RISE Writing — Grade 5

A 5th-grade student is writing an opinion essay about whether elementary schools should have daily physical education. Which sentence functions best as a clear opinion claim?

• APhysical education classes include activities like running, dodgeball, and stretching.
• BElementary schools should require daily physical education because it improves student fo…
• CMany students in our district walk or ride their bikes to school every morning.
• DSome schools in Utah offer physical education twice a week, while others offer it three t…

Which introductory hook would be most effective for an opinion essay convincing the school principal to start a campus recycling program?

• ARecycling is spelled R-E-C-Y-C-L-I-N-G and it is very important.
• BEvery single day, elementary school cafeterias toss hundreds of plastic bottles directly…
• CMy mom told me that recycling is something that people do at home.
• DTrash is dirty and smells bad whenever you walk past the dumpsters.

Read the following statements. Which one is a statement of opinion rather than a statement of fact?

• AUtah became the 45th state admitted to the United States in 1896.
• BVisiting Zion National Park is the most rewarding outdoor experience in Utah.
• CGreat Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.
• DThe state bird of Utah is the California gull.

A student claims: 'Schools should extend lunch recess by fifteen minutes.' Which reason directly supports this opinion claim?

• ARecess equipment such as basketballs and jump ropes can be expensive to replace.
• BAdditional unstructured outdoor play helps students burn off energy and pay better attent…
• CTeachers usually use recess time to grade assignments or set up classroom materials.
• DThe cafeteria serves pizza every Friday afternoon during lunch.

Which reason best supports the argument that city councils should fund public community gardens?

• AGardens provide neighborhood residents with affordable fresh produce and foster community…
• BGardening tools can be purchased at home improvement stores across the state.
• CSome insects and weeds grow quickly during the warm summer months.
• DFlowers come in many different bright colors like yellow, purple, and red.

Read this draft body paragraph from an opinion essay: '(1) Field trips to local science museums are essential for 5th graders. (2) Seeing real dinosaur fossils and interactive space exhibits helps students understand complex science concepts far better than textbook diagrams alone. (3) Museum tickets can sometimes cost money. (4) Therefore, school boards should allocate funds for at least one museum trip per year.' Which sentence should be removed to improve paragraph focus?

• ASentence 1
• BSentence 2
• CSentence 3
• DSentence 4

In an opinion essay arguing for student uniform policies, how can a writer effectively address a counterargument?

• AIgnore any opposing views completely so the reader does not think about them.
• BAcknowledge that opponents worry about self-expression, then explain how uniforms can sti…
• CTell readers that anyone who disagrees with school uniforms is completely wrong and unedu…
• DSwitch the essay topic to discuss school cafeteria food instead of uniforms.

A student is writing an argument that kids should learn keyboarding in elementary school. Which statement best refutes the counterargument that 'keyboarding takes away time from traditional handwriting'?

• AHandwriting is an ancient skill that people have used for thousands of years.
• BWhile handwriting remains important, touch-typing allows students to express their ideas…
• CComputer keyboards have letters arranged in the QWERTY layout.
• DMany adults use smartphones to send text messages every single day.

Which concluding sentence best restates the claim 'Libraries should remain open on weekends' without simply repeating the exact same words?

• AIn conclusion, libraries should remain open on weekends.
• BUltimately, keeping public libraries accessible on Saturdays and Sundays ensures all comm…
• CLibraries contain thousands of fiction and non-fiction books on wooden shelves.
• DWeekend hours are Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM.

According to Utah RISE Grade 5 Writing rubric criteria for Composition, what distinguishes a top-score essay (Score 5-6) from a mid-score essay (Score 3-4)?

• ATop-score essays are handwritten in perfect cursive script.
• BTop-score essays demonstrate a thoroughly developed claim supported by well-integrated ev…
• CTop-score essays use at least twenty difficult vocabulary words from a high school dictio…
• DTop-score essays are exactly five paragraphs long regardless of prompt requirements.

A 5th grader is writing a letter to the Utah State Park Service advocating for cleaner hiking trails. Which tone is most appropriate for this audience?

• AInformal and casual, using slang like 'Hey guys, your trails are kinda trashy.'
• BFormal and respectful, stating 'Dear Park Directors, I urge you to install additional was…
• CAngry and demanding, writing 'If you don't fix this right now, I am never coming back!'
• DSarcastic, writing 'Oh great job keeping the trails clean, there are only ten thousand pl…

Which claim statement is most focused and manageable for a 3-paragraph opinion essay?

• AEverything in the whole world should be free for everyone.
• BOur school cafeteria should replace sugary snacks with fresh fruit options during morning…
• CSports are good, books are neat, and summer vacation is fun.
• DTechnology has completely changed human history over the last five centuries.

Read the two draft sentences: Draft A: 'I hate homework because it is super annoying and ruins my life!' Draft B: 'Assigning moderate homework helps 5th graders practice skills independently, but excessive homework reduces time for family and sleep.' How do these drafts compare?

• ADraft A is a strong academic opinion; Draft B is too confusing.
• BDraft A relies on emotional exaggeration; Draft B presents a balanced, reasoned perspecti…
• CBoth drafts mean the exact same thing and earn the exact same score.
• DDraft A is appropriate for a state exam; Draft B is too informal.

A student is writing an argument supporting water conservation in Utah. Which reason provides the strongest logical support for this claim?

• AWater is wet and flows out of household kitchen faucets.
• BUtah's arid climate and growing population mean water reservoirs can drop to critical lev…
• CSwimming pools are fun places to visit during hot July afternoons.
• DMy brother likes drinking ice water when he finishes soccer practice.

When organizing supporting body paragraphs in an opinion essay, what is the best strategy for ordering your reasons?

• APlace your weakest idea first, put your strongest idea in the middle, and end with a rand…
• BArrange reasons logically, starting with a strong main point and building to your most co…
• CMix opinion statements and recipes together in whatever order you write them down.
• DPut all supporting details in the introduction and leave body paragraphs completely empty.

A teacher leaves this rubric feedback on a student's opinion draft: 'Your claim is vague and reads like a summary. Make sure your thesis takes a distinct stance.' Which revised thesis statement best addresses this feedback?

• AThis paper will discuss solar panels and coal energy in Utah.
• BUtah should invest in solar energy infrastructure because solar power reduces air polluti…
• CSolar panels are dark blue glass sheets placed on roof tops.
• DEnergy is something that people use every single day to light their houses.

Read this prompt scenario: Utah is considering limiting motorized vehicles in certain state wilderness areas to protect wildlife. Passage 1 highlights habitat destruction from off-road vehicles. Passage 2 highlights how off-road recreation boosts rural town tourism revenue. Which thesis statement effectively acknowledges both perspectives while taking a clear position?

• ASome people like off-road vehicles and other people like wild animals.
• BAlthough off-road tourism generates economic benefits for small towns, Utah should restri…
• CPassage 1 is about animals and Passage 2 is about money in small towns.
• DMotorized vehicles should be banned everywhere in the entire state of Utah immediately.

An evaluator notices that a student's opinion essay jumps abruptly from discussing school lunch nutritional guidelines to complaining about gym class dodgeball rules. Which rubric domain is most directly weakened by this flaw?

• AConventions & Mechanics
• BOrganization & Coherence
• CSpelling & Punctuation
• DHandwriting Quality

A student draft contains the following paragraph: 'School music programs should receive more funding. Learning an instrument improves mathematical thinking and spatial reasoning skills. Playing in an orchestra teaches teamwork and discipline. Also, my cousin got a brand new electric guitar for his birthday last month.' Which sentence is weak because it introduces off-topic personal detail?

• ASchool music programs should receive more funding.
• BLearning an instrument improves mathematical thinking and spatial reasoning skills.
• CPlaying in an orchestra teaches teamwork and discipline.
• DAlso, my cousin got a brand new electric guitar for his birthday last month.

Read this paragraph outline: • Claim: Communities should replace asphalt playgrounds with natural green spaces. • Reason 1: Grass and trees lower surface temperatures during hot weather. • Reason 2: Natural soils absorb rainwater, reducing local storm runoff. Which conclusion paragraph best synthesizes these points effectively?

• AIn summary, asphalt is black and hot. Rain falls from clouds in the sky. Playgrounds are…
• BTo conclude, transforming paved playgrounds into natural green parks creates cooler play…
• CThat is why asphalt is bad and trees are good. Thank you for reading my essay about parks.
• DNext, I will talk about how to build a treehouse using wooden boards and nails.

A student is writing an informative report about Great Salt Lake. Which sentence serves best as a clear topic sentence for a paragraph explaining why the lake is so salty?

• AGreat Salt Lake has no outlet river, causing minerals to concentrate as water evaporates.
• BI went swimming in Great Salt Lake once and the water stung my eyes.
• CBrine shrimp are tiny creatures that live in salty water.
• DMany people enjoy kayaking and boating near Antelope Island.

Which group of words represents domain-specific vocabulary for an informative essay about solar energy production?

• ASunlight, sky, warm, yellow, morning
• BPhotovoltaic cell, solar radiation, inverter, grid, renewable
• CPretty, bright, shiny, summer, happy
• DWires, glass, metal, roof, box

A student has collected research notes on honeybees: • Queen bees lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. • Worker bees forage for nectar and pollen in flower fields. • Drone bees defend the hive and mate with the queen. What is the most logical heading for a section containing these notes?

• AThe History of Beekeeping in Utah
• BRoles and Division of Labor in a Bee Colony
• CHow to Treat Bee Stings Safely
• DTypes of Honey Sold in Grocery Stores

Why do non-fiction informative authors use text features like diagrams, captions, and subheadings?

• ATo trick the reader into thinking the essay is longer than it really is.
• BTo organize information clearly and help readers visually understand complex concepts.
• CTo express personal feelings and opinions about the topic.
• DTo satisfy fiction storybook formatting requirements.

Which sentence provides the best introduction for an informative essay about how glaciers shape mountain valleys?

• AGlaciers are massive bodies of slow-moving ice that carve steep rock mountain valleys ove…
• BI think glaciers are cold and scary places where nobody should ever go camping.
• CIf you like ice cream, you will probably love learning about glaciers.
• DGlaciers are made of frozen water, just like ice cubes in a soda cup.

How does the primary purpose of informative writing differ from opinion writing?

• AInformative writing tries to persuade the reader, while opinion writing lists scientific…
• BInformative writing aims to explain facts objectively, while opinion writing aims to conv…
• CInformative writing uses poetry rhymes, while opinion writing uses character dialogue.
• DThere is no difference; both forms of writing follow identical goals.

A student is writing an informative paragraph about soil erosion caused by wind. Which organizational pattern is most appropriate?

• AChronological narrative story order
• BCause and effect structure
• COrder of personal preference
• DQuestion and answer interview dialogue

Read this sentence from an informative draft: 'Plants use sunlight to make food for themselves.' Which revision improves the sentence by using precise domain-specific scientific vocabulary?

• APlants grab sunshine and eat it to stay alive.
• BThrough photosynthesis, plant chloroplasts convert solar energy, water, and carbon dioxid…
• CPlants like sunny days because sunshine makes them green and pretty.
• DVegetation enjoys absorbing solar beams for breakfast.

Which concluding section is most effective for an informative article on the life cycle of monarch butterflies?

• AMonarch butterflies are orange and black, which makes them my favorite insect in North Am…
• BIn summary, from egg to caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult butterfly, monarchs undergo com…
• CNext time you see a butterfly, you should definitely catch it with a mesh net and keep it…
• DMetamorphosis is a long word that has fourteen letters in it.

Under Utah RISE rubric guidelines for Informative/Explanatory Writing, what key element must be present in the body paragraphs?

• APersuasive arguments convincing the reader to take political action.
• BFacts, concrete details, quotations, and domain-specific vocabulary that elaborate on the…
• CFictional characters facing exciting plot conflicts.
• DRhyming stanza structures at the end of every paragraph.

A student is writing a report on renewable energy. How can a bar graph comparing wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy production best be incorporated into the report?

• APlace the graph anywhere without mentioning it in the body text.
• BInsert the graph in the section discussing energy sources, accompanied by a caption expla…
• CReplace all written body text with ten different colored graphs.
• DUse the graph as the introduction background image.

Read these two paragraph outlines: Structure A: Paragraph 1 describes renewable solar power; Paragraph 2 describes non-renewable coal power. Structure B: Paragraph 1 explains the historical development of coal power from 1800 to 1950. Which statement accurately describes these organizational choices?

• AStructure A uses compare-and-contrast organization; Structure B uses chronological organi…
• BStructure A uses cause-and-effect organization; Structure B uses opinion-claim organizati…
• CStructure A uses narrative dialogue; Structure B uses persuasive advertising.
• DBoth structures are identical in organizational design.

Which set of transition words is most helpful when writing a sequential informative piece explaining how fossil fuels form?

• AInitially, over millions of years, subsequently, eventually
• BOn the other hand, nevertheless, in contrast, although
• CFor instance, in my personal opinion, I strongly feel, clearly
• DBecause, therefore, as a result of, consequently

Which revision replaces emotional, biased language with a neutral, objective informative tone? Draft: 'Volcanoes are terrifying monsters that destroy beautiful lands without warning.'

• AVolcanoes are super cool and awesome explosions that everyone loves watching.
• BVolcanic eruptions release molten magma and ash, altering surrounding landscapes through…
• CVolcanoes are evil geographic features that make me cry when I read about them.
• DI think volcanoes should be banned from erupting ever again.

Read this paragraph about electric cars: '(1) Electric vehicles run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries instead of gasoline. (2) Because they produce zero direct tailpipe emissions, electric cars reduce urban air pollution. (3) My uncle bought a red sports car last summer and drives it fast on the highway. (4) Additionally, electric motors operate quietly and require less routine engine maintenance.' Which sentence weakens paragraph focus?

• ASentence 1
• BSentence 2
• CSentence 3
• DSentence 4

How can a writer elaborate on the general statement: 'Deserts experience extreme temperature changes' in an informative essay?

• ABy repeating the exact sentence three times in a row.
• BBy providing specific daily temperature measurements (e.g., soaring above 100°F at noon a…
• CBy expressing personal dislike for hot weather and sand.
• DBy listing five famous desert movies.

A 5th grader's draft report on Utah's mining history has paragraph 1 on coal mines, paragraph 2 on pioneer farming crops, and paragraph 3 on copper mining. What revision best improves the overall structural flow of the essay?

• AKeep paragraph 2 because farming uses soil just like mining.
• BRemove or relocate paragraph 2 on pioneer farming, and group coal and copper mining toget…
• CDelete paragraph 1 and paragraph 3, keeping only the farming section.
• DChange the essay title to 'Farming and Gardening in Utah'.

Read the original source sentence: Source: 'Pando, an aspen grove in Fishlake National Forest, is a single living organism sharing one massive root system spanning 106 acres.' Which student paraphrase represents acceptable informative writing without plagiarizing?

• APando, an aspen grove in Fishlake National Forest, is a single living organism sharing on…
• BLocated in Utah's Fishlake National Forest, the Pando aspen grove is actually one giant o…
• CAccording to forestry researchers, the Pando aspen stand in Utah is a unified organism th…
• DAspen trees are green and Pando is located in a national forest in Utah.

Which revision transforms a weak, vague topic sentence into an engaging, informative topic sentence? Weak: 'This paragraph is about how weather satellites work in space.'

• AWeather satellites are cool machines flying up high.
• BOrbiting hundreds of miles above Earth, weather satellites gather real-time atmospheric d…
• CI am going to write about weather satellites now in paragraph two.
• DSatellites shoot lasers into space every night.

A 5th grader receives a Composition score of 2 out of 6 on an informative RISE performance task. Which diagnostic comment reflects this score level?

• AThe essay demonstrates thorough mastery with complex vocabulary and insightful synthesis…
• BThe response shows minimal focus, relies on brief lists without elaboration, and fails to…
• CThe essay has perfect grammar and punctuation throughout every single sentence.
• DThe response is five pages long and includes detailed hand-drawn diagrams.

Read this snippet from a source passage on honeybees: 'Honeybees pollinate over 70 of the 100 crop species that feed 90% of the human population worldwide.' Which student sentence uses this source evidence most effectively to support a claim that honeybees are vital to agriculture?

• AHoneybees are insects that fly around crops in large green farm fields.
• BAccording to the source text, honeybees are essential to world agriculture because they p…
• CBees like eating crops because crops taste sweet and nutritious.
• DOver 90% of humans like eating vegetables grown on local farms.

A student is writing an essay about Utah pioneer journeys. Which detail from a source passage provides the best evidence that pioneer travel was physically exhausting?

• APioneers often traveled in organized groups called wagon trains.
• BHandcart pioneers walked up to 15 miles per day across rugged terrain while pushing carts…
• CMany pioneer children sang songs around evening campfires after sunset.
• DPioneer wagons were covered with thick canvas cloth to protect supplies.

When supporting a claim on a RISE writing test, why is direct text evidence preferred over personal anecdotes?

• APersonal stories take up too much paper space.
• BText evidence provides verifiable, objective proof from provided passages that raters eva…
• CPersonal anecdotes are forbidden by Utah state laws.
• DPassage quotes are always written in poetic verse.

Which sentence correctly embeds a direct quotation from Source 1?

• AAs stated in Source 1, "Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity using sem…
• BSolar panels convert sunlight into electricity Source 1 says.
• C"Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials" S…
• DSource 1 solar panels convert sunlight into electricity directly.

A prompt asks: 'Explain how beaver dams benefit wetland ecosystems.' Which piece of passage evidence directly answers this prompt?

• ABeavers have thick brown fur and sharp front teeth that never stop growing.
• BBy slowing stream flow, beaver dams trap sediment and create calm ponds that shelter fish…
• CBeavers were heavily hunted for their pelt fur during the 1800s fur trade.
• DSome farmers complain when beaver dams cause minor flooding near pasture fences.

Read the original passage quote: 'While electric scooters reduce vehicle emissions, improper parking on sidewalks creates trip hazards for pedestrians.' Which student usage distorts the original meaning of the text?

• AThe author notes that although scooters lower emissions, sidewalk parking poses hazards f…
• BAccording to the passage, electric scooters are completely harmless and cause zero proble…
• CThe text points out that scooter benefits are balanced by pedestrian safety concerns on s…
• DAs highlighted in the text, scooter parking must be managed so pedestrians do not trip.

Passage A states that national parks protect endangered animals. Passage B states that national parks boost local hotel and restaurant business. Which sentence effectively synthesizes evidence from BOTH passages?

• APassage A is about animals and Passage B is about hotels.
• BNational parks provide vital environmental protections for wildlife (Passage A) while sim…
• CEndangered animals like bears and wolves live in national parks across the western state…
• DHotels and restaurants serve delicious meals to tourists who travel during summer vacatio…