Read the passage from 'The Whispering Prairie': Ten-year-old Maya stood at the edge of her grandfather's pasture in Osage County, Oklahoma. Summer heat shimmered over the golden big bluestem grass. Her grandfather, Papa Jim, handed her a small canvas pouch of heirloom corn seeds passed down through five generations of their family. 'Land isn't just soil, Maya,' Papa Jim said gently, kneeling beside her in the dark prairie earth. 'It's a memory keeper. When you care for it, it takes care of you.' Maya looked at the dry ground and doubted anything could grow after the long drought. Still, she carefully pressed each seed into the dirt and watered them from the well bucket. Weeks later, after a sudden thunderstorm broke the heat wave, bright green shoots broke through the soil. Based on the passage, why does Maya press the seeds into the ground even though she feels doubtful?

Read the passage below: 'The Red Dirt Pottery' Kalen adjusted his grip on the potter's wheel as the lump of damp Oklahoma clay spun beneath his palms. His older sister, Lauren, created smooth, elegant vases with ease, while Kalen's bowl wobbled and collapsed into a lumpy mound for the third time that afternoon. 'Don't fight the clay, Kalen,' Lauren said softly, sitting beside him. 'Feel where it wants to lean, then guide it. Mistakes just mean the clay is teaching you.' Kalen wiped red mud from his chin, took a deep breath, and placed a fresh piece of clay on the wheel. He kept his fingers steady, listening to the hum of the wheel until the clay rose into a sturdy, balanced vessel. What lesson does Kalen learn through his experience at the potter's wheel?

Read the passage from 'The Red Dirt Pottery': Kalen adjusted his grip on the potter's wheel as the lump of damp Oklahoma clay spun beneath his palms. His older sister, Lauren, created smooth, elegant vases with ease, while Kalen's bowl wobbled and collapsed into a lumpy mound for the third time that afternoon. 'Don't fight the clay, Kalen,' Lauren said softly, sitting beside him. 'Feel where it wants to lean, then guide it. Mistakes just mean the clay is teaching you.' Kalen wiped red mud from his chin, took a deep breath, and placed a fresh piece of clay on the wheel. He kept his fingers steady, listening to the hum of the wheel until the clay rose into a sturdy, balanced vessel. Which detail from the passage best supports the inference that Kalen was initially frustrated by his progress?

Read the passage below: 'The Prairie Falcon's Flight' High above the Gloss Mountains of northwestern Oklahoma, an injured prairie falcon nested inside a sandstone ledge. Below, twelve-year-old Sam scanned the cliffs with his binoculars. He had spent three weeks monitoring the nest after discovering the falcon had a damaged wing tip. Instead of climbing up to capture the bird, Sam consulted Ms. Vance, a wildlife rehabilitator. She advised him to leave fresh food nearby and observe from a distance so the bird would not lose its wild instincts. Every afternoon, Sam hiked up the mesa, recorded observations, and left food. On the twenty-first day, Sam watched with breathless awe as the falcon spread its wings, caught a strong thermal updraft, and soared effortlessly into the blue sky. Which sentence best expresses a central theme of 'The Prairie Falcon's Flight'?