Prairie Mystery Assessment
STAAR Reading Practice Grade 3 • Literary Text
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Date:
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
The Mystery of the Whispering Oak
Read the story. Then answer the questions that follow.
Fictional Story
Part 1: The Missing Treasure
1 Barnaby the prairie dog stood tall in the green grass. The morning sun was warm and bright. A cool breeze blew across the meadow. Beside him, his little sister Pip skipped from rock to rock. She was singing a silly song. "Pay attention, Pip," Barnaby whispered. "We are detectives today. Keep your eyes open." Pip did not look worried. She picked up a round white pebble. "Look, Barnaby! It shines like a drop of water!"
2 Barnaby sighed. Walking with Pip was not easy. Barnaby liked to be careful. He planned every step. Pip liked to be wild. She ran after every bug and flower. Still, Pip had sharp eyes. She saw things that others missed. Mama had asked Barnaby to watch Pip, and Barnaby had lost his favorite brass compass near the big oak tree yesterday. He needed to find it before dark.
Part 2: A Voice in the Tree
3 SNAP! A stick cracked in the bushes. Barnaby stopped walking. His heart thumped like a tiny drum. Pip’s ears stood straight up. Her brown tail twitched. "Did you hear that?" Barnaby asked. "The sound came from the big oak tree! If we do not find the compass soon, we are in a pickle. That means we are in trouble, because Mama needs it tonight."
4 "Who is walking on my crunchy leaves?" called a deep voice. It was Old Oliver, the big owl. He was sitting on a low branch. His yellow eyes were round like shiny pennies. "Hello, Mr. Oliver," Barnaby said. "Did you take my brass compass?" Oliver shook his head. "I sleep all day, little friend. You are barking up the wrong tree if you blame me. But I did see an animal with a bushy grey tail run past this morning."
Part 3: The Clue in the Wood
5 "Barnaby, look here!" Pip called out. Pip was kneeling by the rough grey bark of the oak tree trunk. She pointed to a crack in the wood. Stuck in the bark was a piece of soft grey hair. Right below it was a pile of chewed acorn shells. "Sammy the Squirrel!" Barnaby shouted. "Sammy loves to take shiny things for his nest!"
6 SWOOSH! A gust of wind blew through the high branches. Dry leaves danced in the air like yellow butterflies. High above in a tree hole, something caught the sunlight. It gleamed bright and yellow! "There it is!" Pip cheered, clapping her paws. Oliver gave a gentle flap of his wide wing. The compass tumbled down and landed safely on the soft green grass.
7 Barnaby picked up his compass. He gave Pip a big smile and pinned his silver whistle on her shirt. "You found the clue that solved the mystery, Pip," Barnaby said. "You are a great helper." Pip grinned from ear to ear. "Does that mean I am your official deputy?" Barnaby laughed. "Yes, Deputy Pip. Case closed!"
Directions: Turn to the next page and answer Questions 1 through 6. Look back at the story to find your answers.
Page 1 of 3
Prairie Mystery Assessment • Grade 3 Reading Questions 1 – 6
Question 1 TEKS 3.6C
Based on the title and Part 1, what can the reader predict the story is mostly about?
A Barnaby digging a new tunnel in the ground
B Barnaby and Pip searching for a missing compass
C Pip leaving the meadow to live with an owl
D Sammy teaching other animals how to climb trees
Question 2 TEKS 3.8B
How do Barnaby's feelings about Pip change from the beginning to the end of the story?
A He gets angry at Pip for losing the compass.
B He learns that Pip's sharp eyes make her a great helper.
C He decides to look for clues all by himself.
D He asks Old Oliver to watch Pip instead.
Question 3 TEKS 3.3B
In paragraph 4, Old Oliver says Barnaby is "barking up the wrong tree." What does this idiom mean?
A Barking like a loud dog at a tree trunk
B Looking in the wrong place or blaming the wrong animal
C Trying to climb a tree that has no leaves
D Hiding acorns deep under the ground
Question 4 TEKS 3.10D
In paragraph 3, why does the author use the word "SNAP!" and say Barnaby's heart "thumped like a tiny drum"?
A To show that Barnaby wants to play music with Pip
B To show that Barnaby is suddenly startled and nervous
C To show that the tree branch broke off and fell
D To show that the autumn wind stopped blowing
Question 5 TEKS 3.6F
Based on paragraphs 5 and 6, why did Sammy the Squirrel take the compass?
A Sammy needed a compass to find his way home.
B Sammy loved shiny things and took it for his nest.
C Sammy was trying to help Barnaby find Mama.
D Sammy wanted to trade the compass with Old Oliver.
Question 6 TEKS 3.3D
In paragraph 5, the word bark means the rough outside covering of a tree. In which sentence is bark used with this SAME meaning?
A The puppy will bark when someone knocks on the door.
B A green bug crawled under the rough bark of the tree.
C The coach let out a sharp bark of laughter at the joke.
D Seals bark loudly when they sit on the rocks.
Turn to Page 3 to complete the written explanation questions. Page 2 of 3
Prairie Mystery Assessment • Grade 3 Reading Written Evidence Questions
Question 7 Short Constructed Response
TEKS 3.8B & 3.6F
Explain how Pip helps Barnaby solve the mystery, even though Barnaby thinks she is only playing. Support your answer with at least one detail from the story.
Question 8 Short Constructed Response
TEKS 3.10D & 3.6F
In paragraph 6, the author writes that dry leaves danced in the air "like yellow butterflies." How does this simile help the reader picture what is happening? Use details from the story in your answer.
STAAR Evidence Response Checklist
1. Answer: State your answer in a full sentence.
2. Prove: Give a clue or detail from the story.
3. Explain: Tell how your clue proves your answer.
Prairie Mystery Answer Key
Teacher Resource STAAR Reading Alignment • Grade 3
Master Answer Key
The Mystery of the Whispering Oak: Teacher Key
Simplified 3rd-grade question rationales, TEKS standards, and scoring guides.
STAAR Formatted
| Item | TEKS | Target Skill / Focus | Answer |
|---|
| Q1 | 3.6C | Make predictions using title, genre, and text structure | B |
| Q2 | 3.8B | Explain relationships among major (Barnaby) and minor (Pip) characters | B |
| Q3 | 3.3B / 3.3D | Explain meaning of idioms in context ("barking up the wrong tree") | B |
| Q4 | 3.10D | Author's craft: sound device (onomatopoeia) & simile to show feelings | B |
| Q5 | 3.6F | Make inferences using text evidence (Sammy's reason for taking compass) | B |
| Q6 | 3.3D | Determine the meaning of homographs in context ("bark") | B |
Q1 Rationales (Key: B):
Correct (B): The title ("Mystery...") and Part 1 show Barnaby telling Pip they are detectives searching for the compass he lost yesterday. Distractors: A, C, and D are not mentioned in the opening of the story.
Q2 Rationales (Key: B):
Correct (B): At first, Barnaby thinks Pip is too wild and not serious. In paragraph 7, he praises her and calls her a great helper and his official deputy. Distractors: A is incorrect because Barnaby lost the compass himself; C and D describe negative reactions that do not happen.
Q3 Rationales (Key: B):
Correct (B): Oliver explains he sleeps all day and did not take it, so Barnaby is asking the wrong animal. Distractors: A is the literal dog sound; C and D confuse tree actions with the figurative meaning.
Q4 Rationales (Key: B):
Correct (B): A loud "SNAP!" startled Barnaby, making his heart race like a drum because he was surprised and worried. Distractors: A misunderstands "drum" as a musical toy; C and D confuse character emotions with weather or tree damage.
Q5 Rationales (Key: B):
Correct (B): Paragraph 5 explicitly tells the reader that "Sammy loves to take shiny things for his nest." Distractors: A gives human navigation habits to a squirrel; C and D give reasons not found in the text.
Q6 Rationales (Key: B):
Correct (B): In paragraph 5, "bark" is the rough outside wood of a tree trunk. Option B uses the exact same definition. Distractors: A and D mean animal sounds; C means a sudden sharp human noise.
