RI.8 CDA Corrective Instruction

The Buffalo Gives
Before the arrival of vast groups of Western Europeans in North America, the land rolled from sea to sea in vast, open tracts. Thousands of animals roamed the enormous American landscape. Salmon and trout swam in clear rivers. Hawks, eagles, and kites soared over mountains and dales. Bears lumbered through woods and over green hills. Most notably, massive herds of buffalo roamed across the vast interior grasslands: no
animal meant more to Native American people than these.

#2. What claim does the author make in the first body paragraph?

A. The Buffalo nickel is one of the most valuable collector's coins.
B. Native Americans utilized almost every part of the buffalo.
C. The buffalo were similar to the periodic table of elements.
D. Tribes used pieces of the buffalo for shelter, warmth, and function.

Adapted from The National Climate Assessment Overview
Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present. Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State, and maple syrup producers in Vermont are all observing climate-related changes that are outside of recent experience. So, too, are coastal planners in Florida, water managers in the arid Southwest, city dwellers from Phoenix to New York, and Native Peoples on tribal lands from Louisiana to Alaska. This National Climate Assessment concludes that the evidence of climate change continues to strengthen, and its increasing impact is felt across the country.

​#5. Which type of evidence does the author include in the first body paragraph to support the claim that climate change is affecting the U.S.?

A. quotations from experts
B. statistics
C. personal observations
D. all of the above

Adapted from The National Climate Assessment Overview
Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present. Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State, and maple syrup producers in Vermont are all observing climate-related changes that are outside of recent experience. So, too, are coastal planners in Florida, water managers in the arid Southwest, city dwellers from Phoenix to New York, and Native Peoples on tribal lands from Louisiana to Alaska. This National Climate Assessment concludes that the evidence of climate change continues to strengthen, and its increasing impact is felt across the country.

#6.Which of the following claims from the passage is not supported with sufficient evidence?

A. Climate change impacts are increasing across the country.
B. The rapid warming of the past half-century is due primarily to human activities.
C. Americans are noticing changes all around them.
D. Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present.

Excerpted from "Crash Test Dummies" by Marvin Ferraz
As soon as we get in a car, there’s something nearly all of us do automatically. No, it’s not turning on the radio or starting the engine. We put on our seatbelts. For many people living in modern day America, buckling up is just a fact of life. Every time we strap ourselves in we actively buy into the idea that seatbelts can save lives. Believe it or not, cars did not always have seatbelts. In addition, when they finally did get installed, not everyone chose to wear them. It took a lot of cultural changes as well as the passage of seatbelt laws in many states for people to get in the habit of buckling up.

​# 8. Which evidence could be added to this passage to support the idea that seatbelts save lives?

A. One cultural barrier to overcome in getting people to buckle up was the idea that tough guys did not wear seatbelts.
B. In the 1990s, a non-profit campaign featuring crash test dummies spread awareness about the advantages of buckling up.
C. The Wisconsin Highway Patrol reports a large percentage increase in the number of seatbelt wearers after the passage of seatbelt laws.
D. The Michigan Department of Transportation provides statistics that shows a decrease in fatalities as more people wear seatbelts.