The Book of Unknown Americans
Authored by Crystal Volcik
English
8th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 257+ times
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About
This quiz centers on literary analysis of "The Book of Unknown Americans," focusing on reading comprehension, character analysis, and thematic understanding at the 8th grade level. Students must demonstrate sophisticated analytical skills to interpret character motivations, identify internal conflicts, analyze cause-and-effect relationships, and recognize literary themes related to cultural identity and immigration experiences. The questions require students to synthesize textual evidence, understand vocabulary in context through etymology and multiple definitions, distinguish between themes and topics, and sequence plot events chronologically. Additionally, students must apply grammar knowledge by identifying pronouns in various sentence structures. The quiz also incorporates background knowledge about Panama's history, connecting literature to social studies content. Students need strong inferential reasoning skills to understand the narrator's complex relationship with his bicultural identity and the family's evolving sense of belonging as they navigate between their Panamanian heritage and American present. Created by Crystal Volcik, an English teacher in the US who teaches grade 8. This comprehensive assessment supports instruction through multiple instructional approaches, serving effectively as a summative assessment following a complete novel study or as formative assessment during guided reading sessions. Teachers can utilize individual sections for targeted skill practice, such as using the vocabulary questions for word study lessons or the sequencing questions for plot analysis activities. The quiz works well for homework assignments that reinforce close reading skills, or as warm-up activities when broken into smaller segments focusing on specific literary elements. The combination of multiple-choice and multiple-select questions allows for efficient grading while still assessing higher-order thinking skills. This assessment aligns with Common Core standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1 for citing textual evidence, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2 for determining themes, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3 for analyzing character development, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4 for determining word meanings, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1 for demonstrating grammar knowledge.
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26 questions
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1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
Which statement best describes the narrator’s internal conflict in the story?
The narrator is pressured by his family about feeling Panamanian and by his peers about not being American, yet he feels more American than Panamanian.
The narrator implies feeling confused when his family appears proud to become American citizens at the courthouse.
The narrator discusses feeling more American than Panamanian, yet his father gets angry when accused of being an American.
The narrator states that he cannot remember anything about living in Panama like his brother who reminisces about his memories.
Tags
CCSS.RL.6.3
CCSS.RL.9-10.3
CCSS.RL.6.6
CCSS.RL.7.6
CCSS.RL.8.6
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
Rafael (the dad) cancels a trip to attend his high school reunion in Panama because he is...
worried about losing his job if he takes too much time off from work.
afraid that someone tried to blow up a plane two days before he was supposed to leave
upset that the neighborhood in his home city has been destroyed
angry about a conversation he had with a former classmate about his plans
Tags
CCSS.RL.6.3
CCSS.RL.9-10.3
CCSS.RL.7.3
CCSS.RL.8.3
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
The novel’s title, The Book of Unknown Americans, emphasizes the idea in the excerpt that the characters struggle to
find out about their past
locate their other family members
fit in with their new culture
return to their former home
Tags
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RL.9-10.2
CCSS.RI. 9-10.9
CCSS.RL.6.2
CCSS.RL.8.2
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
Which character in the story shows the strongest desire to visit Panama?
Mayor (main character)
Enrique (brother)
Celia (mom)
Rafael (dad)
Tags
CCSS.RL.6.3
CCSS.RL.9-10.3
CCSS.RL.6.6
CCSS.RL.7.6
CCSS.RL.8.6
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
“They think we’re Americans now. And maybe we are! Maybe we don’t belong there anymore after all.”
What causes the father to make this statement?
The father regrets leaving Panama because he now knows that his classmates are angry that he left.
The father misunderstands what the class president is trying to say and assumes that he is jealous that the father left Panama and became an American citizen.
The class president suggests that an American citizenship has no value.
The class president accuses the father of being better than everyone who stayed in Panama because the father left and became an American citizen.
Tags
CCSS.RL.7.2
CCSS.RI.7.1
CCSS.RI.8.1
CCSS.RL.7.1
CCSS.RL.8.1
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
In paragraph 22, the word conferring comes from a Latin root word that means to...
count
believe
argue
talk
Tags
CCSS.RI.7.4
CCSS.RI.8.4
CCSS.RI.9-10.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
7.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
5 mins • 1 pt
Which definition most closely matches the way the word froth is used in paragraph 22?
froth \frôth\ n 1. a fit of anger or vexation 2. something unsubstantial or trivial 3. salivary foam released as a result of disease or exhaustion 4. high prices unwarranted by economic fundamentals
definition 1
definition 2
definition 3
none of these
Tags
CCSS.RI.7.4
CCSS.RI.8.4
CCSS.RI.9-10.4
CCSS.RL.7.4
CCSS.RL.8.4
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