Reading Standards for Informational Text: Determining Word Meanings in Grade 5 Topics (CCSS.RI.5.4) Practice Test

On a class hike, students recorded plants and animals from the riverbank up to a rocky ridge. Near the river, the air felt moist, the soil was deep, and tall trees provided shade. Higher on the slope, the wind was stronger, the ground was sandy, and short shrubs clung to the rocks. The teacher asked them to group their notes by region. They noticed that one broad area near the river shared similar conditions and species, while a different area on the ridge had its own typical features. The boundary between regions was not a sharp line, but the patterns were clear. By comparing rainfall, temperature, and plant types, the class mapped each region on a simple sketch. Understanding each region helped them predict where certain insects would likely be found.

At our school, the Green Team started a compost bin to keep food scraps out of the trash. The process takes time, but each step matters. First, students collect fruit peels and wilted lettuce from the cafeteria. Next, they mix the scraps with dry leaves and shredded paper. Then the mixture is turned every week so air can get in. Bacteria and worms break the scraps down, changing them into dark, crumbly soil. Finally, after several weeks, the finished compost is spread in the garden beds. By following this process again and again—collecting, mixing, turning, and waiting—the team turns leftovers into something useful. When the steps are done out of order, the bin smells bad and doesn't heat up properly. But when the steps are organized, the pile warms, and the garden benefits.