MCAS Trivia
What is the date of the 7th-8th grade ELA MCAS?
Wednesday 4/2 and Thursday 4/3
On an average night, I should get this much sleep:
8-10 hours a night (according to the CDC)
When should you re-read a section to answer a multiple choice question?
Always!
Another word for Main Idea on the MCAS is what?
Central Idea
What is a metaphor?
A comparison of two things. (Without using "like" or "as"
Ex: "Life is a journey" or "She is a ray of sunshine"
What city and state are often mispronounced?
Color-a-do
(H)ouston
What is the tone of a text?
It can be positive, negative, or neutral
Some tone words include: sarcastic, nostalgic, depressed, optimistic, etc.
TAGS is acronym that can help you when preparing a topic sentence in a literary analysis; it stands for (Title, Author, _______, and Statement)
Genre - category of literature, type of text
The play(Genre), The Diary of Anne Frank,(Title) written by Anne Frank (Author) conveys many internal and external conflicts. (Subject/Re-Statement)
How long should an essay be?
As long as it needs to be to fully answer the question (usually 4-6 paragraphs)
What does infer mean?
To make an educated guess.
What is a theme in literature?
The overall message or lesson we can learn from the text. It is often shown through how the protagonist changes in the text.
What is the Massachusetts state nickname or other name?
The Bay State
Aside from sleep and exercise, what is essential in helping your brain for a challenging task like the MCAS?
A healthy diet/food
RANDOM: What pet(s) does Ms. Morehouse have? Guess name(s).
One cat named Beacon
What should you create on your scrap paper to help you plan out your essay?
Graphic Organizer
What is an excerpt?
A smaller passage or part of a longer text
RANDOM: What month is my son's birthday?
September
What movie am I seeing on Friday? Name one of the TWO main actors.
Minecraft! Jason Momoa and Jack Black
True or False: If you are absent on the day of MCAS you do not have to take that session.
FALSE!!! You will have to make up the session you missed.
If a question asks you to compare, what is expected from you?
Compare means to look at common characteristics and identify how things are alike or similar.
Ex: In ELA students can look for repeated language, motifs or symbols that an author used in the same text.
What are the names of the different paragraphs your essay should have?
Introductory paragraph (with thesis statement), Body paragraphs, concluding paragraph
If you are writing a narrative, then you are following the author's style and continuing the story (ex. using dialogue if there is already dialogue, using first person if it is written in first person, etc.)
What does "support your claim" mean?
To provide evidence and explain how it supports your claim (what you are trying to prove/argue).
What is a hyperbole? Give an example.
An extreme exaggeration
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse"
What is one of the songs my son will sing in his upcoming chorus concert?
A. You are my sunshine
B. Down by the bay
C. You got a friend in me
D. Forever young
E. From my heart to your heart
B. Down by the bay
What are the 3 types of essays you may have to write?
Analytical (analyze the texts, usually about character development), Persuasive, and Narrative
What will happen if you do not try your hardest on your MCAS ELA test?
Ms. Morehouse will feel disrespected and disappointed in you.
Please respect yourself, your parents/guardians, and your teachers enough to give it your all. Show yourself and us what you are capable of.
You have read a passage, and you have been asked to write an essay. Which type of essay means that you are continuing the story of a text you read during ELA MCAS?
Writing a narrative essay
RANDOM: What holiday was my son born on? Why is this ironic (and also not)?
Labor Day,
People get the day off from work or labor on this day to recognize the contributions past workers have made to gain us benefits in our jobs,
Women go into labor before giving birth.
What is irony?
Situational irony: the opposite of what you think is going to happen, happens; Verbal irony: sarcasm, dramatic irony: the audience knows something the characters do not
Example: the fire station burns down
Name TWO countries Ms. Morehouse has traveled to before.
Ireland, England, France, Iceland, Norway, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, whatever other ones I forgot