Test Strategies I am going to provide you with eight (8) steps for acing any Social Studies test, including STAAR. You do not have to use all eight steps on every question. But it is good to have all eight steps in your toolbox.

Cover, Era, Key—Text Connect—R3 COVER the answer choices Identify the ERA Find the KEY information

Step 1: Cover the Answer Choices Cover the answer choices with your hand, and try to answer the question without looking at them. Why? Three of the four answer choices are wrong. Looking at three wrong answers might distract you from the one correct answer.

Step 2: Identify the Era Find the file cabinet in your brain. Stored in that file cabinet is a record of everything we’ve covered in class, arranged chronologically. As you read each question, I want you to file them into separate folders, by era.

Step 2: Identify the Era Is the question asking about… Exploration & Colonization? Revolutionary & War? Constitution & Bill of Rights? Manifest Destiny? Reform Era? Young Nation? Sectionalism & Civil War? Industrial Revolution? Age of Jackson? Reconstruction?

Step 2: Identify the Era Is the question about: The First Americans Mayans Key Dates Aztecs 1492 American Indians 1607 Early Explorers 1620 Spain Founding Documents Portugal Magna Carta France Virginia House of… England Mayflower Compact Holland Fundamental Orders The 3Gs English Bill of Rights

Step 2: Identify the Era Is the question about: Columbian Exchange New England Puritans & Pilgrims Columbian Exchange Whaling & Shipping New World Manufacturing Old World Cold & Hilly Jamestown Middle Quakers Pocahontas Southern Powhatan Catholics John Smith Slaves & Cash Crops Northwest Exchange Agriculture Lost Colony Roanoke Hot & Flat The 13 Colonies Mercantilism

Step 3: Find Key Information If there’s a title, date, author, or vocab word, circle it!

Cover, Era, Key In 1803 Thomas Jefferson made one of his most important contributions as president when he –

Cover, Era, Key In 1803 Thomas Jefferson made one of his most important contributions as president when he –

Cover, Era, Key In 1803 Thomas Jefferson made one of his most important contributions as president when he – A wrote the Declaration of Independence B became the leader of the Democratic- Republican party C founded the University of Virginia D purchased the Louisiana Territory from France

Cover, Era, Key In 1803 Thomas Jefferson made one of his most important contributions as president when he – A wrote the Declaration of Independence B became the leader of the Democratic- Republican party C founded the University of Virginia D purchased the Louisiana Territory from France

Cover, Era, Key We whose names are underwritten… combine ourselves into a civil body politic…. Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620 What is the significance of the document excerpted above?

Cover, Era, Key We whose names are underwritten… combine ourselves into a civil body politic…. Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620 What is the significance of the document excerpted above?

Cover, Era, Key We whose names are underwritten… combine ourselves into a civil body politic…. Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620 What is the significance of the document excerpted above? A It marked the establishment of the first tax-collecting authority in the American colonies B It established the basic laws followed by all the American colonies C It marked the first appearance of political parties D It established a self-governing colony based on rule of the people

Cover, Era, Key We whose names are underwritten… combine ourselves into a civil body politic…. Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620 What is the significance of the document excerpted above? A It marked the establishment of the first tax-collecting authority in the American colonies B It established the basic laws followed by all the American colonies C It marked the first appearance of political parties D It established a self-governing colony based on rule of the people

Cover, Era, Key—Text Connect—R3 COVER the answer choices Identify the ERA Find the KEY information TEXT it CONNECT it to class

Step 4: Text it If you were cheating on an exam, and had to text this question to a friend, how would you write it? Simplifying the question, and putting it into your own words, helps weed out the distracting vocabulary.

Step 5: Connect it to class What does this question remind you of? What memory does it trigger? When did you learn it? (Beginning of the year? Middle of the year? Around any holidays or breaks?) How did you learn it? (Notes? Projects? Activities? In a group? For homework?)

Step 5: Connect it to class How did we learn: Columbian Exchange Old World ==> New World guessing game Key Dates Rap songs Find your ingredients simulation Founding Documents SOAPSTone Jamestown The First Americans Online video game Mayan Calendar The 13 Colonies Apocalypto trailer 3 Regions videos Early Explorers 13 colonies slideshow Competing for Colonies race Mercantilism Mother Country’s rules

Text, Connect Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties

Text, Connect Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties

Text, Connect Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties A Puritan beliefs prohibited farming for profit B farmers in the region feared attacks from native Americans C a cold climate and poor soil made farming unprofitable D the British monarchy provided land grants only to southern colonies

Text, Connect Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties A Puritan beliefs prohibited farming for profit B farmers in the region feared attacks from native Americans C a cold climate and poor soil made farming unprofitable D the British monarchy provided land grants only to southern colonies

Cover, Era, Key—Text Connect—R3 COVER the answer choices Identify the ERA Find the KEY information TEXT it CONNECT it to class READ question with each answer REDUCE answer choices REVIEW your answer choice

Step 6: Read Read the question with each answer choice, one at a time. Sometimes answer A or B might seem good enough, so people stop reading, when the correct choice is actually answer C or D.

Step 7: Reduce Now it’s time to reduce your answer choices, from four all the way down to one. Cross out obviously incorrect answers with your pencil. If an answer choice uses the words “only,” “all,” or “never,” it’s generally incorrect.

Step 7: Reduce Next, try to eliminate less obviously wrong answers. Trust me—if I haven’t taught it to you in class, it’s probably not the correct answer!

Step 8: Review Do you have any regrets about your choice? What was your reason for choosing the answer you did? Take the time to read through it one more time.

Read, Reduce, Review Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties

Read, Reduce, Review Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties

Read, Reduce, Review Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties A Puritan beliefs prohibited farming for profit B farmers in the region feared attacks from native Americans C a cold climate and poor soil made farming unprofitable D the British monarchy provided land grants only to southern colonies

Read, Reduce, Review Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties A Puritan beliefs prohibited farming for profit B farmers in the region feared attacks from native Americans C a cold climate and poor soil made farming unprofitable D the British monarchy provided land grants only to southern colonies

Read, Reduce, Review Economic activity in the New England colonies relied heavily on trade in part because – A increased cooperation between the U.S. and Native Americans B the rise of the Federalist Party as a major political force C increased nationalism and patriotism in the U.S. D an increase in the number of political parties A Puritan beliefs prohibited farming for profit B farmers in the region feared attacks from native Americans C a cold climate and poor soil made farming unprofitable D the British monarchy provided land grants only to southern colonies

Read, Reduce, Review 1.) The Virginia Company established the House of Burgesses in 1619, which – A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies

Read, Reduce, Review 1.) The Virginia Company established the House of Burgesses in 1619, which – A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies

Read, Reduce, Review 1.) The Virginia Company established the House of Burgesses in 1619, which – A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies

Read, Reduce, Review 1.) The Virginia Company established the House of Burgesses in 1619, which – A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies

Read, Reduce, Review 1.) The Virginia Company established the House of Burgesses in 1619, which – A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies A was the first government to have a president B established the doctrine of separation of powers C had the power to veto acts of Parliament D was the first representative legislature in the English colonies

You are probably used to only doing: COVER the answer choices Identify the ERA Find the KEY information TEXT it CONNECT it to class READ question with each answer REDUCE answer choices REVIEW your answer choice