8th grade ELA Round 1 GMAS March Madness Competition

ELAGSE8L1a. Demonstrate Command Conventions

How does the underlined phrase function in the sentence?

Because field trips are educational, the class wanted to visit the museum.

DOK 1

• verb

• subject

• direct object

• predicate nominative

ELAGSE8L4a. Determine Meaning

Read the sentences from "Show Me Impossible"

illusionist-- the word grabbed him. He whispered it quietly, forming the syllables with his lips. Then he said it out loud, "illusionist." He loved the way it rolled off his tongue.

What does the phrase the word grabbed him express to the reader?

DOK 2

• Daniel is confused by the word "illusionist"

• Daniel thinks the word "illusionist" is humorous

• Daniel is fascinated by the word "illusionist"

• Daniel thinks the word "illusionist" is surprising

ELAGSE8RI1. Cite Textual Evidence

Which detail from the article BEST supports the conclusion that the deep-sea organisms described in the article may have changed our understanding of life?

DOK 2

• tall rock formations jutting up from the ocean floor and surrounded by black smoke

• odd creatures are not only alive but liviing in this dark underworld away from light

• large cracks, or vents, in the ocean floor where these creatures exist

• energy is being released below the surface of the water

ELAGSE8RI4. Determining meaning

Which word BEST expresses the meaning of deriving in the sentence?

It's as if these undersea vents have created a unique ecosystem, deriving energy from Earth itself.

DOK 2

• depositing

• emptying

• extracting

• wasting

ELAGSE8RI2. Determining Central Idea

Which statement determines the central idea of "Living in the Darkness under the Sea"?

DOK 2

• Scientists use remote-controlled submarines to explore the rocky landscape under the ocean

• Scientists study geysers on land to understand more about the vents on the ocean floor.

• Scientists explore how life can exist at the bottom of the ocean.

• Scientists classify different categories of ocean floor organisms to learn more about them.

ELAGSE8RI4. Determine Meaning

Read the sentence from "Careers in Video Games".

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, careers in video game design will continue to skyrocket, placing it among the fastest-growing careers in the United States.

What is the MOST LIKELY reason the author uses the word skyrocket in the sentence?

DOK 2

• to indicate that experts believe video games are becoming too popular

• to acknowledge that many famous video games have a space theme

• to emphasize that the opportunities in the video game industry are exciting

• to express concern that there are currently not enough video game designers

ELAGSE8W1a.

Read the paragraph from a student's argumentative essay.

1 Over the past few years, our school has not offered a student newspaper program. 2 Living in the digital age, it may seem as though the idea of a printed newspaper is outdated and unnecessary, but I think it is important to bring back this tradition. 3 School newspapers allow student writers to express their creative ideas and student readers to learn about the people, activities, and trends in their schools. 4 Students who work on school newspapers gain invaluable experience in writing, researching, and interviewing. 5 For these reasons, we should consider reestablishing a printed student newspaper at our school.

Which sentence should be added between sentence 4 and sentence 5 to provide credible and relevant support for the student’s argument?

DOK 2

• According to Dr. Lyons, a journalism professor at a local university, “The school will need to plan in advance how frequently newspapers are printed and recruit students who are interested in journalism to work on the newspaper staff.”

• A study conducted by the High School Journalism Institute found that roughly 20 percent of students who worked on their school newspaper demonstrated better writing and grammar skills in college than students who did not have those journalism experiences.

• According to Mr. Johnson, the football coach, “Similar to sports, working on the school newspaper requires teamwork, which is necessary to meet print deadlines.”

• In a recent school survey, 70 percent of students felt a school newspaper would help students feel more connected to each other, but an overwhelming number of these students indicated they would be most interested in reading an online newspaper.

ELAGSE8W2a.

A student is writing an informational essay about the International Space Station (ISS). The student’s central idea focuses on how astronauts who live and work on the ISS are learning valuable information that benefits people on Earth.

Which information should the student include in her essay to BEST help the reader understand the topic?

DOK 2

• a list of specific examples of how research on the ISS has improved life on Earth

• a map that highlights the different countries that were involved in building the ISS

• a diagram that shows the total distance between the ISS and Earth

• a photograph of an astronaut’s living quarters on the ISS

ELAGSE8W7a.

Genevieve is working on a research paper. She is interested in the topic of plants that have healing properties. She needs to focus her research more specifically.

Which question is BEST for the purpose of focusing her research?

DOK 2

• How have plants been used for medicine throughout history?

• How has one type of plant been used as medicine?

• How can people create recipes that use healthy plants in their diets?

• How have the health benefits of plants been used to sell products?

ELAGSE8L1b.

Which sentence is the BEST way to revise the underlined sentence so that the paragraph is consistently written in the active voice?

We spent many of our summers on the Georgia Sea Islands. The music played by the residents there was inspiring. I would give anything to play that well.

DOK 2

• The music was played by residents, and it was inspiring

• Music was played that was inspired by the residents.

• Inspiring music was played by the residents

• The residents played inspiring music