How to tackle the STAAR Short Answer Questions.

STAAR Short Answer Questions (SAQs) are scored based on content – UNLESS the frequency and/or severity of writing convention errors causes clarity problems. Write clearly and neatly. Your final answer must be written in the box provided. You will have one SAQ (Short Answer Question) over a single selection and may cover either the literary or expository genre.

Not Considered Passing SAQ Overall Description No idea present; Idea not based on text; Idea does not answer the question asked; Idea is too general, vague, or unclear; Idea “echoes” text evidence; Response contains only text evidence. 1 Idea needs more explanation or specificity; Represents literal reading of the text; No text evidence or flawed text evidence; Evidence generally references the text; Evidence too partial to support idea; Weak link to idea; Wrongly manipulates meaning of text; Evidence does not provide adequate support for idea. 2 Idea is reasonable and goes beyond literal reading of text; Makes appropriate connections and valid conclusions; Text evidence is accurate and relevant; Idea and evidence clearly linked; Demonstrates good understanding of text. 3 Idea is perceptive and reflects awareness of the complexities of the text; Coherent explanation; Text evidence is well chosen for BOTH selections; Evidence strongly supports validity of the idea; Demonstrates a deep understanding of the text. Not Considered Passing Considered Passing

To Answer SAQs: BEFORE YOU DO ANY WRITING, YOU MUST READ THE SELECTION. THEN… REMEMBER THE ABCs Sentence 1 – A - Answer the Question Being Asked In Your Own Words. Sentence 2 - B – Bring in the text with a quote. Embed your Evidence/Cite/Quote. Sentence 3 – C – Connect with Commentary. Provide your Explanation/Universal Truth *****Your SAQ may have more than 3 sentences. This format provides you with the minimum required to craft a sufficient response.

For each SAQ, you will have a box like the one above that allows you 10 lines for your answer. Please note that the 10th line is the dark bottom edge of the box, and you cannot write below this point. Also, you may not “double line” in order to squeeze more writing in the box.

Example Prompt: In this excerpt of The Old Man and the Sea, how does personification help to explain Santiago’s relationship to the sea? Support your answer with evidence from the selection. Example Response: He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her. “He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her.” This is trying to explain how other people see her. Score Point 0: Insufficient The student repeats verbatim the text.

Example Prompt: In this excerpt of The Old Man and the Sea, how does personification help to explain Santiago’s relationship to the sea? Support your answer with evidence from the selection. Example Response: Santiago calls the sea “la mar” which means love because he see’s the sea as a woman. He always refers to her as “feminine” and of something that withheld “great favors.” So thinking of the sea as a woman is personification. Score Point 1: Partially Sufficient The idea is reasonable, but only a general text reference is used to support the idea.

Example Prompt: In this excerpt of The Old Man and the Sea, how does personification help to explain Santiago’s relationship to the sea? Support your answer with evidence from the selection. Example Response: Personification explains the relationship between the old man and the sea because he thought of the sea as a real woman and doing things a real woman would do. The old man thought of the sea “as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors.” Thinking of it as a person makes him seem closer to the sea. Score Point 2: Sufficient The idea is reasonable and goes beyond literal (“makes him seem closer”). The evidence is relevant.

Example Prompt: In this excerpt of The Old Man and the Sea, how does personification help to explain Santiago’s relationship to the sea? Support your answer with evidence from the selection. Example Response: Hemingway uses personification to explain that Santiago thinks “of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her.” He is referring to the sea as a woman and he takes her side by not blaming her for the “wild or wicked things.” So he is defending the sea as if she had life, just like a man would do for a woman. Score Point 3: Exemplary The idea (“he is defending the sea as if she had life”) is perceptive and reflects awareness of the complexities of the text. The evidence (a combination of paraphrase and direct quote) is specific and well chosen.

STAAR Crossover SAQs You will have one SAQ over two thematically linked selections, and you will need to address BOTH adequately in your response.

Not Considered Passing Crossover SAQ Overall Description Incorrect or vague; For one or both selections does not answer question asked; idea is not based on one or both selections; No idea present; Sometimes contains only text evidence; “Echoes” the text evidence. 1 Has a reasonable idea but needs more explanation or specificity; Literal reading of text; Idea contains an inaccuracy; Weak connection between idea and support; No text evidence or flawed evidence; Text evidence is only a general reference to the text or is too partial to support the idea; Wrongly manipulates the meaning of the text. 2 Idea is reasonable and beyond literal reading of text for both selections; Specific enough to allow appropriate connections and valid conclusions; Text evidence is accurate and relevant; Demonstrates a good understanding of the text. 3 Idea is perceptive and reflects awareness of the complexities of the text; Coherent explanation; Text evidence is well chosen for BOTH selections; Evidence strongly supports validity of the idea; Demonstrates a deep understanding of the text. Not Considered Passing Considered Passing

To Answer Crossover SAQs: A B2 C Sentence 1 – A – Answer the question. Sentence 2 – B – Bring in the text with a quote from the first reading selection. Transition Word! Sentence 3 – B – Bring in the text with a quote from the second reading selection. Sentence 4 – C – Connect with commentary. *****Your SAQ may have more than 4 sentences. This format provides you with the minimum required to craft a sufficient response.

Prompt: What is one similarity between the narrator of “A Handful” and Curtis in “Writin’ on the Line”? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from both selections.  Present your Answer in your own words. Remember, do not echo the prompt!  Bring in the text with a quote. Provide 1 piece of the best EVIDENCE present within the article. Remember to embed! Transition Word  Connect your embedded evidence to your Claim by presenting clear REASONING.

For each SAQ, you will have a box like the one above that allows you 10 lines for your answer. Please note that the 10th line is the bottom edge of the box, and you cannot write below this point. Also, you may not “double line” and attempt to squeeze more writing in the box.

Example Prompt: What is one similarity between the narrator of “A Handful” and Curtis in “Writin’ on the Line”? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from both selections. Example Response: The narrator in “A Handful” talks in first person and the narrator in “Writin’ on the Line” third person. In “A Handful” the narrator constantly uses possessives like my and I and also has things like “I remember it” and “In a way I do”. However, in “Writin’ on the Line” the narrator talks using he’s and avoids possessives and talks like “his first bank” and “he’s now in demand for personal appearances”. Score Point 0: Insufficient The response does not answer the prompt, quotations provided are not relevant to the prompt, no reasonable idea or relevant textual evidence is provided.

Example Prompt: What is one similarity between the narrator of “A Handful” and Curtis in “Writin’ on the Line”? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from both selections. Example Response: Both the narrator of “A Handful” and Curtis had assistance from a close friend or relative. Kevin saved the narrator of “A Handful”’s life, as well as help him get over his fear of bridges. Kaysandra helped Curtis become an author as well. Score Point 1: Partially Sufficient This response offers a reasonable idea (assistance from a close friend or relative). The idea is not supported by relevant direct quotations from either story.

Example Prompt: What is one similarity between the narrator of “A Handful” and Curtis in “Writin’ on the Line”? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from both selections. Example Response: Both selections deal with a problem where a loved one helps another loved one out. In “A Handful” Kevin helps the narrator overcome his fear of bridges. “The only person who could calm me down was the person who saved me”. In “Writin’ on the Line” Kaysandra helps Curtis achieve his dreams of becoming a writer. “Fortunately, Kaysandra believed in those handwritten words”. With her support, Curtis was successful. Score Point 2: Sufficient The response offers a reasonable idea for each selection (Kevin helping narrator to overcome the fear of bridges; Kaysandra helping Curtis achieve his dreams of becoming a writer). Direct quotations support the ideas from both selections.

Example Prompt: What is one similarity between the narrator of “A Handful” and Curtis in “Writin’ on the Line”? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from both selections. Example Response: One similarity between the narrator and Curtis is that they were both helped by their loved one in an hour of need to finally attain success whether it be in the form of career or triumph over emotional turmoil. Curtis “would be the first [to admit] that without [Kaysandra’s support] his dream [would never have been realized]”. Despite the years that have gone by, even when the narrator’s parents thought the story was getting old, “Kevin just ignored them. [Instead], his face wouldn’t change, and…his voice only got softer” indicating that Kevin was there for the narrator regardless of what other people thought. Score Point 3: Exemplary The response offers the reasonable idea that both were helped by their loved one in an hour of need to finally attain success whether it be in the form of career or triumph over emotional turmoil. Quotations demonstrate a strong connection between textual evidence and the idea. Incorporated relevant commentary into their response.