Final week before parcc! Let’s Review!

TASK 1: NARRATIVE The Narrative Writing Task focuses on one literary text (literature based). Students read the text, answer questions, and write a narrative response that is tied to and draws on the text. What will the narrative response focus on? Write an original story from start to finish Write a story surrounding the narrative prompt info. (characters, setting, POV, conflict) Finish a story based on the narrative prompt given JUST REMEMBER- beginning, middle, end (story plot triangle) dialogue, figurative language, sensory details clear resolution

SAMPLE NARRATIVE Imagine what the story would be like from Seal’s point of view. Consider how it would be different from the story you read. Rewrite the story to tell it from Seal’s point of view. Write a narrative that continues the story after paragraph 17 and is told from the point of view of Percy Snailkips. Use details from the passage to support your narrative.

TASK 2: RESEARCH SIMULATION Requires students to analyze an informational topic through several articles or multimedia stimuli (video). The first text will be an anchor text that introduces the topic. Students read and respond to a series of questions and synthesize information from multiple sources in order to write an analytic essay. What should the response include? Introduction: Tell the reader what you’re going to tell them Hook Topic/position Preview Information (3 main points)  Body Paragraphs: Tell them Main points with supporting information, facts/details, textual evidence Conclusion: Tell them what you told them Sum it all up (restate topic/position and 3 main points) Clincher

SAMPLE RESEARCH SIMULATION Welcome to India and the video India explain different information about transportation in India. Write an essay that compares and contrasts the different kinds of transportation used by people in India as shown by the pictures in the text and the images in the video. Your friend thinks it’s impossible for people and animals to live in the arctic. Write a letter to your friend explaining it is possible to live in the Arctic. Include information about how people and animals are able to survive in the cold. Use ideas and facts from both article to support your letter.

TASK 3: LITERARY ANALYSIS Requires students to read two literary texts (poetry, drama, short story, novel excerpt, etc.) that are purposely paired. Students read the texts, answer questions for each text and for the texts as a pair, and then write an analytic essay (a piece of writing that interprets one or more types of literature: poetry, drama, short story, and a novel excerpt) What will the response focus on? The writer supports his/her interpretation of the literary work by citing evidence from the text, such as quotations, details and examples. A literary analysis sometimes includes facts and information from other sources, such as a biography of the author(s) or historical works about events that are mentioned in the literature. JUST REMEMBER- Use evidence Use what you learned Use ideas and facts Use details – (e.g., cite specific details, use details from each source) Use examples Use information from all sources Use dialogue

SAMPLE LITERARY ANALYSIS You have read passages from the novels The Georges and Jewels and Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse. Both were written in the first person point of view. Write an essay in which you compare the way the authors use first person point of view to develop the characters. Be sure to cite specific examples from both passages. “Analyze the character of Joan of Arc in the scene from the play, Saint Joan. Compare and contrast the reactions of Robert and the steward to Joan and her mission. Support your ideas with evidence from the text: details, examples, “quotations”.

When answering text/article based questions during the reading test: Before you read a passage, scan the questions first to see what they ask. That way you will know what to look for as you read the passage. Read the questions carefully and look for important words like not or best which could change the meaning of the question. Use your scrap paper to take notes on each question (words/phrases and arrows drawn only). Ask yourself: Which article(s) does this question refer to? How many answers do I select? What is the question asking me to do? (highlight, drag/drop, standard selection) Always answer PART A before answering PART B. On multiple choice questions, read all of the answer choices carefully before you choose one. If only one answer is asked for, remember to choose the best, completely-right, option (even if others are close). If you don’t know the answer to a question, try to eliminate answers that don’t make sense, or that you know can’t be the answer. Remember that you are taking a timed test; don’t spend too much time on any one test question. Do the easy questions first, then come back to work on the harder ones (you can FLAG the harder questions, just be sure to skip both part A and part B. You can’t skip part A to answer part B). If you are asked to tell the order of events in a passage, look for key words in the passage such as first, next, after, finally, at last, etc. You may have to infer a meaning from a passage to answer some questions. This means that you will not find the answer stated directly in the passage. You will have to make an educated guess based on the information in the passage. For many tests, wrong answers and answers left blank are given the same score. No matter what, always make a choice!

When reading passages/articles/stories/poems after scanning the questions: Highlight key words as you read the passage to help you locate important parts of the passage when it comes time to answering. Look for context clues in the sentence to help you figure out words you don’t know. CC help you to define or explain an unknown word. While watching a video, take notes on topic, details, and how it related to previously read pieces of work. Stay focused on what you are reading Put yourself in the story Read the entire text. Re-read for clarifying and analyzing important parts pertaining to answering questions and/or writing essay

When writing an essay in response to reading an article/viewing a video: Read the prompt directions carefully before answering. Look for the verbs in the prompt that tell you what to do in your essay. Take notes on what the prompt asks you to do. Understand all aspects of the prompt, the directions of what it is asking you to write. Make sure you answer all parts of the prompt. Brainstorm/outline your essay first on your scrap paper. No sentences, just words/phrases (5 minutes). Write down your (thesis) topic sentence. For stories, write down the conflict/situation. Refer back to the article/passage to review notes, re-read important information and find evidence to support your writings. Memorize/use the following checklist for each essay: Transitions Evidence/supporting detail from text Topic sentence Hooks/Clinchers Vocabulary, figurative Language, sensory details Proofread Conclusion/Ending Varied sentence types (compound/complex)