Everett Public Schools
Assessment of Student Learning
Student Packet
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Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8
Grading Period 3
“Gideon Adams”
“Escape”
“Where the Rainbow Ends”
“Levi Coffin”
Student:
Date:
Teacher:
Period:
2
Literary Passage
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
Gideon Adams
excerpt from from
Bull Run
By Paul Fleischman
1
The subsequent day, four of us marched to a recruiting tent to join the infantry. I happened to be the
first in line. The enlisting officer sternly directed me to sign my joining papers when he observed
the hair curling out from my cap, noticing for the first time that I was a Negro, and informed me in
the most impolite terms that I could not be admitted as a soldier.
2 Feeling defeated we departed, despairing of ever fighting the South. Several of the men I was
acquainted with placed their pride in their pockets and enrolled as ditch diggers. Some enlisted as
cooks or teamsters. Numerous gentlemen stayed home, to hear once more that Negroes were
cowardly, lazy, and disloyal. I, however, refused to resign myself to serving with shovel or spoon.
With determination, I would stand at the front of the fray, not the rear, and would clutch a rifle in my
hand. Unknowingly, that recruiter had shown me the way.
3 Immediately upon my arrival at home, I clipped my hair
short that very evening. The following day, I purchased a
larger cap, one with a chin strap to hold it firmly in its
correct position. Then I nervously walked to a different
recruiting station. The enlisting officer requested my name.
I foolishly feared he might recognize it. I glanced up at a
humongous banner that read “One Thousand Able-Bodied
Patriots Wanted,” and offered him “Able” in place of
“Adams.” His brows furrowed at my fumbling reply. He
solicited my age, then whether I’d any physical infirmities.
He then inquired quite adamantly what manner of service I
intended. “Infantry soldier,” I firmly replied. Perhaps I’d
spoken too firmly. He studied me. I wondered if my cap
had slipped. He readily informed me I’d be compensated
thirteen dollars a month and that the regiment would serve
ninety days, time enough to whip the Rebels three times
over, he assured me. He put his finger on a line in his roll
registry. I nearly signed my real name, and clumsily
corrected myself. I stared at the letters. I was no longer
who I was. The recruiter instructed me to return the
following morning. I departed in a daze, glancing at the
white men around me, who thought me one of them. The
dread of discovery streaked through my veins. I gave my
chin strap a tightening tug.
(Used in Civil War Units – 8
th
Grade)
3
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8 – Grading Period 3
“Gideon Adams”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
1. What is the meaning of the word
furrowed
in paragraph 3 of the story? [LC04]
2. Which sentence best summarizes this story? [LC02]
3. Based on the information in the story, what will most likely happen to Gideon when he
removes his cap in front of his fellow soldiers? [LC03]
4. According to the story, which word best describes Gideon? [LA05]
A.
Crossed
B.
Wrinkled
C.
Darkened
D.
Disappeared
A.
A boy disguises his hair by wearing a cap with a chin strap.
B.
Gideon Adams enlists in a white man’s infantry during the Civil War.
C.
A young Negro boy promises that he will never fight against the South.
D.
Gideon Adams wants to prove Negroes are not cowardly, lazy and disloyal.
A.
He will be discovered to be a Negro.
B.
He will be removed from the registry.
C.
He will prove he is not lazy and disloyal.
D.
He will return home safely and undetected.
A.
Flexible
B.
Defeated
C.
Unlucky
D.
Determined
4
5. According to the story, what happened when Gideon first attempted to join the infantry?
[LA07]
6. Based on the information in the story, what conclusion can the reader draw about Gideon?
[LT10]
7. What is wrong with the reasoning of the white soldiers in the story? [LT09]
8. Which word could the author have used in paragraph 3 instead of
solicited
? [LC04]
A.
He was rejected because his hair was too long and it might interfere with fighting.
B.
He was rejected because he was unable to sign his name and find it on the
registry.
C.
He was rejected because the officer saw his curly hair and believed he was a
Negro.
D.
He was rejected because the enlisting officer believed he was lying about wanting
to be a soldier.
A.
Gideon’s actions show that he does not easily give up on joining the infantry.
B.
Gideon can’t be trusted because he gives the enlisting officer a false name.
C.
Gideon is cowardly because he is soft-spoken.
D.
Gideon’s actions show that he admires those willing to be ditch diggers, cooks, or
teamsters.
A.
They are limited to only taking one thousand able-bodied Patriots.
B.
They want people with curly hair to work as cooks, but they won’t let them fight.
C.
They call Negro recruits cowards, but they won’t let Negro men enlist as soldiers.
D.
They require recruits to use false names when joining the infantry.
A.
Stated
B.
Requested
C.
Mentioned
D.
Questioned
5
9. Which opinion can be supported with information from the story? [LT08]
10.
Short Answer- 2 pts
Is Gideon’s decision to join the infantry a good idea? Provide
two
details from the story in
your answer. [LT09]
A.
It was difficult to recruit men to fight during the Civil War.
B.
Unfortunately, enlisting soldiers were unable to read or write.
C.
Ditch digging was an honorable job to have during the Civil War.
D.
Recruiting officers believed black men were not capable of being soldiers.
6
Literary Passage: Biography
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
Escape
By Carol Flynn Harris
1 It was December 1848. A young white gentleman walked up to the ticket master at the
railroad station in Macon, Georgia. Dressed in jacket, trousers, and a stovepipe hat, he wore
green-tinted eyeglasses. He appeared to be an invalid. His right arm was wrapped in a sling,
and a bandage was tied around his chin as if he had a toothache. In a soft voice, he requested
two tickets to Savannah, Georgia, for “William Johnson and slave.” The tickets were handed
over. No questions were asked. No one stared or raised an outcry. No one noticed the young
man tremble as he walked to the first class carriage. No one noticed him glance back to see
his slave enter the rear car where slaves were required to travel.
2 Ellen Craft, black woman and slave, who could neither read nor write, had passed her first
test. She was now “Mister William Johnson.” The journey to freedom was just beginning.
3 It was her husband William’s idea. Since Ellen’s skin was so light, she would impersonate a
“white gentleman.” William would travel as her slave. It was the only way they could escape
the bonds of slavery.
4 Four days of traveling northward on trains and steamers as “Mister Johnson” seemed a
lifetime to Ellen. Fearing her voice would betray her, she pretended to be deaf.
5 Her bandaged right arm led another passenger to sign the register for “Mister Johnson” at the
customhouse in Charleston, South Carolina. Another hurdle passed!
6 On the train Ellen dared not pretend to be reading. Her hands shook and she was afraid she
might hold a book upside down. She pretended she was asleep, thankful for her dark glasses,
as she listened to the passengers talk. They spoke harshly of abolitionists who helped fugitive
blacks escape to the North. They related, with relish, the horrible punishments for slaves who
were caught. Ellen was so nervous she could barely eat the food that William brought to her.
She tried to smile when a passenger lectured her loudly for “spoiling” her slave. She had said
please
and
thank you
to William. Inside, she ached to see William treating her as if she were,
indeed, his white master. She tried not to think of what would happen to them both if she
forgot for one moment that she was not “Mister Johnson.”
7 When they finally reached Philadelphia, and Ellen could safely remove her disguise, she was
still afraid. It took weeks before she was able to feel comfortable with the white people who
harbored fugitive slaves. These anti-slavery abolitionists and activists in the Underground
Railroad helped the Crafts travel to Boston. They were less likely to be found there and
returned to the South.
7
8 But no place was safe from “slave-catchers”—men who received money for seeking out and
returning runaway slaves. Fearing capture, and again with the help of anti-slavery
organizations, Ellen and William sailed to England. There they felt free at last. Ellen learned
to read and write. The first of their five children was born in 1852. She and William gave
talks about their escape to British abolitionists.
9 When the Civil War ended, the Crafts returned to America. Now their children would be free.
But despite the Emancipation Proclamation, times were hard for blacks. Freedom didn’t
ensure an education or relief from poverty. William and Ellen opened Woodville, a
cooperative farm and school, in Georgia. They taught African-Americans skills to help with
farming and taught children to read and write.
10 Their own children continued the legacy of courage, caring, and sharing that they learned
from Ellen and William Craft.
Selection from- “Escape!” by Carol Flynn Harris, copyright © 2001 by CTB/McGraw-Hill.
Found in anthology used by EPS
8
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8 – Grading Period 3
“Escape”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
11. What is the main idea in this selection? [LC01]
12. Which sentence summarizes Ellen Craft’s reaction while escaping slavery? [LC02]
13. Based on the selection, what inference can the reader make about the passengers on the train?
[LC03]
14. What is the meaning of the word
invalid
in paragraph 1 of the selection? [LC04]
A.
The inability to read or write caused slaves to be spoiled.
B.
Trying to escape from slavery was dangerous and difficult.
C.
Being caught by slave-catchers had severe consequences in America.
D.
Teaching young African-Americans in the year 1848 offered many rewards.
A.
She was fearful.
B.
She was ashamed.
C.
She was unaffected.
D.
She was disappointed.
A.
The passengers disliked abolitionists.
B.
The passengers respected abolitionists.
C.
The passengers were thankful for abolitionists.
D.
The passengers were unconcerned about abolitionists.
A.
Someone who is tired
B.
Someone who is sickly
C.
Someone who is foolish
D.
Someone who is depressed
9
15. Which sentence best explains why Ellen was able to escape safely to freedom? [LA07]
16. What is the author’s purpose for writing this selection? [LT08]
17. Which sentence tells how Gideon and Ellen are similar? [LA06]
18. Based on the information in the selection “Escape”, what is the most important concept the
author presents? [LT09]
19. Why do Ellen and William decide to sail to England? [LA07]
A.
Her husband passed as her slave.
B.
Her nervousness kept her from eating.
C.
Her skin was so light she could pass as a white person.
D.
Her voice was so soft no one could detect she was woman.
A.
To persuade the reader that slavery was necessary.
B.
To entertain the reader with a lighthearted story about the South.
C.
To describe to the reader the cleverness with which slaves escaped slavery.
D.
To demonstrate to the reader that the beliefs of the abolitionists were correct.
A.
They both use disguises in order to accomplish their goals.
B.
They both are attempting to escape into freedom.
C.
They both join the military to fight for freedom.
D.
They both pretend to be hurt so they will not be discovered.
A.
The train is an important mode of transportation for escaping slaves.
B.
The treatment of slaves shows greed on the part of the slave owners.
C.
In order to gain freedom, the slaves had to be smart and courageous.
D.
Being separated from her husband on the train was dangerous for Ellen.
A.
They decide to sail to England in order to start a family.
B.
They decide to sail to England in order to become farmers.
C.
They decide to sail to England in order to start a school for blacks.
D.
They decide to sail to England in order to feel safe.
10
20.
Short Answer- 2pts
One conclusion that a reader can draw from this story is that sometimes it is worth risking
everything in order to reach a goal. [LT10] Provide
two
details from the story to support this
conclusion.
11
21.
Extended Response- 4pts
What problem does Ellen Craft experience? What are
three
steps she takes to solve this problem?
Include information from the selection in your answer. [LA05]
12
Literary Passage: Poem
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
Where the Rainbow Ends
By Richard Rive
1 Where the rainbow ends
2 There’s going to be a place, brother,
3 Where the world can sing all sorts of songs,
4 And we’re going to sing together, brother,
5 You and I, though you’re white and I’m not.
6 It’s going to be a sad song, brother,
7 Because we don’t know the tune,
8 And it’s a difficult tune to learn.
9 But we can learn, brother, you and I.
10 There’s no such tune as a black tune.
11 There’s no such tune as a white tune.
12 There’s only music, brother,
13 And it’s music we’re going to sing
14 Where the rainbow ends.
Selection from- www.letsrockforworldpeace.blogspot.com
13
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8 – Grading Period 3
“Where the Rainbow Ends”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
22. How does the narrator feel about his white friend? [LA05]
23. In the poem, why does the author include repetition by using the word “brother”? [LT08]
24. Based on the information in the poem, what generalization can the reader draw about racism?
[LT10]
25. How are the themes in the poem “Where the Rainbow Ends” and the selection “Escape”
similar? [LA06]
A.
He likes the way that his friend sings.
B.
He is optimistic about their friendship.
C.
He is pessimistic about their friendship.
D.
He doesn’t like the way his friend sings.
A.
He is trying to emphasize the importance of family.
B.
He is trying to show equality between the two races.
C.
He is trying to demonstrate how songs can solve world issues.
D.
He is trying to show how inspiring the beauty of the rainbow is.
A.
In the future, there will be harmony between people.
B.
Ending racism will take very little time and effort.
C.
Music is a way to keep black and white people separate.
D.
People will never fully accept others from different races.
A.
Both selections demonstrate how frightening it is to do something new.
B.
Both selections address the idea that slavery is unfair.
C.
Both selections deal with the idea of separateness between different races.
D.
Both selections convey the idea that your children will benefit from your beliefs.
14
26. What is the main idea of the poem? [LC01]
A.
To ensure that all people sing the same song.
B.
Rainbows represent the political struggles in the world.
C.
Learning how to sing requires an investment of time and effort.
D.
Someday, blacks and whites will be considered equals.
15
Informational Passage: Biographical Essay
Directions: Read the selection and then answer the questions.
“Levi Coffin”
1 As a youngster growing up in North Carolina in the early 1800s, a
child came face-to-face with the institution of slavery. One day while
he was out with his father chopping wood by the side of a road, a
group of slaves, handcuffed and chained together, passed by on their
way to be sold in Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. Questioned by
the young boy's father about why they were chained, one of the men
sadly replied, "They have taken us away from our wives and
children, and they chain us lest we should make our escape and go
back to them." After the dejected company had left the scene, the
youth wondered to himself how he would feel if his father were
taken away from him.
2 The incident by the side of the road marked the first awakening of
Levi Coffin's sympathy with the oppressed, which, he observed in
his memoirs, together with a strong hatred of oppression and
injustice in any form, "…were the motives that influenced my whole after-life." Coffin, who
moved to the Indiana town of Newport in 1826 and became an important merchant there,
acted on his beliefs. From his simple eight-room house in Wayne County, and with the help
of his devoted wife, Catharine, he managed over the next twenty years to offer a safe haven
to thousands of African Americans fleeing slavery's evils on the "Underground Railroad"
along major escape routes. "Seldom had a week passed,” said Coffin, “without our receiving
passengers by this mysterious road. We found it necessary to be always prepared to receive
such company and properly care for them.” Coffin's efforts won him the name "Grand
Central Station" on the path for slave’s eventual freedom in the north and Canada.
3 Levi Coffin was born on October 28, 1798 on a farm in New Garden, North Carolina, the
only son of seven children born to Levi and Prudence Coffin. Because his father could not
spare him from work on the farm, the young Levi received the bulk of his education at home,
under instruction from his father and sisters. His home schooling proved to be good enough
for Coffin to find work as a teacher for several years. He shared with his relatives a hatred for
slavery. "Both my parents and grandparents were opposed to slavery," Coffin noted in his
memoirs, published in 1876, "…and none of either of the families ever owned slaves; and all
were friends of the oppressed, so I claim that I inherited my anti-slavery principles."
4 While he was still a teenager, Coffin had his first opportunity to assist a slave. Attending a
corn husking, the fifteen-year-old Coffin noticed a group of slaves brought to the husking by
a slave dealer named Stephen Holland. While the other whites in the party dined, the Quaker
boy remained behind to talk with the slaves and to “…see if I could render them any
service.” He learned that one of the slaves, named Stephen, was freeborn and a former
indentured servant to Edward Lloyd, a Philadelphia Quaker, but later had been kidnapped
and sold into slavery. Thinking fast, Coffin arranged with a “…trusty Negro, whom I knew
well,” to take Stephen the next night to his father's house. After learning the particulars of the
now slave's case, the elder Coffin wrote Lloyd of his former servant's plight and eventually
Stephen was freed from slavery in Georgia.
16
5 In 1821, with his cousin Vestal Coffin, Levi Coffin ran a Sunday school for blacks at New
Garden where the slaves where taught to read using the Bible. Alarmed slave owners,
however, soon forced the school to close. Coffin, who married Catharine White, a woman he
had known since childhood, on October 28, 1824, decided two years later to join his other
family members who had moved to the young state of Indiana. Establishing a store in
Newport, Coffin prospered, expanding his operations to include cutting pork and
manufacturing linseed oil.
6 Even with his busy life as a merchant, Coffin was “…never too busy to engage in
Underground Railroad affairs.” In fact, his business success aided him hugely in helping
slaves to freedom. "The Underground Railroad business increased as time advanced,” he
said, “and it was attended with heavy expenses, which I could not have borne had not my
affairs been prosperous." Also, his thriving business and importance in the community
helped prevent any conflict regarding his Underground Railroad activities from pro-slavery
supporters and slave hunters in the area. Questioned by others in the community about why
he aided slaves when he knew he could be arrested for his activities, Coffin told them
“…when I was a boy it was right to take in strangers and administer to those in distress, and I
thought it was always safe to do right.”
7 The fearlessness the Coffins displayed in offering assistance to the fleeing slaves had an
effect on their neighbors. Levi Coffin noted that those who had once “stood aloof from the
work” eventually contributed clothing for the fugitives and aided the Coffins in forwarding
the slaves on their way to freedom, but were “…timid about sheltering them under their roof;
so that part of the work rested on us.” Fugitives came to the Coffins' home at all hours of the
night and announced their presence by a gentle rap at the door. “I would invite them, in a low
tone,” said Coffin, “to come in, and they would follow me into the darkened house without a
word, for we knew not who might be watching and listening.” Once safely inside, the slaves
would be fed and made comfortable for the evening. The number of fugitives varied
considerably through the years, Coffin noted, but annually averaged more than one hundred.
8 Both during and after the Civil War, Coffin served as a leading figure in the Western
Freedmen's Aid Society, which helped educate and provide in other ways for former slaves.
Working for the freedmen's cause in England and Europe, Coffin, in one year, raised more
than $100,000 for the Society. In 1867, he served as a delegate to the International Anti-
Slavery Conference in Paris. He died on September 16, 1877 in Cincinnati and is buried in
that city's Spring Grove Cemetery.
Selection from- The Civil War Society’s “Encyclopedia of the Civil War” from www.civilwarhome.com
Pictures from- www.waynet.org/nonprofit/coffin.htm
Levi Coffin
Catharine Coffin
17
Coached Reading Assessment
Grade 8 – Grading Period 3
“Levi Coffin”
Fill in the bubble next to the letter of the best answer.
27. According to paragraph 7, which word best describes the tone of the setting? [LA05]
28. What is the main idea of the selection? [IC11]
29. What does the author mean when he says that, “Levi Coffin’s fearlessness when assisting the
fleeing slaves had an effect on his neighbors and they no longer stood aloof from the work”
in paragraph 7 of the selection? [IC13]
A.
Interesting
B.
Depressing
C.
Discouraging
D.
Apprehensive
A.
It is about a man who is home-schooled and becomes a teacher.
B.
It is about a man who grew up in North Carolina in the early 1800s.
C.
It is about a man who stands up for his beliefs by helping free slaves.
D.
It is about a man who believes business is the most important thing in life.
A.
When the neighbors observed Levi helping the slaves, they became very angry.
B.
When the neighbors witnessed Levi’s work with slaves, they remained
disinterested.
C.
When the neighbors saw Levi taking in slaves, they welcomed them into their
homes.
D.
When the neighbors viewed Levi’s conviction to free slaves, they were inspired to
help.
18
30. Which sentence summarizes the selection? [IC12]
31. How are Ellen in “Escape” and Levi in “Levi Coffin” different? [IA16]
32. Based on the information in the selection, what is the most influential idea in “Levi Coffin”?
[IT19]
33. After reading the selection, what is the best generalization the reader can make about Levi?
[IT20]
A.
Levi becomes known for his work in freeing slaves and teaching them to read
using the Bible.
B.
Levi becomes a part of the Underground Railroad, takes a job as a teacher, and
meets many slaves.
C.
Levi develops an interest in assisting slaves, becomes an important merchant, and
marries Catherine in 1824.
D.
Levi develops an interest in assisting slaves, becomes part of the Underground
Railroad, and by his life’s end was known for freeing hundreds of slaves.
A.
Ellen is an abolitionist while Levi dislikes abolitionists.
B.
Ellen is attempting to escape while Levi helps slaves escape.
C.
Ellen thinks slaves should be free while Levi believes in slavery.
D.
Ellen is fearless of slave-catchers while Levi is fearful of slaves being caught.
A.
Slavery is a heartless establishment created by our ancestors.
B.
Being a rich businessman gives you a lot of power over people.
C.
It is important to have a supportive marriage when facing dangers.
D.
One person can make a positive difference in helping oppressed people.
A.
Heroes often show immense amounts of courage in difficult situations.
B.
Community support helps a person to reach his goals.
C.
Self-satisfaction is gained through public attention.
D.
Awards show the importance of a person’s work and life achievements.
