Skill: write-mcqs @ 12ef279
Topic 1 — question types in the PP100 bank, one exemplar each
James (28 Sep 2026, via the coordinator): a topic's bank has about ten question types at most; he reviews ONE exemplar per type before the rest is
generated. This sheet lists the ten types the re-authored Grade 3 Topic 1 bank runs on, names one exemplar per type, and prints each exemplar in full
as it ships in content/G3T01_pp100_bank.py. Where a type bundles more than one ask, the line says which item shows which ask, and the type's hard
item is printed in full beneath the exemplar, so approving the exemplar does not silently approve the hard variant. The bank's format carries a why
per item (no per-option fb; the engine prints "Correct." / "Not quite." itself). Revised after the non-author review 2 of the same day: PP-43 refiled
under type 4, type 7's exemplar is now PP-13, PP-48 cut, PP-53 retagged medium.
Type 6's form, in one sentence. Items such as "He is right. How does he know?" put the verdict in the stem so that the options are reasons only:
James ruled on 28 Sep that no option may say the verdict and the reason together ("Yes. Its position changed…"), because a reason that is true in the
world makes a wrong verdict pickable — so a claim item is either a bare yes / no (the lesson quizzes) or, in the four-option bank, a reason item with
the verdict fixed.
The ten types
| # | Question type | Exemplar | Items | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recall a term or the rule: a definition or rule stem; four coined terms, or four jobs, as options. (PP-1, 7, 19 term; PP-10, 22 rule) | PP-1 | PP-1, PP-7, PP-10, PP-19, PP-22 | 5 |
| 2 | Given a position sentence, pick the part that is the landmark / distance / direction (the sentence's own parts, or their roles, as options). (PP-8 part; PP-2 role) | PP-8 | PP-2, PP-8 | 2 |
| 3 | Pick the complete (or the incomplete) description: four sentences about one object; only one names a landmark / has a distance AND a direction / tells where. (PP-3, 6 names a landmark; PP-4 missing one; PP-9 distance and direction; PP-24, 28 tells where) | PP-9 | PP-3, PP-4, PP-6, PP-9, PP-24, PP-28 | 6 |
| 4 | A description with a gap, or a wrong reason given for one: what was left out (PP-5, 27), which words fix it (PP-26), why two listeners ended up in different spots (PP-29), or why a stated reason is wrong (PP-43 the landmark; PP-46 hard). | PP-27 | PP-5, PP-26, PP-27, PP-29, PP-43, PP-46 | 6 |
| 5 | Apply a position to a described scene: which position word fits (PP-25), or who followed the position sentence to the right spot (PP-30). | PP-30 | PP-25, PP-30 | 2 |
| 6 | Did it move? Compare the object's position before and after: which thing moved in a drawn pair (PP-11, 12), what shows it moved (PP-31 drawn; PP-32, 47 described, verdict given), how far a thing that stayed put moved (PP-50 hard). | PP-32 | PP-11, PP-12, PP-31, PP-32, PP-47, PP-50 | 6 |
| 7 | Measure the distance moved: read a drawn ruler with zero at the start (PP-13), choose the marks or the tool (PP-14, 36); on hold with the L05 decision — zero not at the start, drawn (PP-34), in words (PP-35), two readings compared (PP-49 hard). | PP-13 | PP-13, PP-14, PP-34, PP-35, PP-36, PP-49 | 6 |
| 8 | Name the shape of a drawn or described path (straight / zigzag / circle / back and forth). On hold: L06 decision. (PP-15, 16, 18, 37) | PP-15 | PP-15, PP-16, PP-18, PP-37 | 4 |
| 9 | Is there a pattern? Four described motions (PP-21, 40) or two sets of observations judged together — this set / that set / both / neither (PP-new hard); only one has a part that happens again in the same way. | PP-40 | PP-21, PP-40, PP-new | 3 |
| 10 | Use a pattern to say what comes next (PP-23, 41), where the thing is after a counted number of repeats (PP-54), one leg of a there-and-back repeat (PP-53), or the reason a prediction is allowed (PP-42). | PP-41 | PP-23, PP-41, PP-42, PP-54, PP-53 | 5 |
Item counts by type: 5 · 2 · 6 · 6 · 2 · 6 · 6 · 4 · 3 · 5 = 45. Hard items: 4 (PP-46 type 4, PP-50 type 6, PP-49 type 7, PP-new type 9), each printed below.
The exemplars, printed in full
Type 1 — exemplar PP-1
PP-1 · atom MOT3-001 · tag easy · type 1
Stem: You say where a thing is by naming an object everyone can see. What is that object called?
- a) a direction
- b) a landmark ← key
- c) a pattern
- d) a position
Why: The object everyone can see is called a landmark. / Where a thing is, compared to the landmark, is called its position. / A direction tells which way. / A pattern is a part of a motion that happens again.
Type 2 — exemplar PP-8
PP-8 · atom MOT3-003 · tag easy · type 2
Stem: Theo says, 'The wagon is six steps behind the garage.' Which words give the direction?
- a) the wagon
- b) six steps
- c) behind ← key
- d) the garage
Why: Direction means which way from the landmark. / 'Behind' tells which way, so it is the direction. / 'Six steps' tells how far, so it is the distance. / The garage is the landmark. / The wagon is the thing being found.
Type 3 — exemplar PP-9
PP-9 · atom MOT3-003 · tag easy · type 3
Stem: Which sentence gives the water bottle's position using a distance and a direction from a landmark?
- a) The bottle is five steps away from the post.
- b) The bottle is just to the left of the post.
- c) The bottle is five steps over to the left.
- d) The bottle is five steps left of the post. ← key
Why: 'Five steps' is the distance. / 'Left of' is the direction. / 'The post' is the landmark. / Only 'five steps left of the post' has all three. / The other sentences each leave one out: the direction, the distance, or the landmark.
Type 4 — exemplar PP-27
PP-27 · atom MOT3-002 · tag medium · type 4
Stem: Omar tells Nina, 'The kitten is two steps behind.' Nina looks all around the farmyard and cannot find it. What did Omar leave out?
- a) how far away the kitten is
- b) what color the kitten is
- c) which way Nina should walk
- d) what the kitten is behind ← key
Why: 'Two steps behind' says how far and which way. / But behind what? / Omar named no landmark, so Nina has nothing to look behind. / 'Two steps behind the tractor' would fix it.
PP-46 · atom MOT3-003 · tag hard · type 4 · hard item, printed in full
Stem: Max says, 'The key is six steps from the gate.' Ben walks six steps and ends up to the left of the gate. Ines walks six steps and ends up behind it. Max says, 'One of you counted wrong.' Max is not right. Why not?
- a) Max gave no landmark, so the friends had nothing to count from.
- b) Max gave no direction, so six steps from the gate can be many spots. ← key
- c) Max gave no distance, so the friends had to guess how far.
- d) Max's steps are bigger than Ben's and Ines's, so both stopped too soon.
Why: Max gave a landmark, the gate, and a distance, six steps. / He gave no direction. / Six steps to the left and six steps behind are both six steps from the gate. / So both friends could be right. / Adding a direction would make it one spot.
Hard because: the student must reject Max's stated reason (a counting mistake) and find the part of the position that is missing — a judgement of a claim, not a one-step sort.
Type 5 — exemplar PP-30
PP-30 · atom MOT3-003 · tag medium · type 5
Stem: Ava says her hat is 'five steps in front of the barn door.' Ben walks five steps to the left of the door. Zoe walks five steps straight out from the door. Leo walks two steps straight out from the door. Who finds the hat?
- a) Ben
- b) Zoe ← key
- c) Leo
- d) nobody
Why: The landmark is the barn door. / The distance is five steps. / The direction is in front, which means straight out from the door. / Zoe walked the right distance in the right direction. / Ben went the wrong way. / Leo did not go far enough.
Type 6 — exemplar PP-32
PP-32 · atom MOT3-004 · tag medium · type 6
Stem: At bedtime, Diego sees the moon just above the barn roof. An hour later, the moon is high above the barn. Diego says the moon moved, even though he never saw it move. He is right. How does he know?
- a) He saw the moon moving across the sky.
- b) Its position compared to the barn changed. ← key
- c) The moon looked brighter than before.
- d) The barn had moved to a new place.
Why: Moved means the position changed. / Before, the moon was just above the roof. / Later, the moon was high above the barn. / Its position compared to the barn changed, so it moved. / Diego did not have to see it go.
PP-50 · atom MOT3-005 · tag hard · type 6 · hard item, printed in full
Stem: Hana tapes a ruler along the edge of her shelf. In the morning, her seashell sits at the 12 cm mark. At bedtime, the seashell sits at the 12 cm mark. How far did the seashell move during the day?
- a) 0 cm ← key
- b) 12 cm
- c) 24 cm
- d) You cannot tell without watching it.
Why: The shell's position in the morning is the 12 cm mark. / Its position at bedtime is the 12 cm mark too. / Its position did not change, so it did not move. / A thing that did not move went no distance: 0 centimeters. / 12 cm is where the shell is, not how far it moved.
Hard because: chains "position the same → did not move" (L04) with "distance moved" (L05): a thing that did not move went 0 cm, and the 12 cm reading is a position, not a distance.
Type 7 — exemplar PP-13
PP-13 · atom MOT3-005 · tag easy · type 7 · fig pp_ruler_bottle_cap
Stem: A bottle cap slides across the kitchen table from the start mark to the stop mark. The ruler lies between the marks. How far did the bottle cap slide?
- a) 14 cm
- b) 15 cm ← key
- c) 16 cm
- d) 15 m
Why: The start mark is at the 0 on the ruler. / The stop mark is at the 15. / The length from 0 to 15 is 15 centimeters. / Count the centimeter spaces, not the lines. / The numbers on a ruler are centimeters, not meters.
PP-34 · atom MOT3-005 · tag medium · type 7 · fig pp_ruler_20_to_48 · hold: L05 decision · variant, on hold: L05 decision
Stem: A meter stick lies on the sand. A crab walks from the start mark to the stop mark. How far did the crab walk?
- a) 20 cm
- b) 28 cm ← key
- c) 48 cm
- d) 68 cm
Why: The start mark is at 20 on the meter stick, not at 0. / The stop mark is at 48. / The distance is the length between the two marks. / 48 minus 20 is 28, so the crab walked 28 centimeters. / Reading 48 forgets that the crab did not start at 0.
PP-49 · atom MOT3-005 · tag hard · type 7 · hold: L05 decision · hard item, printed in full; on hold: L05 decision
Stem: Lily's ladybug walks along a ruler from the 10 cm mark to the 25 cm mark. Her brother's ladybug walks along another ruler from the 0 mark to the 15 cm mark. Which ladybug walked farther?
- a) Lily's ladybug
- b) her brother's ladybug
- c) both walked the same distance ← key
- d) you cannot tell without watching them
Why: The distance is the length from the start mark to the stop mark. / Lily's: 25 minus 10 is 15 cm. / Her brother's: 15 minus 0 is 15 cm. / Both walked 15 cm. / The stop mark alone is not the distance.
Hard because: the ruler-reading skill with the zero moved, done twice, then the two distances compared — one more step of the same skill (James: "a good hard question"). On hold: L05 decision.
Type 8 — exemplar PP-15
PP-15 · atom MOT3-006 · tag easy · type 8 · fig pp_path_slide_straight · hold: L06 decision
Stem: The drawing shows the path a child takes going down a slide. What shape is the path?
- a) straight ← key
- b) zigzag
- c) circle
- d) back and forth
Why: The path is the line the child travels along. / From the top of the slide to the bottom, the line does not bend or turn. / The child goes down once and does not come back up the same line. / A line like that is a straight path.
Type 9 — exemplar PP-40
PP-40 · atom MOT3-007 · tag medium · type 9
Stem: Which of these motions has a pattern?
- a) a flag flapping in a changing wind: fast, then slow, then still
- b) a ball kicked once across a field
- c) a drumstick hitting a drum once every second ← key
- d) a cloud slowly crossing the sky
Why: A pattern is a part that happens again in the same way. / The drumstick hits, and one second later it hits again, the same every time. / The flag flaps again, but not in the same way: fast, then slow, then still. / The ball and the cloud each move once and do not repeat.
PP-new · atom MOT3-007 · tag hard · type 9 · hard item, printed in full
Stem: This week the mail came at these times: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 o'clock. Last week it came at these times: 10, 12, 9, 10, 11 o'clock. Which set of times has a pattern?
- a) last week's times
- b) this week's times ← key
- c) both weeks' times
- d) neither week's times
Why: A pattern is a part that happens again in the same way. / This week, 10 o'clock happened again every day. / Last week, 10 o'clock came twice, but the other days were all different. / So only this week's times have a pattern.
Hard because: "happens again in the same way" transferred from a motion to times of day (SR3-020), judged on two sets, one a near-miss (10 o'clock appears twice in the set with no pattern).
Type 10 — exemplar PP-41
PP-41 · atom MOT3-008 · tag medium · type 10
Stem: At the beach, Jonah watches the waves. Two small waves come, then one big wave, again and again: small, small, big, small, small, big. The last two waves were small. What will the next wave be?
- a) small
- b) big ← key
- c) no wave at all
- d) there is no way to know
Why: The pattern is small, small, big, again and again. / The last two waves were small. / In the pattern, big comes after small, small. / So the next wave will be big. / The pattern tells you, so you do not have to guess.
PP-53 · atom MOT3-008 · tag medium · type 10 · retagged medium after review 2 (halving is arithmetic, not more of the skill)
Stem: A ferry boat goes across the river to the far bank and straight back. The whole trip there and back takes ten minutes, every time. It has just left this bank. When will it reach the far bank?
- a) in about 5 minutes ← key
- b) in about 10 minutes
- c) in about 20 minutes
- d) you cannot tell
Why: There and back takes ten minutes, every time. That is a pattern. / A pattern lets you say what happens next. / Going there is half the trip. / Half of ten minutes is five minutes. / So the ferry reaches the far bank in about five minutes.
Reading notes for the review
- Types 2 and 3 are the two forms James praised on 28 Sep ("Which part of that sentence tells you the direction?"; "Which of the following has
distance and direction?"). The L03 quiz and PRACTICE now carry seven more items on them.
- Type 7's exemplar is the zero-at-the-start reading L05 teaches now; the zero-not-at-start items (PP-34, 35, 49) are printed as held variants and
move to L05b if James splits the lesson (his decision 2).
- Type 9 is the bank's version of L07's yes/no quiz: four described motions, one repeating. Its hard item (PP-new) moves the idea off motion onto
times of day (SR3-020) and asks the student to judge two sets.
- Type 10 includes the frog ("Where is it now?") and the ferry, now medium.