Reading Comprehension Assessment Series
GRADE 3
INFERENCE & SYNTHESIS
Reading Between the Tides: Ocean
Plastic, the Plastisphere & the Limits of Solutions
Webb's
Depth of Knowledge · Hess's Cognitive Rigor Matrix
Drawing
Conclusions · Making Predictions ·
Cross-Paragraph Synthesis · Dual-Passage Comparison
Tier
2 & Tier 3 Academic Vocabulary
· Frustration-Level Text
Student
Name: _________________________________
Date: ____________
Teacher:
_________________________________
Period / Class: ____________
SKILL REFERENCE: INFERENCE &
SYNTHESIS QUESTION CATEGORIES
This assessment requires you to read between
the lines—to think like a detective. The table below identifies the eight
inference and synthesis skills you will practice.
|
Inference Category |
Skill Tested |
DOK / CRM |
Detective Move |
|
Implied Main Idea |
Infer the unstated central
claim from evidence patterns |
DOK 2–3 / B-2–C-3 |
What is the author implying
but not saying directly? |
|
Logical Conclusion |
Draw a conclusion that must
follow from stated evidence |
DOK 2–3 / B-2–C-3 |
Given what I know, what must
be true? |
|
Prediction / Projection |
Predict what would likely
happen given the passage's logic |
DOK 3 / C-3 |
If this is true, what comes
next? |
|
Character / Author
Motivation |
Infer unstated reasons for
an action or rhetorical choice |
DOK 3 / C-3 |
Why did they do/say this
without stating why? |
|
Cross-Paragraph Connection |
Connect ideas stated in
different paragraphs to form a new insight |
DOK 3–4 / C-3–D-4 |
How do these two separate
facts relate to each other? |
|
Dual-Passage Synthesis |
Compare, contrast, or
synthesize two passages on related topics |
DOK 3–4 / C-3–D-4 |
What would Passage A say
about Passage B's claim? |
|
Authorial Assumption / Gap |
Identify what the author
assumes without arguing for, or what is missing |
DOK 4 / D-4 |
What has the author left
unsaid or taken for granted? |
|
Evaluative Synthesis |
Assess the strength of an
argument using evidence from across the text |
DOK 4 / D-4 |
Does the evidence actually
prove the claim? |
DIRECTIONS
Read both passages carefully. Annotate as you
go—underline evidence, circle clues, draw arrows between connected ideas across
passages. Every question requires inference: do not look only for sentences
that directly answer the question. The answer is always built from evidence,
but it is never stated outright. For written responses, construct your
reasoning step by step.
PASSAGE A: OCEAN PLASTICS — THE SCALE OF THE CRISIS
[A1] Every
year, approximately eight million metric tons of plastic enter the world's
oceans. To visualize this number, scientists sometimes compare it to dumping
one garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every single minute—day and
night, without stopping, for an entire year. The plastic does not disappear. It
breaks into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics, but it does not
dissolve or go away.
[A2] Seabirds,
sea turtles, dolphins, and fish mistake plastic bags and bottle caps for food.
When they eat plastic, it fills their stomachs without providing any nutrition.
Many animals starve to death even though their stomachs are completely full.
The plastic also carries toxic chemicals that build up in the bodies of animals
over time—a process scientists call bioaccumulation.
[A3] The
Great Pacific Garbage Patch is perhaps the most famous example of ocean plastic
accumulation. Despite its dramatic name, it is not a solid island of trash.
Instead, it is a vast region of the Pacific Ocean where ocean currents
concentrate plastic debris into a diffuse, soupy mixture. Most of the plastic
in the Garbage Patch is invisible to the naked eye—tiny microplastic particles
suspended just below the surface. The patch covers an area roughly twice the
size of Texas.
[A4] Scientists
estimate that if current trends continue, there will be more plastic than fish
in the ocean by weight by the year 2050. Yet plastic production is increasing,
not decreasing. In 2020, humans produced roughly 367 million metric tons of
plastic—more than the total weight of all humans alive on Earth. Finding
solutions requires understanding not only where the plastic comes from but why
it is so difficult to stop.
PASSAGE B: THE PLASTISPHERE — LIFE IN THE GARBAGE
[B1] In a
discovery that surprised even veteran marine biologists, scientists have found
that the microplastic fragments floating in the world's oceans are not barren
surfaces. They are colonized—inhabited by complex communities of bacteria,
algae, fungi, and tiny animals that have found in plastic a new kind of home.
This unexpected ecosystem is called the plastisphere.
[B2] The
plastisphere presents scientists with a difficult ethical dilemma. On one hand,
the plastic itself is unambiguously harmful to ocean ecosystems—it kills
wildlife and poisons food chains. On the other hand, the communities of
microorganisms living on plastic have developed their own interdependencies,
food webs, and ecological relationships over the decades since plastic entered
the ocean in large quantities. Some scientists warn that aggressively cleaning
up microplastics could destroy the plastisphere communities that now depend on
them, adding a second layer of ecological disruption to the first.
[B3] More
alarming still, the plastisphere may be serving as a vehicle for the global
spread of invasive species. Microorganisms and small invertebrates that
colonize plastic fragments can travel thousands of miles on ocean currents,
arriving in ecosystems where they have no natural predators and may outcompete
native species. This mechanism—sometimes called "plastic
rafting"—represents a new and poorly understood pathway for biological
invasion that did not exist before humans introduced durable plastic debris
into ocean systems.
[B4] The
plastisphere also appears to harbor bacteria that have evolved the ability to
break down certain types of plastic—a discovery that has generated enormous
scientific excitement. However, researchers caution that plastic-eating
bacteria, even if deployed at scale, would likely take decades to make a
meaningful dent in existing plastic accumulation, and that the bacteria
themselves could have unforeseen ecological effects if introduced into ocean
ecosystems in large quantities.
SECTION A — SINGLE-PASSAGE
INFERENCE (2 pts each)
Questions 1–8: Draw conclusions, infer main
ideas, identify author motivations, and detect authorial assumptions from
within individual passages.
1. [Logical Conclusion] Paragraph
two of Passage A states that animals eating plastic have stomachs that are
"completely full" yet they starve to death. What conclusion can you
draw about the relationship between feeling full and actually being nourished?
DOK 2 · CRM
B-2
▸ Infer
consequence of a described biological process.
A) Feeling full and being nourished
are identical biological states; animals that feel full are always receiving
sufficient nutrition
B) Feeling full is a physical signal
produced by stomach volume, while nourishment depends on the chemical content
of what fills the stomach—plastic triggers the fullness signal without
delivering any usable energy, proving that the two states can be completely
decoupled
C) Animals that eat plastic
eventually develop a tolerance for it and can begin extracting trace nutrients
after several weeks
D) The starving animals must also be
avoiding water, since dehydration rather than plastic consumption is the true
cause of their decline
2. [Implied Main Idea] Passage
A never states its main idea in a single sentence. Based on all four paragraphs
together, what main idea is the author implying?
DOK 2 · CRM
B-2
▸ Infer
unstated main idea across all paragraphs.
A) The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is
the world's most urgent environmental problem and should be the focus of
immediate cleanup operations
B) Ocean plastic pollution is an
escalating, multi-layered crisis that threatens marine ecosystems and human
food systems, and whose solution requires more than what current efforts
provide
C) Scientists have failed to
communicate the severity of ocean plastic pollution to the public and
governments
D) Individual consumer choices are
the primary driver of ocean plastic pollution and personal responsibility is
the most important solution
3. [Authorial Assumption / Gap]
Passage A's final sentence states that "finding
solutions requires understanding not only where the plastic comes from but why
it is so difficult to stop." What assumption does the author make here
without defending it?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Identify
an undefended assumption in the passage.
A) The author assumes that all
plastic pollution comes from land-based sources rather than fishing vessels or
offshore industry
B) The author assumes that
intellectual understanding of a problem automatically leads to effective
action—without explaining the mechanisms by which understanding translates into
policy change, corporate reform, or behavioral shifts
C) The author assumes that no
solutions currently exist and that the field is starting from scratch
D) The author assumes that the reader
already knows why plastic is difficult to stop and is simply reminding them
4. [Prediction / Projection]
Based on Passage A's data about plastic production trends,
what is the MOST reasonable prediction about the state of ocean ecosystems in
2050 if no major policy changes occur?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Predict a
future outcome using passage logic.
A) Ocean ecosystems will have
recovered naturally by 2050 because fish populations adapt faster than plastic
accumulates
B) Plastic will outweigh fish in the
ocean, bioaccumulation of toxins in the food chain will have intensified across
multiple species levels, and marine biodiversity will have declined
significantly—with cascading effects on human food security for populations
dependent on seafood
C) Governments will have implemented
a global plastic ban by 2035, so the 2050 projection is unlikely to materialize
D) The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
will have solidified enough to support scientific research stations by 2050
5. [Character / Author Motivation]
Why does the author of Passage A describe the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch as "not a solid island of trash" before explaining what
it actually is?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Infer the
purpose behind a rhetorical choice.
A) The author wants to correct a
scientific error made by previous researchers who described it as a solid
island
B) The author anticipates a likely
misconception the reader holds—that "garbage patch" implies a visible
solid mass—and strategically dismantles it first, because the invisible nature
of microplastics makes the problem harder to grasp and therefore harder to
motivate action around; correcting the misconception is itself an act of
persuasion
C) The author is legally required to
correct popular misconceptions before presenting scientific data about ocean
pollution
D) The description of what the patch
is not makes the passage longer and more detailed, which increases its
credibility as a scientific text
6. [Logical Conclusion] Based
on Passage B's description of the plastisphere, what can you conclude about our
ability to predict all the consequences of introducing a new material into a
natural environment?
DOK 2 · CRM
B-2
▸ Draw
conclusion from the plastisphere discovery.
A) We can fully predict the
consequences of new materials through computer modeling before they are
introduced into natural environments
B) The plastisphere demonstrates that
complex natural systems respond to new inputs in ways that are genuinely
unpredictable—even veteran scientists were surprised by the
discovery—suggesting that the long-term consequences of introducing novel
materials into ecosystems cannot be fully anticipated in advance
C) The plastisphere proves that
natural ecosystems are more resilient than scientists previously believed and
can always find a way to adapt to human pollution
D) The consequences of introducing
new materials can be predicted if sufficient time for scientific observation is
allowed before any cleanup efforts begin
7. [Implied Main Idea] What
is the central tension that Passage B implies but never directly states as a
thesis sentence?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Infer the
central tension of Passage B.
A) The tension between plastic-eating
bacteria as a solution and the decades they would take to make a meaningful
difference
B) The tension between the urgent
need to remove plastic from the ocean and the ecological risks of doing
so—illustrating that in complex systems, well-intentioned interventions can
create new problems as serious as the ones they address
C) The tension between different
scientific disciplines' approaches to the plastisphere, with marine biologists
and microbiologists disagreeing about its significance
D) The tension between the scientific
community's excitement about the plastisphere and the public's continued
indifference to ocean plastic pollution
8. [Authorial Assumption / Gap]
Passage B warns that cleaning up microplastics could
"destroy the plastisphere communities that now depend on them." What
foundational value judgment does this warning assume, and is this assumption
explicitly examined anywhere in the passage?
DOK 4 · CRM
D-4
▸ DOK 4:
Identify a foundational assumption underlying the ethical dilemma in Passage B.
A) The warning assumes that all
human-caused environmental changes are automatically harmful; this assumption
is explicitly examined in paragraph two through a discussion of the history of
environmental ethics
B) The warning assumes that the
ecological integrity and preservation of any established community of living
organisms—even one created accidentally by human pollution—has moral and
scientific value that must be weighed against the harm of removing it; this
value judgment is not explicitly examined, argued for, or qualified anywhere in
the passage; it is treated as an obvious premise rather than a contested claim
C) The warning has no underlying
assumption; it is a purely empirical observation about predicted ecological
effects with no evaluative dimension
D) The assumption is explicitly
stated in paragraph one, where scientists describe the plastisphere as having
"inherent ecological value"
SECTION B — CROSS-PARAGRAPH &
DUAL-PASSAGE SYNTHESIS (2 pts each)
Questions 9–14: Connect ideas across
paragraphs within and between passages. Evaluate arguments using combined
evidence.
9. [Cross-Paragraph Connection]
Passage A describes toxic chemicals building up through
bioaccumulation. Passage B describes invasive species traveling via plastic
rafting to ecosystems worldwide. What combined inference can you draw about the
geographic reach of ocean plastic's toxicity?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Connect
bioaccumulation from Passage A with plastic rafting in Passage B.
A) Bioaccumulation and plastic
rafting operate in completely separate ecosystems and therefore cannot be
combined into a single inference
B) Because plastic rafting spreads
microplastic fragments globally, the toxic chemicals embedded in those
fragments—and the bioaccumulation they trigger—are also spreading globally,
meaning that pollution generated in one region can contaminate food chains in
distant ecosystems that have no direct connection to the original pollution
source
C) Plastic rafting actually reduces
the toxicity of bioaccumulation by diluting toxic chemicals across a wider
ocean area
D) The geographic reach of
bioaccumulation is limited to the areas where fish are harvested commercially,
which is separate from the routes followed by plastic-rafting organisms
10. [Cross-Paragraph Connection]
Passage A predicts more plastic than fish by 2050. Passage B
states that plastisphere communities grew over "decades." What new
inference emerges from combining these two facts?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Synthesize
2050 prediction with plastisphere growth trajectory.
A) By 2050 the plastisphere will be
larger than it is today, which means cleanup efforts attempted at that date
will face an even more complex ecological disruption problem than they would
face today—creating a compounding dilemma in which waiting makes both the
plastic problem and the cleanup problem progressively worse simultaneously
B) The plastisphere will have grown
large enough by 2050 that its plastic-eating bacteria will have solved the
accumulation problem without human intervention
C) The two facts are independent and
cannot be combined because plastic production and plastisphere growth follow
different timescales
D) By 2050 the plastisphere will have
replaced traditional marine ecosystems as the dominant biological community in
the ocean
11. [Evaluative Synthesis] Passage
A implicitly argues that reducing ocean plastic is urgently needed. Does
Passage B support, complicate, or refute this position? Identify the BEST
characterization with a specific reason.
DOK 4 · CRM
D-4
▸ DOK 4:
Evaluate whether Passage B complicates Passage A's implicit argument.
A) Passage B fully supports the
urgency of cleanup by providing additional evidence of plastic's harmful
effects on microorganisms
B) Passage B significantly
complicates without refuting the position: it validates that plastic is harmful
(supporting cleanup urgency) while introducing evidence that the method of
cleanup—especially microplastic removal—carries its own ecological risks, meaning
the question is no longer simply "should we clean up?" but "how
do we clean up without causing additional harm?"
C) Passage B directly refutes Passage
A's implicit argument by demonstrating that plastic ecosystems now provide
ecological benefits that outweigh the harm of the original pollution
D) The two passages cannot be
evaluated in relation to each other because they address different scales of
the problem
12. [Dual-Passage Synthesis] Both
passages describe ocean plastic as a scientific and ecological problem. What
topic does neither passage address, and what can you infer about their shared
perspective from this omission?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Identify
the shared gap across both passages.
A) Neither passage addresses the
history of plastic invention, implying both authors believe historical context
is irrelevant to solving current problems
B) Neither passage addresses the
economic incentives that drive plastic production—the corporations that profit
from it, the political systems that permit it, or the consumer cultures that
sustain it—implying both authors frame ocean plastic as a problem to be solved
through science and ecological management rather than through economic
regulation, legal accountability, or political transformation
C) Neither passage addresses the
impact of ocean plastic on human health through seafood consumption, implying
both authors are primarily concerned with wildlife rather than human welfare
D) Neither passage addresses
international agreements about ocean pollution, implying both authors believe
such agreements are ineffective
13. [Cross-Paragraph Connection]
Passage A states that plastic production in 2020 was 367
million metric tons. Passage B states that plastisphere communities have
colonized plastic over "decades." What inference can you draw about
the relationship between the scale of production and the complexity of the
plastisphere?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Connect
specific production data with plastisphere colonization logic.
A) The 367 million metric ton figure
means that only a small fraction of ocean plastic has been colonized by the
plastisphere, because the quantity is too large for microorganisms to fully
occupy
B) Because plastic has been entering
the ocean in increasing quantities over decades, and because the plastisphere
colonizes available plastic surfaces, a larger volume of plastic means a larger
and more established plastisphere—meaning the ecological complexity of the
system that would be disrupted by cleanup is growing in proportion to the
accumulation problem itself
C) The high production volume proves
that the plastisphere is primarily composed of recently introduced plastic from
the 2020 production cycle
D) The two facts cannot be logically
connected because one refers to production and the other to colonization, which
are separate processes
14. [Evaluative Synthesis] Based
on both passages, evaluate whether plastic-eating bacteria constitute a
sufficient solution to the ocean plastic crisis. What specific evidence from
EACH passage limits the bacteria's adequacy as a complete answer?
DOK 4 · CRM
D-4
▸ DOK 4:
Evaluate the sufficiency of the plastic-eating bacteria solution across both
passages.
A) Plastic-eating bacteria are
sufficient because Passage B explicitly states they can break down plastic and
Passage A confirms that ocean cleanup is urgently needed
B) The bacteria are insufficient as a
complete solution: Passage A shows that plastic production of 367+ million
metric tons per year continues to increase, meaning bacteria would need to
outpace accelerating input—not just address existing accumulation; Passage B
itself cautions the bacteria would take "decades" and could have
"unforeseen ecological effects"; neither passage addresses who would
fund, deploy, and regulate a global bacterial intervention; and neither
addresses whether bacteria could break down all plastic types or address
already-bioaccumulated toxins in animal bodies
C) The bacteria are a sufficient
solution only if combined with a global ban on new plastic production, which
neither passage proposes
D) The adequacy of the bacteria
cannot be evaluated from either passage because neither provides sufficient
technical detail about how the breakdown process works
SECTION C — PREDICTION &
PROJECTION (2 pts each)
Questions 15–18: Use the logic and evidence
of both passages to predict likely outcomes, policy implications, and future
developments.
15. [Prediction / Projection]
A marine biologist concludes after reading both passages:
"We cannot effectively clean up the ocean without first reducing plastic
production." Is this conclusion logically supported by the combined
evidence of both passages?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Predict
outcome of inaction using both passages.
A) No—both passages suggest cleanup
and production reduction are independent problems that can be addressed
separately
B) Yes—Passage A shows production is
accelerating faster than cleanup could proceed, and Passage B shows cleanup
itself generates new ecological risks; together they imply that cleaning up
while production continues is like bailing a sinking boat without plugging the
hole—the rate of accumulation would outpace any remediation effort while
introducing new disruptions
C) The conclusion is supported only
by Passage A; Passage B does not address the relationship between production
and cleanup effectiveness
D) The conclusion overstates the
evidence; both passages argue only that the problem is severe, not that
production reduction is a prerequisite to cleanup
16. [Prediction / Projection]
Scientists deploy a machine that removes all microplastics
from a large ocean region in one month. Based on BOTH passages, what is the
MOST likely significant unintended consequence?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Predict
unintended consequence of a new cleanup technology.
A) The machine would accelerate fish
population recovery by immediately removing the plastic threatening their food
supply
B) The machine would destroy the
established plastisphere communities living on those microplastics—eliminating
complex microbial food webs, potentially releasing invasive organisms into open
water without their plastic hosts, and disrupting the ecological relationships
that have developed over decades
C) The machine would have no
ecological effect because microplastics are too small to support significant
biological communities
D) The machine would trigger a rapid
increase in plastic production as industries replace the removed material with
new plastic
17. [Prediction / Projection]
Based on the evidence in both passages, which policy approach
would be MOST consistent with addressing the full complexity of the ocean
plastic problem?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Predict
most effective policy based on both passages.
A) Deploy plastic-eating bacteria
immediately at maximum scale before any other intervention is attempted
B) A coordinated strategy combining
strict upstream production limits with staged, ecologically sensitive cleanup
protocols that account for plastisphere disruption, invasive species
management, and bioaccumulation—rather than treating any single intervention as
adequate
C) Focus all resources on physically
removing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch before addressing microplastics, which
are too diffuse to address practically
D) Declare a ten-year scientific
moratorium to fully study the plastisphere before any cleanup efforts are
permitted
18. [Prediction / Projection]
Based on what BOTH passages leave unanswered, what topic
would be most essential for a third passage to address in order to complete the
picture of the ocean plastic crisis?
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
▸ Predict
what a third passage would need to address.
A) A detailed explanation of how the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch was first discovered by oceanographers
B) The economic, political, and
corporate systems that drive ongoing plastic production and prevent effective
regulation—since both passages treat the crisis scientifically while leaving
entirely unaddressed the human incentive structures that generate and perpetuate
it
C) A comprehensive catalogue of all
marine species affected by plastic ingestion and bioaccumulation
D) A scientific explanation of how
plastic-eating bacteria evolved their plastic-degrading enzymes
SECTION D — SHORT ANSWER (10 pts each)
DOK 3–4
| CRM C-3 / D-4 |
Complete sentences and evidence from BOTH passages required.
19. [Cross-Passage Inference — Analysis] Passage A describes
bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals through the food chain, while Passage B
describes invasive species traveling via plastic rafting to new ecosystems.
Drawing on BOTH passages, construct a specific inference about how these two
processes—bioaccumulation and plastic rafting—might interact to create a threat
more serious than either creates alone. You may not simply summarize each
passage; you must construct a new conclusion from their combined evidence. (DOK
3 | CRM C-3)
DOK 3 · CRM
C-3
20. [Evaluative Synthesis] Both
passages present different categories of harm caused by ocean plastic. Passage
A focuses on harm to larger organisms (birds, turtles, fish) through ingestion
and poisoning. Passage B focuses on harm at the microbial and ecosystem level
(plastisphere disruption, invasive species spread, bacterial effects).
Evaluate: which category of harm is MORE fundamental—harm to large organisms or
harm to microbial and ecosystem processes? Construct a specific argument using
evidence from BOTH passages, and explain what your answer implies about how we
should prioritize ocean plastic solutions. (DOK 4 | CRM D-4)
DOK 4 · CRM
D-4
SECTION E — EXTENDED SYNTHESIS
ESSAY (20 pts)
DOK Level 4
| CRM D-4 |
Minimum 10 sentences. Draw on BOTH passages. Construct original
inferences—do not simply summarize.
21. [Full Synthesis — Extended Response] Full Synthesis: Both passages
present ocean plastic as a problem that becomes MORE complex, not less, the
more carefully it is examined. In a well-organized extended response drawing on
evidence from BOTH passages: (1) construct a single unified inference about
what the combined evidence of both passages reveals that neither reveals alone;
(2) identify the TWO most important facts—one from each passage—that you would
need a policymaker to understand before designing any ocean plastic solution;
(3) evaluate which type of harm described across both passages is hardest to
reverse, and explain what evidence leads you to this conclusion; and (4)
construct your own inference about what the existence of the plastisphere reveals
about the long-term relationship between human technological civilization and
natural systems—an inference that goes beyond anything either passage states
explicitly.
DOK 4 · CRM
D-4
SECTION F — DETECTIVE JOURNAL (4 pts each)
DOK 2–3
| CRM B-2 / C-3 | The
detective journal trains the habit of inference. For each prompt, write 2–4
sentences explaining your reasoning. Show your "clues → conclusion"
thinking.
Clue File
1: Passage A states that plastic
"does not dissolve or go away." Based on this fact alone, construct a
specific inference about what the ocean will look like in 200 years if
production continues.
Clue File
2: Passage B states that plastic-eating
bacteria could have "unforeseen ecological effects." Using only
evidence already in Passage B, infer TWO specific effects that might be
"unforeseen."
Clue File
3: Both passages describe a problem that
gets harder to solve the longer it continues. What general principle about
complex environmental problems can you infer from this shared pattern?
ASSESSMENT SCORING GUIDE
|
Section |
Possible |
Earned |
DOK |
CRM Cell |
|
Sec A: Single-Passage
Inference MC (×8) |
16 |
___ |
2–4 |
B-2 / C-3 / D-4 |
|
Sec B: Cross-Paragraph
Synthesis MC (×6) |
12 |
___ |
3–4 |
C-3 / D-4 |
|
Sec C: Dual-Passage
Synthesis MC (×6) |
12 |
___ |
3–4 |
C-3 / D-4 |
|
Sec D: Short Answer (×2) |
20 |
___ |
3–4 |
C-3 / D-4 |
|
Sec E: Extended Synthesis
Essay |
20 |
___ |
4 |
D-4 |
|
Sec F: Prediction &
Projection (×4) |
8 |
___ |
3 |
C-3 |
|
Sec G: Detective Journal
(open) |
12 |
___ |
2–3 |
B-2 / C-3 |
|
TOTAL |
100 |
___ |
— |
— |
Grade 3
— Ocean Plastics / The Plastisphere
Section A — Single-Passage
Inference MC (Q1–8):
Q1: B
Q2: B
Q3: B
Q4: B
Q5: B
Q6: B
Q7: B
Q8: B
Section B — Cross-Paragraph
& Dual-Passage Synthesis MC (Q9–14):
Q9: B
Q10: B
Q11: B
Q12: B
Q13: B
Q14: B
Section C — Prediction &
Projection MC (Q15–18):
Q15: B
Q16: B
Q17: B
Q18: B
Sections D, E,
F, G: Apply DOK/CRM open-response rubric below.
Grade 4
— Mongol Empire / Pax Mongolica
Section A — Single-Passage
Inference MC (Q1–8):
Q1: B
Q2: B
Q3: B
Q4: B
Q5: B
Q6: B
Q7: B
Q8: B
Section B — Cross-Paragraph
& Dual-Passage Synthesis MC (Q9–14):
Q9: B
Q10: B
Q11: B
Q12: B
Q13: B
Q14: B
Section C — Prediction &
Projection MC (Q15–18):
Q15: B
Q16: B
Q17: B
Q18: B
Sections D, E,
F, G: Apply DOK/CRM open-response rubric below.
Grade 5
— Social Conditions of Science / HeLa Cells
Section A — Single-Passage
Inference MC (Q1–8):
Q1: B
Q2: B
Q3: B
Q4: B
Q5: B
Q6: B
Q7: B
Q8: B
Section B — Cross-Paragraph
& Dual-Passage Synthesis MC (Q9–14):
Q9: B
Q10: B
Q11: B
Q12: B
Q13: B
Q14: B
Section C — Prediction &
Projection MC (Q15–18):
Q15: B
Q16: B
Q17: B
Q18: B
Sections D, E,
F, G: Apply DOK/CRM open-response rubric below.
Grade 6
— Architecture of Tragedy / Antigone
Section A — Single-Passage
Inference MC (Q1–8):
Q1: B
Q2: B
Q3: B
Q4: B
Q5: B
Q6: B
Q7: B
Q8: B
Section B — Cross-Paragraph
& Dual-Passage Synthesis MC (Q9–14):
Q9: B
Q10: B
Q11: B
Q12: B
Q13: B
Q14: B
Section C — Prediction &
Projection MC (Q15–18):
Q15: B
Q16: B
Q17: B
Q18: B
Sections D, E,
F, G: Apply DOK/CRM open-response rubric below.
Grade 7
— Sovereignty & R2P / Syria Trilemma
Section A — Single-Passage
Inference MC (Q1–8):
Q1: B
Q2: B
Q3: B
Q4: B
Q5: B
Q6: B
Q7: B
Q8: B
Section B — Cross-Paragraph
& Dual-Passage Synthesis MC (Q9–14):
Q9: B
Q10: B
Q11: B
Q12: B
Q13: B
Q14: B
Section C — Prediction &
Projection MC (Q15–18):
Q15: B
Q16: B
Q17: B
Q18: B
Sections D, E,
F, G: Apply DOK/CRM open-response rubric below.
Grade 8
— Economic Paradigms / 2008 Crisis
Section A — Single-Passage
Inference MC (Q1–8):
Q1: B
Q2: B
Q3: B
Q4: B
Q5: B
Q6: B
Q7: B
Q8: B
Section B — Cross-Paragraph
& Dual-Passage Synthesis MC (Q9–14):
Q9: B
Q10: B
Q11: B
Q12: B
Q13: B
Q14: B
Section C — Prediction &
Projection MC (Q15–18):
Q15: B
Q16: B
Q17: B
Q18: B
Sections D, E,
F, G: Apply DOK/CRM open-response rubric below.
DOK / CRM Inference &
Synthesis Rubric
|
Score |
DOK |
Inference Quality |
Evidence Use |
Synthesis & Register |
|
18–20 |
4 |
Original insight; goes
beyond both passages; identifies unstated implications |
Cites specific evidence from
both passages; no unsupported claims |
Tier 3 vocabulary; formal
register; cross-passage synthesis |
|
14–17 |
3 |
Strong inference; connects
passages; mostly beyond summary |
Mostly accurate citations;
strong use of at least one passage |
Tier 2; generally formal;
partial cross-passage work |
|
9–13 |
2 |
Some inference; partially
beyond summary; may conflate with stated content |
General references; may
paraphrase rather than cite |
Mixed register; one passage
only or surface synthesis |
|
0–8 |
1 |
Restates passage content; no
genuine inference |
Vague or absent evidence |
Informal language; no
cross-passage engagement |
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