Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

Sample Formative Assessments

Sample Formative Assessments for the Standard (RL)

Theme Exploration Project: ● Activity: Students read a short story or an excerpt from a novel, then create a project (poster, slideshow, or written report) identifying the theme. They must include at least three pieces of textual evidence that illustrate the theme and explain how each piece of evidence supports it.

● Objective: To assess students' ability to identify and support the theme with specifc details from the text.

Confict Response Journal: ● Activity: Students choose a character from a story and write a series of journal entries from the character's perspective, focusing on their responses to conficts throughout the story. Each entry must cite specifc incidents from the text and refect on how these conficts shape the character's development. ● Objective: To assess students' understanding of character development and their ability to use textual evidence to support their analysis. Sample Formative Assessments for the Standard (RI) Main Idea and Key Details Graphic Organizer: ● Activity: Students read an informational article and fll out a graphic organizer that helps them identify the main idea and list at least three key details that support it. They must also explain how each detail supports the main idea.

● Objective: To assess students' ability to identify the main idea and key supporting details in an informational text.

Text Summary Assignment: ● Activity: Students read an informational text and write a summary that captures the main idea and key supporting details. The summary should be clear and concise, demonstrating their understanding of the text’s core message and supporting points. ● Objective: To assess students' ability to summarize an informational text, highlighting the main idea and key supporting details.

Last Updated May 30th, 2024 Middle School ELA, Page 92