Genre
Text Structures
Elements/Skills
Editing/Revising
RAT/ECR
Testing Strategies
100
This genre has characters, setting, a plot, and a theme. We can refer to the text as a story. Even though there may be real people, events, or settings, the story contains components that may not be true or are made up.
Literary
100
Text that is describing, or giving information about a topic.
Description
100
This is what the main character or the reader learns about life, usually through the conflict and solution.
Theme (the message, the lesson, the moral)
100
I am so excited for STAAR!
1. Who/What is the subject?
2. What is the verb in the exclamatory sentence?
1. I
2. am
100
This type of question is worth 2 points. You have to type in your answer and evidence.
Short Constructed Response (SCR)
RAT
100
What is the first thing you do when you start your test?
Map it out!
200
This genre gives the reader information about something that is true. It can contain facts, content specific vocabulary, and text features that further organize information for the reader.
Informational
200
Text that discusses events in time order.
Chronological
200
Lucy threw her coat on the floor. On her way to her room, she kicked over a plant. Lucy slammed the bedroom door behind her.
1. The reader can conclude that Lucy is _________.
2. What type of question is the question above? Hint: You have to use clues in the text to make an...
1. mad, upset, angry, distraught
2. inference
200
She loves soccer. She is going to pick out a new soccer ball today.
Combine the sentences.
She loves soccer, and she is going to pick out a new soccer ball today.
200
This type of question is worth 10 points and is 1/5 of your score! You have to write and then type your central idea or claim, add supporting details, add evidence, and EXPLAIN.
Extended Constructed Response (ECR)
SNAKE
200
Finding the ______ ____ of each paragraph, and the entire text will help you understand a lot of the questions.
central idea/main idea/key idea
300
This genre of text is written with the purpose of being acted out. It is divided by acts and scenes. The story is told through the dialogue of all of the characters, with the help of an outside narrator.
Drama
300
Text that discusses similarities and/or differences between two things/ideas.
Compare and Contrast
300
Shawn began to hand out the fliers for the neighborhood party. He distributed them door to door.
What does the word, "distributed" mean?
distributed: shared or spread out
300
Every morning, she run to school.
There is an error in the sentence above. Rewrite the sentence in the correct way.
Every morning, she runs to school.
300
What can you do to help yourself expand and explain in your writing?
Ask questions!
300
You should look up unknown words here.
Dictionary
400
This genre contains the author's claim about a topic. They support their claim with reasons and evidence to try to persuade an intended audience to agree with them, or to fulfill a desired action.
Argumentative
400
Text that describes a conflict and attempts/successes at solving this conflict.
Problem and Solution
400
Bats are not birds. They are flying mammals. Like other mammals, bats have fur on their bodies. A baby bat is born live. The babies drink milk from their mother. Bats have arms, hands, and feet. They are also warm-blooded. Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
What is the central idea of the text?
Bats are flying mammals.
400
Tomorrow, he went to the dentist.
The verb is not in the correct tense. Rewrite the sentence in the correct way.
Tomorrow, he will go to the dentist.
400
1. What does RAT stand for?
2. What two letters usually go together?
1. R - Restate
A - Answer
T - Text evidence
2. R and A (R/A)
400
1. You should not sit on a question for more than ___ minutes.
2. If you get stuck, ___ the question and move on. You can come back later.
1. 3
2. flag
500
This genre gives the reader information about a person's life. It can be written in both an informational or literary form.
Biography
500
Text that discusses why something happened or occurred, and what came of that occurrence.
Cause and Effect
500
1. These are often found in informational text. They are not part of the main text, but give the reader additional information and can be used as evidence. They usually make information easier to read by making the information more organized or visual. What are they called?
2. Give 3 examples of these.
1. Text Features
2. subheading, photograph, caption, map, diagram and labels, chart, table, sidebar, bold words, glossary, index, table of contents
500
Finally Finished
(1) "Mama, I did it!" Malik shouted from his bedroom. (2) "I read the whole book!" (3) He came running downstairs his face beaming.
(4) They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore. (5) Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
(6) You know what I want for my birthday present? Malik asked slyly. (7) He pause for dramatic effect. (8) "Let's go buy the second volume in the series." (9) "I'm going to read the whole trilogy!"
1. What change should be made in sentence 3?
a. Change running to ran
b. Add a comma after downstairs
c. Change He to They
d. Make no change
b. Add a comma after downstairs
500
1. What text are you going to read first?
2. What question number has the ECR been on previous STAAR tests?
1. The text with the ECR.
2. Question #25
500
You should ________ answers that you know are wrong. Don't be reading something over and over again if you know it is not the answer!
eliminate
600
This genre is a type of literary text. It contains smaller subgenres such as fantasy, myths, legends, fables, and tall tales. These texts are written mostly to either teach a lesson or explain how something came to be, and have been passed down from generation to generation.
Folktales
600
What structure do all literary texts have?
Problem and Solution
600
Oatmeal raisin cookies sang to me.
The nut bars did the same.
And chocolate chips may not have lips.
But still they called my name.
1. Pick a line that uses figurative language.
2. What does this line really mean?
1. "Oatmeal raisin cookies sang to me." "But still they called my name."
2. The reader is interested in and really wants to eat the desserts. They have a "sweet tooth."
600
Finally Finished
(1) "Mama, I did it!" Malik shouted from his bedroom. (2) "I read the whole book!" (3) He came running downstairs his face beaming.
(4) They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore. (5) Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
(6) You know what I want for my birthday present? Malik asked slyly. (7) He pause for dramatic effect. (8) "Let's go buy the second volume in the series." (9) "I'm going to read the whole trilogy!"
2. What change should be made in sentence 7?
a. Change pause to paused
b. Change effect to affect
c. Insert a comma after pause
d. Make no change
a. Change pause to paused
600
1. What is an easy way to recognize your ECR prompt? Hint: How does it look different from other questions?
2. How many paragraphs should your ECR be?
3. What two paragraphs sound similar?
1. bullet points
2. 4 paragraphs
3. introduction and conclusion
600
Always ________ your writing to check for mistakes. Find at least ___ (number), but look for ___ (number).
reread, 5, 10
700
This genre is organized by stanzas, but this may be in a variety of different forms. It often contains literary devices, such as descriptive, sensory, and figurative language, as well as rhyme. It is read line by line instead of sentence by sentence.
Poetry
700
Lemons are well known for their bright yellow skin and sour taste. This citrus fruit grows on a small tree in warm climates, and is a good source of Vitamin C. The juice of a lemon is used in a variety of different food and drinks, including lemonade, pie, jelly, soft drinks, marinades, and more.
What text structure is used in the text?
Description
700
This diagram helps to map out events in a literary text.
1. Draw and label this diagram.
2. Name the diagram.
3. Circle about where the conflict would occur on the diagram.
Plot Diagram
The conflict occurs towards the beginning, and the solution occurs towards the end.
700
Finally Finished
(1) "Mama, I did it!" Malik shouted from his bedroom. (2) "I read the whole book!" (3) He came running downstairs his face beaming.
(4) They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore. (5) Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
(6) You know what I want for my birthday present? Malik asked slyly. (7) He pause for dramatic effect. (8) "Let's go buy the second volume in the series." (9) "I'm going to read the whole trilogy!"
3. What is the best way to combine sentences 4 and 5?
a. They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore, Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
b. They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore, and Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
c. They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore and had promised to read every page before his birthday.
d. The sentences cannot be combined.
d. Make no change
b. They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore, and Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
700
1. What is evidence?
2. In an ECR, what paragraphs do your evidence belong in?
3. What paragraphs DO NOT have evidence?
1. Information, ideas, and quotes from the text that are used to support our answers and original ideas.
2. Body 1 and Body 2
3. Introduction and Conclusion
700
1. True or false: You should find key words in questions before reading the text.
2. What are the key words in the following question?
Based on the details in the poem, which statement best describes how the speaker most likely feels about Abuelito?
1. True
2. speaker feels about Abuelito
800
This contains two texts that are meant to be read together because they share a key idea and help to further explain one another. The texts could be any genre.
Paired Texts
800
Lemons contain citrus acid and are very acidic. This is bad news for teeth, because acid damages tooth enamel – the outer covering of your tooth. This enamel helps prevent tooth decay. If you regularly eat lemons or drink lemon juice, this will affect the health of your teeth!
What text structure is used in the text?
Cause and Effect
800
1. This describes the perspective of the text.
2. If we see the pronouns I, we, us, our, or anything that includes the speaker or narrator, we know that it is written in ____ person.
3. Name and describe another perspective.
1. Point of View (POV)
2. 1st person
3. 2nd person - uses the pronoun "you" and speaks directly to the reader.
3rd person - is written where the narrator is an outside observer and is not included within the story
800
Finally Finished
(1) "Mama, I did it!" Malik shouted from his bedroom. (2) "I read the whole book!" (3) He came running downstairs his face beaming.
(4) They had bought a popular novel together one day at a bookstore. (5) Malik had promised he'd read every page before his birthday.
(6) You know what I want for my birthday present? Malik asked slyly. (7) He pause for dramatic effect. (8) "Let's go buy the second volume in the series." (9) "I'm going to read the whole trilogy!"
4. Quotation marks are missing from sentence 6. They should be added -
a. Before Malik and after slyly
b. Before You and after present
c. Before You and after ?
d. Before You and after .
c. Before You and after ?
800
Set up your paper/board to get it ready for an ECR. Fold and label all components.
800
What should you tell yourself before and during the test?
I CAN DO THIS! (: