Mixed Deck — All CALP Topics Flashcards

A student writes: 'The New Deal expanded federal power but critics argued it undermined states' rights.' What CALP writing skill does this demonstrate?

Answer: Academic argumentation using evidence and acknowledging counterarguments in a social studies context

Presenting a claim while acknowledging counterarguments demonstrates CALP-level academic argumentation in the social studies discourse community.

Which sentence correctly uses the subjunctive mood in academic writing?

Answer: The committee recommended that the study be replicated.

The subjunctive mood is required after verbs of recommendation, demand, or suggestion, using the base form of the verb ('be') without 'should' or other modals.

What CALP skill is required when analyzing political cartoons in a US history class?

Answer: Interpreting symbolic language and implicit political commentary within academic discourse

Analyzing political cartoons requires CALP-level skills in interpreting symbolism, implicit critique, and cultural/political context within academic discourse.

Why is analyzing the language of political speeches a CALP-level task in social studies?

Answer: It requires understanding rhetorical devices, audience awareness, and ideological framing within academic language

Analyzing political rhetoric requires CALP proficiency in recognizing rhetorical strategies, interpreting ideological framing, and applying academic analytical language.

A student reads: 'The legislature enacted legislation to regulate commerce.' What CALP challenge does this sentence present?

Answer: It uses multiple academic vocabulary items specific to civics and government

Terms like 'legislature,' 'enacted,' 'legislation,' and 'regulate commerce' are CALP-level civics vocabulary that require academic language knowledge.

What does the test direction 'synthesize' require students to do at a CALP level?

Answer: Combine information from multiple sources into a coherent original response

Synthesis is a CALP-level academic task requiring integration and evaluation of multiple sources to construct an original, coherent response.

A student is listening to a US history lecture and must identify the cause-and-effect relationships being discussed. What CALP skill is this?

Answer: Higher-order listening comprehension and analytical structuring of information

Identifying cause-and-effect relationships during academic listening is a CALP higher-order skill that requires simultaneous processing and analysis.

What does the term "plagiarism" refer to in academic writing?

Answer: Using someone else's work or ideas without proper attribution

Plagiarism in academic writing refers to the act of using someone else's words, ideas, or work without giving proper credit or attribution to the original source. It is a serious academic offense that undermines intellectual honesty and the principles of scholarly research. Proper citation is essential to avoid plagiarism.

In the sentence 'The results, which were unexpected, prompted further investigation,' what type of relative clause is used?

Answer: Non-restrictive (non-essential) relative clause

A non-restrictive relative clause, set off by commas, adds extra information about a noun that is already fully identified and can be removed without changing the core meaning.

Which reading behavior most distinguishes a CALP-proficient student from a BICS-proficient student?

Answer: Ability to draw inferences from academic texts without contextual support

CALP proficiency involves decontextualized inference-making from academic text, which goes far beyond the context-supported communication of BICS.

What does it mean to 'infer' in a test question, and why is this a CALP vocabulary demand?

Answer: To draw a conclusion that is not directly stated in the text, using evidence and reasoning

Inference is a CALP-level academic language concept that requires higher-order reasoning rather than literal text retrieval, and test-takers must understand this direction word.

When a CALP exam passage presents a counterargument, students are expected to:

Answer: Evaluate whether it weakens or strengthens the central claim

CALP-level reading requires students to critically evaluate the role of counterarguments within the logic of an academic text.

Why is the term 'manifest destiny' a CALP-level vocabulary item in US history education?

Answer: It is a culturally and historically specific concept requiring academic knowledge of US expansion ideology

Terms like 'manifest destiny' carry complex historical, ideological, and cultural meanings that require CALP-level academic language knowledge to understand and discuss.

A CALP reading passage uses the phrase 'corroborating evidence.' What does this phrase require of the reader?

Answer: Understanding of academic vocabulary in context

CALP demands that readers interpret discipline-specific academic vocabulary like 'corroborating evidence' within its contextual meaning.

In a CALP social studies context, what does 'historiography' require students to understand?

Answer: That history is constructed through interpretation, and different historians may analyze the same events differently

Historiography is a CALP-level concept requiring students to think critically about how historical accounts are constructed and interpreted.

A CALP math task asks: 'Analyze the rate of change represented in the graph.' What does this require beyond graph-reading skills?

Answer: Academic language proficiency to interpret and articulate mathematical relationships verbally or in writing

Analyzing rate of change requires CALP proficiency in both interpreting mathematical language and articulating quantitative reasoning.

What CALP skill does 'extended response' writing on US standardized tests most directly assess?

Answer: Sustained academic language production including argument development, evidence use, and formal register

Extended response tasks directly assess CALP-level writing by requiring sustained academic language production with organized argument, integrated evidence, and formal register.

How does 'algebraic reasoning' represent a CALP-level mathematical language demand?

Answer: Algebraic reasoning requires understanding abstract relationships expressed through academic language and symbolic notation

Algebraic reasoning involves abstract symbolic and linguistic representations that constitute a CALP-level academic language and cognitive demand.

A CALP assessment asks students to 'evaluate the credibility of a historical source.' What does this require?

Answer: Applying critical academic language to assess authorship, purpose, context, and bias

Source credibility evaluation is a CALP-level critical thinking task requiring academic language skills to assess multiple dimensions of historical evidence.

When evaluating an author's argument in a CALP-level text, a student should primarily focus on:

Answer: The logical structure of claims and the quality of evidence

Critical evaluation of argument structure and evidence quality is a core CALP reading competency in academic settings.