1. Welcome How do I prepare for Welcome How do I prepare for PSSA? PSSA? Fairview Elementary February 15, 2011

2. Objectives Provide overview of PSSA Introduce test format Practice sample questions Identify ways to help Have fun!

3. Testing Calendar2011 Assessment Dates Grade(s) PSSA Writing March 28-April 1, 2011 5, 8, 11 PSSA Reading & Math March 14-March 25, 2011 3 through 8, 11 PSSA Science April 4-April 8, 2011 4, 8, 11

4. An Academic Training Program Students doing their best depends not only on their skills, but also on knowing these three things… what to expect on these types of tests strategies for answering questions that they have practiced their skills

5. Test Blueprint Reading & Math Open- ended (0-4 pts.) (0-3 pts.) Multiple Choice (1 pt. ea)

6. MATH Reporting Categories Numbers and Operations Measurement Geometry Algebra Data Analysis

7. What will WE do? Introduce robust vocabulary for reading, math, science and writing Use PSSA rubrics Practice tests Parent Clinics After-school practice clubs Infuse PSSA prep across all subject areas

8. What will YOU do? Schedule no appointments Ensure a good night’s sleep Prepare a healthy breakfast Arrive to school on time Encourage your child Ask about the test Reinforce the need to go back and review answers

9. Let’s try a few samples… Please find our first passage… Ella’s Friends

10. Please turn off your iClicker while you are reading!!

11. Here we go students and parents. The next questions relate to the reading passage.

12. 1. What is an egret? A. a bird B. a bug C. a plan D. an elephant

13. 2.Why did the egrets and all the other animals love Ella? A. She was big. B. She was kind and helpful. C. She was funny. D. She could run fast.

14. 3.How did Ella warn the animals of danger? A. She stomped the ground. B. She ran through the grass. C. She used her trunk like a trumpet. D. She flapped her ears.

15. 4.How did the egrets know that Ella wasn’t feeling well? A. She fell down. B. She walked slowly and breathed hard. C. She began to cry. D. She stopped eating.

16. 5. How did the elephants hug Ella? A. They wrapped trunks. B. They wrapped ears. C. They stood around her. D. They stomped their feet.

17. 6.The special plant in the story is most like… A. a bed. B. a trumpet. C. some feathers. D. some medicine.

18. 7.At the end of the story, the animals are happy because… A. Ella feels better. B. Ella goes to sleep. C. Ella is moving trees. D. Ella is eating insects.

19. 8.The setting for this story is… A. a zoo. B. a jungle. C. a river. D. a house.

20. 9.The theme of this story is… A. sleep if you are tired. B. plants make good medicine C. you can always count on your friends. D. never work too hard.

21. 10.What genre is this story most like? A. Realistic fiction B. Autobiography C. Poetry D. Fable

22. Constructing an Open Response - RAPS What is the theme of this story? Support your answer with two examples from the text. R Restate the question.

23. Constructing an Open Response - RAPS What is the theme of this story? Support your answer with two examples from the text. A Answer the question in your own words.

24. Constructing an Open Response - RAPS What is the theme of this story? Support your answer with two examples from the text. P Prove your answer by providing 2-3 examples from the text.

25. Constructing an Open Response - RAPS What is the theme of this story? Support your answer with two examples from the text. S Sum it up!

26. A.1/3 B. 3/8 C. 3/5 D. 5/8

27. A B C D

28. A B C D

29. A.86 B. 87 C. 96 D. 177

30. Poetry Break Please read When All the World Is Full of Snow and New Year Snowbird and then turn on your iClicker.

31. Read the lines from “When All the World Is Full of Snow.” “I only want/to watch and wait,/while snow moths settle/on the gate” A. to have an agreement B. to make a decision C. to come to rest D. to drop to the bottom Which meaning of the word settle is used in the poem?

32. In “When All the World Is Full of Snow,” the speaker compares snowflakes to A. bees and gates. B. moths and trees. C. bees and moths D. trees and gates

33. What does the speaker compare glistening boots to in “New Year Snowbird”? A. swings B. snow. C. shadows D. wings

34. Which phrase from “New Year Snowbird” is an example of alliteration? A. “faraway stars” B. “whistling wings” C. “snowflakes bounce” D. “stars tickle”

35. The following questions relate to BOTH poems.

36. Which lines from the poems contain a simile? A. “When I jump toward the light/I close my eyes tight” B. “I never know/just where to go,/when all the world/is full of snow.” C. “I fly through the shadows waiting to pounce/on the porch light” D. “I only want/myself to be/as silent as a winter tree”

37. Which word best describes how the speakers in both poems feel when it is snowing outside? A. anxious B. delighted C. disappointed D. silly

38. What do the speakers of both poems have in common? A. The both enjoy snow. B. They both play in the snow. C. They both pretend to fly. D. They both like the stars.

39. Give at least two ways the poems are alike and one way they are different, using specific examples from the poems to support your answer.

40. A B C D

41. A B C D

42. A B C D

43. A B C D

44. Thank you for coming! We are : S pend your time wisely. M ark your best answer. A lways do your best. R echeck your answers. T hink positively. Cookies!