Test Taking Strategies
When you are unsure of the spelling or meaning of a word, what should you do?
Get a dictionary!
Where we learn setting, meet main characters, and find out what the story will be about.
The exposition.
Sarah's car was dead on the side of the road. What was she going to do? She had already gotten off to a rough start when her alarm clock had failed to go off that morning. School started in just under an hour. Suddenly, it dawned on her that she had subscribed to OnStar the month before. With the simple press of a button she was able to get help jump-starting her battery and made it to class right on time!
Problem / Solution
True or False: The theme is the same thing as the main idea.
FOR 100 BONUS: How do you identify the theme?
False (Theme is the moral message)
Bonus: Ask yourself "What can I learn from this? Could it be applied to other stories?"
What is this sentence an example of?
She took the boy's cookies away, that was mean.
Comma Splice
When looking at a question that asks about point-of-view, what parts of speech do you look for to help you identify between 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person POV?
FOR 100 BONUS: What is the difference between omniscient and limited POV?
You look to see what pronouns are used for the characters in the story (We, You, They, etc.)
BONUS: Omniscient gives the reader the thoughts and emotions of every/multiple character(s). Limited gives the reader one character's thoughts and emotions.
The part of the story where an event occurs that causes the entire rest of the plot to occur. (Hint: Without this, the rising action could not begin.)
Inciting Incident
Gives characteristics or traits about a person, place, or thing.
Descriptive Texts
An author uses certain words when creating a story; these choices contribute to the author's _____. Hint: it's not the mood
tone
What is wrong with the following sentence?
Determined to make their flight on time they rose at dawn.
Missing comma after the introductory phrase
When analyzing test questions, the phrase "support the claim" or "supports the idea" is asking the reader to find
Cited Text Evidence
Listing events or explaining steps in order.
FOR 100 BONUS: What is this same structure called when applied to time?
Sequence
BONUS: Chronological
The author writes a story about a brave mouse going on a long journey. Throughout the story, the mouse often has flashbacks to his life before the adventure started and wonders how things would have been different if he hadn't gone. Is this a linear or nonlinear plot?
Nonlinear
What should be changed to make it grammatically correct?
Martin searched for a great horned owl. He takes photographs of all the birds he saw.
Change "takes" to "took"
What should be included in a body paragraph?
One key point (from the thesis) with cited evidence and an explanation that relates back to the thesis
What is the climax (turning point) of a story?
FOR 100 BONUS: Draw a complete and labeled linear plot diagram.
The most intense or extreme part of a story where the action typically takes place and turns events towards their conclusion.
BONUS should include: Exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
The summer had been extra hot with very little rain to relieve the thirsty earth. There were cracks in the ground that looked like someone might fall into. People neglected their lawns because no plant was motivated to be green or grow.
Cause / Effect
When choosing an effective summary in a multiple choice scenario, what is the correct strategy for narrowing down the answer choices?
Underline each sentence in the answer choice and identify if it comes from the beginning, middle, or end. Pick the answer choice that goes in the correct order.
What is missing from the following sentence?
Miranda drove her brother and her mother waited at home.
A comma between "brother" and "and" to make it a compound sentence
What are the three sections that you are going to draw and label on your scratch paper tomorrow that will help you write your STAAR essay (ECR)?
I - Introduction
<3 - Body 1
<3 - Body 2
C (U) - Conclusion
The events and complications begin to resolve the central conflict. The reader knows what has happened, what may happen next, and if the conflict was resolved or not.
Falling Actions
Sean and Brad are best friends. They have been going to the same school since kindergarten and have bonded over their love of sports. However, Sean's favorite sport is football while Brad prefers basketball.
Compare and Contrast
What is the purpose of the following passage?
Sandy is the absolute best candidate for student body president! She is honest, friendly and dedicated to making our school a better place. This is YOUR chance to make a positive change! VOTE SANDY IN 2017!
To persuade
What is wrong with the following sentence (hint: quote integration)?
An award-winning 2009 study of friendship "understanding social networks allows us to understand how the whole comes to be greater than the sum of its parts"
FOR 100 BONUS: Fix it
The quote is poorly integrated, and this makes it not make sense; run-on sentence
BONUS: Answers will vary ("says that", "found that", etc.)