early american civilizations (1)staff.katyisd.org/sites/ce4/publishingimages/pages/ela...early...

STAAR Grade 4 Writing

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

Chuck wrote this letter to the principal about what he learned in hisreading class. Read Chuck's letter and look for the corrections and

improvements he should make. When you finish reading, answer thequestions that follow.

Early American Civilizations (1)

(1) november 16, 2003

(2) Dear Principal Smith,

(3) As people began to grow their own .food, they also began to live in

one place. (4) They did not have to follow herds of animals in order to

survive. (5) As a result villages were formed. (6) As farming methods

improved, agriculture became a large part of the culture of many people.

(7) People learned better ways to grow plants and produce more food from

those plants. (8) More food meant that more people could live together in

a group. (9) Thus, villages grew larger.

(10) Diferent villages were formed with large groups of people. (11)

People started to become more. independent. (12) Thousands of

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page 89


different culture's developed. (13) Eachculture created its own language

and lifestyle. (14) Large cities developed from the smaller villages. (15)

Powerful, organized central governments were formed. (16) Eventual,

armies were created for conquest and defense.

(17) Civilizations of thousands of people developed. (18) They lived

in many cities and villages. (19) They were ruled by one person or small

groups of people. (20) The Mayas, aztecs, and Incas were some of the

earliest people to form large, organized civilizations on the new continent.

(21) Today, we have large civilizations all around the world.

(22) The Mayan civilization reached its highest development from

300-900 A.D. (23) The Mayas lived in a region that today is eastern and

southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras.

(24) They had a central government and made their own laws. (25) They

built large, stone pyramids and temples.

(26) Sincerely yours,

(27) Chuck

I

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C


What change, if any, should be .made in sentence 1?

A

B

C

D

Change november to November

Insert a period after 2003

Insert a period after 16

No change is needed in sentence 1ÿ.

What change, if any, should be made in sentence 5?

A Change villages to vilages

B Add a comma after result

C Change formedto form

D Make no change

3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 10?

A Delete the period after people

B Change of to from

C Change Diferent to Different

D No change is needed in sentence 10.

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page cj1

Ii

.4



A Change Eventualto Eventually

B Delete the comma

C Change was to were

D Make no change


A Change aztecs to Aztecs

B Change earliest toearlier

• C Change civilizations to civilizasions

D Make no change


A Delete the comma after large

B Insert a comma after pyramids

C Change built to build

D No change is needed in sentence 25F

L© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page 92



Chuck wrote this letter to the principal about what he learned in hisreading class. Read Chuck's letter and look for the corrections and

improvements he should make. When you finish reading, answer thequestions that follow.

-Early American Civilizations (2)

(1) November 16, 2003

(2) Dear Principal Smith

(3) The Mayas had great achievements in math and astronomy.

(4) One of their greatest achievements was a 365-day calendar based on

the sun. (5) Mayan astronomers could calculate the day of the week of a

particular calendar date many years in the past or future. (6) Also, they

were able to calculate corectly that it takes the planet Venus 584 days to

revolve around the sun.

(7) The Mayas had their own form of writing, which involved

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page §3

!


I¸ ,

ii:iÿ'!!i:

Iÿ i,

'i ':Ii

i !.,

L!

'i'i, I

::! ii

(22) Your student

(23) Chuck


using symbols to represent objects and ideas. (8) They used this kind of

writing to record information about astronomy, calendars, history, and

family trees. (9) This writing was carved intostone, altars, and roof

beams. (10) These symbols were also painted onto ceramic vessels and in

books made of bark paper.

(11) The Aztecs also developed an elaborate social, political, and

religious empire consisting of large cityes, and conquered villages. (12)

The largest city was their capital, Tenochtitlan, which was founded in 1325

and today is Mexico City. (13) Tenochtitlan featured a huge temple

complex, a royal palace, and many canals. (14) The aztec empire ruled

from 1428 until 1521 in most of modern-day Mexico.

(15) Most of the Aztecs were farmers. (16) With an increased

demand for food, these farmers developed irrigation systems, formed

terraces on hillsides, and used fertilizers to enrich the soil. (17) The

farmers also created artificial islands or chinampas on swampy

lands to create more land to grow food. (18) This "floating

gardens" were used to grow corn, squash, beans, chili peppers,

avocadoes, tomatoes, and flowers.

(19) In the Andes Mountains of South America, the Incas had a

large farming empire in the 1400s. (20) The crops they grew more

often were corn and potatoes. (21) They also grew squash, beans,

peppers, and peanuts.

1STAAR Grade 4 Writing


A Change Principalto principal

B Insert a comma after Smith

C Change Smith to smith

D No change is needed in sentence 2

2r


A Change that to than

B Change Venus to venus

C Change corectlyto correctly

D Make no change


A Change cityes to cities

B Insert a Comma after elaborate

C Change conquered to conquer

D No change is needed in sentence 11

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page 95'


.What change, if any, should be made in sentence 14?

A Change untilto untill

B Change aztec empire to Aztec empire

C Change most to more



A Delete the comma after tomatoes,

B Change were to are

C Change This to These

D Make no change


A

B

C

D

Insert a period after student

insert a comma after student

Change Your to your

No change is needed in sentence 22.

3¸

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L,C Page 96

.I

,/



Sophia wrote a beautiful story that her grandmother told her. She wantsyou to help her revise and edit the story. Read Sophia's story and thinkabout the changes you would make. Then, answer the questions thatfollow.

The Bell Tower Birds (1)

(1) There was once a village hiden deep inside a valley full of

trees. (2) The village was famous for its bell tower. (3) Every day at

noon, the bell tower rang. (4) The sound of its big bells filled the

valley.

(5) The villagers thought the bells sounded beautY. (6) They were

very proud of their bell tower. (7) Travelers from far away seldom came to

the village just to hear the big bells ring. (8) Since the villagers loved the

bell tower so much, they took good care of it. (9) Every Sunday, the bell

ringer polished the bells. (10) If a stone fell from the bell towers walls, the

villagers put a new one in its place. (11) They wanted the bell tower to

© Forde-Ferrier0 L.L.C 7'


stay standing for many years to come. (12) They hoped that someday,

their children's children would be able to hear the bells ring.

(13) Not nobody in the village loved the sound of the bells,

though. (14) All of the people loved the bells, but the birds did not.

(15) The birds lived on top of the bell tower, where cats and foxes

could not steal their eggs. (16) Every time the big bells rang, the

birds had to fly away from the tower. (17) It was just too noisy for

them to stay on top of their nests.

(18) One day, the birds spoke to the bell ringer. (19) They said

"Please sir, don't ring the bells anymore! (20) Our nests are up

• here. (21) Every time those bells ring, we have to leave. (22) How

will we get our eggs to hatch if we can't stay to keep them warm?"

(23) The bell ringer felt sorry for the birds, but he didn't know

how to help them. (24) "Im sorry," he said. (25) "I have to ring

the bells. (26) The villagers love them. (27) If I don't ring the bells,

I will be sent out of the village. (28) I will have to live alone in the

valley. (29) Then, someone else will take my place. (30) The bells

will always ring."

ii

i;

i

I - '


!,

<



A Change deep to deap

B Change hiden to hidden

C; Insert a comma after full

D. No change is needed in sentence 1.


A Change beautyto beautifully

B Change the period to an exclamation mark

C Change thought to though

• D Make no change .


A Change itsto it's

B Change fellto fill

C Change towers walls to tower's-walls



i il 7,4


What change,.if any, should be made in sentence 13?

A Delete the comma

B Change Iovedto love

C Change nobodyto everyone

D Make no change


"]I

7 ,i

i:i,I

,iA Change don't to Don't

B Insert a comma after said

C Change anymore to no more



A Change Im to Z'm

B Delete the comma after sorry

C Change saidto exclaimed

D Make no change

/ i

ii:ÿ!



Read the selection andchoose the best answer to each question.

Sophia wrote a beautiful story that her grandmother told her. She wantsyou to help her revise and edit the story. Read Sophia's story and thinkabout the changes you would make. Then, answer the questions thatfollow.

The Bell Tower Birds (2)

(1) The birds said, "there must be something we can do. (2)

Maybe we can stuff the bells full of feathers. (3) That will keep the

bells quiet." (4) They sang in excitement. (5) They were sure the plan

would work. (6) "No, no," said the bell ringer. (7) "The villagers will just

climb the stairs and clear the feathers away. (8) I have another idea."

(9) The birds sang in excitement again. (10) "What is it? (11)

What's your idea?" (12) The bell ringer said, "Whenever you get

excited, you sing. (13) Your songs are beautiful. (14) Sing for the

villagers!" (15) The birds did not understand why they should sing

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page 101'


for the villagers. "(16) After all the villagers never did anything for

the birds. (17) "That won't help us get rid of the bells," said the

birds. (18) "Trust me," said the bell ringer.

(19) The birds flew down to the low ledge of the bell tower and

began to sing. (20) Their songs were so beautiful that villagers

stopped in the street to listen. (21) When the birds finished their

songs, the villagers claped and cheered.

(22) From that day forward, the village was famous for it's

• beautiful bird songs. (23) Every day at noon, the birds sang from the

top of the bell tower. (24) The songs filled the valley full of trees.

(25) People traveled from far away to hear the birds. (26) The bell's

in the tower never rang again.

i J,

,!

'r:i

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C


What change, if any, shou d be made in sentence 1?

A Change we to you

B Change there to There

C Delete the comma after said


2TI


A

B

C

D

Change never to always

Insert a comma after all

Delete the word the

Make no change


A Change low to lowest.

B change flewto flown

C Change began to begin


© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page 1{33

T


4. What change, if any, should be made in sentence 21?

A Change their to there

B Change claped to clapped

C Change when to while

D Make no change


• A Change it's to its

B Delete the comma after forward

C: Change beautifulto beauty



A Insert the word a after always

B Change bell's to bells

C Change traveled to travel

D Make no change

?

i'

i,i

II

© Forde-Ferrier, L.LICPage 104



Alex loves sharks, so he decided to write about them. Read Alex's reportand look for the corrections and improvements he should make. When youfinish reading, answer the questions that foflow.

Sharks (:t)

(1) Sharks have been around for about 400 million years. (2)

Even before the first dinosaurs, sharks swam through the oceans. (3)

Today, the number of sharks is faling. (4) People hunt sharks. (5) The

number of sharks is also shrinking because of pollution. (6) We need to

learn as much as we can about sharks so we can help them live into the

future.

(7) Many people think of sharks as man-eating monsters. (8)

Sharks is fierce ocean hunters, but they are not man-eaters. (9) In

fact, most sharks are afraid of people. (10) Some of the biggest

sharks are also the most gentle ones. (11) There are only about four

shark attacks on humans each year. (12) Attacks happen because

swimmers look like sea lions to the sharks: (13) The sharks do not



know better. (14)The myth that sharks are man-eating monsters

isnt fair to sharks.

(15) To other sea animals, however, sharks are something to fear.

(16) Sharks are famous for their sharp teeth that can tear prey into pieces.

(17) Sharks often lose teeth when they bite into animals they eat. (18) A

shark can go through 30,000 teath in its lifetime. (19) Some shark teeth

fall out about every eight days. (20) Sharks have many rows of teeth that

replace the teeth that fall out.

(21) Sharks are also well known for their jaws. (22) Shark jaws

are big but that's not the only thing that makes them special. (23) Shark

jaws don'twork like our jaws. (24) When you open your mouth, only your

bottom jaw moves. (25) For sharks, the top and bottom jaw both move.

(26) This lets sharks open wide and take big bites.

(27) When a shark takes a big bite of its prey, it doesn't take long

for other sharks to smell food. (28) Sharks can smell blood in the

water from miles away. (29) That's because 67% of a sharks brain

is used for its sense of smell!




A . Change faling to falling

B Delete the comma after today

C Change sharks to shark


2i

• What change, if any, should be made in sentence 8?

A

B

C

D

Change the period to an exclamation mark

. Change is to are

• Change yet to moreover

Make no change


A Change myth.to mith

B Change that to than

C Change isnt to isn't


© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.C Page :[07

,, II"

!il.

JI

,4



A Change its to it's

B Change shark to sharks

C Change teath to teeth

D Make no change


A Change but to moreover

B Insert a comma after big

C Change that's to thats


i,i,,

! ,,

J I,. ÿ! !','"i,ÿ ]


A Change sharksto shark's

B Change Lhe exclamation mark to a period

C Change its to it's

D Make no change

© Forde-Ferrier, L.L.CPage 108

early american civilizations (1)staff.katyisd.org/sites/ce4/publishingimages/pages/ela...early...

Documents