EOC Survival GuideWho’s afraid of the big, bad STAAR?

NOT US!

Test Blueprint4 reading selections4 editing/revising passages63 multiple choice questions (35 reading, 28

writing)3 SAR’s2 persuasive essays

Writing: Persuasive Essays 26% of total score

The prompt will ask you to state your position(or something like that). Make sure you respond to the prompt.

Remember to use logos, ethos, and pathos.It’s essential that you acknowledge the opposing

viewpoint at least once. This can be done in your thesis or in a body paragraph concede/refute.

You MUST have a nice, clear thesis statement that contains your succinct position on the prompt.

Make sure your tone is persuasive.Transitions and flow are important!Focus must be narrow and deep. You only have 26

lines.

Persuasive Essays contd.The best development is based on your

experiences and thinking about the world. The more real it is, the better it is.  

Use an authentic voice. This is not an opportunity to show off every big vocab word you’ve ever learned.

Please write a rough draft before transferring to your answer document. Your final draft needs to be as close to error-free as you can get it.

Read the following quotation.

Authentic patriotism is not about you, what you believe or what you think is right. . . . Authentic patriotism is not an opinion. It is an action. —Stephen Kiernan

Think carefully about the following statement. Some people define themselves by what they believe, while others allow their actions to speak for them.

Write an essay stating your position on which is more important: what a person thinks or what a person does.

Be sure to — state your position clearly use appropriate organization provide specific support for your argument choose your words carefully edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling

Writing: Multiple Choice24% of total score

Editing and Revising (2 separate sections)Editing will require you to look for mechanical

errors. Revising requires you to re-write, re-arrange, etc. sentences and paragraphs.

Expect to see Subject/Verb Agreement Verb Tense Problems Pronoun Problems Transitional Words Punctuation Problems Sentence Combining/Concision Sentence Construction Errors Capitalization Errors Tricky Word Spellings (they’re/their/there; your/you’re)

Reading: Multiple Choice30% of total score

Multiple ChoiceYou’ll have four readings, likely consisting of

fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and/or drama. Be prepared to analyze!Make notes in margins. Go back to actually

find and identify answers. Don’t be lazy!

The photograph reinforces the poem’s tone of — A indifference B desperation C melancholy D whimsy

The poem’s setting is significant because it helps contrast — A the family’s physical closeness and emotional distance B the opinions of the hardworking father and the lazy child C the presence of the father and the absence of the mother D the different values of the siblings within the family

In which line does the author use passive voice to generalize her experience? A The nightmare sleepover. B That’s what the books never told me. C I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less. D Believe me, mistakes were made.

What is a primary difference between the poem and the essay? A The events described in the essay took place many years ago, while those in the poem are current. B The essay focuses on fewer people than the poem does. C The poem is told from the perspective of a child, while the essay is from that of a parent. D The issues explored in the essay are more important than those in the poem.

Reading: SAR’s20% of total score

Your first sentence is your quote-free, clear answer to the question.

Find good textual evidence that is actually supportive. It’s often about finding the “right” quote (yes, this is a test).

It’s all about analysis and textual support for your analysis.Introduce and blend those quotes to show off your writing

maturity!No citations necessary. That just takes up space.Don’t start your answer with an ambiguous pronoun or a

restatement of the question.Be sure to refer to the piece by what it actually is (story,

essay, poem, play, etc.). Not everything is a “story”.

How are the themes of “Those Winter Sundays” and “All My Babies Are Gone Now” similar? Support your answer with evidence from both selections.

LUNCH!

MiscellaneousPlan and write rough drafts before you move

to your answer document.Don’t write outside any of the boxes.Record your answers.Five hour time limitWork the test in any order you wantDictionaries and thesaurusesHighlightersNovels for afterwards