Grade: Grade 6 Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Close Reading Lesson: 6 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Unit Checkpoint

Unit Review

This checkpoint will help you assess your mastery of the close reading skills covered in this unit. Before completing the assessment, review the key concepts below.

Key Concepts from This Unit

Lesson 1: Annotation Strategies

  • Use symbols and marks to track your thinking while reading
  • Circle key words, underline important passages, write margin notes
  • Ask questions and make connections as you read
  • Different purposes require different annotation approaches

Lesson 2: Text Analysis

  • Identify author's purpose, audience, and main argument
  • Analyze literary devices: metaphor, simile, imagery, symbolism
  • Examine structure: how is the text organized and why?
  • Consider word choice and tone

Lesson 3: Text-Based Practice

  • Read passages multiple times for different purposes
  • First read: understand main idea
  • Second read: analyze techniques and evidence
  • Third read: evaluate and form interpretations

Lesson 4: Writing Application

  • Use textual evidence to support analytical claims
  • Integrate quotes smoothly into your writing
  • Explain the significance of evidence
  • Connect analysis back to your main argument

Lesson 5: Editing Workshop

  • EDIT checklist: Evidence, Depth, Integration, Transitions
  • Avoid quote dropping - always introduce and explain quotes
  • Analyze rather than summarize
  • Use transitions to connect ideas

Unit Assessment

Complete all sections of this assessment. Check your answers at the end to see how well you have mastered the unit objectives.

Reading Passage

The old lighthouse stood at the edge of the world, or so it seemed to young Elena. Its weathered stone walls had watched over the rocky coast for a hundred years, and its light had guided countless ships through the treacherous waters below. Now, standing at its base, Elena felt small but somehow connected to all those who had stood here before.

The wind whipped her hair across her face as she pressed her palm against the cold stone. "I wonder what stories you could tell," she whispered. The lighthouse, of course, said nothing, but Elena imagined she could hear echoes of the past in the crash of the waves and the cry of the gulls.

Her grandfather had been the last keeper of this light before automation made such guardians obsolete. Now the light turned on its own, a mechanical rhythm replacing human devotion. But something had been lost in that exchange, Elena thought. The lighthouse no longer had a heart.

Part A: Multiple Choice (Questions 1-4)

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of the phrase "at the edge of the world"?

  1. To indicate the lighthouse is in a dangerous location
  2. To show Elena's imaginative perspective and sense of wonder
  3. To explain that the lighthouse is very far from town
  4. To describe the actual geography of the coastline

Question 2

The personification in "The lighthouse no longer had a heart" primarily serves to:

  1. Suggest the lighthouse is broken and needs repair
  2. Emphasize Elena's sadness about her grandfather's death
  3. Highlight the loss of human connection in modern automation
  4. Describe the physical structure of the lighthouse

Question 3

Which annotation would be MOST useful for analyzing this passage's theme?

  1. Circling "hundred years" to track the timeline
  2. Underlining "mechanical rhythm replacing human devotion" as a key contrast
  3. Noting that Elena has long hair
  4. Marking that the setting is a coast

Question 4

The contrast between "human devotion" and "mechanical rhythm" suggests which theme?

  1. Technology is always superior to human effort
  2. Old things should be replaced by new things
  3. Progress sometimes comes at the cost of meaningful human connection
  4. Lighthouses are no longer necessary

Part B: Short Answer (Questions 5-7)

Question 5

Identify one example of imagery in the passage. Explain what sense it appeals to and how it contributes to the mood.

Question 6

How does the author use the lighthouse as a symbol? What does it represent beyond its literal function?

Question 7

Why is Elena's question "I wonder what stories you could tell" significant to the passage's meaning?

Part C: Extended Response (Questions 8-10)

Question 8

Write an analytical paragraph about how the author develops Elena's character. Include at least two pieces of textual evidence and explain what they reveal about her.

Question 9

The following student paragraph contains weaknesses. Identify THREE problems and rewrite the paragraph with corrections:

"The passage is about a lighthouse. Elena goes there. 'The wind whipped her hair.' The lighthouse is old. Her grandfather worked there. I think it's sad because things change. The author does a good job."

Question 10

Demonstrate close reading skills by annotating the following sentence from the passage. Write out your annotations (what you would circle, underline, or note in the margin) and explain why each annotation matters:

"Now the light turned on its own, a mechanical rhythm replacing human devotion."

Answer Key

Click to reveal answers

Part A: Multiple Choice

1. B - The phrase reflects Elena's imaginative, almost magical perspective on the lighthouse, showing her sense of wonder and connection to something larger than herself.

2. C - By giving the lighthouse human qualities (a "heart"), the author emphasizes what was lost when human keepers were replaced by automation - not just function, but emotional significance.

3. B - This phrase captures the central conflict between old and new, human and mechanical, making it the most useful annotation for theme analysis.

4. C - The passage suggests that while automation may be efficient, something valuable (human connection, devotion, story) is lost in the transition.

Part B: Short Answer

5. Example: "The wind whipped her hair across her face" (touch/physical sensation) or "crash of the waves and cry of the gulls" (sound). These sensory details create an atmospheric, somewhat melancholy mood that emphasizes Elena's solitary connection to nature and the past.

6. The lighthouse symbolizes human legacy and continuity across generations. It represents the stories, dedication, and meaningful work of those who came before (especially Elena's grandfather). Its transformation from human-operated to automated symbolizes broader concerns about losing personal connection in an increasingly mechanized world.

7. Elena's question shows her imaginative nature and desire for connection to the past. It suggests she values stories and human experience over mere function. This question also establishes the theme of lost narratives - the lighthouse has witnessed history that will never be told now that human keepers are gone.

Part C: Extended Response

8. Sample response: The author develops Elena as a reflective, imaginative young person who values connection to the past. When she presses her palm against the cold stone and whispers to the lighthouse, asking what stories it could tell, we see her capacity for wonder and her desire to understand history on a personal level. Additionally, her thought that "something had been lost" in the transition to automation reveals her sensitivity to intangible qualities like devotion and meaning. Unlike someone who might simply appreciate the lighthouse's function or beauty, Elena mourns its lost "heart" - the human presence that gave it soul. These details characterize her as someone who thinks deeply about the world around her.

9. Problems: 1) No analysis - only summary; 2) Quote dropped without introduction or explanation; 3) Vague praise ("good job") instead of specific analysis; 4) No clear claim or thesis. Revised paragraph: "In this passage, the author uses the lighthouse as a symbol to explore themes of memory and change. Elena's desire to hear the lighthouse's 'stories' reveals her longing to connect with her family's past, particularly her grandfather's legacy as the last human keeper. The contrast between 'human devotion' and 'mechanical rhythm' emphasizes the passage's central tension: while progress brings efficiency, it can also erase the personal meaning that comes from human care and connection."

10. Sample annotations: Circle "mechanical rhythm" and "human devotion" - these contrasting phrases capture the central conflict. Underline "replacing" - this verb emphasizes that something is lost, not just added to. Margin note: "Theme statement - author directly states the cost of progress." Note word choice: "devotion" suggests love and commitment, while "mechanical" suggests coldness and automation. The parallel structure highlights the opposition between these two modes of existence.

Self-Assessment

After checking your answers, use this rubric to assess your mastery:

Score Mastery Level Next Steps
9-10 correct Advanced You have mastered close reading! Move on to the next unit.
7-8 correct Proficient Review any concepts you missed, then proceed to the next unit.
5-6 correct Developing Review Lessons 3-5 and practice the exercises again before moving on.
0-4 correct Beginning Restart the unit from Lesson 1 and work through all practice exercises.

Next Steps

  • If you scored Proficient or Advanced, continue to the next ELA unit
  • Practice close reading with every text you encounter
  • Apply annotation strategies in all your classes
  • Use the EDIT checklist for all analytical writing