Pre-Assessment Reading History

1. Summarize text 1, “A New Start.” When summarizing, remember to: • write about the main idea • include carefully selected details that link to the main idea • use the text structure in your response • keep your summary brief • write about the ideas in the text, not your own opinions.

2. In “A New Start,” notice line 54, near the end of the text: As John F. Kennedy once said, “There were probably as many reasons for coming to America as there were people who came.” In a few sentences, explain how this part fits with the four paragraphs that come before it in the text. When writing about how part(s) of a text fit with others, remember to: • explain why the part is important • explain how the part fits with the rest of the text.

3. What is the point of view of text 2? Why is

that important?

When writing about point of view, remember to:

• name the point of view (is it firsthand or

secondhand?)

• write about how the point of view affects

how information is presented.

4. Both texts teach about an important

subtopic—the inspection process at Ellis

Island. Explain briefly what these texts teach

about the inspection process at Ellis Island.

When synthesizing, remember to:

• focus on the subtopic

• include information from each text that fits

with this subtopic

• organize information into categories (if

possible).

Readers, today you will read a story called “Blizzard.” After you read the story, you will be asked

to stop and answer a few questions. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

2. Mr. Dewitt has strong opinions about the new

foreigners and the neighborhood they live in. How

would you describe Mr. Dewitt’s perspective?

When writing about perspective, remember to:

• write about how the character feels about

something important in the story

• explain how the character’s life experience or role

affects his feelings.

3. Reread lines 30–33 from the story.

Pushing himself through the storm, Thomas came to

places where snow drifts towered over his head. Four

separate times the wind blew him into snow banks.

Worry kept him going, though—worry about Pop

losing his job.

Why might the author have included this part?

4. Identify a theme that seems important in the story

“Blizzard,” and explain which details best develop that

theme.

Use this space to jot for paragraph 1

Use this space to jot for paragraph 2

Use this space to jot for paragraph 3

Use this space to jot for paragraph 4

Use this space to jot for paragraph 5

Use this space to jot for paragraph 6.

Use this space to jot for paragraph 7.

Use this space to jot for paragraph 8.

Use this space to jot for paragraph 12 and 13