Read this poem, which is a true story about a young girl named Kate Shelley who lived in Iowa in 1881. Then answer the questions. Some questions may ask you about certain lines in this poem. The numbers are found on the left side of the poem.

Kate Shelley by Ann Whitford Paul 1

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Lightning ripped apart the sky. Thunder pounded loud, hammering relentlessly. Rain pelted from the clouds. Kate Shelley trembled—Mother, too—at the raging storm. They moved in closer to their hearth, dry and safe and warm. Then on the tracks nearby their home, men rode a service train to check the rails for damage caused by so much pouring rain. Kate heard its bell toll once, twice, and then a roar of sound, as if the thunder rumbled in the belly of the ground. Kate grabbed her lantern. Mother begged her, “Stay!” but Kate dashed out. The bridge was smashed! The train had crashed! Two men clung desperately to trees. Kate started into town for help. The path was overgrown—she tripped and tumbled down. Kate stood again and ran until she reached Des Moines’ wide river. The water lapped the railroad bridge. Her lantern’s small flame quivered. Then it died! Kate strained to see the ties placed far apart, stooped down to her knees, and groped on through the dark. Jabbed by splinters, ripped by nails, she crawled along the planks—across a span, five hundred feet. At last she reached the bank. Cold and wet seeped to her bones, yet still she ran—raced fast!—to town. The people there were horrified. They gasped and hurried with her to the train. Though nearly drained of hope, the men were pulled to safety with a long and looping rope. Kate Shelley didn’t wait for thanks, but trudged on through the storm, back to Mother, back to home, dry and safe and warm. 0607

“Kate Shelley” by Ann Whitford Paul from ALL BY HERSELF, copyright © 1999 by Ann Whitford Paul, reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. This material may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

1. Who is telling Kate’s story in this poem? A. B. C. D. 150345-0607

A mother in 1881 A girl who saves two men An unnamed speaker One of the rescued men

1. Which event occurs first in the poem? A. B. C. D. 150346-0607

Kate trips on the path to town. The people in town rush to help. Men ride a service train. Kate dashes out of her house.

1. In line 2, what does the word relentlessly mean? A. B. C. D. 150341-0607

Under a cloudy sky Without making a difference Above the house With great force

1. Why are the men in the poem riding a service train? A. B. C. D. 150342-0607

Because passenger trains do not run in rain To see whether the rails are damaged To alert people that the bridge has been smashed Because the bell they toll warns people

1. How does Kate’s mother react when Kate grabs a lantern? A. B. C. D. 150343-0607

She falls to her knees. She begs her to stay inside. She trembles at the raging storm. She starts to town for help.

1. In line 10, what does the phrase “as if the thunder rumbled in the belly of the ground” describe? A. B. C. D. 150350-0607

The sound of the crashing bridge The way rain pelts from the clouds The lapping of water against the bridge The lightning ripping across the sky

1. Kate crawls across the bridge because A. B. C. D. 150348-0607

the bridge is made of planks. the bridge is five hundred feet long. she trips and falls down. she can no longer see where to step.

1. The people of the town save the 2 men by A. B. C. D. 150349-0607

using a long, looped rope. leaping into the river. crawling along the planks. lowering Kate to the bridge.

1. Why did the poet most likely write this poem? A. B. C. D. 150340-0607

To inform readers about thunderstorms To compare life in 1881 with life today To persuade people to build better bridges To tell an exciting tale about a young girl’s bravery

Please write your response in the space below. 1. Describe Kate Shelley’s character and use details from the poem to support your description.

150353-0607

MCA-II Item Sampler Answer Key Grade 5 Reading Item #

Correct Answer

Item Type

Strand

SubStrand

Benchmark

Cognitive Level

150345-0607 150346-0607 150341-0607 150342-0607 150343-0607 150350-0607 150348-0607 150349-0607 150340-0607 150353-0607

C C D B B A D A D See Annotation

MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC CR

I I I I I I I I I I

D C B D D D D C C D

6 13 4 8 2 7 8 7 11 8

B B A A A C B A C C

MCA-II Item Sampler Rubric, Sample Responses and Answer Annotations Grade 5 Reading Rubric: Score 4

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Description Response includes a description of Kate Shelley’s character. The response includes extensive/elaborated examples from the poem to support the description. Response includes a description of Kate Shelley’s character. The response includes essential/necessary examples from the poem to support the description. Response includes a description of Kate Shelley’s character. The response includes partial examples from the poem to support the description. Response includes a minimally developed description of Kate Shelley’s character. The response includes few or no examples from the poem to support the description. Response is incorrect or irrelevant.

Sample Response: Kate Shelley is a brave young girl who faces down challenges in order to save two men. She’s afraid of the thunderstorm, but immediately after a loud crash is heard, she rushes outside to see what has happened even though her mother begs her not to go. When Kate sees two men clinging to trees, she realizes that the bridge went out, taking their train with it. She heads to town to get help. Although she falls and her lantern goes out, she doesn’t give up. To cross a bridge in the dark, she crawls along the planks, dealing with splinters and nails. Although she is very cold and wet, she races to town to get help. Because of her courage, the townspeople are able to save the men. She is a true hero. She was not trying to be a hero, and she wasn’t helping just to receive praise and thanks. She did what she did because she cared and wanted to help.

Score Point: 4 Response includes a description of Kate Shelley's character. (Brave!... Daring!... Relentless!... Caring!). The response includes extensive/elaborated examples from the poem to support the description. (She went out in the storm by herself with only a lantern... risked getting hurt and lost… didn’t turn around and go home when her lantern went out or when she hurt herself… went into the storm risking her life to save two men instead of staying warm and dry).

Score Point: 4 Response includes a description of Kate Shelley's character. (….a brave girl …. she never gave up. …. She had endurance) The response includes extensive/elaborated examples from the poem to support the description. (She kept going even when her lantern burned out & when she stumbled down she came back up. When her lantern burned she crawled across the bridge instead & she was jabbed with splinters ripped by nails. She kept on going the whole 500 ft.)

Score Point: 3 Response includes a description of Kate Shelley's character. (….is brave …. good at not giving up) The response includes essential/necessary examples from the poem to support the description. (….it’s raining hard and dangerous outside but she goes outside anyway and she crawls across a span of 500 feet on a bridge. ….her light died she kept going and she kept going when she was high up and when she couldn’t see and when she got cut and hurt)

Score Point: 3 Response includes a description of Kate Shelley's character. (brave and courageous ) The response includes essential/necessary examples from the poem to support the description. (She went out at night during a very hard scary thunderstorm to get help from the townspeople …. she crawled on her knees on a 500 ft. high bridge when she couldn't see a thing …. she kept running and running even though she was cold tired and very wet )

Score Point: 2 Response includes a description of Kate Shelley's character. (a brave girl) The response includes partial examples from the poem to support the description. (she went outside during a big storm …. when she went out into the night to find help for the men.)

Score Point: 2 Response includes a description of Kate Shelley's character. (very brave and disobedient) The response includes partial examples from the poem to support the description. (to go out in the thunderstorm & she went outside against a mom's advice )

Score Point: 1 Response includes a minimally developed description of Kate Shelley's character. (brave and daring & willing to take chances) The response includes few or no examples from the poem to support the description. (….save other people)

Score Point: 1 Response includes a minimally developed description of Kate Shelley's character. (a brave little girl) The response includes few or no examples from the poem to support the description. (….rescue people)

Score Point: 0 Response is incorrect or irrelevant.

Score Point: 0 Response is incorrect or irrelevant.