Text Structure
Which text structure tells the order in which events happen, often using dates or sequence words like "first," "next," and "finally"?
Sequence or Chronological Order
What do we call the person who tells the story or the perspective from which the story is told? (One-word answer)
Narrator/point of view
What is a simile? Give a simple example using the word "like" or "as."
Simile = comparison using like/as (example: "fast as a cheetah")
What does the root word "bio" mean? Give one example of a word that uses this root.
"bio" = life (example: biology)
What does the prefix "un-" mean? Give an example using the prefix.
un- means not or opposite of
Name the text structure that shows how two or more things are alike and different; writers often use a Venn diagram to plan it.
Compare and Contrast
List the four main story elements often shown in a story map. (Give all four.)
Characters, setting, plot, theme (or conflict)
What is a metaphor? Change this simile into a metaphor: "Her smile was like sunshine."
Metaphor: "Her smile was sunshine."
Choose the correct meaning of "peculiar" in context: "The peculiar smell made everyone stop." (A: strange; B: loud; C: bright)
A: strange
What does the suffix "-ful" mean? Give an example using the suffix.
What text structure explains why something happens and what happens as a result, often signaled by words like "because," "therefore," or "as a result"?
Define "theme" in one sentence. Then give a short example of a theme a 5th-grade story might have.
Theme = central message/lesson (example: friendship matters)
Define "idiom" and give one example (e.g., "break the ice").
Idiom = phrase with nonliteral meaning
Use context clues to determine the meaning of "reluctant" in this sentence: "Maria was reluctant to join the performance because she had never tried acting before." Provide a one-word synonym.
"hesitant" or "unwilling"
Identify the base/root word and explain the meaning change when the prefix "re-" is added: "replay."
Root "play"; re- = again → replay = play again
Identify the text structure that presents a problem and then offers one or more solutions; what signal words might you see? Give two examples of signal words.
Problem/solution (signal words: "problem," "solve," "therefore," "because")
How does a narrator’s point of view affect how events are described? Provide one example (two or three sentences).
shapes details and bias (example: first person may show feelings)
Identify the figurative language and explain its meaning in this sentence: "The classroom was a zoo during indoor recess."
Metaphor: classroom compared to zoo = chaotic
Give an antonym for "scarce" and use that antonym in a short sentence appropriate for 5th grade.
Antonym: abundant
For the word "careless," identify the root and the suffix, then explain how the suffix changes the meaning.
Root "care"; suffix "-less" = without → careless = without care
Read this short paragraph and name its text structure: "The city had flooding after the heavy rains. Many streets were closed. The mayor opened shelters, and volunteers handed out food. In the end, the city repaired the drains to prevent future floods." Explain your answer in one sentence.
Problem/solution (problem = flooding; solutions = shelters, volunteers, repair drains)
Read this brief excerpt: "Lena clutched the old key and remembered the attic where her grandmother hid letters. She stepped onto the porch as thunder rolled in." Identify the setting, character, and an inferred conflict. Explain your choices in two sentences.
Setting = porch/attic/home/thunder; character = Lena; conflict = internal (fear/curiosity) or external (storm or search for letters)
Read: "The storm angrily pounded the shore, and the wind sang a low, haunting song." Identify two different figurative language types in the sentence and explain what each adds to the mood or meaning.
Examples: personification ("wind sang") and hyperbole or personification ("storm angrily pounded"); explains mood (angry, ominous)
The word "transportation" has three parts (prefix, root, suffix). Break the word into its morphological parts and briefly explain the meaning of each part.
"trans-" (across/move), "port" (carry), "-ation" (action or process)
A student encounters the word "miscommunication." Break this word into morphemes, define each morpheme, and write one sentence that uses the full word correctly.
mis- (wrong/bad), communic (root from communicate = share information), -ation (process/result) → miscommunication = a failure to communicate; sample sentence: "The miscommunication caused us to arrive at different times."