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PSSA Grade 3 ELA

Last updated 12 months ago
10 questions

Family Science

by Nancy Viau


“Eeeww! Karly, get that slimy, disgusting piece of junk away from my doll!” Jessie hollered.

“It’s not slimy. It’s SHINY,” I said “Look!” I pushed my rock under Jessie’s nose. “Rocks aren’t disgusting, especially this one. It’s called obsidian, and it’s from a volcano. Dad and I bought it at the Natural Science Museum.”

Jessie shoved my rock. “Who cares? Karly, you are clueless. Girls don’t play with that stuff.”

“I like rocks.” I let out a puffy sigh and put the rock in my pocket. “I may be a famous geologist one day. What will you be?”

“Leave me alone,” Jessie snapped.

I didn’t feel like arguing, so I stomped out the door, plopped on the ground, and dug a hole. “Karly,” Mom called from the potting shed. “Do you have to play in the dirt? Look at your clothes They’re filthy.”

“Maybe I’ll be an archaeologist when I grow up,” I shouted. “They get paid to look for artifacts in the ground.” I dusted off my pants and marched to the porch. “Good dinosaur book?” I asked Dad, peering over his shoulder.

“Excellent, want me to read to you?” he asked.

“Not now. Sometime soon I want to get started on the book I got at the museum— the one that came with an awesome fish fossil and...”

Jessie interrupted and asked me, “What in the world would you do with a fossil?”

“I’d study a bunch of fossils and become a paleontologist. I might even discover a new dinosaur,” I replied.

My sister shook her head so hard I thought her braids would fly off. “Dad, we can’t possibly be twins,” she said. “Karly’s weird.”

Dad gave Jessie his don’t-mess-with-me look. “Not that again.”

Jessie took the hint. “I’m leaving. I have to find a shoebox and make a caveman diorama for school.”

“Wait!” I fished around in my pocket. “I found a chunk of granite earlier today. Do you want to use it?” I asked.

“Eeeww! You’ve got to be kidding.” Jessie grabbed my rock and threw it down the driveway. “I certainly don’t need that!”

I watched my sister disappear into the house, then wiped away an annoying tear. A scientist doesn’t cry, but I sure wished Jessie would see things my way sometimes. After lunch, I heard sobs coming from Jessie’s room. I was still upset, but I peeked around the door. Jessie was sitting on the floor in a heap of construction paper. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

Jessie sniffled. “I can’t think of any materials for this dumb diorama. Colored paper doesn’t look prehistoric.”

Jessie was right. An idea sizzled in my brain. I grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. I didn’t stop until we were next to Mom’s potting shed.

“What are we doing here?” Jessie whined. “I have a project to do.”

“Dig, just dig,” I said, “and no questions.”

My sister tickled the dirt with her fingertips “Eeeww!”

“Dig deeper,” I said. Jessie scrunched up her face, closed her eyes, and clawed at the earth. She felt something. “What is it?” I asked.

Jessie picked up a piece of hardened red clay. “What good is broken pottery?”

“It could be part of your caveman diorama, Jessie. It looks like a tiny primitive bowl, don’t you think?”

“Well... I guess,” said Jessie as she grinned and looked at the ground. “Maybe there’s a cup in here too.” My sister pushed and pulled at the dirt. I couldn’t believe she was giggling! Jessie worked for an hour on her diorama. She arranged the pottery bits around a fireplace that was made from crisscrossed twigs. Then Jessie sifted through layers of earth to find the right size stones for benches. “Now I need a cave,” she said. Racing down the driveway and skipping back, she opened her hand. “How about this? You said I could have it.”

I took the chunk of granite from my sister’s palm and gently placed it in the shoebox. “A granite cave,” I replied, “it’s perfect. And I have just the thing that looks like a cave drawing.” I ran into the house and brought out my fish fossil.

“Try this,” I said.

“Your museum fossil?” Jessie asked.

“You can borrow it. I will need it back, though, if I become a paleontologist and not a geologist or an archaeologist.”

“My diorama still needs something. I know! I have a miniature boy doll I can dress up like a caveman!” Jessie exclaimed.

“A doll?” I rolled my eyes. “Eeeww!”

“Ok, I’ll do this part myself. Thanks for helping me. I won’t call you weird anymore. I’d be lost without you for my sister,” Jessie said as she gave me a hug.

I hugged her back and whispered, “Sister scientists save the day.”
Required
1

Read the sentence from the passage.

My sister tickled the dirt with her fingertips.

What does “tickled the dirt” mean in the sentence?

Required
1

Which sentence best tells what the sisters learn in the passage?

Required
1

This question has two parts. Answer Part One and then answer Part Two.

Part One: What is the result of Karly helping Jessie with her school project?

Required
1

Part Two: Which evidence from the passage supports the answer in Part One? Choose two answers.

Required
1

This question has two parts. Answer Part One and then answer Part Two.

Part One: From which point of view is the passage written?

Required
1

Part Two: Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer in Part One? Choose one answer.

Required
3

Read the sentences from the middle of the passage.

An idea sizzled in my brain. I grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

How does Karly’s idea contribute to the sequence of events in the passage? Use evidence from the passage to support your answer.

Required
1

Read the sentence.

Jill likes to take care of the __________ in the nursery.

Which word should fill in the blank to correctly complete the sentence?

Required
1

Which sentence uses a pronoun incorrectly?

(1) Ms Gustavo wishes Darien and his friends would wipe their feet before entering the house. (2) She asked them to try to remember more often. (3) Sometimes Darien remembers. (4) His friends only wipe them feet when Ms. Gustavo reminds them.

Required
1

Read the paragraph.

(1) Jen takes good care of her bike. (2) She washed it yesterday afternoon. (3) Then she made sure the tires had enough air. (4) Tomorrow her dad put a new bell on the bike.

Which verb should be changed?