5th grade ELA Benchmark 3

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how many eggs females lay

where females lay eggs

how old the females are that lay the eggs

how many eggs are laid each year

to persuade the reader to like cicadas

to identify topics within the article

to break up the length of the article

to discuss other topics

Cicadas are not like locusts because they do not swarm, and humans have been studying them for hundreds of years.

Cicadas are a type of burrowing insect that come out every 17 years, and their visit can disrupt the everyday life of the areas where they appear.

Cicadas sometimes cause traffic accidents because they can fly into car windshields, and they leave behind dead bodies.

Cicadas shake their bodies as a mating call, and it can be very loud when they all do it at once.

“They appear mostly in the eastern and middle areas of the United States.”

“The bugs live for either 13 or 17 years.”

“Their burrowing, or digging, makes holes and adds air to the ground.”

“When the ground warms up enough, cicadas break free and fly in the air.”

Judy is an eager student.

Judy gets upset easily.

Judy is having trouble staying focused.

Judy doesn’t care about school.

The narrator is liked by everyone in the classroom.

The narrator lacks confidence.

The narrator enjoys day dreaming.

The narrator loves to learn about science.

“In the back row, where the hopeless cases sit - where there’s a desk with my name on it….”

“I’m so close, I could thump it off the shelf.”

“I stare at the cicada, but even without looking. I know what’s going on behind me.”

"He tosses the insect outside, closes the window screen, and sits down again without a word."

“Mrs. Kirk knows they’re doing it, but she’s too hot and too tired to care.”

“Mrs. Kirk sighs the same way she has about ninety-nine times since the cicadas showed up and Ricky started telling his story.”

“This week’s words are adjectives, but Mrs. Kirk picked the wrong ones.”

“When Mrs. Kirk says the next word, Judy will spell it as fast as she can in her perfect handwriting, and then look around to make sure she’s the first to finish.”

Ricky is sly, but Bobby is honest.

Ricky is brave while Bobby is trustworthy.

Ricky has a sense of humor, but Bobby is sneaky.

Ricky is dramatic while Bobby is serious.

become twisted together

smeared with color

unable to breathe properly

feeling afraid

“The Summer’s Cicadas are About to Wake From Their 17- Year Sleep” is written from the point of view of a scientist interested in explaining the facts about cicadas, while the other passage is written from the point of view of a narrator distracted by a cicada in a classroom.

“The Summer’s Cicadas are About to Wake From Their 17- Year Sleep” is written from the point of view of a student researching cicadas while the other passage is written from the point of view of a teacher who notices cicadas have arrived for the season.

“The Summer’s Cicadas are About to Wake From Their 17-Year Sleep” is written from the point of view of an individual providing a general history of cicadas throughout the country while the other passage is written from the point of view of students who discuss sightings of cicadas.

“The Summer’s Cicadas are About to Wake From Their 17- Year Sleep” is written from the point of view of a scientist who has studied cicadas, while the other passage is written from the point of view of a student who describes a typical day in her classroom.