1. GETTING READY FOR THE WRITING SECTION OF THE

3. The FSA Writing Component
1 Session minutes
Text set of passages to read and take notes (No multiple choice questions)
Informative or Argumentation prompt
Planning sheet provided for all students.
This year, grades 6 and 7 will use a paper-based test – 3 front-only pages.
Grades 8, 9, 10, and 11 will use a computer-based test – unlimited space.

4. Sample Informative Writing Prompt
Paper-based test : Write your response in the space provided.
Computer-based test: Type your answer in the space provided.

5. Sample Argumentation Prompt

6. Before You Write
Read the prompt first – be sure you know what the prompt is asking. Determine whether the prompt is asking for an informative essay or an argumentation essay. (The purpose for your essay.)
Plan your timing – you have 120 minutes to read, plan, write and revise.
Close read the passages and take notes and/or highlight parts of the passages that may serve as your supporting evidence or details.
Use the Planning Sheet to plan the organization of your essay.

7. Write On!
Write your essay on the paper provided (grades 6 and 7) or type your essay in the space provided on the computer.
Remember, there are no spell checkers or grammar checkers!

8. Stay Focused on Your Essay
Clearly state your claim or controlling idea.
Support your claim or controlling idea with specific evidence from the text! You can directly quote the text or paraphrase.
Say where you found your supporting information. Use attribution phrases/tag lines. Use either the title of the article or the author’s name.
Explain, elaborate, or warrant your supporting evidence! You must analyze!
Use information from all or most of of the texts.

9. Stay Focused on Your Essay
Address the counterclaim or opposing claim, if you are writing an argumentation essay.
Sum up your key ideas in your conclusion.
Use academic vocabulary!
When you finish your essay, reread, revise, and edit. Make corrections!

10. What do you Know?
How much time do you have to complete the writing component of the FSA?
45 minutes
60 minutes
90 minutes
120 minutes
What does FSA stand for?
Future Students Activity
Florida Standards Activity
Future Student Assessment
Florida Standards Assessment

11. Which type of writing requires a claim and a counter claim?
What are the two types of essays you can be asked to write for the FSA?
Informative and Argumentation
Informative and Narrative
Argumentation and Literary
Literary and Argumentation
Which type of writing requires a claim and a counter claim?
Informative
Argumentation
Narrative
None of the above.

12. T/F The computer-based test has a spell checker.
T/F You should read the prompt before you read the text passages to help focus your close reading.
T/F The computer-based test has a spell checker.
T/F You must include evidence from the text passages in your essay.
T/F The FSA Writing Component begins on April 20.
Quiz Answers: 1. D 2. D 3. A 4. B 5. T 6. F 7. T 8. F

13. Skill Practice – Using Quotations
Below are 3 direct quotations a student has highlighted in the article “Cyberbullying Crackdown” by John Smith. The student wants to use these quotations as supporting evidence for her essay.
Rewrite each quotation, adding an attribution phrase (tag line).
Example:
“Not only should the bullies be prosecuted, but their parents as well.”
According to the article, “Cyberbullying Crackdown,” “Not only should the bullies be prosecuted, but their parents as well.” OR
Researcher John Smith writes, “Not only should the bullies be prosecuted, but their parents as well.”
“In 2009, 50 percent of students surveyed said they had been victims of bullies using electronic media.”
“In a survey released on September 26, conducted by MTV and the AP, that figure had risen to 56 percent.”
“To date, eight states—Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Oregon—have passed anticyberbullying laws.”

14. Skill Practice - Paraphrasing
Using the same three quotations from the article “Cyberbullying Crackdown” by John Smith, paraphrase each (put in your own words) and add an attribution phrase.
Example:
“Not only should the bullies be prosecuted, but their parents as well.”
According to the article, “Cyberbullying Crackdown,” the parents of bullies should also be prosecuted. OR
Researcher John Smith believes bullies and their parents should both be prosecuted.
“In 2009, 50 percent of students surveyed said they had been victims of bullies using electronic media.”
“In a survey released on September 26, conducted by MTV and the AP, that figure had risen to 56 percent.”
“To date, eight states—Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Oregon—have passed anticyberbullying laws.”

15. “Policymakers may eventually decide when the school day begins.”
Pretend that you are writing an argumentation essay in which you claim that schools should start later in the morning. Decide if each piece of textual evidence below supports your claim, the counterclaim, or neither one.
Some families depend on the additional income made by teenagers who hold part time jobs after school.
Studies from the FBI reveal that on school days, 45% of juvenile violent crime takes place between 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, with the most crime occurring between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
If time changes create a need for additional school buses, it can be very costly, and few taxpayers want to see taxes go up.
“Policymakers may eventually decide when the school day begins.”
“More than 85 percent of public junior and senior high schools in the United States begin morning classes before 8:30 a.m., with nearly 43 percent starting during the 7 o’clock hour, while melatonin still pressures adolescents to sleep. “
1. CC 2. C 3. CC 4. Neither 5. C

16. Get a good night’s sleep.
Test Taking Tips
Get a good night’s sleep.
Eat breakfast.
Relax! You have worked hard to learn how to write text-based essays this year; now all that work is going to pay off.