MCAS strategies
The process by which you cross out options to narrow down your choice to get to the right answer.
Process of elimination
What is the main effect of the author’s use of repetition in Paragraph 2?
it suggests that the author talks a lot
it suggests that the author is able to use French despite the study being difficult
it suggests that the author is not comfortable speaking French in formal situations
it suggests the author needs to continue studying French in order to be able to use it correctly.
2. it suggests that the author is able to use French despite the study being difficult
What does it mean to break down a prompt?
Annotating and identifying what the prompt is asking you to do.
Which of the following words or phrases from paragraph 3 best helps the reader understand the meaning of the word concoction?
Mix medicines
Foul-tasting
Chances
Disease
1. Mix Medicines
Doing this will help you to find the correct answer in multiple choice, you might just need to READ closely.
Going back into the text
If that weren't trail enough, a few hours of standing in her proud new boots and her feet had swollen so that the laces cut into her flesh. She bent down quickly to loosen them, and wehn she found the right lace was knotted, she nearly burst into tears.
What does the word trial mean as used in the above sentence?
1. A scientific test
2. A court process
3. A surprising challenge
4. A serious challenge
4. A serious challenge
We look for these words which clue us into what we are writing.
Question/action words
Isaac wondered: What kept the moon orbiting Earth, and Earth and the other planets orbiting the sun?
Based on the excerpt, which of the following best states why the question Isaac Newton asked was important?
It inspired him to concentrate on one subject
It inspired him to work harder in college
It led him to the location of new stars
It led him to the discovery of gravity
4. It led him to the discovery of gravity
This should be the first step when answering a multiple choice question
Annotate or break down the question
A sentence in paragraph 1 states, "Their journey began when they said good-bye to their ancestral homes and set out - by train or wagon or on foot - for a seaside port and ship that would take them to their new country." In this sentence, why are the dashes used?
1. Cite primary source
2. Introduce main idea
3. Provide specific examples
4. Indicate a shift in setting
3. Provide specific examples
What is this prompt asking you to do?
Describe the relationship between Innocent’s love for soccer and his later success in America. Explain his relationship and support your response with details from the text.
To write a CER describing the relationship between Innocent's love for soccer and his later success.
In paragraph 15, what does the author mainly suggest about Isaac Newton?
Conditions had to be perfect for him to prove his scientific theories
His background in farming gave him an advantage over other scientists
His intense focus on scientific topics enables him to find answers in various circumstances
Questions around his scientific discoveries have made him an interesting subject for researchers
3. His intense focus on scientific topics enables him to find answers in various circumstances
You should always include this when starting your response to an MCAS prompt.
TTPA/TTQA
"Yesterday seemed years in the past."
Based on the passage, what does this sentence mainly suggest about Lyddie?
1. She is impressed by the machinery at the mill
2. She realizes her life has changed significantly
3. She misses her family more than she expected
4. She is unable to remember working on the farm
2. She realizes her life has changed significantly
What kind of graphic organizer should you use for the following prompt?
Based on “Capturing the Moment,” write a narrative that tells what most likely happens next in the story. Use what you know about the characters, setting, and events from the passage to write your narrative.
Plot structure or Beginning, Middle, End
Based on this excerpt, select one phrase that best completes each sentence
Part A: One of Isaac Newton’s most significant contributions was
Refining the sundial
Improving the telescope
Developing a type of math
Creating a kind of medicine
3. Developed a type of math.
What should you do prior to writing your MCAS response?
Plan out the writing in a graphic organizer.
"How strange , she mused. It had rained just after lunch at school, but the downpour hadn't seemed that heavy."
What is the most likely meaning of the the word mused as it is used in the sentence?
1. joked
2. criticized
3. predicted
4. considered
4. Considered
What is the prompt asking you to do?
Based on "Steerage" and "Voyage of Hope, Voyage of Tears" write an essay that explains how the lives of immigrants are portrayed. Be sure to use information from both the article and the poem to develop your essay.
Write an essay to explain how the lives of immigrants are portrayed in both texts.
Which sentence best states a central idea of the excerpt?
Even great thinkers may endure struggles in their youth
Goals are impossible to achieve without the support of family
Some people do not discover their true purpose until later in life
The usefulness of major advancements may not be understood for many years
1. Even great thinkers may endure struggles in their youth