Dunes Checkpoint Student Booklet
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep
Hoosier Dunes Weekly
Monday
Name:
Date:
Today's Focus: Character, Setting & Inferences (RL.2.3, RL.2.1)
Chapter 1: The Singing Beach
An Unexpected Melody
Leo squeezed his eyes shut as a gust of wind swept across the massive sand hills of Indiana Dunes National Park. Beside him, his older sister, Maya, was marching ahead, eagerly clutching a faded notebook she called her "Adventure Log." Leo sighed, dragging his feet. He had wanted to spend his Saturday playing video games, not walking across mountains of hot, shifting sand.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, musical squeaking sound echoed beneath Maya's sneakers. She stopped instantly, her eyes wide with excitement. "Leo! Did you hear that? The sands are actually singing!" Leo scoffed, sure it was just another of Maya's playful tricks. But as he reluctantly dragged his own heel across the dry slope, a distinct, warm hum vibrated right up through his shoes.
1
How does the setting of the dunes influence Leo's feelings at the start of the story?
A It makes him feel eager to explore every sandy path.
B It makes him feel frustrated and bored compared to staying home.
C It frightens him because of the roaring winds near the lake shore.
2
Read this sentence from the passage: "Leo scoffed, sure it was just another of Maya's playful tricks." What does this show about how Leo treats Maya's excitement?
A He is jealous because Maya is finding interesting things on the path.
B He is highly doubtful at first and expects her to be playing a game.
C He is worried that Maya might fall down the steep sand hill.
3
Describe the contrast between Maya and Leo's personalities in Chapter 1. Use details from the text.
Grade 4 Literary Checkpoint Page 1
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep
Hoosier Dunes Weekly
Tuesday
Name:
Date:
Today's Focus: Plot Events & Drawing Inferences (RL.2.3, RL.2.1)
Chapter 2: The Mysterious Trail
A Call to the Trails
Amused by the musical sand, Leo forgot his complaints and followed Maya as she hurried toward Mount Baldy, the giant shifting dune. Near the base, Maya gasped. Marked in the smooth sand was a series of deep, circular indentations that curved upward into the steep woods.
"Let's see where they go!" Maya exclaimed, stepping toward the slope. But a friendly voice called out, "Hold on, explorers!" A park ranger named Ranger Sarah stepped off a wooden boardwalk. "That giant dune is active and fragile. It moves about four feet every year, burying anything in its path. Hiking off-trail damages the roots of the marram grass, which holds the sand in place. We must stay on the boardwalk to protect this amazing place."
1
How does the introduction of Ranger Sarah affect the plot of the story?
A She stops Maya and Leo from climbing off-trail and explains the park rules.
B She challenges them to a race up to the top of Mount Baldy.
C She helps them follow the mysterious footprints into the woods.
2
What is the main reason Ranger Sarah gives for protecting the marram grass?
A Its roots keep the sand anchored in place so the dunes do not drift away.
B It produces colorful flowers that visitors love to pick and collect.
C It provides shelter for the large animals making prints in the sand.
3
Based on Chapter 2, what can the reader infer about Maya's feelings when she is stopped by Ranger Sarah? Support your answer with a text detail.
Grade 4 Literary Checkpoint Page 2
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep
Hoosier Dunes Weekly
Wednesday
Name:
Date:
Today's Focus: Context Clues (RL.3.2) & Drawing Inferences (RL.2.1)
Chapter 3: The Blowout's Secret
A Glint in the Sand
Nodding understandingly, Maya and Leo stepped carefully along the raised boardwalk. As they rounded a curve, a powerful wind caught them. Here, the forest trees lay partially buried, creating a wide, sandy bowl. "This is a dune blowout," Maya noted, reading her guide. "The wind scooped the sand right out."
Suddenly, Leo noticed something **shimmering** beneath a clump of dry marram grass near the edge of the walk. He reached down and retrieved a heavy, circular metal emblem. It was green and bore an old-fashioned engraving of an oak tree, partially worn away by decades of blowing sand. "This must have been uncovered by the wind!" Leo whispered, staring in awe.
1
Read this sentence from the passage: "Suddenly, Leo noticed something shimmering beneath a clump of dry marram grass..." What is the meaning of the word shimmering?
A Making a loud, squeaking noise under their feet.
B Shining with a soft, sparkling or flickering light.
C Moving very quickly down the steep side of the hill.
2
Based on Chapter 3, what is a dune blowout?
A A giant storm that floods Lake Michigan's beaches.
B A bowl-shaped hollow created when wind scoots sand away.
C A forest fire that buries older trees in heavy gray soot.
3
How does the setting of a "dune blowout" directly lead to Leo's discovery? Support your answer with a detail from Wednesday's text.
Grade 4 Literary Checkpoint Page 3
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep
Hoosier Dunes Weekly
Thursday
Name:
Date:
Today's Focus: Theme & Character Interactions (RL.2.2, RL.2.3)
Chapter 4: The Ranger's Story
A Century-Old Shield
Maya and Leo eagerly ran back to the trail marker to show Ranger Sarah their discovery. The ranger's jaw dropped as she gently held the metal circle. "Amazing!" she whispered. "This is an original membership badge from the Dunes Pageant Association, dated 1917."
She smiled warmly at the siblings. "Over a hundred years ago, a group of brave citizens fought tirelessly against factories that wanted to bulldoze these dunes for concrete. They performed outdoor plays on this very sand to show the world why these wild dunes mattered. Your discovery reminds us that we are part of a long story. By staying on the trail today, you are performing the same vital work they did."
1
Which sentence best states the theme or core message of Chapter 4?
A Finding old objects is the most exciting part of visiting Lake Michigan.
B Protecting nature connects us to history and is a shared responsibility.
C Factories are more important to Indiana's economy than wild sand dunes.
2
According to Ranger Sarah, what unique method did citizens in 1917 use to save the dunes?
A They built heavy wooden fences to block construction vehicles.
B They performed creative outdoor plays right on the sandy dunes.
C They purchased all the sand hills from the factories using their own money.
3
How does Ranger Sarah's story change Leo's perspective about his Saturday beach trip? Support your answer with a detail from Chapter 4.
Grade 4 Literary Checkpoint Page 4
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep
Hoosier Dunes Weekly
Friday
Name:
Date:
Today's Focus: Story Summarizing & Synthesis (RL.2.2, RL.2.3)
Weekly Adventure Recap
Over the course of the week, we followed Leo and Maya from their initial walk on the singing beach, to their meeting with Ranger Sarah, their discovery of the century-old metal badge in the windward blowout, and finally their realization that protecting Indiana's shifting sands is a shared human legacy.
1
Which sentence best describes how Leo's perspective changes from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4?
A He starts out feeling bored and detached, but ends up proud to participate in protecting the park.
B He begins to dislike his sister even more for forcing him to explore Mount Baldy.
C He decides that he wants to leave Indiana immediately to live in a larger city.
2
What is the central conflict or problem introduced at the beginning of the story?
A Leo is forced to go on a sandy hike when he would rather play indoor video games.
B Ranger Sarah loses a highly valuable historical metal membership badge from 1917.
C Leo and Maya get separated because of a sudden wind storm on Mount Baldy.
3
Complete the story summary chart below by writing a sentence that explains the resolution (how the story ends).
Beginning
Leo reluctantly hikes the singing sands with Maya, wanting to stay indoors.
Middle
They find a 1917 Dunes Pageant badge uncovered in a wind blowout.
Resolution (Write how the adventure ends in Chapter 4)
Grade 4 Literary Checkpoint Page 5
Dunes Checkpoint Teacher Guide
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep • Teacher Resource
Hoosier Dunes Answer Key
Mon - Wed Key
Use this guide to score the Hoosier Dunes Weekly Checkpoint. Daily checks measure standard mastery in literary elements (RL.2.3), theme (RL.2.2), context clues (RL.3.2), and drawing inferences (RL.2.1).
Monday Checkpoint Standards: RL.2.3 & RL.2.1
1 Q1 Key: B
Leo prefers indoor activities like video games and feels annoyed about walking on sand.
2 Q2 Key: B
Leo expects his sister's claims to be an imaginary game or a prank rather than truth.
Q3 Exemplar Response (Character Contrast):
Maya is curious and adventurous, clutching her "Adventure Log" and eager to search for singing sands. Leo is unenthusiastic and wants to stay inside playing video games rather than walking over shifting sands.
Tuesday Checkpoint Standards: RL.2.3 & RL.2.1
1 Q1 Key: A
Ranger Sarah steps in to explain rules and redirects them away from Mount Baldy.
2 Q2 Key: A
Marram grass holds the sand hills in place, preventing the entire landmark from drifting away.
Q3 Exemplar Response (Inference):
We can infer Maya is eager and cooperative. Although stopped, she accepts the explanation ("nodding understandingly") because she values the park and understands the danger to fragile active dunes.
Wednesday Checkpoint Standards: RL.3.2 & RL.2.1
1 Q1 Key: B
"Shimmering" is used to describe a glowing or sparkling reflection under Lake Michigan sun.
2 Q2 Key: B
A blowout is directly defined as a bowl-like sandy shape hollowed out by winds.
Q3 Exemplar Response (Setting connection):
The blowout settings scoop out sand, clearing active layers. Because the wind cleared out the top dunes, it revealed a heavy historical green metal badge that had been buried for decades.
Grade 4 Reading Checkpoint Key Page 1
ILEARN Checkpoint 1 Prep • Teacher Resource
Hoosier Dunes Answer Key
Thu - Fri Key
Thursday Checkpoint Standards: RL.2.2 & RL.2.3
1 Q1 Key: B
Determining theme: Protecting the park links visitors directly to Indiana's history.
2 Q2 Key: B
Citizens held plays on the actual sands to raise preservation support.
Q3 Exemplar Response (Leo's Transformation):
Leo realizes his walk is not a boring task, but a valuable legacy. He learns his trail compliance mirrors the 1917 pageants that saved the park, giving him immediate purpose and pride.
