Mulhern's English Site

Due November 7, 2017 Directions: Copy the vocabulary words. Some of them may have been taken from your textbook; a few words/terms may not be typical vocabulary words (for example, names of places, allusions to famous things, names of famous people); nevertheless, you should know them. 

An Eight-Week Plan to Prepare Students for the SAT Each week, the junior English teacher will administer at least one timed Writing and Language passage (10-12 minutes maximum). Each week the junior Social Science teacher will administer at least one timed Reading passage (13-15 minutes maximum). Each week the junior Math teacher will administer at least one timed Math assessment (20 questions in 25 minutes). Of course, teachers will need to provide some direct instruction on the SAT ahead of time. At least once a week the junior English teacher will require students to provide evidence (Khan Academy printout) of completing an SAT Writing and Language activity as a homework assignment. At least once a week the junior Social Science teacher will require students to provide evidence (Khan Academy printout) of completing an SAT Reading activity. At least once a week the junior Math teacher will require students to provide evidence (Khan Academy printout) of completing an SAT Math...

          The Peer Editing Rubric below may provide ideas. First and foremost, is the narrative essay a true story?  Is the narrative essay a fresh, new, original piece of writing, and not a recycled former assignment?  If not, it does not meet the requirements for this assignment. Does the Narrative Essay have an authentic “story” feel?  You should feel like you are reading a good story.

THE ESSAY PROMPT The prompt (question) shown below, or a nearly identical one, is used every time the new SAT is given. As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.

The Peer Editing Rubric below was adapted from the rubric on the Florida DOE website. **** Florida Standards Assessment Argumentative Writing Rubric For each of the following, answer yes or no. Also point out to your peer the sections of the essay that could be improved. Suggest ideas for improvement.

http://scholarmulhern.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-to-write-new-sat-essay.html https://scholarmulhern.blogspot.com/2016/08/wording-of-new-sat-essay-you-analyze.html#more

Break Ground, Grant Wood (1936)

FSA Writing Practice Test Video (youtube.com) Bing Videos    https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/best/ Test Design Summary and Blueprint: FAST ELA Reading and B.E.S.T. Writing (fldoe.org) https://scholarmulhern.blogspot.com/search?q=fsa Test Design Summary and Blueprint: FAST ELA Reading and B.E.S.T. Writing (fldoe.org) https://scholarmulhern.blogspot.com/2014/09/fsa-florida-standards-assessment.html https://scholarmulhern.blogspot.com/2014/11/fsa-ela-informativeexplanatory-essay.html#more FSA ELA Writing Scoring Samplers (de7pp02vfgk7b.cloudfront.net) https://scholarmulhern.blogspot.com/2017/03/fsa-ela-brainstorming-and-planning-for.html https://www.dmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/MULTIPLE-CHOICE-TEST-TAKING-STRATEGIES.pdf https://www.foundationlearninggroup.com/blog/multiple-choice-test-taking-strategies lumoslearning.com/llwp/teachers-speak/fast-assessment-practice-tips.htmlhttps://www. https://study.com/academy/popular/fsa-test-taking-strate...

Some teachers are resistant to a "formula" for writing an essay. My approach is practical, and I hope, logical. Young writers struggle with the steps involved in writing an essay. I offer "formulas,"; my suggestions are starting points for those who feel helpless and do not know how to structure their writing. This formulaic writing is simply a roadmap. When you feel more comfortable and become more sophisticated writers, you may move away from this approach/structure. A formulaic approach is a good skeleton and this method lessens student anxiety.

Scholars:  It is good to read examples of analytical writing because it helps you understand how to write your own analysis essays. The habit of reading and studying models (examples) is the best way to learn how to write more effectively. Below is an analysis that I wrote on MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech.

Avoid "I think," "I believe" in your sentences. Since you are writing the essay, we know that you think and believe the thoughts you have included. Those words are redundant. Eliminating them will make your essay stronger and also save time. Similarly, for your last paragraph, do not begin the first sentence with "In conclusion." We know it's your conclusion because it is your last paragraph. Again, this is a waste of time and redundant.

The information in this document was excerpted from the Draft of Grades 9-10 English Language Arts Item Specifications that is posted on the Florida Department of Education website.   A few of the Item Stems were created by me. You may find it useful to have students use the sample Item Stems to create questions for what they are reading in class.

(Information from Florida DOE website) Hot Text items  require the student to either click on a response option  or  drag a response option to another location. In the drag-a-response option, the student may be given five possible responses, for example. The student then must click on and drag one or more responses to a space in a chart, list, or graphic organizer. Hot Text items may also require students to select/highlight details from a text (words, phrases, or sentences).  Some Hot Text items are two part.  For example, Part A asks the student, "Which is a theme of the passage?" and Part B asks the student, "Which detail supports the development of the theme in Part A?"

Writing Prompt: (from the Florida Department of Education website) I t’s no secret that sometimes great discoveries come as a result of really big mistakes. But are they always worth the problems they cause? Sometimes the mistakes lead to greatness, and sometimes they lead to disaster.  Are mistakes key to making discoveries?

Guidelines for Responding to an Argumentative Prompt The format of the argumentative prompt on the English Assessment resembles the one below (see italics). Familiarize yourself with the wording and requirements: