Step Up to Writing Grade 5 Directions: Do not begin until you are told to do so. Once your teacher tells you to begin, you may use the time provided to complete all steps below. 1. Read the sources on page 2. 2. Answer the questions on page 3 about the sources. 3. Read the writing prompt and directions on page 4. 4. Write a short essay based on the prompt.
Source #1 Adapted from A Vision for Better Education: Areas of Surprising Agreement A Speech by Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education Courtesy of: U.S. Department of Education Every child deserves an education that will prepare him or her for the future. More and more, success in the real world won t be just about what you know. It will be what you can do with what you know. Success will be about your ability to make connections among ideas and to communicate them. It will also be about working in different groups to create, to analyze, and to find solutions to complex problems. It will be about a child s ability to understand technology not as an end in itself, but as a tool for a task. Those skills will be valuable resources for young people who might change jobs a dozen or more times across their careers. The best jobs for our children will actually be the jobs they invent themselves. Source #2 Adapted from Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students Courtesy of: U.S. Department of Education An elementary school teacher talks about students and computers: I see more confidence in the kids here. I think it s not just computers; it s a multitude of things. They can do things on the computers that most of their parents can t do and that s very empowering and exciting for them. They say, I can sit down and make this machine pretty much do what I want to. There s something about that that gives them an extra little boost of, Wow, I m a pretty special person. Source #3 Ideas for Future Classrooms Interactive smart desks More teamwork Virtual field trips E-textbooks Description Old-fashioned desks will be replaced by tables with computer touch screens. Students will read, write, and do math on the surface, then hand in work with a click. Students will work together in teams on assignments and projects. Education experts note that cooperation is an important skill for life and work. Picture wearing special glasses to tour an art museum in a faraway country. Students could admire the paintings and sculptures, and ask the tour guide questions. This technology is almost ready. Students will no longer carry backpacks full of books. All their books will be on a small computer and carried in one hand. 2
Questions Directions: Refer back to the sources on page 2. Fill in the correct bubble to answer the questions. 1. What is the main idea of source #1? A Education today is about being able to use computers. B Education should help students change jobs more easily. C Education should teach students how to use what they know. D The purpose of a good education is to help students create new jobs. 2. Which detail from source #1 best supports the correct answer above? A Every child deserves an education. B Students must be able to communicate and connect ideas. C Students must be able to use a computer and keyboard. D The best jobs of the future are the ones students will create. 3. In source #2, what is the best definition for the word multitude? A army B small amount C crowd D large number 4. What would be a good use of the virtual field trip technology from source #3? A practicing typing skills to increase your speed B working in a team to create a slide show of a local ecosystem C talking to researchers in the Antarctic and touring their station D learning to use an interactive smart desk 5. Based on source #3, why is it important for students to work well in teams? A It will help students when they grow up. B It creates a more positive classroom. C It improves everyone s grades and test scores. D Cooperation is important for sharing computers. 3
Prompt: What technology would you most like to have in your classroom in the future? Use information from at least two sources to support your opinion. Directions: 1. Plan in the space provided below. 2. Write your response on the pages that follow. Checklist: Use this checklist to do your best writing. Did you state your opinion in the introduction? Did you connect ideas with transitions? Did you include details to back up your opinion? Did you use precise words and different kinds of sentences? Planning Space: Use the following space to plan your writing. Does your conclusion tie up your writing? Did you review your writing? Have you answered the prompt? Have you fixed errors in capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling? 4