New York State Testing Program English Language Arts Grade 3

Jonah pushed open the door of a library on Washington Avenue in Albany. A sign by the desk said to use a soft voice. He pressed his lips together and nodded to his cousin Amina.

First he slid his overdue book, the one that should have come back last Friday, into the return slot. Next he walked to the shelf labeled Rivers. Then he chose a book with a blue cover that showed the Hudson River. Last he carried that book to a window seat.

Amina tugged his sleeve and pointed at a tall clock. Jonah's shoulders sank. He closed the book before the first page was done and stood up slowly. Amina held the door so the book would not bump the frame.

At the desk, the librarian stamped a card. She whispered that the river book was due in three weeks. Jonah tucked the card inside the cover and whispered his thanks.

On a field trip to Lockport, Ms. Patel's class stood behind a rail above the Erie Canal. A lock is a water elevator for boats. Gates close, water rises, and the boat goes up with the water.

The Rising Water. A narrow boat waited between two closed gates. A worker opened a valve, a door that lets water through. Water poured in. The boat floated higher until it matched the upper canal. Then the front gate opened, and the boat moved on.

What Riders Do. People on the boat stayed seated while the water rose. A child on deck waved at the class. The class waved back, but nobody leaned over the rail. Ms. Patel kept one hand on the rail and the other on her hat.

After the Boat. The class walked to a bench. Ben wrote three steps in his notebook: gates close, water rises, gate opens. He read the steps to a partner and then closed the notebook.

Heavy snow had piled against the steps of a brick house in Buffalo. The snow was heaped in a high bank that blocked the door. Caleb looked out and saw Mrs. Alvarez pushing with both hands. He pulled on his boots before his mother finished tying her scarf.

Caleb and his mother carried a blue shovel and a broom to the steps. They cleared a path from the door to the sidewalk. After the path was open, Caleb shook snow off the mailbox so the little flag could move. Then he stamped his boots on the mat and went inside for cocoa.

Mrs. Alvarez opened the door. She pressed a hand to her chest, smiled, and held out two pairs of dry mittens. Caleb took one pair. He said they could leave the blue shovel by her steps until the next storm.

That night Caleb set the mittens on the radiator. He looked out once more. The path was still open, and the porch light made a yellow circle on the snow.

A class from Schenectady visited the New York State Museum in Albany. They stopped in a hall where a huge skeleton stood on a platform. A card said the animal was a mastodon that had lived in New York long ago.

Long Teeth. The mastodon had thick teeth for chewing twigs and leaves. It was not a dinosaur. It lived later, in a time of cold forests. A guide pointed to the curved tusks, the long teeth that stick out from the face, and asked students not to touch them.

How It Was Found. People digging near Cohoes found bones in the 1800s. Workers lifted the bones carefully and brought them to the museum. Scientists studied the bones and then built the skeleton so visitors could see the animal's size.

Looking, Not Climbing. A rope kept the class a step away from the platform. Priya copied the word mastodon into her notebook and drew one tusk. She checked the card twice so the spelling would be right.

Grandpa Luis and Elena started at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge. They stayed on the wooden walkway above the road. Bikes passed on one side. People on foot stayed on the other.

They began by reading a sign about the stone tower. Next they climbed the slope until the first tower rose in front of them. After that climb, Elena stopped to tie her shoe. Then they walked on to the middle and looked down at the East River.

A boat far below pushed a flat barge, a wide boat that carries cargo. Elena gripped the railing with both hands. Her eyes were wide, and she did not speak until a gull cried. Then she laughed and pointed at the gull's white wings.

Grandpa Luis told her the thick cables hold the bridge up. Elena traced one cable with her finger in the air. She said she wanted to draw it when they got home to Sunset Park.

On a Saturday in the Bronx, the community garden gate stuck until Mr. Greene lifted it. Inside, raised beds held soil as dark as coffee. A yellow tag on one bed said Tomatoes.

Planting Day. The children began by pulling weeds into a bucket. When the bucket was full, they poked holes in a row. Each child set one small tomato plant into a hole and pressed the soil around the stem. Water from a green can came only after the soil was pressed flat.

A Job for Later. The sign by the hose said the bed needed water again in two days if no rain fell. Lila wrote that day on her hand with a pen. She did not wash that hand at the sink right away.

Sharing the Beds. Families who work in the garden may pick ripe tomatoes when the fruit turns red. Green tomatoes stay on the vine. Mr. Greene said picking too soon leaves the fruit hard and sour.

In Jackson Heights, Papa folded a subway map so only one corner showed. He pointed to a blue circle. That circle was their station. The next blue circle was the stop for Abuela's apartment.

On the platform, the place where riders wait beside the tracks, a sign said to stand behind the yellow line. Nia put her toes just behind it. When the train doors opened, she waited until people stepped off. Then she stepped on and held the pole.

The train rocked. Nia counted two stops aloud. At the second stop, Papa nodded. Nia stood, checked the station name through the window, and smiled. She had not asked him to say the name for her.

Abuela met them at the top of the stairs with a paper bag of warm plantains. Nia told her the blue circle had worked. Abuela tapped the map and said Nia could lead them home later.

The Niagara River drops over a cliff at Niagara Falls, on the western edge of New York. Water from the river pours down in a wide sheet. Visitors hear the roar before they see the white water.

Mist in the Air. Spray, tiny drops thrown up by the falling water, hangs like a cloud. On a sunny afternoon the drops can bend the light into a rainbow. A raincoat helps, because the mist soaks hair and sleeves.

Stay on the Path. Railings mark the safe edge. Signs tell visitors not to climb them. The rocks below are wet and steep. Rangers walk the path and answer questions about the river.

A River Shared. Part of the falls faces Canada, and part faces New York. The same river feeds both sides. A booklet at the visitor center says people on each side look at one great drop of water.

The bell over the door of Rossi's Bakery in Utica had not rung yet. The street outside was still dark. Inside, the ovens hummed, making a low steady sound, and the air smelled like warm bread.

Aunt Carla shaped the dough into rolls before the sky lightened. The rolls baked until the tops turned gold. Only then did Leo line white boxes with paper. He placed one roll in each box after the paper lay smooth.

A man knocked even though the sign said Closed. Leo looked at Aunt Carla. She shook her head once, gently. Leo pointed to the sign and held up seven fingers. The man nodded and walked toward the corner.

When the sign flipped to Open, Leo's shoulders loosened. He greeted the first customer with a quiet hello and slid a box across the counter.

Wind shook the bare trees in Thornden Park in Syracuse. Jade and her little brother, Sam, had come to feed chickadees. Jade wore two red mittens. Sam wore blue ones.

Sam tossed seeds onto a bench. A chickadee landed, grabbed a seed, and flew to a low branch. Sam clapped once. Then he pressed both hands over his mouth and stood very still until another bird came.

On the walk home, Jade felt cold air on one hand. She stopped and looked back. One red mitten lay on the path beside the bench. She ran to it, brushed off a leaf, and pulled it on.

Sam watched her face. When she smiled, he smiled too and offered her the last seeds. Jade shook her head and said the birds could finish those seeds tomorrow.

Mrs. Ortiz's class visited a dairy farm in the Finger Lakes. They stood in a clean hallway beside the barn. A farmer named Mr. Bell said the cows had already been milked that morning.

From Grass to Milk. The cows eat grass and hay. Their bodies turn that food into milk. Machines milk the cows in the parlor, the room set up for milking. The milk travels through tubes into a cold tank.

Why the Tank Is Cold. Cold milk stays fresh longer. Mr. Bell let the class touch the outside of the tank. It felt cool, like a refrigerator door. No one opened the lid.

A Rule for Guests. Visitors wash their hands before they enter the barn and again when they leave. Boots stay on the mat. Quiet voices keep the cows calm. The class walked softly, kept their hands off the tank lid, and then drew a cow on the bus.

The third graders at a school in Poughkeepsie practiced a play in the gym. The play was about a lost library card. Tess played the librarian, the worker who helps people find books. She held a paper flashlight because the real one was too bright.

The class opened practice by standing in a line and saying their names. They walked through the scene without words. After that silent walk, they added their lines. Ms. Chen clapped twice when the scene ended.

When Tess forgot a line, she bit her lip and looked at the floor. Malik, who played the visitor, whispered the first word. Tess lifted her chin, said the rest of the line, and squeezed his hand once.

After practice, Tess pinned the paper flashlight to the bulletin board so she would find it tomorrow. She read her line one more time and then zipped her coat.

A class from Beacon walked down to the Hudson River with a science teacher. They carried three clear jars and a pencil. The morning was cool, and the water looked brown near the bank.

Collecting. Students filled one jar at the edge, where the water was shallow, not deep. They filled a second jar a few steps out, where a helper stood in boots. They left the third jar empty for a sample of rain from a puddle on the path.

What They Noticed. The river jar had tiny bits of soil floating in it. The puddle jar was clearer. The teacher said moving river water can carry soil, while a still puddle lets soil sink.

Writing It Down. Each pair labeled a jar and wrote one sentence. Cam wrote that the river holds more floating soil than the puddle. He tapped the pencil on his chin before he added the word floating.

At the Bronx Zoo, a keeper met the class beside the red panda yard. She spoke softly. The red panda was curled in the fork of a tree, with its ringed tail wrapped around a branch.

Food and Rest. Red pandas eat a lot of bamboo, a tough plant with hollow stems. They also rest for many hours. The keeper set a bundle of bamboo on a low platform and stepped back. The panda climbed down only after the class grew quiet.

A Tail with a Job. The long, ringed tail helps the panda balance in the trees. It is not a scarf, even though it looks soft. The keeper asked students not to tap the glass.

After the Visit. Andre drew the tail in his notebook and labeled the rings. He erased one ring and drew it again so the stripes would match what he had seen. Then he closed the book without a slam.

Dear Cousin Eli, Yesterday our class in Plattsburgh held a science fair in the gym. My board showed how salt melts ice on a sidewalk. I set two ice cubes on black paper. I shook salt on only one cube.

The salted cube shrank faster. The plain cube kept its shape longer. I wrote those results, what I found out, in big letters so people could read them from a step away. My friend Rosa held the timer.

When the judge stopped at my table, my hands shook. I took a breath, pointed to the salted cube, and told what I had seen. The judge nodded and wrote on a card.

I did not win first place. I did win a blue ribbon for clear labels. I am sewing the ribbon to my backpack before you visit. I hope you will come see the lake when the ice is gone. Your cousin, Maya

A neighborhood firehouse in Harlem invited a third-grade class to see a drill. The firefighters did not turn on the siren in the street. They showed how they get ready when a bell rings in the station.

Boots First. Each firefighter keeps boots and pants folded by the truck. When the bell rings, they step into the boots and pull the pants up. Helmets come last. The class timed one firefighter. She was ready in 12 seconds.

Tools on the Truck. A hose is a long tube that carries water. An ax hangs beside it. The captain said the tools stay in the same spots so nobody has to hunt for them. Students pointed, but they did not touch.

A Quiet Ending. After the drill, the firefighter knelt to answer questions. Jamal asked where the truck stays. She pointed to the wide door and said it stays right there until the bell rings again. Jamal wrote 12 seconds on his handout and circled it.

At an orchard near New Paltz, the rows of trees made long green tunnels. A picker named Ms. Ruiz gave each student a small sack and one rule. Pick only the apples that come off with a gentle lift.

In the Branches. Students stayed on the ground or on the lowest rung of a ladder. Ms. Ruiz climbed higher. She twisted an apple up, and it popped free. A hard pull, she said, can break the spur, the little stem-spot that will grow next year's fruit.

Checking the Sack. Pete found a soft apple with a brown bruise. He set it in a side bucket for cider, a drink made from pressed apples. He kept the firm apples in his sack. He did not hide the soft one under the good fruit.

The Weigh In. At the shed, a scale showed Pete's sack at 2 pounds. He grinned and patted the sack. Ms. Ruiz wrote his name on a tag and tied it to the handle.