Before/During
What can I do the night before/morning of the test to get prepared?
Get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast
Flag for review (skip) and come back later.
Why is it important to pace yourself?
To make best use of your time and avoid making careless mistakes.
Characterization -- R.1.1, R.1.4
Giving details about what a character SAYS, DOES, THINKS, LOOKS, and INTERACTS WITH OTHERS
What does it mean to EXPLAIN?
To clarify something by describing it in more detail, revealing important facts and ideas.
How many answer choices should you read before making your choice?
ALL OF THEM!
When should we REREAD THE TEXT for clarity during a test?
When we are confused, unsure, or are checking our work. Especially if there is a specific passaged referenced in the text.
If you don't know the answer to a question or vocab word being used, what should you do?
Go back and re-read. Look for context clues to help you.
When the author's word choice makes us feel a certain emotion reading the story -- I can put myself in the shoes of the main character.
What is a story's THEME? R.1.2, R.1.4
The message or life lesson the author conveys to the reader. This cannot be 1 word! (That is a topic).
How can I get an idea of what I am looking for while I read the text?
Read the question and answer choices first BEFORE reading the text.
What is process of elimination?
Crossing out answers you know are not correct: This gives you a better chance of finding the correct answer.
How do I answer a short response question?
Answer all parts of the question, quoting or paraphrasing details from the response in your own words. These are usually 7-10 sentences (1 full paragraph)
What does it mean to compare and contrast? R.3.4
To tell how things are the same AND how they are different using detailed text evidence.
What does it mean to PARAPHRASE grade-level text?
What happens if you leave an answer blank?
They are wrong 100% of the time!
What should I do when I am done and there's still time?
How can I check that my answer is the BEST choice -- and recheck my work when I am finished?
Ask yourself: Does my choice ANSWER the question being asked?
What are context clues? V.1.3
Words or phrases around an unfamiliar vocabulary term that helps us understand its meaning.
Questions which are longer than a short-response questions and require 1-3 paragraphs for a correct response. These are almost always identified as such -- so make sure you're well aware of what to expect when you see one!
Why is it important to have confidence and a positive mindset before taking a test?
Confidence can help you rise to the occasion and surprise yourself, while giving up guarantees defeat. Remember, "whether you think you can -- or whether you think you can't -- YOU ARE RIGHT!"
Questions which require more than one answer and must be answered completely to get full credit. These are more common than you think!
What's another good strategy for choosing the correct solution to problems you are unsure of?
Think critically! Try to eliminate choices that don't make sense (are too much, too little, or complete opposites of your gut reaction)
How do we compare and contrast ways in which authors have adapted mythical, classical, or religious texts? R.3.3
Analyzing both texts and tell how they are the similar and how they are different using text evidence.
What does it mean to ANALYZE?