The Debt We Owe the Adolescent Brain
Authored by Adrienne Divin
English
8th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 1K+ times
AI Actions
Add similar questions
Adjust reading levels
Convert to real-world scenario
Translate activity
More...
About
This quiz focuses on reading comprehension and text analysis skills centered around an informational article about adolescent brain development. The questions assess 8th grade level abilities including vocabulary in context, determining author's purpose, analyzing organizational patterns, identifying main ideas supported by evidence, and synthesizing information across multiple sections of a text. Students need strong foundational skills in close reading, the ability to distinguish between different definitions of words based on context clues, and competency in recognizing how authors structure arguments and use evidence to support their thesis. The core concepts required include understanding text structure and organizational patterns, recognizing author's purpose and perspective, making inferences based on textual evidence, and analyzing how different sections of a text work together to develop the author's central argument about the evolutionary advantages of the adolescent brain. Created by Adrienne Divin, an English teacher in the US who teaches grade 8. This quiz serves multiple instructional purposes as both a formative and summative assessment tool for students working with complex informational texts. Teachers can use this as a follow-up assessment after students have read and discussed the article, as homework to reinforce close reading skills, or as review material before standardized testing. The questions effectively prepare students for the types of text analysis they will encounter on state assessments while building critical thinking skills around scientific and informational texts. This assessment aligns with Common Core standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4 for determining technical word meanings, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6 for analyzing author's purpose and point of view, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.5 for analyzing text structure and how it supports the author's ideas.
Content View
Student View
12 questions
Show all answers
1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
The word pruning in paragraph 3 means:
Connecting
Overproducing
Growing
Eliminating
Tags
CCSS.RI.8.4
CCSS.RI.9-10.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RI.7.4
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
What idea does the evidence in paragraph 9 support?
The adolescent brain is highly efficient in completing simple tasks.
The adolescent brain is wired to seek safety.
Adolescents do not want to leave home if all of their needs are met.
Adolescents are more sensitive to rewards than children or adults.
Tags
CCSS.RI.7.1
CCSS.RI.8.1
CCSS.RI.8.8
CCSS.RL.7.1
CCSS.RL.8.1
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
What is the author’s main purpose in “The Debt We Owe to the Adolescent Brain”?
To entertain
To persuade
To inform or explain
To express thoughts or feelings
Tags
CCSS.RI.8.6
CCSS.RI.8.9
CCSS.RL.8.6
CCSS.RI. 9-10.6
CCSS.RI.7.6
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
The title of the selection highlights the idea that —
We would be okay without an extended adolescent period to develop our brains
Homo sapiens would die out if they didn’t have their adolescent brains
Brain growth during adolescence correlates to our intelligence as adults
Our brain’s development during adolescence has positive effects on us as adults
Tags
CCSS.RI. 9-10.2
CCSS.RI.7.2
CCSS.RI.8.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RL.7.2
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
The comparison between most mammals and humans in paragraph 2 helps the reader understand that —
Most mammals have a period of adolescence similar to that of other animals
Humans reproduce later in life than most mammals
Humans have a unique period of adolescence compared to most mammals
Most mammals are not protected by their families
Tags
CCSS.RI. 9-10.2
CCSS.RI.7.2
CCSS.RI.8.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
Read the dictionary definition:
Streamline \strēm’līn’\ n 1. a contour designed for decreased air resistance 2. a path of a particle flowing
without turbulence past an object v 3. to make something more efficient or simple 4. to modernize something
Which definition best fits how the word is used in Paragraph 4?
Definition #1
Definition #2
Definition #3
Definition #4
Tags
CCSS.RI.8.4
CCSS.RI.9-10.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
CCSS.RL.9-10.4
7.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
3 mins • 1 pt
The organizational pattern of the section Brain Under Construction allows the author to —
Highlight examples that explain why Neanderthals died out
Explain the effects of gray matter on the adolescent brain
Describe the makeup and composition of the adult brain
Compare and contrast human development with Neanderthals
Tags
CCSS.RI.6.5
CCSS.RI.7.5
CCSS.RI.8.5
CCSS.RI.9-10.5
CCSS.RI.5.5
Access all questions and much more by creating a free account
Create resources
Host any resource
Get auto-graded reports
Continue with Google
Continue with Email
Continue with Classlink
Continue with Clever
or continue with
Microsoft
%20(1).png)
Apple
Others
Already have an account?
