Multiple Genres: Analyzing Informational Text For Controlling Ideas And Supporting Evidence (TEKS.ELA.6.8.D.i) Practice Test

On a vacant lot at the edge of town, neighbors planted a small community garden. At first, the garden produced only a few baskets of tomatoes and peppers. By the second season, however, the project had grown into a place where people traded recipes, learned about soil, and tried new vegetables. A retired science teacher led short lessons on compost and pollinators. Teens built a simple rain-collection system, and younger children measured plant growth with rulers. The garden also helped families stretch their grocery budgets by offering fresh herbs and greens. Because the space was public, new residents met longtime locals as they weeded beds together on Saturday mornings. Some volunteers liked the quiet work; others came for the conversations. The group even set aside a corner for native flowers to support bees. As the rows multiplied, so did the sense that the block belonged to everyone who cared for it.

During a thunderstorm last fall, the lights at Parkview Middle School stayed on while the surrounding neighborhood went dark. The school had recently installed a microgrid made of solar panels paired with batteries that can power the building when the main electric lines fail. In everyday weather, the panels send energy to classrooms and charge the battery. When an outage begins, a controller switches the system so quickly that computers do not even flicker. Teachers say the steady power keeps lessons on track and protects equipment. Students also study real data from the rooftop array in science and technology classes. They graph sunlight and compare it to the energy stored each day. On sunny weekends, extra electricity flows back to the utility, which helps the district's budget. A maintenance team monitors the batteries in a sealed room and schedules safe replacements after several years. While a microgrid costs money up front, the school values resilience, learning, and long-term savings.