Grade 6 English Language Arts • RL.6.1 Master Key Page 1 of 2 • Turn over for Question 5–7 Solutions
Part 2 & 3 Solutions & Scoring Rubric
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1 Page 2 Key
[2 Points Total]
Quote #1: Body Language Para [ 1 or 3 ]
“...both hands pressed flat against the mahogany timber, his knuckles bone-white.” Also accept: “offered a tight, brief smile that never reached his eyes.” (para 3)
Quote #2: Broken Habit Para [ 2 or 4 ]
“He didn’t check the radar monitor or fasten the hurricane shutters as station protocol demanded...” Also accept: “the master set he had never once forgotten in forty years of service...” (para 4)
[3 Points Total]
Text Clue (Explicit)
“On the ledger desk lay his iron key ring—the master set he had never once forgotten in forty years...”
Schema / Knowledge
When a dedicated professional breaks a 40-year safety routine, they are intensely distracted or in a state of high emergency.
=
Inference
Grandfather is not on a routine check; he is panicked about an urgent secret.
[4 Points Total]
Model Student Response (Proficient / 4 Points): Full Evidence Integration
The author explicitly states that Grandfather’s lantern beam was heading “not up toward the warning beacon tower, but down the treacherous cliff path toward the forbidden sea caves at Devil’s Gulley” (paragraph 4). From this action, the reader can infer that Grandfather is prioritizing a secret personal emergency over his official duty as station keeper. Instead of warning passing ships about the incoming gale, he is rushing to retrieve or hide something tied to the 1991 canister before the rising tide floods the caves.
4 Points (Mastery): Explicit claim + accurate direct quote with quotation marks + deep inference analyzing his motive and Devil's Gulley.
2–3 Points (Approaching): Includes inference and cites text, but quotes imprecisely, forgets quote marks, or gives surface-level explanation.
0–1 Point (Novice): States vague opinion without citing textual evidence; confuses explicit facts with inferences.
Total Assessment Value: Part 1 (4 pts) + Question 5 (2 pts) + Question 6 (3 pts) + Question 7 (4 pts) = 13 Points Total
Mastery: 11–13 pts (85%+)
Evidence Sleuth Answer Key • Grade 6 RL.6.1 Instructional Guide Page 2 of 2 • Complete Key
Belongs in an objective summary? [ Yes / No ]
Objective Subjective
Belongs in an objective summary? [ Yes / No ]
Objective Subjective
Belongs in an objective summary? [ Yes / No ]
Objective Subjective
Belongs in an objective summary? [ Yes / No ]
Objective Subjective
Grade 6 English Language Arts • RL.6.2 Theme & Summary Page 1 of 2 • Turn over for Theme Analysis & Summary Writing
Part 2: Tracking Theme Through Particular Details
Student Name: Page 2
[Standard RL.6.2]
Which statement best expresses the overarching theme developed across both parts of the story?
A. Weather stations are obsolete because modern satellite radar can predict ocean storms reliably. B. True courage and responsibility often require acting selflessly to protect others, even when facing danger. C. Young people should never question or disobey instructions given to them by older authority figures.
[Detail Tracker]
Explain how three distinct details from Part 2 help convey this theme to the reader:
Detail #1: The Dilemma (Para 5)
What choice did Maya make when she saw the key?
Detail #2: The Teamwork (Para 7)
How did Maya and Grandfather save the skiffs?
Detail #3: The Resolution (Para 8)
What does sliding the key across the desk symbolize?
[Summary Composition]
Write a detailed 4–5 sentence objective summary of the complete narrative (Parts 1 and 2). Remember to recount only key plot events in chronological order, leaving out personal judgments or opinions.
Objective Summary Checklist: Names characters & setting States main problem & solution Zero opinion words (“awesome,” “stupid”)
Summary Self-Check: Can you clearly explain the difference between a theme and a plot summary?
Need Practice Confident Mastered
Theme Trackers • Grade 6 Reading Comprehension • Standard RL.6.2 Page 2 of 2 • Complete
Grade 6 English Language Arts • RL.6.2 Master Key Page 1 of 2 • Turn over for Question 5–7 Solutions
Part 2 & 3 Solutions & Scoring Rubric
Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 Page 2 Key
[1 Point Total]
Correct Answer: B “True courage and responsibility often require acting selflessly to protect others...”
Distractor Analysis: Option A focuses narrowly on weather technology (a minor topical detail, not a theme). Option C contradicts the narrative, as Maya’s disobedience was essential to saving lives and validated by Grandfather in paragraph 8.
[3 Points Total (1 pt per detail)]
Detail 1: The Dilemma
Maya overcomes fear, alerts the Coast Guard, and chooses to venture into the storm to ensure her grandfather isn't stranded alone.
Detail 2: The Teamwork
In the flooded cave, Maya pulls the counterweight while Grandfather ignites the flare, demonstrating that saving lives requires joint perseverance.
Detail 3: The Resolution
Passing the key symbolizes Maya's transition into a true keeper who understands duty means actively protecting others, not just staying safe.
[4 Points Total]
Model Student Response (Mastery Level / 4 Points): Completely Objective (0% Opinion)
During a severe storm at Gull Island weather station, Grandfather retrieved a historic metal canister and hurried down toward dangerous sea caves without his master key. Concerned for his safety, Maya notified the Coast Guard and followed him through the gale with a rope. Inside the cave, she discovered Grandfather attempting to activate a manual emergency beacon installed after a 1991 shipwreck. Working together against the rising surf, Maya and Grandfather successfully fired the beacon, steering two fishing skiffs away from the reef. Afterward, Grandfather passed Maya the station key, honoring her commitment to protecting human lives.
4 Points (Mastery): Comprehensive chronological summary covering beginning, middle, and end; entirely objective; zero subjective opinions.
2–3 Points (Approaching): Covers main events but misses resolution or key cause-and-effect detail; includes 1–2 mild opinion words (e.g., “scary,” “heroic”).
0–1 Point (Novice): Vague retelling of isolated moments; reads as a personal critique or opinion piece rather than an objective summary.
Total Assessment Value: Part 1 (4 pts) + Question 5 (1 pt) + Question 6 (3 pts) + Question 7 (4 pts) = 12 Points Total
Mastery: 10–12 pts (83%+)
Theme Trackers Answer Key • Grade 6 RL.6.2 Instructional Guide Page 2 of 2 • Complete Key
