Test Preparation

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Hi Everybody, This is Mr. Leshai

Here are some notes from November 4th meeting
Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Uanaka, Mr. Morley, Mr. Leshai discussed the upcoming unit - Test Preparation (I hope I did not forget anybody's name)

Essential question for the unit: "Does the ELA Test reflect what I learned?"
Some guiding questions

  1. How to answer essay type questions?
  2. What strategies do you use to answer multiple choice questions? (books/packages mentioned, "Time for Kids"
  3. How to use notes efficiently? (teach note-taking skills)
  4. How do you identify meaning of unknown words? (teach context clues)
  5. The structure and Features of fiction texts vs. nonfiction texts. (teach the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts)
  6. Making inferences

We also agreed to teach lessons on
Vocabulary, Setting, Characterization, Main Idea, and Dialogue

TEST PREP - BOOK 1 - RESPONDING TO TEXTS IN WRITING
  1. Characterization
  2. Setting
  3. Plot
  4. Theme
  5. Dialogue
and
  • Determine how the use and meaning of literary devices, such as symbolism, metaphor, and simile, alliteration, personification, flashback and foreshadowing, convey author's message or intent
  • How to condense, combine, or categorize new information from one or more sources?
  • How to Draw conclusions and Make inferences on the basis of explicit and implicit information?
  • How to understand the validity and accuracy of information, ideas, themes, facts and opinions when used as examples, quotes, details or reasons to support our thesis and hypothesis in our essays?
  • How to apply thinking skills such as define, classify, and infer to interpret data, facts, and ideas from informational texts?
  • How to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and terms by using context clues, a dictionary, a glossary and by analyzing the structure of the unknown word (looking at roots, prefixes, suffixes and infixes of the words)?
  • How to identify author's point of few -- first person narrator, omniscient narrator?
  • Using modifiers -- how the use of author's language creates images or feelings?
  • How can literary devices such as symbolism, metaphor, simile, alliteration, personification, flashback and foreshadowing convey author's message or intent?
  • Identify poetic elements, such as repetition, rhythm, rhyming patterns, in order to interpret poetry

Listening and Writing (Book 2) - short and extended responses
Reading and Writing (Book 3) - short and extended responses
Writing Mechanics (Book 2 and 3) - extended responses

Mr. Leshai