and any spelling errors are minor, given the complexity of the writing. The essay demonstrates consistent control relative to expectations for the grade level.
![Answer for Idea Development Score Point 5, and Standard English Conventions Score Point 3
The central idea of the essay, that several character traits made Newton a great scientist, is insightfully developed. Details drawn from Newton's life fully support an analysis of each trait and illustrate how his scientific knowledge grew as a result of his determination, intelligence, and curiosity. A balance of evidence and explanation contributes to subtle organization, particularly within paragraphs: "Within the span of a year and a half, Isaac came up with three major discoveries that changed the world, which were calculus, spectrums, and most importantly, gravity. This just goes to show the high amount of [intelligence] that the man had. Even as a child, Isaac would experiment and build things. 'He built sundials. . . . He put together a model windmill.'" Later, Newton's curiosity is described using words and phrases like "always questioning," "pondered," "invented," and "plain curiosity," building to a rich explanation for how this trait contributed to the scientist's success: "His inquisitive mind and questioning ways [are] what a real scientist must possess." Newton's scientific contributions and inventions are referenced throughout the essay, further demonstrating skillful application of details and full awareness of the task.](/mcas/student/2019/19r07e08-5b.gif)
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