2021 NSCAS Grade 8 Classroom Assessment English Language Arts Spanish - Student's Name
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2021 NSCAS Grade 8
Classroom Assessment
English Language Arts
Spanish
Student’s Name:
Nebraska Department of Education 2021Copyright © 2021 by the Nebraska Department of Education. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the Nebraska Department of Education.
2021
Grade 8 - Classroom Assessment
English Language Arts
SpanishARTES DEL LENGUAJE INGLÉS – EVALUACIÓN EN EL AULA
Instrucciones:
En las siguientes páginas de tu cuadernillo están las lecturas y las preguntas de evaluación
en el aula de Artes del Lenguaje Inglés de 8.er Grado del Sistema de Evaluación Centrado
en el Alumno del Estado de Nebraska (NSCAS-ELA).
Lee estas instrucciones cuidadosamente antes de comenzar con le evaluación en el aula.
Esta evaluación en el aula incluirá distintos tipos de preguntas. Algunas de las preguntas
están basadas en una o dos lecturas. En las preguntas de opción múltiple se te pedirá que
selecciones una respuesta entre cuatro opciones. En las preguntas de selección múltiple se
te pedirá que selecciones varias respuestas correctas entre cinco o más opciones. Algunas
preguntas tienen dos partes: Parte A y Parte B. Cada parte tiene una pregunta de opción
múltiple o selección múltiple. En algunas preguntas se te pedirá que construyas una
respuesta siguiendo las instrucciones que se te dan. Encontrarás estas preguntas en tu
cuadernillo de evaluación en el aula.
Para todas las preguntas:
• Lee cada pregunta cuidadosamente y escoge la mejor respuesta.
• Puedes usar papel borrador para escribir notas en él.
• Asegúrate de contestar TODAS las preguntas.
Cuando llegues a la palabra ALTO, habrás finalizado le evaluación en el aula de Artes del
Lenguaje Inglés de 8.er Grado del NSCAS.
5 ALTO.ARTES DEL LENGUAJE INGLÉS – EVALUACIÓN EN EL AULA
Paul R. Williams: Architect
1 Have you ever passed an interesting building or house and wondered who designed it?
Well, if you’re admiring buildings in California, there’s a chance that one of those buildings
was designed by an African American man named Paul Revere Williams.
Sketching Dreams
2 Paul R. Williams was born in Los Angeles on February 18, 1894. During his childhood
Williams could often be found drawing. His best works were of buildings and animals.
A family friend who was a builder noticed the drawings and told the boy that he should
become an architect. Williams was still young, and he wasn’t sure what an architect was or
what one did.
3 Once he found out that an architect designs buildings, Williams was positive that it was
the job for him. At that time, there were very few African American architects. Williams’
high school guidance counselor disagreed with his career choice and thought he would
do better as a doctor or a lawyer. Williams wasn’t discouraged by this and participated in
a workshop held in California by the New York Beaux Arts Institute of Design. He won
the medal of excellence there. It was then that he knew he had made the right choice in
following his heart. He won several other design competitions and began studies at the
University of Southern California at age twenty.
Building for the Future
4 By age twenty-seven Williams had designed numerous structures. Many of his designs
included churches, auditoriums, and expensive homes. He was a licensed architect and
decided to start his own company. His continued successes allowed him to join the American
Institute of Architects (AIA). At this time, African Americans had not been considered for
membership before. He later became the first African American to be elected an AIA Fellow.
5 The 1930s were very busy for Williams. He designed more than thirty-five houses from
1932 to 1935 alone. He was known for his attention to detail in his home designs and for
his beautifully curved staircases. His signature curves were found even in unlikely places
such as the shapes of ceilings and the curved bar in one of his restaurant designs. In the early
1940s he designed the first housing project that was open to African Americans. He hoped
that with this deed, he was “giving back to the community.”
Leaving a Legacy
6 Williams went on to serve as a navy architect during World War II. After the war ended
he wrote The Small Home of Tomorrow and New Homes for Today. Williams retired in
1973 and died in 1980, leaving a legacy of design throughout the Americas. Williams had
designed more than three thousand structures in Mexico and South America as well as
the United States. He had designed for both celebrities and ordinary citizens. He had been
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awarded three honorary doctorates and the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) Spingarn Medal. The medal is given to African Americans who
make extraordinary contributions to society.
7 In his journal Williams advised his grandson, Paul Claude Williams, “just do your best
and follow your heart.” Williams faced many struggles, but he always knew his calling was
architecture. He followed his heart to that goal. He left a legacy of stone and plaster for
future generations to see.
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1. What is a synonym for the word extraordinary?
A. amazing
B. expensive
C. ordinary
D. simple
2. According to the passage, what legacy did Paul R. Williams leave?
A. novels
B. medals
C. building designs
D. honorary doctorate
3. What organizational pattern did the author use in the passage?
A. sequence of events
B. fact and opinion
C. cause and effect
D. compare and contrast
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4. What is the author’s purpose in writing Paul R. Williams: Architect?
A. to inform about a well-known architect
B. to persuade the reader to become an architect
C. to express an opinion about construction work
D. to entertain with events about constructing buildings
5. After serving in the war, how did Williams’ career change?
A. He enlisted in the Navy.
B. He became a community organizer.
C. He began writing books.
D. He became a spokesman for the NAACP.
6. What event confirmed that Williams had made the correct career choice?
A. winning the Spingarn Medal
B. winning the medal of excellence
C. gaining encouragement from a family friend
D. gaining encouragement from the guidance counselor
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Three Paychecks
1 “I will pay you once a month,” said Mr. Edwards as we walked through his kitchen. “If
it weren’t for this bum leg”—my neighbor pointed to the cast that ran from his right toe to
his knee—“I wouldn’t need your help at all. Open that door, will you please?” He gestured
with his crutch to the back door.
2 I was in the middle of my very first job interview. Dad had nudged me to go next door
soon after school let out for the summer. He made it sound like I was helping a neighbor,
but I knew he was really saying, “Ella, please do something productive with your summer.”
I wasn’t keen on the idea at first. Who wants to crouch under the broiling sun all summer
pulling weeds? Then I thought about what I could buy with the money I earned. Gardening
couldn’t be that difficult, I decided. Although, I was foolish to think it would be easy.
3 When I first caught sight of Mr. Edwards’s garden, I almost turned around and walked
home—it was an immense stretch of soon-to-be plant life! In the same space where
our backyard contained a few trees and a patio, Mr. Edwards had created an amazing
wonderland of winding brick paths and little plant oases that fit together like puzzle pieces.
At that time, the garden plots looked soggy from a recent rain and barren of any vegetation.
It was obvious that I’d be spending my entire summer reviving these garden plots. Mr.
Edwards showed me the garden shed lined with tools, bags of soil, and seed packets. He then
advised me to come in the morning with a hat and a pair of gloves.
4 After a quick tutorial on how to use a spade and a steel rake, the first day was all about
digging. Mr. Edwards called it “turning the soil,” but I called it “tons of hard work.” For
every little garden plot—there were eight—I used a spade to dig up the soil and a steel
rake to break up the clods, remove old roots, and spread manure and compost into the
loosened soil. At the end of the day, those garden plots didn’t look very different, but I knew,
personally, that every inch of soil was ready for planting. I went home with achy muscles
and blistered hands—I had forgotten to bring gloves—but also carried home pride in my
accomplishment.
5 The planting list was long: carrots, onions, peas, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini,
and pumpkins. Mr. Edwards taught me how to distinguish each variety of seed, plant it
between long furrows of soil, and then follow up by giving the seeds, as Mr. Edwards called
it, “a long, cool drink.” I spent the next two weeks watering and waiting, except on rainy
days when Mr. Edwards had me studying gardening sites on the computer and testing my
newfound knowledge with flash cards. Before the first sprouts cleared the soil, I was well-
versed in differentiating seedlings from weeds.
6 “Here’s a weeding tip, Ella,” said Mr. Edwards. “Grab the weed as close to the dirt as
possible and pull slowly. This way, you are more likely to get to the root of the weed, which
is essential if you don’t want the weed to grow back.” My neighbor had plenty of gardening
tips for me; on a typical day, he oversaw my work from an old mesh-and-metal lawn chair
or by hobbling behind me on his crutches. As the summer progressed, we rose earlier to take
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advantage of cool mornings and dew moistening the soil for easier weeding. One day, after I
had cleaned and replaced all the tools, Mr. Edwards handed me my first paycheck.
7 I will admit that my mind was not always on my work; when the task felt tedious, I had
dreamed of what I would buy with the promised money. So, after I cashed my first paycheck,
I immediately spent every penny of it at the local mall. My earnings were gone in a flash,
and immediately I felt regret. It had taken so long to earn that money; why hadn’t I thought
out my purchases more carefully? During my second month of work, especially on the rare
occasion that Mr. Edwards dozed in his chair, I considered the most prudent use for my
upcoming paycheck.
8 I had little time to daydream, however, because things were happening in the garden.
The tomato plants needed stakes because they were top-heavy even before the tiny white
blossoms appeared, cucumber vines had to be gently separated from other plants, the weeds
had to be removed, and the first ripe vegetables—peas—had to be harvested. The day we
spotted the first green tomato, Mr. Edwards did a happy dance, cast and all.
9 My second paycheck went right into the bank—well, most of it—I kept about a third of
it for spending. Over the weeks, I had discovered much about my neighbor: Mr. Edwards
had lived and gardened here for 35 years. He was an enthusiastic cook who shared the
fruits of our labor in tasty lunches. He also kept a very tight budget, as I witnessed when he
counted out change to pay the grocery deliverer.
10 When it came time to receive my final paycheck, I looked my neighbor in the eye and
refused to take it. “I had a lot of time to think this summer,” I began.
11 “Aye, gardening is good for that,” agreed my neighbor.
12 “Here’s what I discovered: money is only a small part of a job. Being outdoors, doing
hard work well, watching things grow because of my hard work, and getting to know you,
Mr. Edwards—all of that is worth more than money.”
13 Mr. Edwards hemmed and hawed, still pushing the check toward me. I made my second
pitch. “Before this summer, I didn’t know what a fresh pea tasted like, I didn’t know the
working end of a steel rake, and I definitely didn’t know how many tomatoes came from one
plant. This month, your tutelage is payment enough, but if you insist on topping that, please
teach me how to make your scrumptious chocolate zucchini cake.”
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7. In paragraph 7, what is the meaning of the word prudent?
A. making careful decisions with the future in mind
B. making selfish decisions that lack consideration
C. making effortless decisions with positive results
D. making hasty decisions that lead to regret
8. In paragraph 7, how does the author use a literary device?
A. The author uses an idiom to show how quickly Ella spent her money.
B. The author uses imagery to describe Ella’s daydreams.
C. The author uses a hyperbole to exaggerate how much money Ella spent.
D. The author uses analogy to compare Ella’s spending habits in the first two months.
9. Which two excerpts from the passage BEST support the theme that hard work builds
confidence? Select two.
A. Gardening couldn’t be that difficult, I decided.
B. When I first caught sight of Mr. Edwards’s garden, I almost turned around and walked
home . . .
C. . . . but also carried home pride in my accomplishment.
D. . . . when the task felt tedious, I had dreamed of what I would buy with the promised
money.
E. My second paycheck went right into the bank . . .
F. When it came time to receive my final paycheck, I looked my neighbor in the eye and
refused to take it.
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10. Which sentence from the story BEST reveals how the setting affects the narrator’s
emotions?
A. When I first caught sight of Mr. Edwards’s garden, I almost turned around and walked
home—it was an immense stretch of soon-to-be plant life!
B. At that time, the garden plots looked soggy from a recent rain and barren of any
vegetation.
C. One day, after I had cleaned and replaced all the tools, Mr. Edwards handed me my first
paycheck.
D. As the summer progressed, we rose earlier to take advantage of cool mornings and dew
moistening the soil for easier weeding.
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Delicate Work: Lace and Industry
1 It was the height of fashion; it decorated the clothing of the wealthy, royal, and
fashionable men and women from the 17th century to the 19th century. From small displays
to yards and yards for one collar, delicate lace was the highest sought-after accessory for
centuries. It was so desirable that it kept many families and villages solvent, even during
times of financial turmoil.
2 Lace is an openwork fabric; instead of a solid piece of material, lace has open parts that
create unique and detailed patterns. These patterns are created by lace makers using needles
or bobbins, along with fine thread, and twisting, turning, and knotting the thread into patterns.
The more skilled the lace maker, the finer and more detailed the lace. No one can pinpoint
when lace appeared; as early as the mid-16th century, lace was making its way across Europe.
The first known book on lace, Nuw Modelbuch, was published in Zurich, Switzerland, in
1561. Other records show lace was brought into Italy from Zurich around 1536. Regardless of
its accurate origin, the appearance of lace changed both fashion and industry.
3 As lace making was introduced, each city, especially in Italy, developed its own distinct
style of lace. By the early 1600s, lace was practically a requirement for a fashionably
dressed person. This demand created a cottage industry, providing income for families of
lace makers and the villages in which they lived. Lace could only be made by hand, and it
took practice, skill, and time to create a piece of lace. It required almost a year for a handful
of lace makers, working around the clock, to create enough lace for ruffles for two sleeves.
This rarity helped lace become a symbol of supreme style and wealth. Many hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of women and children worked to provide this symbol. The high cost of
the lace created wealth for everyone involved in the making and distribution of the lace.
4 People were continuously striving to develop a way to make lace by machine. The first
to succeed in this endeavor was John Heathcoat. Heathcoat was born in England in 1783
and began working with fabric at an early age. Apprenticed to a frame-smith (the person
who builds frames and warp machines used to create fabric), Heathcoat soon found ways to
improve both the frames and the warp machines. As his knowledge of this machinery grew,
he turned his attention to the making of lace. His first attempt involved making changes to a
warp machine. It was only semi-successful. The attempt did make a pair of lace-like “mitts,”
but they were so flimsy they were not usable. They also had the same fatal flaw other
attempts in making machine lace had—they fell apart when cut with scissors. However, true
to his reputation for hard work and determination, Heathcoat did not quit.
5 Heathcoat spent time and effort learning to make lace himself, knowing he needed to
understand the principle of lace making before he successfully transferred it from hand
to machine. It was three years before he developed a machine capable of mimicking the
difficult technique of correctly twisting and knotting the thread so it did not fall apart.
He filed his patent in 1807 and the lace-making world was changed forever. Seemingly
overnight, machine-made lace was available across Europe, although it took more changes
and developments for it to approach the quality of handmade lace. Within twenty-five years,
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the cost of lace had dropped dramatically. The drastic change in price made lace available
to a much larger portion of the population, which dealt a significant blow to the cottage
industry of lace making.
6 Today, the tradition of handmade lace continues, not as an industry, but as a hobby.
Women and men across the world relish the ability to create delicate, beautiful lace using the
same techniques people used centuries ago. It is still difficult and time consuming, but the
charming, exquisite results are worth every twist and turn of the bobbin.
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11. Esta pregunta tiene dos partes. Contesta primero la parte A y luego contesta la parte B.
Parte A
Lee esta oración del párrafo 1.
“It was so desirable that it kept many families and villages solvent, even during times of
financial turmoil.”
What does the word solvent mean as it is used in this sentence?
A. feeling unified
B. able to pay debts
C. pleasing to the eye
D. in a state of confusion
Parte B
Which word from the sentence provides the clearest clue to the meaning of solvent?
A. desirable
B. families
C. financial
D. villages
16 Pasa a la próxima página.ARTES DEL LENGUAJE INGLÉS – EVALUACIÓN EN EL AULA
12. Lee esta oración del párrafo 2.
“Lace is an openwork fabric; instead of a solid piece of material, lace has open parts that
create unique and detailed patterns.”
How does the organization of this sentence help the reader better understand what lace is?
A. The author uses a main idea and supporting details to help describe the purpose of lace.
B. The author tells about the intricate patterns used by lace makers to make this type of
fabric.
C. The author explains how one aspect of what lace looks like affects the fabric’s overall
structure.
D. The author compares lace to another type of fabric to provide a visual image of what
lace looks like.
13. If the author were to include headings before each paragraph, which heading would be the
BEST to place before paragraph 3?
A. Origins in Italy
B. Heathcoat’s Advances
C. Supply and Demand
D. Everyone Wore Lace
14. Which claim made by the author needs more support to be considered valid?
A. Heathcoat spent time and effort learning to make lace himself . . .
B. It was three years before he developed a machine capable of mimicking the difficult
technique of correctly twisting and knotting the thread so it did not fall apart.
C. Seemingly overnight, machine-made lace was available across Europe . . .
D. Today, the tradition of handmade lace continues, not as an industry, but as a hobby.
17 Pasa a la próxima página.ARTES DEL LENGUAJE INGLÉS – EVALUACIÓN EN EL AULA
Las preguntas en esta página no están basadas en lecturas.
H 15. Read the paragraph from a student’s draft of a report.
1Created by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, Nebraska remained a territory through the
Civil War. 2Although President Lincoln supported Nebraska statehood, it was only in 1867
that the territory became a state. 3After the Civil War, Nebraskans wanted to become a
state, but President Andrew Johnson, who had become the chief executive after the death
of President Lincoln, rejected the idea. 4He did not want to disrupt voting in Congress
by bringing another state into the Union. 5The president actually vetoed the bill making
Nebraska a state, but Congress voted against the veto. 6As a result, Nebraska is the only
state that entered the Union without presidential support.
Which sentence would provide the BEST transition if placed after sentence 2 in the draft?
A. Because of disagreements, not all territories wanted to become states.
B. The story of how Nebraska became a state is unique in American history.
C. Finding facts about early Nebraska history often turns up interesting details.
D. President Lincoln understood that statehood should be the goal of all territories.
H 16. Read the paragraph from a student’s research report about the history of an invention.
Credit for the development of the sewing machine is usually given to Elias Howe, who
patented in 1846 a machine that created a “lockstitch” to sew fabric. However, many sewing
inventions, such as the needle itself or the use of an “eye” in a needle, preceded Howe.
Many inventions would follow Howe’s and improve upon it. In the 1850s, Isaac Singer
adopted Howe’s lockstitch machine and began manufacturing the first truly functional
sewing machine.
Which source would most likely give the student additional information to support the ideas
in the draft?
A. a blog entry titled “Needlework: The Art of Fancy Stitching”
B. a pamphlet titled “How to Sew Clothing for Profit”
C. an article titled “The Birth of the Sewing Machine”
D. an encyclopedia entry titled “Clothing Manufacturing”
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La pregunta en esta página no está basada en ninguna lectura.
H 17. Read the student’s paragraph describing a place. She is looking for more precise
words to use.
The Environmental Club Garden may seem like a place where nothing ever happens. In
fact, if you spend some time there, just sitting, you will realize how wrong that notion is.
After a few minutes of sitting still, I notice the birds returning to the feeder. Butterflies
flutter in the air, and dragonflies cut straight lines through the sky. Chipmunks get out from
their hiding places. The surface of the fish pond looks nice when the afternoon sun strikes
the water.
Select two words that could replace get out and looks nice to make the paragraph more
precise. Select two.
A. scamper
B. run
C. proceed
D. shimmers
E. expands
F. flows A
R
C
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La pregunta en esta página no está basada en ninguna lectura.
H 18. A student is preparing a speech about leadership and has found the quote below to
include in the opening lines of the speech. Read the quote and the directions.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you
are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams
How should the quote be incorporated into the introduction of the student’s speech while
appropriately giving credit to the author of the quote?
A. Today I am here to speak about leadership; I learned from John Quincy Adams that if
my actions inspire you to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then I
am a leader.
B. I would like to begin today with a quote from John Quincy Adams that I believe speaks
to all of us: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and
become more, you are a leader.”
C. If we think like one of our early presidents, such as John Quincy Adams, then “if your
actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a
leader,” then we can all be great leaders.
D. I firmly believe that my actions can inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more,
and become more. I am here to speak about leadership and John Quincy Adams.
20 Pasa a la próxima página.ARTES DEL LENGUAJE INGLÉS – EVALUACIÓN EN EL AULA
Las preguntas en esta página no están basadas en lecturas.
H 19. Read the paragraph from a student’s research report about space exploration.
In 2011, NASA officially ended its space shuttle program. From 1981 to 2011, the
space shuttle program repeatedly sent five shuttles with human crews into orbit around
Earth. It is critically important for NASA to continue advancing knowledge through space
exploration. One of NASA’s upcoming missions is a roundtrip journey to an asteroid to test
the effect that long-term space travel has on humans.
The student took notes about space exploration. Which note BEST supports the student’s
opinion?
A. NASA’s plan to send humans to Mars might provide answers about the possibility of
life on the planet.
B. NASA sent over 350 people into orbit during the space shuttle era.
C. NASA sent a number of artifacts from space flights to museums, such as the California
Science Center.
D. NASA’s celebration said farewell to the space shuttle program.
H 20. Lee el párrafo del relato de un estudiante.
1I found myself passing in front of the sporting goods store for the third time to admire
the football in the window. 2It was a deep dark brown with bright gold lettering, just like
footballs I watched my favorite team use on TV. 3I stood in amazement at the window for
several minutes without any recognition of shoppers walking around me. 4Eventually I
snapped out of my daydream and decided to get a closer look at the beauty. 5I noticed a
price tag. 6It was dangling from a bin. 7The bin held a dozen of the balls. 8I made up my
mind right then; I would own that football by the end of summer.
Which revision BEST combines sentences 5, 6, and 7 into one sentence to improve sentence
variety without changing the meaning?
A. I noticed a dangling price tag and a bin that held a dozen of the balls.
B. I noticed a price tag dangling from a bin that held a dozen of the balls.
C. A price tag that I noticed was dangling from a bin, and it held a dozen of the balls.
D. A price tag I noticed was dangling from a bin, and this bin held a dozen of the balls.
21 ALTO.You can also read
