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Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1 Grade 5 61

UNIT 2 WEEK 1

Read the article “Compromise” before answering Numbers 1 through 5.

CompromiseIn the year 1850, disagreement between the North and the South about slavery was growing. An earlier settlement called the Missouri Compromise had helped to solve the problem for some thirty years. As in any compromise, neither side was completely satisfied, but each got part of what it wanted. Then in 1849, California asked to join the Union as a free state. There were 15 slave states and 15 free states. Adding another free state would upset the balance.

Henry Clay was known as the “Great Compromiser.” He worked to keep the states united. In 1849, Clay was elected to the U.S. Senate from Kentucky. As a senator, he wanted to find a way to solve the controversy (serious arguments) between the North and South. A number of issues needed to be resolved.

• The fi rst was statehood for California. Congress was not likely to approve admission for another free state.

• The United States had been at war with Mexico, and as a result, the federal government got new territory. Should the territory allow slavery or not?

• Texas claimed that its territory extended to Santa Fe. The government disagreed; that is, it disputed Texas’s right to expand into what is now New Mexico.

• Slaves were traded in Washington, D.C. Many believed that was wrong in the capital of the nation.

Clay presented his ideas in the Senate, hoping to keep the country united. Not everyone agreed with Clay’s ideas, and a debate lasted for months.

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62 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1

UNIT 2 WEEK 1

Clay asked that California become a state, but Congress could not decide whether it would be free or slave. Clay proposed that the people living in a territory set up on land gained in the war with Mexico could decide the question of slavery for themselves. Also, the borders of Texas would not include any part of New Mexico. In return, Texas would be paid for the land in dispute. Slavery in the District of Columbia could not be ended without the people’s consent. However, slaves could no longer be traded in the nation’s capital. Laws would provide for the return of runaway slaves. Finally, Congress would have no power over the trading of slaves between slave states.

Months of debate in the Senate followed Clay’s proposals. John C. Calhoun, Senator from South Carolina, was leader of the opposition. He wrote a response but was too ill to deliver it, so another senator read it for him. Clay’s legislation was voted down, but then Daniel Webster, a senator from Massachusetts, and Stephen A. Douglas, a senator from Illinois, helped win approval for a compromise. Douglas later became famous for his debates with Abraham Lincoln.

The Compromise of 1850 included five acts of Congress. The laws covered the main issues that had come up because of California’s request to become a free state. They were based on Clay’s resolutions. California could join the Union as a free state. The settlers in the territories of New Mexico and Utah would be able to vote on whether they would allow slavery or not. Texas received ten million dollars. In return, Texas had to give up claims to disputed territories. The Fugitive Slave Law went into effect. Runaway slaves were to be returned if they were caught, but the slave trade ended in the District of Columbia.

The Compromise of 1850 solved the problem for a time, but conflicts soon grew again. A major point of contention, that is, a point that caused a great deal of argument, was the Fugitive Slave Act. Northerners believed it was too unfair to slaves. Many still helped slaves escape to Canada through the Underground Railroad. Because of the Fugitive Slave Law, another compromise was not possible. Eventually the Civil War broke out in 1861, and North and South fought in battle after battle until the war ended in 1865.

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Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1 Grade 5 63

Name: Date:

Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on “Compromise.”

1 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Why does the author examine the issue of slavery at the beginning of the article?

A to discuss the rise of California as a major state

B to show the conflict between states and territories

C to discuss the effects of a labor shortage on farming

D to show the growing division between the North and the South

Part B: Which sentence from the article best supports your answer in part A?

A “An earlier settlement called the Missouri Compromise had helped to solve the problem for some thirty years.”

B “Then in 1849, California asked to join the Union as a free state.”

C “As a senator, he wanted to find a way to solve the controversy (serious arguments) between the North and South.”

D “The United States had been at war with Mexico, and as a result, the federal government got new territory.”

2 Read the sentence from the article.

As in any compromise, neither side was completely satisfied, but each got part of what it wanted.

What does compromise mean in the sentence above?

A a promise to stand behind your word

B both sides refuse to reach an agreement

C something that gives hope of success in the future

D both sides agree to give up something to solve a conflictCopyr

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64 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1

Name: Date:

3 How does the author help the reader understand Clay’s difficulty in reaching a lasting compromise? Select two options.

A by describing the election of Clay to the U.S. Senate

B by explaining the actions of the Underground Railroad

C by describing the argument about the Fugitive Slave Law

D by explaining the dispute over the Missouri Compromise

E by discussing the admission of New Mexico to the Union

F by discussing the angry debate about California’s borders

4 Put the events in history in the correct sequence. Write each event in the correct section of the chart.

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Events:

Clay was elected to the Senate.

The Civil War broke out.

California became a state in the Union.

War broke out between the U.S. and Mexico.

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Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1 Grade 5 65

Name: Date:

5 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Read the sentence from the article.

A major point of contention, that is, a point that caused a great deal of argument, was the Fugitive Slave Act.

What does contention mean in the sentence above?

A approval

B disagreement

C mistake

D unhappiness

Part B: Which word from the sentence restates what contention means?

A major

B deal

C argument

D fugitive

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66 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1

UNIT 2 WEEK 1

Read the article “Democracy in the United States” before answering Numbers 6 through 10.

Democracy in the United States

LEGISLATIVEBRANCHCongress

JUDICIALBRANCHCourts

EXECUTIVEBRANCHPresident

Congress can pass laws overPresident’s veto; it can remove

President from office.

President can veto lawspassed by Congress.

Court can declare laws

passed by Congress

unconstitutional.

Congress can remove

judges from office.

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Cour

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WA_012A_127092

Before the United States became its own country, it was made up of 13 British colonies that were ruled by the king of England. Many colonists demanded a say in making the laws they had to follow. They didn’t like the fact that a king had so much control over their lives. So the colonists decided to break away from England and form a new nation called the United States of America.

The United States is a democracy, which is a form of government. It is a government for the people. In a democracy, the people choose their leaders by voting. The leaders then share the responsibility of running the country. This prevents one person or group of people from having all of the power. Not all countries are democracies. In some, a king or queen has the lion’s share of the power. Because others have little power, he or she can do almost anything. The people who wrote the Constitution of the United States set up a democracy because they wanted their government to be different. The Constitution is a written statement of the rules that the U.S. government must follow. Those who created it wanted every voter to have an equal voice in the decisions made by the government because it takes many people working together to make a government work well.

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Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1 Grade 5 67

UNIT 2 WEEK 1

The U.S. government has three parts, or “branches.” One is the executive branch, which includes the president and the cabinet. The president’s cabinet is made up of people who advise the president. They help the president deal with problems in the country and in the world. The president and the cabinet members work together as a team to make important decisions and carry out the laws.

The legislative branch of government creates the laws. The main part of this branch is the Congress, which is made up of two groups of people that form the Senate and the House of Representatives. These people represent, or act for, the people in the states that elected them. Members of each group create ideas for laws. When an idea is written down to be presented, it is called a bill. The bill is discussed and may be changed in several or many ways. Finally, it is voted on. If it passes in one group, then it goes to the other and must also pass there. If it passes in the House of Representatives and the Senate, it goes to the president to be signed and become a law. Not all bills become laws.

The third branch of government is the judicial branch. It includes the Supreme Court, which has nine justices. These judges explain the laws if there are disagreements about them. They also may agree to hear arguments about a case decided in a lower court. To do their jobs, the judges must understand the Constitution. They decide how the laws of the Constitution apply to certain situations.

Though each branch of the government has its own leaders, these branches must work together to make a democracy work. Each branch of government must check the actions of the other two branches to prevent one branch from having too much power.

The U.S. government has survived for more than 200 years, but it takes more than good leaders for a democracy to last. Citizens must get involved in the government, too. In the United States, citizens may vote when they reach 18 years of age. Then they can help elect the country’s leaders. They can vote for the president of the United States. They can also vote for leaders who represent them in Congress. People who take part affect the whole country. They have an impact on what happens in the United States.

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68 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1

Name: Date:

Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on “Democracy in the United States.”

6 Read the sentences from the article.

In a democracy, the people choose their leaders by voting. The leaders then share the responsibility of running the country.

What does democracy mean in the sentences above?

A a government that makes laws

B a government that is permanent

C a government with a single leader

D a government created by the people

7 Complete the sentence about the beginning of the article. Write the number of

the correct phrase in each part of the sentence.

The author begins this article by referring to __________ in order to explain

__________.

Phrases:

1 – the history of democracy in the Western world

2 – democracy’s deep roots in American history

3 – the American colonists’ break with England

4 – America’s many different governments

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Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1 Grade 5 69

Name: Date:

8 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Read the sentences from the article.

One is the executive branch, which includes the president and the cabinet. The president’s cabinet is made up of people who advise the president.

What does cabinet mean in the sentences above?

A a group of advisors

B a group of citizens

C a storage case

D Congress

Part B: Which phrase from the sentences provides a definition of cabinet ?

A “the executive branch”

B “which includes the president”

C “is made up of”

D “people who advise the president”

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70 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1

STOP

Name: Date:

9 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Why does each branch of government check the other branches?

A so that no single branch has too much power

B so that American citizens have a say in government

C so that the president cannot take control of the government

D so that powers are divided between the federal government and the states

Part B: Which sentence from the article supports your answer in part A?

A “Though each branch of the government has its own leaders, these branches must work together to make a democracy work.”

B “Each branch of government must check the actions of the other two branches to prevent one branch from having too much power.”

C “The U.S. government has survived for more than 200 years, but it takes more than good leaders for a democracy to last.”

D “They can also vote for leaders who represent them in Congress.”

10 Why does the author end the article by discussing voting? Select two choices.

A to explain how government has changed through the years

B to show that people can have a voice in government

C to stress the importance of citizens’ involvement

D to compare voting today with voting in the past

E to analyze how people voted in recent elections

F to list voting qualifications

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Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1 Grade 5 71

Name: Date:

Now answer Number 11. Base your answer on “Compromise” and “Democracy in the United States.”

11 How do the authors of “Compromise” and “Democracy in the United States” use the ideas of democracy to help readers understand how they can help solve national problems? Support your answer with details from both texts.

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72 Grade 5 Weekly Assessment • Unit 2, Week 1

Answer Key Name:

Question Correct Answer Content Focus CCSS Complexity

1A D Text Structure: Problem and Solution RI.5.3 DOK 3

1B C Text Structure: Problem and Solution/Text Evidence

RI.5.3/ RI.5.1 DOK 3

2 D Context Clues: Definitions and Restatements L.5.4a DOK 2

3 B, C Text Structure: Problem and Solution RI.5.3 DOK 3

4 see below Sequence RI.5.3 DOK 2

5A B Context Clues: Definitions and Restatements L.5.4a DOK 2

5B C Context Clues: Definitions and Restatements/Text Evidence

L.5.4a/ RI.5.1 DOK 2

6 D Context Clues: Definitions and Restatements L.5.4a DOK 2

7 see below Text Structure: Problem and Solution RI.5.3 DOK 3

8A A Context Clues: Definitions and Restatements L.5.4a DOK 2

8B D Context Clues: Definitions and Restatements/Text Evidence

L.5.4a/ RI.5.1 DOK 2

9A A Text Structure: Problem and Solution RI.5.3 DOK 3

9B B Text Structure: Problem and Solution/Text Evidence

RI.5.3/ RI.5.1 DOK 3

10 B, C Text Structure: Problem and Solution RI.5.3 DOK 2

11 see below Writing About Text W.5.9b DOK 4

Comprehension 1A, 1B, 3, 4, 7, 9A, 9B, 10 /12 %

Vocabulary 2, 5A, 5B, 6, 8A, 8B /8 %

Total Weekly Assessment Score /20 %

4 Students should complete the chart as follows:• First: War broke out between the U.S. and Mexico.• Second: Clay was elected to the Senate.• Third: California became a state in the Union.• Fourth: The Civil War broke out.

7 Students should write the numbers 3 and 2 to complete the sentence as follows:• The author begins this article by referring to the American colonists’ break with England in

order to explain democracy’s deep roots in American history.

11 To receive full credit for the response, the following information should be included: In “Compromise,” conflict between states was temporarily solved in the Compromise of 1850 when each side gave up things to keep one nation. In “Democracy in the United States,” the problem of creating a new nation was solved when a government of three power-sharing branches was formed.

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