Below is a sample FSA Informational Writing Prompt. See the attached links for the texts to accompany the prompt. The FSA Writing Component for ELA will have anywhere between two and four passages, with a maximum of 2000 words total.
The first text you could cite from is "Rituals of Memory," in the Collections textbook for Grade 9.
Other texts can be found through the following links. The article from The New York Times would have to be excerpted as well.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171298
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/health/psychology/22narr.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jane-aronson/memories-and-their-importance_b_4085048.html
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The importance of memory is a central idea that has influenced our culture, our identities, psychology, and science. Even in the time of ancient Greece, individuals wrote about the significance of memory and, as a result, created techniques for remembering.
Write an informational essay in which you explain why memory is important and how it impacts our lives. Your ideas must be based on ideas, concepts, and information from the passage set.
Manage your time carefully so that you can
· read the passages;
· plan your essay;
· write your essay; and
· revise and edit your essay.
Your written response should be in the form of a multi-paragraph essay. Remember to spend time reading, planning, writing, revising, and editing.
Type your answer in the space below.
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See the sample prompts on the DOE website (Training Tests) for ideas about length and formatting: http://www.fsassessments.org/training-tests