Assessment item-review infographic

Grade 4 Reading Language Arts: Character Interactions

Reading Language Arts · Grade 4 · English

Items6

PurposeTEKS 4.8(B) Alignment Review

Draft for content-expert review and revision.

Item plan

Item	Standard	Evidence of learning	Format	Correct response
1	4.8(B)	Explain the overarching change a character undergoes from the beginning to the end of a story.	Multiple choice	C
2	4.8(B)	Explain how one character's interaction prompts a change in another character's actions, and locate supporting text evidence.	Multipart	Part A: A, Part B: D
3	4.8(B)	Describe the shift in the way two characters interact over the course of the story.	Inline choice	"offering to just watch" / "working together as a team"
4	4.8(B)	Identify multiple details that demonstrate a character's supportive attitude during an interaction.	Multiselect	B, D
5	4.8(B)	Infer the motivation behind a character's initial interaction based on text details.	Multiple choice	B
6	4.8(B)	Interpret how a character's physical action at the end of the story reflects their internal change.	Multiple choice	A

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

The Garden Blueprint

1 Leo sighed as Mr. Harrison assigned groups for the school garden project. Leo preferred the cool air conditioning of the library and a good book over digging in the dirt. He slowly dragged his feet as he walked out to the school courtyard.

2 Maya, his assigned partner, was already kneeling on the grass, sketching a layout on a clipboard. "This is going to be amazing!" she cheered, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

3 "It's just a bunch of weeds," Leo mumbled, poking the dry soil with a stick. "I'll just record what you do. You're clearly better at this."

4 Maya stopped drawing and shook her head. "We need both of us. The instructions say we have to plant beans, squash, and corn in this space. I know where to put them, but I don't know how deep the seeds go or how close they should be."

5 Leo paused. He remembered a book he had read recently about the 'Three Sisters' planting method used by Native Americans. "Actually," Leo said, pulling a worn field guide from his backpack, "if we plant the corn in the middle, the beans can climb the cornstalks. The squash covers the ground to keep weeds away."

6 Maya's eyes widened. "That's brilliant, Leo! See? I told you we needed you."

7 For the next hour, Leo didn't even notice the afternoon heat. He carefully measured the depth for each seed with a ruler while Maya dug the small holes. When they finished, Leo wiped a smudge of dirt from his forehead and smiled. The garden wasn't just a patch of dirt anymore; it was their shared project.

Item 1

Multiple choice

How do Leo's feelings about the garden project change from the beginning to the end of the story?

Choose the best answer.

A
He changes from wanting to do all the work to letting Maya do it.
B
He changes from liking gardening to preferring reading books.
C
He changes from dreading the outdoor project to enjoying his contribution to it.
D
He changes from being angry at his teacher to being frustrated with Maya.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 4.8(B) · Explain the interactions of the characters and the changes they undergo.

Evidence of learning

The student must compare Leo's initial reluctance and dislike of the project with his final feelings of pride and teamwork at the end of the passage.

Correct response

Option C

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	This is the opposite of what happens. At first, Leo wants to just watch Maya, but later he joins in to do a share of the work.
B	Distractor	While Leo does prefer reading books at the beginning of the story, he does not change to prefer reading over gardening at the end; instead, he learns to enjoy the garden project.
C	Correct	In paragraph 1, Leo sighs and drags his feet because he prefers being inside. By paragraph 7, he is smiling, working hard, and viewing it as "their shared project."
D	Distractor	Leo is never described as angry at his teacher, and he becomes cooperative with Maya, not frustrated with her.

Item 2

Multipart

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A

How does Maya's statement in paragraph 4 change Leo's actions?

A
It prompts him to share helpful information.
B
It causes him to walk away from the garden plot.
C
It makes him want to read instead of digging.
D
It convinces him that the garden will fail.

Part B

Which sentence from the story shows this change?

A
"Leo preferred the cool air conditioning of the library and a good book over digging in the dirt." (paragraph 1)
B
"'It's just a bunch of weeds,' Leo mumbled, poking the dry soil with a stick." (paragraph 3)
C
"The instructions say we have to plant beans, squash, and corn in this space." (paragraph 4)
D
"'Actually,' Leo said, pulling a worn field guide from his backpack..." (paragraph 5)

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 4.8(B) · Explain the interactions of the characters and the changes they undergo.

Evidence of learning

The student must identify how Maya's admission that she doesn't know everything encourages Leo to engage, and select the text evidence that shows his resulting action.

Correct response

Part A: A, Part B: D

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
Part A: A	Correct	Maya states she doesn't know how deep the seeds go, which makes Leo realize his knowledge from reading is useful. He then shares this information.
Part A: B	Distractor	Leo does not walk away; instead, he stays and becomes an active participant in the project.
Part A: C	Distractor	While Leo likes reading, Maya's comment makes him want to use what he read to help with the digging, not to stop and read.
Part A: D	Distractor	Maya's question makes Leo realize they can succeed by working together; he does not think the garden will fail.
Part B: A	Distractor	This sentence shows Leo's feelings before he interacts with Maya, not the change in his actions.
Part B: B	Distractor	This sentence shows Leo's negative attitude before Maya asks for his help.
Part B: C	Distractor	This sentence is what Maya says, not the sentence showing Leo's resulting change in action.
Part B: D	Correct	This sentence directly shows the shift in Leo's behavior—he stops complaining and pulls out a book to actively help with the garden.

Item 3

Inline choice

Complete the sentence to explain how Leo and Maya's interaction changes.

Choose the correct answer from each drop-down menu to complete the sentence.

Leo's interaction with Maya changes from to .

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 4.8(B) · Explain the interactions of the characters and the changes they undergo.

Evidence of learning

The student must summarize the progression of the characters' relationship from the beginning to the end of the text.

Correct response

Blank 1: "offering to just watch", Blank 2: "working together as a team"

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
Blank 1: complaining to the teacher	Distractor	Leo sighs when the teacher assigns groups, but he does not complain directly to the teacher.
Blank 1: offering to just watch	Correct	In paragraph 3, Leo tells Maya, "I'll just record what you do," showing he wants to sit out and watch.
Blank 1: drawing the layout	Distractor	Maya is the one drawing the layout in paragraph 2, not Leo.
Blank 2: working together as a team	Correct	By paragraph 7, Leo measures the depth while Maya digs, demonstrating teamwork.
Blank 2: planting the corn by himself	Distractor	They plant the seeds together; Leo measures and Maya digs. He does not do it by himself.
Blank 2: reading a book about flowers	Distractor	Leo pulls out a field guide to check planting methods, but he spends the rest of the time actively gardening, not just reading.

Item 4

Multiselect

Which TWO details from the story show that Maya is supportive of Leo?

Choose TWO correct answers.

☐
"Maya, his assigned partner, was already kneeling on the grass, sketching a layout on a clipboard." (paragraph 2)
☐
"Maya stopped drawing and shook her head. 'We need both of us.'" (paragraph 4)
☐
"The instructions say we have to plant beans, squash, and corn in this space." (paragraph 4)
☐
"'That's brilliant, Leo! See? I told you we needed you.'" (paragraph 6)
☐
"He carefully measured the depth for each seed with a ruler while Maya dug the small holes." (paragraph 7)

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 4.8(B) · Explain the interactions of the characters and the changes they undergo.

Evidence of learning

The student must analyze dialogue and interactions to identify evidence of a character's specific supportive attitude.

Correct response

Options B and D

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	This sentence shows Maya is enthusiastic and prepared, but it does not show her supporting Leo.
B	Correct	This detail shows Maya directly telling Leo that he is needed, refusing to let him feel useless or sit on the sidelines.
C	Distractor	This is simply Maya stating the facts of the assignment, not offering support to Leo.
D	Correct	This dialogue shows Maya praising Leo's idea and reaffirming that his contributions are valuable to the team.
E	Distractor	This describes their physical teamwork, but the focus of the sentence is on Leo's actions and their shared work, rather than an expression of Maya's supportive attitude.

Item 5

Multiple choice

Why does Leo offer to "just record what you do" in paragraph 3?

Choose the best answer.

A
He thinks Maya is a faster worker than he is.
B
He wants to avoid getting his hands dirty.
C
He needs to write down the instructions for the teacher.
D
He is upset that he cannot read his new book.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 4.8(B) · Explain the interactions of the characters and the changes they undergo.

Evidence of learning

The student must infer the motivation behind a character's initial negative interaction based on earlier text evidence establishing his preferences.

Correct response

Option B

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	Leo says Maya is "better at this," but the text does not suggest he thinks she works faster.
B	Correct	Paragraph 1 establishes that Leo prefers air conditioning over "digging in the dirt," and in paragraph 3, he reluctantly pokes the "dry soil with a stick." He offers to record to avoid the physical, dirty work.
C	Distractor	There is no mention of a requirement to write down instructions for Mr. Harrison; Leo is making an excuse.
D	Distractor	While Leo likes books, he is not shown being actively upset about a specific new book; he just dislikes being outside in the dirt.

Item 6

Multiple choice

What does Leo's action of wiping dirt from his forehead in paragraph 7 show about how he has changed?

Choose the best answer.

A
He no longer minds getting messy to finish the job.
B
He is frustrated by the heat and wants to go inside.
C
He is trying to clean up before Mr. Harrison sees him.
D
He realizes that gardening is easier than reading.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 4.8(B) · Explain the interactions of the characters and the changes they undergo.

Evidence of learning

The student must interpret a character's physical action at the conclusion of the story to determine the internal shift in the character's attitude.

Correct response

Option A

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Correct	At the beginning, Leo despises the dirt and uses a stick to avoid touching it. By paragraph 7, he has dirt on his own forehead and is smiling, showing he has accepted and enjoyed the messy work.
B	Distractor	Paragraph 7 explicitly states that Leo "didn't even notice the afternoon heat," so he is not frustrated by it.
C	Distractor	There is no evidence in the text that Leo is worried about Mr. Harrison seeing him dirty.
D	Distractor	Leo realizes he can apply his reading knowledge to gardening, but the text never states that he thinks gardening is easier.