6th Grade ELA

Using the text below, what does the point of view used in the passage help the reader understand?

Radha’s Prize

by Andal Ananthanarayanan

1 Radha felt happy and satisfied. She had decided to participate in the “Grow a Plant and Win a Prize” contest. She had no experience in growing plants, but she was quite enthusiastic about joining the competition and winning a prize. She kept the whole idea a secret. Radha did not even tell her mother or her sister about her plan.

2 She knew plants needed soil and water and if you put the seeds in soil, they would grow. She was quite optimistic and did not expect any setback. So, with all the enthusiasm of a child, Radha took a small earthen pot and put some soil in it. She collected a few balsam 1 seeds from the nearby park and put them in the soil, added a little water and kept the pot in a dark corner inside the house where nobody would notice it. Every morning and evening she would take a look at the pot.

3 Her joy was great when she spotted the small seedlings trying to push their way through the soil after two days. Four days later the plants had grown a few inches, but there was something wrong with them. They all appeared thin and spineless and pale. Radha was greatly puzzled. The more she looked at them, the sadder she became and unable to control her disappointment, she started crying. First it was a low whimper and then a loud cry.

4 Her elder sister, Rekha, was surprised to see Radha huddled up in the corner, crying. After making sure Radha was not injured, Rekha asked her why she was crying. Radha kept quiet for some time, then slowly divulged her secret and her disappointment. At that, her sister smiled and said, “How do you expect the plants to grow normally in the dark? Put them in light and see for yourself.”

5 Radha smiled weakly and decided all was not lost yet. She put the pot in the window and went to school. In the evening, as soon as she returned from school, she went to the window and to her great surprise, she saw all the plants turned to one side. They all seemed to be trying to look out of the window. The next evening she found some of the plants growing crookedly.

6 She went to Rekha and said, “My plants are still not growing properly. I have put them in the window and they are all growing crookedly.”

7 Rekha said, “Radha, did I not ask you to put them in the sun? Put them in the courtyard outside and see what happens.” Radha did as Rekha suggested.

8 Four days passed and to her great delight, all the plants were quite green and healthy. She observed how beautiful the tender leaves looked with their fresh green color and serrated edges.

9 Radha looked in the small picture diary her mother had given her for her birthday. There were exactly ten days before “D-day.” 2 She watered the plants daily. One day she noticed that in one of the plants there was only half a leaf. The other portion seemed to have been chewed away. Again, her plants seemed threatened.

10 She hurried inside the house and called Rekha. Her sister came and spotted a small green caterpillar that was chewing the leaf. Rekha immediately brought some white powder and sprayed it over the leaves. The caterpillar fell down from the plant and Radha heaved a sigh of relief.

11 Thinking about her plants that night she wondered how long it would take them to flower. She was friendly with the neighbor’s maali and decided to ask him what she could do. She somehow wanted them to bloom on “D-day.”

12 Next day Radha asked him quietly, without attracting attention.

13 The old gardener was very kind. He said, “Radha, see this white powder? This is very good for your plants. I will give you a teaspoon of it. Dissolve it in water and sprinkle it on the plants. Be careful and wash your hands immediately afterwards.”

14 Radha did as advised. A week passed; nothing happened. She became very restless and anxious. She did not want to miss the prize. She watched the plants closely and soon to her greatest surprise, she found small buds. Her hard work was being rewarded. Two days later she could see the color on the buds.

15 On the morning of the prize distribution, Radha could not control her impatience. She ran out at first light and there stood her plants blooming in all their glory, gleaming with dew drops. She looked at the flowers. They really were the biggest balsams she had ever seen and their color was also peculiar. They were mauve with thin white stripes. She wanted to take them immediately to the pandal (tent) where the plants were to be displayed but had to wait till 10 o’clock. Then, dressed in her best clothes, she proudly took the pot to the pandal.

16 Even as she entered the pandal, people remarked about the lovely color of her blooms. None of them had seen such beautiful balsams and such big ones too. As expected, Radha’s plants were judged as the best and she got the prize. The organizers said that it was a new variety of balsam and named it “Radha”!

1balsam: any of various trees giving a fragrant substance

2D-day: the day on which a project is to be initiated

“Radha’s Prize” by Andal Ananthanarayanan from 24 Short Stories, copyright © 1991 by Children’s Book Trust. Used by permission of Children’s Book Trust.

• Radha’s thoughts and feelings about her experiences

• how the judges determined who would win the prize

• Rekha’s feelings about the actions of her sister

• how much the gardener understands about gardening

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.1.6

Using the text below, what does Radha learn by participating in the “Grow a Plant and Win a Prize” contest??

Radha’s Prize

by Andal Ananthanarayanan

1 Radha felt happy and satisfied. She had decided to participate in the “Grow a Plant and Win a Prize” contest. She had no experience in growing plants, but she was quite enthusiastic about joining the competition and winning a prize. She kept the whole idea a secret. Radha did not even tell her mother or her sister about her plan.

2 She knew plants needed soil and water and if you put the seeds in soil, they would grow. She was quite optimistic and did not expect any setback. So, with all the enthusiasm of a child, Radha took a small earthen pot and put some soil in it. She collected a few balsam 1 seeds from the nearby park and put them in the soil, added a little water and kept the pot in a dark corner inside the house where nobody would notice it. Every morning and evening she would take a look at the pot.

3 Her joy was great when she spotted the small seedlings trying to push their way through the soil after two days. Four days later the plants had grown a few inches, but there was something wrong with them. They all appeared thin and spineless and pale. Radha was greatly puzzled. The more she looked at them, the sadder she became and unable to control her disappointment, she started crying. First it was a low whimper and then a loud cry.

4 Her elder sister, Rekha, was surprised to see Radha huddled up in the corner, crying. After making sure Radha was not injured, Rekha asked her why she was crying. Radha kept quiet for some time, then slowly divulged her secret and her disappointment. At that, her sister smiled and said, “How do you expect the plants to grow normally in the dark? Put them in light and see for yourself.”

5 Radha smiled weakly and decided all was not lost yet. She put the pot in the window and went to school. In the evening, as soon as she returned from school, she went to the window and to her great surprise, she saw all the plants turned to one side. They all seemed to be trying to look out of the window. The next evening she found some of the plants growing crookedly.

6 She went to Rekha and said, “My plants are still not growing properly. I have put them in the window and they are all growing crookedly.”

7 Rekha said, “Radha, did I not ask you to put them in the sun? Put them in the courtyard outside and see what happens.” Radha did as Rekha suggested.

8 Four days passed and to her great delight, all the plants were quite green and healthy. She observed how beautiful the tender leaves looked with their fresh green color and serrated edges.

9 Radha looked in the small picture diary her mother had given her for her birthday. There were exactly ten days before “D-day.” 2 She watered the plants daily. One day she noticed that in one of the plants there was only half a leaf. The other portion seemed to have been chewed away. Again, her plants seemed threatened.

10 She hurried inside the house and called Rekha. Her sister came and spotted a small green caterpillar that was chewing the leaf. Rekha immediately brought some white powder and sprayed it over the leaves. The caterpillar fell down from the plant and Radha heaved a sigh of relief.

11 Thinking about her plants that night she wondered how long it would take them to flower. She was friendly with the neighbor’s maali and decided to ask him what she could do. She somehow wanted them to bloom on “D-day.”

12 Next day Radha asked him quietly, without attracting attention.

13 The old gardener was very kind. He said, “Radha, see this white powder? This is very good for your plants. I will give you a teaspoon of it. Dissolve it in water and sprinkle it on the plants. Be careful and wash your hands immediately afterwards.”

14 Radha did as advised. A week passed; nothing happened. She became very restless and anxious. She did not want to miss the prize. She watched the plants closely and soon to her greatest surprise, she found small buds. Her hard work was being rewarded. Two days later she could see the color on the buds.

15 On the morning of the prize distribution, Radha could not control her impatience. She ran out at first light and there stood her plants blooming in all their glory, gleaming with dew drops. She looked at the flowers. They really were the biggest balsams she had ever seen and their color was also peculiar. They were mauve with thin white stripes. She wanted to take them immediately to the pandal (tent) where the plants were to be displayed but had to wait till 10 o’clock. Then, dressed in her best clothes, she proudly took the pot to the pandal.

16 Even as she entered the pandal, people remarked about the lovely color of her blooms. None of them had seen such beautiful balsams and such big ones too. As expected, Radha’s plants were judged as the best and she got the prize. The organizers said that it was a new variety of balsam and named it “Radha”!

1balsam: any of various trees giving a fragrant substance

2D-day: the day on which a project is to be initiated

“Radha’s Prize” by Andal Ananthanarayanan from 24 Short Stories, copyright © 1991 by Children’s Book Trust. Used by permission of Children’s Book Trust.

• Having a good attitude about gardening is the key to having healthy plants.

• Plants will grow more successfully with the help of a professional.

• Plants need particular conditions in order to grow successfully.

• Gardening is a challenging process that may fail to produce healthy plants.gs about the actions of her sister

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

Read the sentence from Paragraph 13.

“Dissolve it in water and sprinkle it on the plants.”

As used in the sentence, what does dissolve mean?

Radha’s Prize

by Andal Ananthanarayanan

1 Radha felt happy and satisfied. She had decided to participate in the “Grow a Plant and Win a Prize” contest. She had no experience in growing plants, but she was quite enthusiastic about joining the competition and winning a prize. She kept the whole idea a secret. Radha did not even tell her mother or her sister about her plan.

2 She knew plants needed soil and water and if you put the seeds in soil, they would grow. She was quite optimistic and did not expect any setback. So, with all the enthusiasm of a child, Radha took a small earthen pot and put some soil in it. She collected a few balsam 1 seeds from the nearby park and put them in the soil, added a little water and kept the pot in a dark corner inside the house where nobody would notice it. Every morning and evening she would take a look at the pot.

3 Her joy was great when she spotted the small seedlings trying to push their way through the soil after two days. Four days later the plants had grown a few inches, but there was something wrong with them. They all appeared thin and spineless and pale. Radha was greatly puzzled. The more she looked at them, the sadder she became and unable to control her disappointment, she started crying. First it was a low whimper and then a loud cry.

4 Her elder sister, Rekha, was surprised to see Radha huddled up in the corner, crying. After making sure Radha was not injured, Rekha asked her why she was crying. Radha kept quiet for some time, then slowly divulged her secret and her disappointment. At that, her sister smiled and said, “How do you expect the plants to grow normally in the dark? Put them in light and see for yourself.”

5 Radha smiled weakly and decided all was not lost yet. She put the pot in the window and went to school. In the evening, as soon as she returned from school, she went to the window and to her great surprise, she saw all the plants turned to one side. They all seemed to be trying to look out of the window. The next evening she found some of the plants growing crookedly.

6 She went to Rekha and said, “My plants are still not growing properly. I have put them in the window and they are all growing crookedly.”

7 Rekha said, “Radha, did I not ask you to put them in the sun? Put them in the courtyard outside and see what happens.” Radha did as Rekha suggested.

8 Four days passed and to her great delight, all the plants were quite green and healthy. She observed how beautiful the tender leaves looked with their fresh green color and serrated edges.

9 Radha looked in the small picture diary her mother had given her for her birthday. There were exactly ten days before “D-day.” 2 She watered the plants daily. One day she noticed that in one of the plants there was only half a leaf. The other portion seemed to have been chewed away. Again, her plants seemed threatened.

10 She hurried inside the house and called Rekha. Her sister came and spotted a small green caterpillar that was chewing the leaf. Rekha immediately brought some white powder and sprayed it over the leaves. The caterpillar fell down from the plant and Radha heaved a sigh of relief.

11 Thinking about her plants that night she wondered how long it would take them to flower. She was friendly with the neighbor’s maali and decided to ask him what she could do. She somehow wanted them to bloom on “D-day.”

12 Next day Radha asked him quietly, without attracting attention.

13 The old gardener was very kind. He said, “Radha, see this white powder? This is very good for your plants. I will give you a teaspoon of it. Dissolve it in water and sprinkle it on the plants. Be careful and wash your hands immediately afterwards.”

14 Radha did as advised. A week passed; nothing happened. She became very restless and anxious. She did not want to miss the prize. She watched the plants closely and soon to her greatest surprise, she found small buds. Her hard work was being rewarded. Two days later she could see the color on the buds.

15 On the morning of the prize distribution, Radha could not control her impatience. She ran out at first light and there stood her plants blooming in all their glory, gleaming with dew drops. She looked at the flowers. They really were the biggest balsams she had ever seen and their color was also peculiar. They were mauve with thin white stripes. She wanted to take them immediately to the pandal (tent) where the plants were to be displayed but had to wait till 10 o’clock. Then, dressed in her best clothes, she proudly took the pot to the pandal.

16 Even as she entered the pandal, people remarked about the lovely color of her blooms. None of them had seen such beautiful balsams and such big ones too. As expected, Radha’s plants were judged as the best and she got the prize. The organizers said that it was a new variety of balsam and named it “Radha”!

1balsam: any of various trees giving a fragrant substance

2D-day: the day on which a project is to be initiated

“Radha’s Prize” by Andal Ananthanarayanan from 24 Short Stories, copyright © 1991 by Children’s Book Trust. Used by permission of Children’s Book Trust.

• leave in the sun so that the powder dries out

• grind up so that the powder becomes very fine

• stir until the powder is absorbed into the water

• melt over high heat until the powder becomes liquid

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.5.3

CCSS.RI.7.3

Using the text below, how does the author organize the information in this passage?

Radha’s Prize

by Andal Ananthanarayanan

1 Radha felt happy and satisfied. She had decided to participate in the “Grow a Plant and Win a Prize” contest. She had no experience in growing plants, but she was quite enthusiastic about joining the competition and winning a prize. She kept the whole idea a secret. Radha did not even tell her mother or her sister about her plan.

2 She knew plants needed soil and water and if you put the seeds in soil, they would grow. She was quite optimistic and did not expect any setback. So, with all the enthusiasm of a child, Radha took a small earthen pot and put some soil in it. She collected a few balsam 1 seeds from the nearby park and put them in the soil, added a little water and kept the pot in a dark corner inside the house where nobody would notice it. Every morning and evening she would take a look at the pot.

3 Her joy was great when she spotted the small seedlings trying to push their way through the soil after two days. Four days later the plants had grown a few inches, but there was something wrong with them. They all appeared thin and spineless and pale. Radha was greatly puzzled. The more she looked at them, the sadder she became and unable to control her disappointment, she started crying. First it was a low whimper and then a loud cry.

4 Her elder sister, Rekha, was surprised to see Radha huddled up in the corner, crying. After making sure Radha was not injured, Rekha asked her why she was crying. Radha kept quiet for some time, then slowly divulged her secret and her disappointment. At that, her sister smiled and said, “How do you expect the plants to grow normally in the dark? Put them in light and see for yourself.”

5 Radha smiled weakly and decided all was not lost yet. She put the pot in the window and went to school. In the evening, as soon as she returned from school, she went to the window and to her great surprise, she saw all the plants turned to one side. They all seemed to be trying to look out of the window. The next evening she found some of the plants growing crookedly.

6 She went to Rekha and said, “My plants are still not growing properly. I have put them in the window and they are all growing crookedly.”

7 Rekha said, “Radha, did I not ask you to put them in the sun? Put them in the courtyard outside and see what happens.” Radha did as Rekha suggested.

8 Four days passed and to her great delight, all the plants were quite green and healthy. She observed how beautiful the tender leaves looked with their fresh green color and serrated edges.

9 Radha looked in the small picture diary her mother had given her for her birthday. There were exactly ten days before “D-day.” 2 She watered the plants daily. One day she noticed that in one of the plants there was only half a leaf. The other portion seemed to have been chewed away. Again, her plants seemed threatened.

10 She hurried inside the house and called Rekha. Her sister came and spotted a small green caterpillar that was chewing the leaf. Rekha immediately brought some white powder and sprayed it over the leaves. The caterpillar fell down from the plant and Radha heaved a sigh of relief.

11 Thinking about her plants that night she wondered how long it would take them to flower. She was friendly with the neighbor’s maali and decided to ask him what she could do. She somehow wanted them to bloom on “D-day.”

12 Next day Radha asked him quietly, without attracting attention.

13 The old gardener was very kind. He said, “Radha, see this white powder? This is very good for your plants. I will give you a teaspoon of it. Dissolve it in water and sprinkle it on the plants. Be careful and wash your hands immediately afterwards.”

14 Radha did as advised. A week passed; nothing happened. She became very restless and anxious. She did not want to miss the prize. She watched the plants closely and soon to her greatest surprise, she found small buds. Her hard work was being rewarded. Two days later she could see the color on the buds.

15 On the morning of the prize distribution, Radha could not control her impatience. She ran out at first light and there stood her plants blooming in all their glory, gleaming with dew drops. She looked at the flowers. They really were the biggest balsams she had ever seen and their color was also peculiar. They were mauve with thin white stripes. She wanted to take them immediately to the pandal (tent) where the plants were to be displayed but had to wait till 10 o’clock. Then, dressed in her best clothes, she proudly took the pot to the pandal.

16 Even as she entered the pandal, people remarked about the lovely color of her blooms. None of them had seen such beautiful balsams and such big ones too. As expected, Radha’s plants were judged as the best and she got the prize. The organizers said that it was a new variety of balsam and named it “Radha”!

1balsam: any of various trees giving a fragrant substance

2D-day: the day on which a project is to be initiated

“Radha’s Prize” by Andal Ananthanarayanan from 24 Short Stories, copyright © 1991 by Children’s Book Trust. Used by permission of Children’s Book Trust.

• by giving the reasons why Radha desired to win the prize

• by narrating Radha’s actions in chronological order

• by listing the steps in growing Radha’s plant

• by comparing Radha’s plant with the plant her sister was growing

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.10

CCSS.RI.6.10

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RL.5.6

Read the sentence from the passage.

She was quite optimistic and did not expect any setback.

What does the word optimistic mean?

Radha’s Prize

by Andal Ananthanarayanan

1 Radha felt happy and satisfied. She had decided to participate in the “Grow a Plant and Win a Prize” contest. She had no experience in growing plants, but she was quite enthusiastic about joining the competition and winning a prize. She kept the whole idea a secret. Radha did not even tell her mother or her sister about her plan.

2 She knew plants needed soil and water and if you put the seeds in soil, they would grow. She was quite optimistic and did not expect any setback. So, with all the enthusiasm of a child, Radha took a small earthen pot and put some soil in it. She collected a few balsam 1 seeds from the nearby park and put them in the soil, added a little water and kept the pot in a dark corner inside the house where nobody would notice it. Every morning and evening she would take a look at the pot.

3 Her joy was great when she spotted the small seedlings trying to push their way through the soil after two days. Four days later the plants had grown a few inches, but there was something wrong with them. They all appeared thin and spineless and pale. Radha was greatly puzzled. The more she looked at them, the sadder she became and unable to control her disappointment, she started crying. First it was a low whimper and then a loud cry.

4 Her elder sister, Rekha, was surprised to see Radha huddled up in the corner, crying. After making sure Radha was not injured, Rekha asked her why she was crying. Radha kept quiet for some time, then slowly divulged her secret and her disappointment. At that, her sister smiled and said, “How do you expect the plants to grow normally in the dark? Put them in light and see for yourself.”

5 Radha smiled weakly and decided all was not lost yet. She put the pot in the window and went to school. In the evening, as soon as she returned from school, she went to the window and to her great surprise, she saw all the plants turned to one side. They all seemed to be trying to look out of the window. The next evening she found some of the plants growing crookedly.

6 She went to Rekha and said, “My plants are still not growing properly. I have put them in the window and they are all growing crookedly.”

7 Rekha said, “Radha, did I not ask you to put them in the sun? Put them in the courtyard outside and see what happens.” Radha did as Rekha suggested.

8 Four days passed and to her great delight, all the plants were quite green and healthy. She observed how beautiful the tender leaves looked with their fresh green color and serrated edges.

9 Radha looked in the small picture diary her mother had given her for her birthday. There were exactly ten days before “D-day.” 2 She watered the plants daily. One day she noticed that in one of the plants there was only half a leaf. The other portion seemed to have been chewed away. Again, her plants seemed threatened.

10 She hurried inside the house and called Rekha. Her sister came and spotted a small green caterpillar that was chewing the leaf. Rekha immediately brought some white powder and sprayed it over the leaves. The caterpillar fell down from the plant and Radha heaved a sigh of relief.

11 Thinking about her plants that night she wondered how long it would take them to flower. She was friendly with the neighbor’s maali and decided to ask him what she could do. She somehow wanted them to bloom on “D-day.”

12 Next day Radha asked him quietly, without attracting attention.

13 The old gardener was very kind. He said, “Radha, see this white powder? This is very good for your plants. I will give you a teaspoon of it. Dissolve it in water and sprinkle it on the plants. Be careful and wash your hands immediately afterwards.”

14 Radha did as advised. A week passed; nothing happened. She became very restless and anxious. She did not want to miss the prize. She watched the plants closely and soon to her greatest surprise, she found small buds. Her hard work was being rewarded. Two days later she could see the color on the buds.

15 On the morning of the prize distribution, Radha could not control her impatience. She ran out at first light and there stood her plants blooming in all their glory, gleaming with dew drops. She looked at the flowers. They really were the biggest balsams she had ever seen and their color was also peculiar. They were mauve with thin white stripes. She wanted to take them immediately to the pandal (tent) where the plants were to be displayed but had to wait till 10 o’clock. Then, dressed in her best clothes, she proudly took the pot to the pandal.

16 Even as she entered the pandal, people remarked about the lovely color of her blooms. None of them had seen such beautiful balsams and such big ones too. As expected, Radha’s plants were judged as the best and she got the prize. The organizers said that it was a new variety of balsam and named it “Radha”!

1balsam: any of various trees giving a fragrant substance

2D-day: the day on which a project is to be initiated

“Radha’s Prize” by Andal Ananthanarayanan from 24 Short Stories, copyright © 1991 by Children’s Book Trust. Used by permission of Children’s Book Trust.

• experiencing happiness

• anticipating good results

• looking back on memories

• preparing for future events

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Not a graded Question

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