Judge sources, quote and paraphrase fairly, and credit them
Grade 8 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Use this
“Eelgrass Comes Back to Tern Bay” (magazine article)
Author: Ines Marlowe, a science reporter. Container: Tidewater Review. Publisher: Tidewater Press. Date: 12 June 2025. Found at: tidewaterreview.example/eelgrass.
[1] Three years ago, the floor of Tern Bay looked like a sandy parking lot, with only a few patches of eelgrass left. [2] Eelgrass is an underwater plant that gives small fish a place to hide and helps hold sand in place. [3] Divers from the Tern Bay Restoration Project planted 4,000 shoots by hand over two summers, and they marked each planting square with a numbered stake.[4] This spring, the team counted shoots in every square, wading out at low tide with measuring frames. [5] They found plants in 38 of the 40 squares, and the total area of green had grown from 120 square meters to 310. [6] “The eelgrass came back faster than we expected,” said Wren Calloway, the project's lead diver. [7] Calloway added that the team still does not know whether the plants will survive a very hot summer.
[8] Fishers on the bay have noticed the change, too. [9] Two of them told the project that they now see small silver fish near the stakes, where the water used to look empty. [10] The team plans to keep counting every spring for five more years, and it will post each year's numbers online. [11] Calloway said anyone may check the counts against the posted data sheets. [12] The next planting day will be held in August.
Zee is writing about the Tern Bay planting and wants readers to hear the project lead's own words about the regrowth. What should Zee do?
- Quote sentence [6]: the lead diver's exact words are what the writer wants readers to hear.
- Quote sentence [6]: quotation marks make an article sound more official.
- Paraphrase sentence [6]: the idea can be told in new words, so no marks are needed.
- Quote sentence [7]: it holds the lead diver's comment about the plants.
Tala wants to paraphrase sentence [5] and credit the writer. Which version is a real paraphrase?
- Ines Marlowe, a science reporter, writes that the green area in the bay has more than doubled, from 120 square meters to 310, with plants in 38 of the 40 planting squares.
- Ines Marlowe, a science reporter, writes that the team discovered plants in 38 of the 40 squares, and the whole area of green had grown from 120 square meters to 310.
- Ines Marlowe, a science reporter, writes that they found plants in 38 of the 40 squares, and the total area of green had grown from 120 square meters to 310.
- Ines Marlowe, a science reporter, writes that the green area in the bay has more than doubled, from 120 square meters to 310, with plants in 30 of the 40 planting squares.
Use this
“Eelgrass Comes Back to Tern Bay” (magazine article)
Author: Ines Marlowe, a science reporter. Container: Tidewater Review. Publisher: Tidewater Press. Date: 12 June 2025. Found at: tidewaterreview.example/eelgrass.
[1] Three years ago, the floor of Tern Bay looked like a sandy parking lot, with only a few patches of eelgrass left. [2] Eelgrass is an underwater plant that gives small fish a place to hide and helps hold sand in place. [3] Divers from the Tern Bay Restoration Project planted 4,000 shoots by hand over two summers, and they marked each planting square with a numbered stake.[4] This spring, the team counted shoots in every square, wading out at low tide with measuring frames. [5] They found plants in 38 of the 40 squares, and the total area of green had grown from 120 square meters to 310. [6] “The eelgrass came back faster than we expected,” said Wren Calloway, the project's lead diver. [7] Calloway added that the team still does not know whether the plants will survive a very hot summer.
[8] Fishers on the bay have noticed the change, too. [9] Two of them told the project that they now see small silver fish near the stakes, where the water used to look empty. [10] The team plans to keep counting every spring for five more years, and it will post each year's numbers online. [11] Calloway said anyone may check the counts against the posted data sheets. [12] The next planting day will be held in August.
Source note card for Ren. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Container, Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Ren is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Container, Publisher, Date, Location?
- Marlowe, Ines. “Eelgrass Comes Back to Tern Bay.” Tidewater Review, Tidewater Press, 12 June 2025, tidewaterreview.example/eelgrass.
- Marlowe, Ines. “Eelgrass Comes Back to Tern Bay.” Tidewater Press, Tidewater Review, 12 June 2025, tidewaterreview.example/eelgrass.
- Marlowe, Ines. Eelgrass Comes Back to Tern Bay. Tidewater Review, Tidewater Press, 12 June 2025, tidewaterreview.example/eelgrass.
- Marlowe, Ines. “Eelgrass Comes Back to Tern Bay.” Tidewater Press, 12 June 2025, tidewaterreview.example/eelgrass.
Use this
“Mill Road Bus Lane: First Six Months” (city web page)
Author: Tomas Aldern, a traffic engineer. Container: Ravenport Transit Updates. Publisher: Ravenport Transit Office. Date: 9 March 2025. Found at: ravenporttransit.example/millroad.
[1] In September, the city painted a red lane on Mill Road for buses only. [2] The lane runs for 1.2 miles between the Harbor Street stop and Pine Hill, which is the busiest part of the route. [3] Before the lane opened, buses on that stretch took about 14 minutes during the afternoon rush.[4] Over six months, the transit office timed 310 afternoon trips with a stopwatch app and the buses' own location signals. [5] The average trip fell to 9 minutes, and the slowest trip fell from 22 minutes to 13. [6] “Riders tell us the bus finally keeps its schedule,” said Dana Okoro, a bus driver who has worked the route for eleven years.
[7] Car drivers have noticed changes too. [8] The same counts show that cars on Mill Road lost about two minutes per trip, because one of the four lanes is now closed to them. [9] The transit office says it will watch the numbers through the summer before deciding whether to add a second bus lane on Elm Avenue. [10] Anyone may read the full trip data in the table at the bottom of this page. [11] The office will post a new report in September.
Pia is writing one sentence, in Pia's own words, about how much faster the buses became. What should Pia do?
- Paraphrase sentence [5]: a paraphrase does not need to name the source.
- Paraphrase sentence [5]: only the idea is needed, so new words can tell it.
- Paraphrase sentence [3]: it gives the travel time that readers need.
- Quote sentence [5]: the exact words keep the numbers accurate.
Noah wants to paraphrase sentence [8] and credit the writer. Which version is a real paraphrase?
- Tomas Aldern, a traffic engineer, reports that drivers of cars now spend roughly two more minutes on Mill Road, since a lane that used to carry them is reserved for buses.
- Tomas Aldern, a traffic engineer, reports that the same counts show that cars on Mill Road lost about two minutes per trip, because one of the four lanes is now closed to them.
- Tomas Aldern, a traffic engineer, reports that the same counts show cars on Mill Road lost about two minutes on each trip, because one of the four lanes is now closed to them.
- Tomas Aldern, a traffic engineer, reports that drivers of cars now spend roughly twelve more minutes on Mill Road, since a lane that used to carry them is reserved for buses.
Use this
“Mill Road Bus Lane: First Six Months” (city web page)
Author: Tomas Aldern, a traffic engineer. Container: Ravenport Transit Updates. Publisher: Ravenport Transit Office. Date: 9 March 2025. Found at: ravenporttransit.example/millroad.
[1] In September, the city painted a red lane on Mill Road for buses only. [2] The lane runs for 1.2 miles between the Harbor Street stop and Pine Hill, which is the busiest part of the route. [3] Before the lane opened, buses on that stretch took about 14 minutes during the afternoon rush.[4] Over six months, the transit office timed 310 afternoon trips with a stopwatch app and the buses' own location signals. [5] The average trip fell to 9 minutes, and the slowest trip fell from 22 minutes to 13. [6] “Riders tell us the bus finally keeps its schedule,” said Dana Okoro, a bus driver who has worked the route for eleven years.
[7] Car drivers have noticed changes too. [8] The same counts show that cars on Mill Road lost about two minutes per trip, because one of the four lanes is now closed to them. [9] The transit office says it will watch the numbers through the summer before deciding whether to add a second bus lane on Elm Avenue. [10] Anyone may read the full trip data in the table at the bottom of this page. [11] The office will post a new report in September.
Source note card for Milo. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Container, Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Milo is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Container, Publisher, Date, Location?
- Aldern, Tomas. “Mill Road Bus Lane: First Six Months.” Ravenport Transit Office, Ravenport Transit Updates, 9 March 2025, ravenporttransit.example/millroad.
- Aldern, Tomas. Mill Road Bus Lane: First Six Months. Ravenport Transit Updates, Ravenport Transit Office, 9 March 2025, ravenporttransit.example/millroad.
- Aldern, Tomas. “Mill Road Bus Lane: First Six Months.” Ravenport Transit Updates, Ravenport Transit Office, 9 March 2025, ravenporttransit.example/millroad.
- Aldern, Tomas. “Mill Road Bus Lane: First Six Months.” Ravenport Transit Office, 9 March 2025, ravenporttransit.example/millroad.
Use this
“How Old Is the Granary Roof?” (newsletter article)
Author: Marguerite Flynn, a volunteer archivist. Container: Fenwick Notes. Publisher: Fenwick Historical Society. Date: 20 October 2024. Found at: fenwickhistory.example/granary.
[1] The old granary on River Lane has a roof of cedar shingles that visitors often guess to be two hundred years old. [2] The Fenwick Historical Society wanted a better answer than a guess, so volunteers searched the town's records for any sign of repairs. [3] They found the granary's building permit, which is dated 1887, and a ledger line that records a full new roof in 1952. [4] A ledger is a bound book in which the town wrote down each payment.[5] The ledger shows that Hollis Brandt's crew was paid $410 for 9,000 cedar shingles that year. [6] Volunteers also found a spare shingle in the loft with a stamp from the mill that sold it, a mill that closed in 1961. [7] That stamp fits the ledger, because the mill was still open in 1952.
[8] “The records tell us the roof is about seventy years old, not two hundred,” said Alma Teague, the society's president. [9] The building itself is much older than the roof, and the permit proves it. [10] The society still has no record of the roof that came before 1952. [11] Anyone who finds an older paper about the granary is asked to bring it to the museum on Saturdays.
Kira wants to paraphrase sentence [5] and credit the writer. Which version is a real paraphrase?
- Marguerite Flynn, a volunteer archivist, writes: The ledger shows that Hollis Brandt's crew was paid $410 for 9,000 cedar shingles that year.
- Marguerite Flynn, a volunteer archivist, writes that the ledger shows that Hollis Brandt's crew was paid $410 for 9,000 cedar shingles in that year.
- Marguerite Flynn, a volunteer archivist, writes that a crew led by Hollis Brandt received $140 in 1952 to put on 9,000 cedar shingles.
- Marguerite Flynn, a volunteer archivist, writes that a crew led by Hollis Brandt received $410 in 1952 to put on 9,000 cedar shingles.
Use this
“Counting Fireflies in Cobb Meadow” (web article)
Author: Hana Whitcomb, a naturalist with the Cobb Meadow Trust. Container: Meadow Notes. Publisher: Cobb Meadow Trust. Date: 18 July 2025. Found at: cobbmeadow.example/fireflies.
[1] Fireflies are beetles that make their own light, and in Cobb Meadow they begin to flash soon after sunset in early July. [2] To find out whether the meadow has more fireflies than last year, the Cobb Meadow Trust asked volunteers to count flashes at ten marked posts. [3] Each volunteer stood at a post at 9:30 p.m. and counted every flash seen in one minute.[4] The counts were added together on the second and the ninth of July. [5] On the second, the volunteers counted 212 flashes in total; on the ninth, they counted 305. [6] I believe the counts rose because we stopped mowing the meadow in June. [7] Tall grass is where young fireflies live, so leaving it uncut seems to help.
[8] The counts have limits, though, because clouds and moonlight change how many flashes a volunteer can see. [9] Two nights are too few to show a trend, so we will repeat the count each week through July. [10] The weekly results will appear on the trust's website, along with the date and weather for each night. [11] Volunteers are welcome to join us at the meadow gate at 9 p.m.
Esme is writing one sentence, in Esme's own words, about why the firefly counts have limits. What should Esme do?
- Quote sentence [8]: the exact words keep the explanation accurate.
- Paraphrase sentence [8]: only the general idea is needed, so new words can tell it.
- Paraphrase sentence [3]: it describes how the counts were made.
- Paraphrase sentence [8]: a paraphrase does not need to name the source.
Bo wants to paraphrase sentence [5] and credit the writer. Which version is a real paraphrase?
- Hana Whitcomb, a naturalist with the Cobb Meadow Trust, reports that volunteers saw 212 flashes on 2 July and 350 a week later.
- Hana Whitcomb, a naturalist with the Cobb Meadow Trust, reports: On the second, the volunteers counted 212 flashes in total; on the ninth, they counted 305.
- Hana Whitcomb, a naturalist with the Cobb Meadow Trust, reports that on the second, the volunteers counted 212 flashes altogether; on the ninth, they counted 305.
- Hana Whitcomb, a naturalist with the Cobb Meadow Trust, reports that volunteers saw 212 flashes on 2 July and 305 a week later.
Use this
“Counting Fireflies in Cobb Meadow” (web article)
Author: Hana Whitcomb, a naturalist with the Cobb Meadow Trust. Container: Meadow Notes. Publisher: Cobb Meadow Trust. Date: 18 July 2025. Found at: cobbmeadow.example/fireflies.
[1] Fireflies are beetles that make their own light, and in Cobb Meadow they begin to flash soon after sunset in early July. [2] To find out whether the meadow has more fireflies than last year, the Cobb Meadow Trust asked volunteers to count flashes at ten marked posts. [3] Each volunteer stood at a post at 9:30 p.m. and counted every flash seen in one minute.[4] The counts were added together on the second and the ninth of July. [5] On the second, the volunteers counted 212 flashes in total; on the ninth, they counted 305. [6] I believe the counts rose because we stopped mowing the meadow in June. [7] Tall grass is where young fireflies live, so leaving it uncut seems to help.
[8] The counts have limits, though, because clouds and moonlight change how many flashes a volunteer can see. [9] Two nights are too few to show a trend, so we will repeat the count each week through July. [10] The weekly results will appear on the trust's website, along with the date and weather for each night. [11] Volunteers are welcome to join us at the meadow gate at 9 p.m.
Source note card for Ari. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Container, Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Ari is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Container, Publisher, Date, Location?
- Whitcomb, Hana. “Counting Fireflies in Cobb Meadow.” Cobb Meadow Trust, Meadow Notes, 18 July 2025, cobbmeadow.example/fireflies.
- Whitcomb, Hana. Counting Fireflies in Cobb Meadow. Meadow Notes, Cobb Meadow Trust, 18 July 2025, cobbmeadow.example/fireflies.
- Whitcomb, Hana. “Counting Fireflies in Cobb Meadow.” Meadow Notes, Cobb Meadow Trust, 18 July 2025, cobbmeadow.example/fireflies.
- Whitcomb, Hana. “Counting Fireflies in Cobb Meadow.” Cobb Meadow Trust, 18 July 2025, cobbmeadow.example/fireflies.