Prepping for PARCC

MAIN IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS

100

What is the definition of MAIN IDEA?

What the passage is mostly about.

200

Truman grabbed his fishing pole and tackle box and hurried down to the pond. Sitting down on the dock that jutted into the pond, he opened his tackle box and chose a blue plastic worm. Carefully, Truman worked the hook through the water and began working the fishing line. After five casts, a fish hit the line. Carefully Truman pulled back to set the hook, and began reeling in his catch. Truman pulled in the biggest fish he had ever seen in his life. He could hardly wait to run home and show it to his family. What is this passage mostly about? a. A day at the pond b. Fishing at the pond c. Baiting a hook d. Sitting on the dock

B: Fishing at the pond

300

Minerals are substances in rocks that industries use to manufacture products. Unlike plants and animals, minerals are not alive. Most minerals are hard, and many of them have to be dug from under the ground. A practice known as mining is used to bring the minerals from beneath the earth's surface. Some minerals, such as coal, can be used in the form in which they are found. However, most minerals have to be changed in some way before they can be used. Oil is broken down into many valuable products, such as gasoline and natural gas. Which sentence tells the main idea of the story? a. Minerals used in industries are mined from beneath the earth. b. Minerals are found in rocks. c. Oil is broken down into gasoline and natural gas. d. Mining is the practice of bringing minerals up from underground.

A: Minerals used in industries are mined from beneath the earth.

400

A mother rabbit is gentle when she cares for her offspring. Before they are born, she builds a soft padded nest in a hollow scraped under the grass or in a burrow between the large roots of a tree. She carefully shreds leaves and collects grass to line the nest. Then she pulls bits of fur from her coat to make a warm bed. When baby rabbits are born, they have no fur and they cannot see. Because of this, the mother rabbit never leaves the nest without covering it with more leaves and grass to protect her offspring. What is the main idea of this story? a. Rabbits live in nests or burrows b. The mother rabbit uses her own fur to make a warm bed c. Rabbits are gentle d. A mother rabbit carefully cares for her babies

D: A mother rabbit carefully cares for her babies.

500

Sand is made when rocks break into smaller pieces. Over a long period of time, wind, frost, and rain work against mountain cliffs and break off pieces of rock which fall down the mountainside. As the rock bounces down, it breaks off other pieces of rock it hits, and also breaks into smaller pieces itself. The water of rivers and oceans rush against rocks, breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces. The heavy ice of glaciers scrapes and grinds the rocks it moves along. The ice carries the sand it has made and dumps it in other places. All over the world, the ocean waves tear at the rocks along the shore, wearing them down until finally the rocks are so small they become what we call sand. What is this story mainly about? a. wind, frost, and rain b. Making sand c. Journey of a rock d. Beaches around the world

B: Making sand

WRITING

100

This sentence appears at the end of the introduction to your essay, and answers the question posed in the prompt.

What is thesis statement?

200

In an argumentative essay, you must include the other side's opinion. What is this part of the essay called?

What is the counterargument?

300

In literary essay writing, what are the three elements of a knockout introduction?

Hook, summary, thesis.

400

What are the three elements of a quote analysis paragraph?

Textual evidence, context, and analysis of evidence.

500

In Sandra Cisneros' short story "Eleven," how does the main character Rachel feel about getting older? Write a thesis statement responding to this prompt.

Answers will vary. Sample: In Sandra Cisneros' short story "Eleven," the main character Rachel feels that getting older is not a linear process in which we keep moving forward, but instead a cyclical one in which we revisit younger ages again and again.

TEXT STRUCTURE AND AUTHOR'S PURPOSE

100

Did you know that the largest ice cream sundae ever made weighed 54,914 pounds? It as made by Palm Dairies in Alberta, Canada on July 24, 1988. It had 44,689 pounds of ice cream, 9,688 pounds of syrup, and 537 pounds of topping! Yummy! What is the author's purpose of this selection? a. inform b. persuade c. entertain

A: inform

200

Daniel, his mom, his dad, and his younger sister, Carina, lived in a faraway town called Tumbler Ridge in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In the summer they would go exploring together. They looked for new caves and waterfalls and hiked to the tops of mountains. In the winter, they would go cross-country skiing together up frozen creeks and through beautiful canyons. One day they skied to a spot whre they found an old abandoned wooden cabin. Daniel said "Wouldn't it be fun to see what this place looks like in the summer? What is the author's purpose to this selection? a. inform b. persuade c. entertain

C: Entertain

300

Dinosaurs existed about 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago. This era is broken up into three periods known as the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The Triassic Period lasted for 35 million years from 250-205 million years ago. Planet Earth was a very different place back then. All the continents were united to form one huge land mass known as Pangaea. The Jurassic Period was the second phase. The continents began shifting apart. The time scale for this famous period is from 205 to 138 million years ago. The Cretaceous Period was the last period of the dinosaurs. It spanned a time from 138 million to about 65 million years ago. In this period the continents fully separated. However, Australia and Antarctica were still united. What is the structure of this text?

Chronological

400

Wouldn’t you like a scary dinosaur model on your desk to protect your pencils and textbooks? You can easily make one by following these simple directions. First, bend your to make the frame of your dinosaur. I suggest you create a tyrannosaurus frame by using one long pipe cleaner as his neck, spine, and tail, and then bend another into a u-shape to make his feet. Wrap the feet around the spine piece. Next, roll out clay to wrap around the pipe cleaners. Let the clay dry overnight. The next day you may want to paint your dinosaur using non-toxic paint. His eyes should be white, but feel free to color your dinosaur as you wish. Nobody really knows how dinosaurs were colored, so don’t let anyone tell you that your dinosaur can’t be pink. Lastly, put him on your desk and watch as he or she scares away bullies and pencil thieves. What is the structure of this text?

Sequence

500

It’s important to think critically about the information that you receive, or else you may be led astray. For example, the brontosaurus is a type of dinosaur that never really existed. Many people still believe in the brontosaurus today, but the “brontosaurus” is actually the body of an apatosaurus with the head of a camarasaurus. This concocted creature was made from two mismatched fossils. Had more people thought critically about these findings, analyzing the components that were presented, entire generations of school children may not have been misinformed; therefore, think critically about the information that people tell you, even if it’s information you find on a book or in a worksheet. Keep these problems in mind when conducting your studies. What is the structure of this text?

Problem/Solution

ELEMENTS OF PLOT

100

What is the reasonable ending of a story?

Resolution

200

The part of the story in which the main characters and setting are introduced. TAKES PLACE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY.

Exposition

300

Towards the end of a story, the character must come face-to-face with his/her conflict and make a tough decision. What is this moment called?

Climax

400

The point in the story in which the conflict is introduced. Action shifts and tension builds as we move toward the climax. What is this part of a story called?

Rising action.

500

Takes place immediately following the climax; all loose ends are tied up and the conflicts are solved. What is this part of the story called?

Falling action.

POINT OF VIEW

100

What is the definition of point of view?

The perspective from which a story is told.

200

List all of the different points of view in fiction.

1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person limited, 3rd person objective, 3rd person omniscient.

300

Great-aunt Grace is tall and broad shouldered, with big, thick-fingered hands and feet like stretch limos in black leather sneakers. It’s as if God set out to make a mountain, changed his mind, and made a woman instead. She does not smile at us. Instead she takes a pack of cigarettes from her pants pocket, pulls one out, and lights it. Then she stares down at us through a cloud of smoke, her eyes sweeping over us like a searchlight. Which sentence helps to develop the narrator's point of view that Great-aunt Grace is an intimidating woman?

Great-aunt Grace is tall and broad shouldered, with big, thick-fingered hands and feet like stretch limos in black leather sneakers. It’s as if God set out to make a mountain, changed his mind, and made a woman instead. She does not smile at us.

400

To his astonishment, Charlie found himself standing next to his bicycle, back where he had entered the swamp. That was bizarre and upsetting—but not as bad as the realization that he was still holding the skull. He thought he had dropped it before he raced out the door. He certainly hadn’t intended to steal the thing. He didn’t even really want it! Which point of view is the passage written in?

Third person limited

500

They found themselves in bed and watching, by the dim light from the night-light, the rest of Mary Poppin’s unpacking being performed. From the carpet bag she took out seven flannel nightgowns, four cotton ones, a pair of boots, a set of dominoes, two bathing-caps and a postcard album. Jane and Michael sat hugging themselves and watching. It was all so surprising that they could find nothing to say. But they knew, both of them, that something strange and wonderful had happened at Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane. What is the children's point of view of Mary Poppins?

They think she is unique, eccentric, wonderful, different in a good way.