Assessment item-review infographic

Grade 8 RLA Revising

Reading Language Arts · Grade 8 · English

Items6

PurposeSTAAR-Aligned Content Review

Draft for content-expert review and revision.

Item plan

Item	Standard	Evidence of learning	Format	Correct response
1	8.10(C)	Revise to combine sentences logically and clearly.	Multiple choice	C
2	8.10(C)	Revise for precise and appropriate word choice.	Multiple choice	A
3	8.10(C)	Revise for development by deleting an extraneous sentence.	Multiple choice	B
4	8.10(C)	Revise for clarity by replacing ambiguous pronouns.	Multiple choice	D
5	8.10(C)	Revise for organization by adding an effective transition.	Multiple choice	C
6	8.10(C)	Revise for development by adding a concluding sentence.	Multiple choice	A

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

Marcos wrote this essay about a new trend in cities. Read Marcos's essay and look for revisions he needs to make. Then answer the questions that follow.

The Buzz About Urban Beekeeping

1 When people think of cities, they usually picture skyscrapers, traffic, and miles of concrete. 2 However, a new trend is taking flight on city rooftops and in empty lots. 3 Urban beekeeping is becoming incredibly popular in metropolitan areas across the country. 4 Keeping bees in the city has many benefits for both the environment and the people who live there.

5 One major benefit of urban beekeeping is that it helps support the local ecosystem. 6 Bees are important pollinators, and they help plants grow. 7 They fly around and do their thing with flowers. 8 Without bees, many of the fruits and vegetables we eat would not exist. 9 In addition to helping plants, urban bees often produce delicious honey. 10 City bees have access to a wide variety of flowers in parks and gardens, which gives their honey a unique flavor. 11 I once got stung by a wasp, and it really hurt.

12 People worry that keeping bees in a crowded city is dangerous. 13 It is important to remember that honeybees are generally gentle creatures. 14 They are more interested in gathering nectar than in bothering humans. 15 Beekeepers also follow strict rules to make sure their hives are safe. 16 They place them in out-of-the-way spots and provide water sources so they do not bother neighbors.

17 Urban beekeeping is a rewarding hobby that brings a little bit of nature back into the concrete jungle.

Item 1

Multiple choice

What is the most effective way to combine sentences 12 and 13?

Choose the best answer from the given options.

A
People worry that keeping bees in a crowded city is dangerous, it is important to remember that honeybees are generally gentle creatures.
B
Because people worry that keeping bees in a crowded city is dangerous, it is important to remember that honeybees are generally gentle creatures.
C
While some people worry that keeping bees in a crowded city is dangerous, it is important to remember that honeybees are generally gentle creatures.
D
People worry that keeping bees in a crowded city is dangerous, or it is important to remember that honeybees are generally gentle creatures.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 8.10(C) · Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety.

Evidence of learning

The student must recognize the contrast between the two sentences and select a combining method that shows this relationship logically without creating a run-on or comma splice.

Correct response

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	This option creates a comma splice. The two independent clauses are joined only by a comma, which is grammatically incorrect.
B	Distractor	This option introduces an illogical cause-and-effect relationship using the word "Because." The gentle nature of honeybees is not caused by people's worries.
C	Correct	This option correctly uses the subordinating conjunction "While" to establish a complex sentence that clearly shows the contrasting relationship between the two ideas.
D	Distractor	This option uses the coordinating conjunction "or," which suggests a choice between the two clauses. This does not make sense in the context of the paragraph.

Item 2

Multiple choice

Marcos wants to use more precise language in sentence 7. Which revision best improves the sentence?

Choose the best answer from the given options.

A
By transferring pollen from one blossom to another, they allow plants to reproduce.
B
They are always flying around to different kinds of flowers to do their important jobs.
C
Bees go from flower to flower and do important stuff for the plants.
D
Flying around, they mess with the flowers so that the plants can grow bigger.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 8.10(C) · Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety.

Evidence of learning

The student must identify vague, informal phrasing ("do their thing") and select an option that replaces it with precise, academic language appropriate for an informative essay.

Correct response

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Correct	This option replaces the vague phrase "do their thing" with a precise, factual description of pollination ("transferring pollen... allow plants to reproduce"). It elevates the style and clarity.
B	Distractor	While slightly better than the original draft, the phrase "do their important jobs" is still vague and fails to clearly explain what the bees are actually doing to help the plants.
C	Distractor	This option uses the highly informal and imprecise phrase "important stuff," which does not improve the academic tone or clarify the bees' actions.
D	Distractor	This option uses slang ("mess with"), which creates an inappropriate tone for an informative essay. It also lacks scientific precision.

Item 3

Multiple choice

Which sentence should be removed from the second paragraph (sentences 5–11) because it does not support the main idea of the paragraph?

Choose the best answer from the given options.

A
Sentence 8
B
Sentence 11
C
Sentence 9
D
Sentence 10

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 8.10(C) · Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety.

Evidence of learning

The student must evaluate the relevance of sentences within a paragraph and remove extraneous information that distracts from the paragraph's focus.

Correct response

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	Sentence 8 emphasizes the importance of pollination to human food supplies, which directly supports the paragraph's main idea regarding the benefits of urban bees.
B	Correct	Sentence 11 introduces a personal anecdote about a wasp sting. This sudden shift in topic and tone breaks the flow of the objective, informative paragraph about the benefits of beekeeping.
C	Distractor	Sentence 9 introduces the second major benefit of urban bees in this paragraph (honey production), which aligns perfectly with the paragraph's overall focus.
D	Distractor	Sentence 10 develops the idea introduced in sentence 9 by explaining why city honey is unique, further supporting the paragraph's topic.

Item 4

Multiple choice

Sentence 16 is unclear. How should it be revised to improve clarity?

Choose the best answer from the given options.

A
Beekeepers place them in out-of-the-way spots and provide water sources so they do not bother neighbors.
B
They place hives in out-of-the-way spots and provide them so the bees do not bother neighbors.
C
They place out-of-the-way spots in them and provide water sources so the bees do not bother neighbors.
D
Beekeepers place the hives in out-of-the-way spots and provide water sources so the bees do not bother neighbors.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 8.10(C) · Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety.

Evidence of learning

The student must identify ambiguous pronouns ("They", "them", "they") and select a revision that replaces them with specific nouns to clarify meaning.

Correct response

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	While this option clarifies the first pronoun ("Beekeepers"), it leaves "them" and "they" ambiguous. The reader cannot be certain if "they" refers to the beekeepers, the hives, or the water sources.
B	Distractor	This option uses "them" to refer to the water sources, which creates an awkward and somewhat unclear sentence structure. The first "They" is still a pronoun.
C	Distractor	This option completely alters the meaning of the sentence, nonsensically suggesting that out-of-the-way spots are placed inside something else.
D	Correct	This option resolves all pronoun ambiguity by clearly specifying who is taking the action ("Beekeepers"), what is being placed ("the hives"), and who is being prevented from bothering neighbors ("the bees").

Item 5

Multiple choice

The transition from the second paragraph (sentences 5–11) to the third paragraph (sentences 12–16) is weak. Which word or phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 12 to provide a better transition?

Choose the best answer from the given options.

A
For example,
B
In conclusion,
C
Despite these benefits,
D
As a result,

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 8.10(C) · Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety.

Evidence of learning

The student must comprehend the organizational structure of the essay, noting that paragraph 2 focuses on positive benefits while paragraph 3 addresses negative concerns. The student must select a transitional phrase that bridges this contrast.

Correct response

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Distractor	"For example" indicates that the upcoming paragraph will provide instances of the previously mentioned topic. Since paragraph 3 introduces a new, contrasting idea (dangers vs. benefits), this transition is illogical.
B	Distractor	"In conclusion" should be used to signal the end of an essay or the summarization of main points. Paragraph 3 is a body paragraph introducing a counterargument, not the conclusion.
C	Correct	"Despite these benefits" effectively summarizes the focus of the preceding paragraph and appropriately sets up the contrasting concern (danger) that is the subject of paragraph 3.
D	Distractor	"As a result" implies a cause-and-effect relationship. People's worries about danger are not caused by the benefits of urban bees, so this transition fails to link the paragraphs logically.

Item 6

Multiple choice

Marcos wants to add a strong concluding sentence to his essay. Which sentence should follow sentence 17?

Choose the best answer from the given options.

A
With proper care and understanding, these tiny workers can thrive alongside their human neighbors.
B
You can buy all the equipment you need to start beekeeping on the internet.
C
The concrete jungle is not a good place for most wild animals to live.
D
I hope to start my own urban beehive on my roof next summer.

Writer review

Review required

Standard

TEKS 8.10(C) · Revise drafts for clarity, development, organization, style, word choice, and sentence variety.

Evidence of learning

The student must identify a concluding sentence that summarizes the central ideas of the text, maintains the informative tone, and brings the piece to a satisfying close without introducing unrelated topics.

Correct response

Response rationales
Response	Status	Reasoning and evidence
A	Correct	This sentence effectively summarizes the main themes of the essay—that urban bees can be managed safely ("proper care") and coexist beneficially with people ("thrive alongside their human neighbors").
B	Distractor	This sentence introduces an entirely new topic (buying equipment on the internet). A conclusion should wrap up the existing ideas, not introduce loosely related new information.
C	Distractor	This sentence contradicts the optimistic tone of the essay, which argues that bees can thrive in the city. Bringing up other wild animals distracts from the core topic.
D	Distractor	While an essay can end on a personal note, this sudden shift to the first-person perspective ("I hope") breaks the objective, informative tone established throughout the piece.