ELA/MME Unit of Study: READING · 2020-01-25 · ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading, Grade 9 2 Emily...

Emily Douglas, Julie Martinez, Laura Schiller, Gail Setter Fall 2008

ELA/MME Unit of Study: READING

Grade 9

A Reading Test Genre Study for the

English Language Arts / Michigan Merit Exam

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading, Grade 9 2 Emily Douglas, Julie Martinez, Laura Schiller, Gail Setter Oakland Schools Fall 2008

Reading Test Genre Study: Teacher BackgroundTest Genre Overview Reading for a timed, standardized test is a particular genre of reading. This six-day unit of study was designed as a reading test overview. Each lesson builds on the previous day’s strategies, so it is important that the lessons be taught in sequence. These lessons and activities were chosen because they address the content most commonly seen on the PLAN (the second of three levels of the ACT testing system). The key to becoming a successful PLAN Reading Test taker is to develop familiarity with exactly what will be on the test and practice to internalize effective test-taking strategies. We introduce a new strategy almost every day in the unit and don’t spend much time reviewing strategies. Strategies should be reinforced and processed with students throughout the year. Day six should be used to practice timed sections. Individual students can choose the type of passage with which they feel they need the most practice.

Rationale for Tips and Strategies Students directly benefit from familiarity with the PLAN Reading Test, introduction to key test-taking strategies, and practice. These elements are addressed in various parts of the lessons, such as the “Teaching Points” and sample test passages. The work in this unit simulates actual testing conditions and helps students develop the much-needed familiarity that will save them valuable seconds, even minutes, when they are taking the timed test.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students should not practice PLAN test-taking skills and strategies on a computer. The PLAN is a paper-and-pencil test, so it is essential that students practice writing with pencils. Practice materials found online should be printed and used in hard-copy form. How to Obtain Practice Tests and Related Materials Many “Active Engagement” tasks require you to provide practice ACT reading passages to your students. Because the PLAN is essentially a pre-ACT, ACT materials can and should be substituted for practice PLAN materials as needed. The PLAN Reading Test, however, is shorter than the ACT, at a less difficult level, and does not include a Natural Science passage.

Some sample passages are included in this booklet, but you will need to provide additional passages to teach this unit.

Finding Additional Sample Passages ACT practice materials can be obtained at low- or no-cost in the following ways:

Your school’s counseling office can provide you with multiple free copies of the current Preparing for the ACT, which includes a full-length practice test followed by an answer key.

The web page http://actstudent.org/testprep/ has a list of materials that include authentic ACT questions: 1. the online PDF version of the above-mentioned “Preparing for the

ACT”; 2. the Real ACT Prep Guide (includes three full-length practice

tests); and 3. the online Sample Test questions (one full-length practice test).

A list of other practice test materials available for purchase, including samples of ACT, EXPLORE, and PLAN tests, is attached at the end of this document; however, newer tests are retired often, so the order form may not reflect the most recent tests available. To receive the most recent additional materials, please phone ACT at 319/337-1429 for an order form. We recommend obtaining as many of these resources as possible for your classroom. Students are permitted to write in their test booklets on the actual test and will need their own copies of whatever practice materials you choose for each lesson.

ELA/MME Units of Study You can find this and other ELA/MME Units of Study—both Reading and Writing, Grades 9-11—on the Oakland Schools’ website at: http://www.oakland.K12.mi.us/elamme Key Strategy The Process of Elimination (POE) is introduced to students on Day 2. This is the primary strategy for answering ALL multiple-choice questions on the PLAN (including those found in the math, science, and English sections). An essential goal of this unit is for students to understand that using the POE consistently will improve their scores. We hope this unit will provide useful suggestions and better prepare your students for the English Language Arts/Michigan Merit Exam.

Emily Douglas, Julie Martinez, Laura Schiller and Gail Setter


Organization of Daily Lessons

In each lesson you will find common features, described below. Italicized sections are suggested language for teachers to use in the classroom in order to provide clear and explicit instruction for students.

FOCUS The Focus is the topic to be addressed on a particular day. CONNECTION The Connection explains how a day’s lesson fits with the previous day’s lesson. It also highlights the purpose and strategies for the current lesson, making the instructional goals more transparent to students. MATERIALS List of teaching materials needed for a day’s lesson. TEACHING POINTS A Teaching Point is a central element of a lesson. It models how to use a particular strategy. Some days contain multiple Teaching Points. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT Active Engagement is the opportunity for students, either on their own or in small groups, to practice what they just learned through the Teaching Points.

HANDOUT Each day’s lesson in this unit is followed by handouts and overheads. A binder clip icon indicates the item is a Handout for students on that day. All Handouts are copy-reproducible. Students should keep all Handouts in a folder. Many Handouts are used again in the following days’ lessons.

OVERHEAD Most lessons include pages to be displayed on an overhead projector; they are designated by the presenter icon shown above. The Overheads are designed so that they can be used to model strategies for students. A number of pages can be used as both Handouts and Overheads; they will have both the Overhead and Handout icons.

ANSWER KEY Immediately following some Handouts, you will find an Answer Key for the sample passages, questions, and charts; this key is designated by the icon shown above. WRAP-UP The Wrap-up is an opportunity for teachers to revisit the lesson Focus and activities for the day, answer any final questions, and preview the next day’s lesson. GRADEBOOK Each lesson ends with a suggestion for how teachers might use lesson activities for grading purposes.


ELA/MME UNIT OF STUDY: READING, GRADE 9 Overview: Daily Focus All unit materials are provided in this publication and the sample PLAN Test booklet distributed with it, except as noted otherwise below:

DAY Reading Genre Study 45-60 minute class meeting DAY Reading Genre Study

45-60 minute class meeting

1

Introducing the PLAN Reading Test and Strategies • English, reading, and writing test structure • Reading techniques • Learning to mark-up the passage

Instructor must provide some materials – see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” (p. 2)

4

Translating PLAN Question Types • Question stems

2

Reading Strategies and Question Types • Using Process of Elimination (POE) • Answering Main Idea and General Info

Questions Instructor must provide some materials – see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” (p. 2)

5

Analyzing WorkKeys • Understanding WorkKeys Reading for

Information Test • Answering WorkKeys questions

3

Reading Strategies and Question Types • Answering Line Detail Questions

6

Designated Practice Session • Simulated reading test sections • Individually tailored PLAN and WorkKeys

practice Instructor must provide some materials – see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” (p. 2)

NOTE: Day 6 is not a structured lesson plan included in this unit. This day should be designed by the teacher according to individual student or class needs. However, it is essential to use this day for timed practice sections of the PLAN Reading and/or WorkKeys tests.


DAY 1 - PLAN Reading FOCUS: Introducing the PLAN Reading Test and Strategies MATERIALS: Students should keep all materials for this unit in the “ELA/MME Units of Study: Student Materials Folder” since they will use them again on subsequent days. Day 1/Document 1 (Overhead/Handout) – PLAN Structure and

Overview (p. 7) Day 1/Document 2 (Overhead/Handout) – PLAN Reading Test

Overview (p. 8) Day 1/Document 3 (Overhead/Handout) – Learning How to Mark-it-

up (p. 9) Day 1/Document 4 – Learning How to Mark-it-up Answer Key (p. 10) Day 1/Document 5 – Modeling Mark-it-up Script for Teachers (p. 11) Day 1/Document 6 (Handout) – Reading Strategies (p. 12) Day 1/Document 7 (Overhead/Handout) – General PLAN Test Taking

Tips (p. 13) Teacher-Provided Additional Sample ACT/PLAN Reading Passages

and Questions (see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” on p.2) CONNECTION: Over the next few days, you are going to study what PLAN Reading Test takers know and do; this will help you feel confident when taking the PLAN Reading Test. Good test-takers develop familiarity with how tests look and, as a result, know what to do. They expect to find: questions following reading selections, passages that are boring or hard to read, and questions that are written in unusual ways. Today you are going to learn about the PLAN Test structure, the PLAN Reading Test content, and strategies for approaching your reading of the passages. TEACHING POINT 1: Knowing exactly what to expect is key to doing well on any timed, standardized test. Good test takers know exactly how many questions are in each section, what kinds of questions there are, and how much time there is to answer them. The PLAN Reading Test directions never change. Familiarize yourself with them now, and don’t waste time on test day reading directions. Let’s take a look at the overall structure for the entire PLAN Test.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 1 – PLAN Structure and Overview

Display Day 1/Document 1, and ask students to follow along with you. Notice that you’ll be required to quickly shift gears between the different sections. Similarly to how you move from math class to English class to science class throughout the school day, you will need to prepare yourself for moving from one type of work to another. As soon as you finish the math section, you will shift your focus to reading long passages and answering questions. TEACHING POINT 2: PLAN Test takers know that time is of the essence on each section of the test. On the PLAN Reading Test, reading quickly and not getting bogged down by details is an important skill. You’ll want to spend most of your time answering the questions, and I’ll show you how to do that. Let’s look at the PLAN Reading Test Overview handout.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 2 – PLAN Reading Test Overview

Display Day 1/Document 2. You have 20 minutes to read 3 passages and answer 25 questions. This means that you have about 7 minutes to read each passage and answer the 8 to 9 questions that follow it. The same way that the directions never change, the 3 passage types—Prose Fiction, Social Science, and Humanities—will always be on the Reading Test and always in exactly the same order. TEACHING POINT 3: In order to read quickly and effectively, you must mark-up each passage as you read it. Marking-up is the process of making notes in your test booklet as you read; these notes will allow you to quickly find answers to the questions. Let’s see how everyone is currently approaching this type of reading.


HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 3 – Learning How to Mark-it-up ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 1: Before I model an approach, let’s see what you do. Right now, I would like you all to pick up your pencils and take three or four minutes to read the sample passage in front of you, trying to mark it up with whatever notes you think are useful for answering possible questions. Give students ~3-4 minutes to read and make marks on the passage. What are some of the things you marked up? Walk around and select two or three examples from students’ work using non-judgmental phrasing such as “I noticed John did this…” Emphasize to students that while their current note-taking methods might be effective for other school work, you will show them some additional strategies for note-taking that are effective for the ACT/PLAN tests. TEACHING POINT 4: Watch me as I read and mark-up a passage. Display Day 1/Document 3 (Learning How to Mark-it-up). Begin reading through the passage silently, using a pen to mark up the passage accordingly. As you make marks and notes, explain to students your rationale for doing so. Use Day 1/Document 4 (Learning How to Mark-it-up Answer Key) and follow the “Modeling Marking-it-up Script for Teachers” (Day 1/Document 5) for this Teaching Point.

HANDOUT: • Day 1/Document 6 – Reading Strategies • Teacher-Provided Additional Sample ACT/PLAN Reading Passages and Questions (see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” on p.2)

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 2: Let’s practice with the mark-it-up strategy. I would like you to first read the sample passage to yourself, marking-it-up as you go using the techniques that I just modeled and that you see on your Reading Strategies handout (Day 1/Document 6). Remember to sum-up the main idea in a few words when you’re done. After you’ve finished marking-it-up and summing-it-up, compare notes with your partner and discuss why you marked what you did. After 3-4

minutes, encourage students to stop reading and move on to discussing their notes with their partners. Students will struggle in the beginning to read the passage as quickly as they need to. Remember, the more you rely on marking-it-up, the more quickly you will be able to address the questions. If time allows, ask students to continue with additional passages and/or re-visit the sample passage as a class by asking different pairs what they marked up and why, as well as how they summed it up.

HANDOUT: Day 1/Document 7 – General PLAN Test-Taking Tips

WRAP-UP: Display Day 1/Document 7. Remember, today we learned that knowing what to expect on the test, such as knowing the directions ahead of time, along with reading quickly and marking-up the passage, are key factors in scoring well on this test. Additionally, as it’s noted here on your Test-Taking Tips handout, you should remember to only use pencil as you practice and to write on your test booklet instead of using scratch paper. Hold onto this handout because tomorrow we will be focusing on the fourth point, using the Process of Elimination. We will also learn how to use our mark-it-up strategy to help us answer two common types of PLAN Reading Test questions. GRADEBOOK: Teachers may consider assigning participation points for students by checking their mark-it-up notes or by assigning a sample passage or two to be marked-up for homework.


GRADE 9: Day 1/Document 1

PLAN Structure and Overview

Section 1: English 50 questions 30 minutes Standard written English usage and mechanics, and rhetorical skills

Section 2: Math 40 questions 40 minutes Pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry Section 3: Reading 25 questions 20 minutes

Reading comprehension in prose fiction, social science, and humanities

Section 4: Science 30 questions 25 minutes

Data representation in chemistry, research summaries in physics, and conflicting viewpoints in biology

TOTAL 145 questions 1 hour, 55 min



PLAN Reading Test Overview Directions: There are three passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question, and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary. Three Passage Types: Prose Fiction 8-9 questions ~7 minutes Short stories or excerpts from short stories or novels Social Science 8-9 questions ~7 minutes Anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology Humanities 8-9 questions ~7 minutes Architecture, art, dance, ethics, film, language, literary criticism, music, philosophy, radio, television, and theater (in the form of memoirs and personal essays)



Learning How to Mark-it-up

A fascinating motif in African American women’s literature in the 19th and 20th century is that of quilting. In the antebellum period prior to the Civil War, African American women struggled for 5 ways to express and transcend their experience in the slave community. With traditional learning and literacy largely unavailable to them, these women relied on a different form of rhetoric: the 10 patchwork quilt. Story quilts emerged from the oral tradition of the slave community, a tradition which helped pass on the culture and preserve the history of the enslaved Africans. Through the quilts 15 they created, African American women symbolically both named their experiences and contested them. With its woven symbols and pictorial narratives, the quilt became a 20 veiled form of resistance in the context of storytelling. Quilts often communicated messages related to freedom; for example, some conveyed information about the Underground Railroad. This use of quilts 25 is illustrated in Deborah Hopkinson’s story “Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt,” which focuses on a young girl, Clara, who gathers information from other slaves and pieces it together into a quilt map that 30 provides routes and codes for escape. Another quilted means of communication between slaves at this time was the Log Cabin quilt design, which visually marked

a safehouse for refuge along the 35 Underground Railroad. Quilts continued to be an important form of expression for African American women after the Civil War. Symbolically joining and stitching together diverse 40 pieces of cultural and family history, the quilt opened a space for the women’s oppressed voices to make themselves heard. In “The Patchwork Quilt” by Valerie Flournoy, three generations of 45 African American women are presented around the motif of the making of a quilt. For the grandmother, who begins the piecing, the quilt is a symbol of tradition and cultural heritage. As a recorder of 50 history, the grandmother is a powerful figure in the story. When she falls ill, her granddaughter Tanya undertakes the completion of the quilt and begins to learn and respect its language. “A quilt won’t 55 forget,” Grandma tells Tanya. “It can tell your life story.” Tanya’s mother, however, who has been fully assimilated into the American middle class, is alienated from the meaning of the quilt. Mama says to 60 Grandma, “You don’t need these scraps. I can get you a quilt.” Grandma teaches Tanya that a bought quilt is not the same as hers which recall and preserve the past. “Sometimes the old ways are forgotten,” 65 warns Grandma. The old way of the quilt connects Tanya to her place in tradition, thereby strengthening both the family and the race.

70

Passage provided by Emily Douglas

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading, Grade 9 10 Emily Douglas, Julie Martinez, Laura Schiller Oakland Schools Fall 2008


Learning How to Mark-it-up Answer Key

Passage provided by Emily Douglas


The following is an example of the think-aloud rationale that accompanies the Learning How to Mark-it-up Answer Key on the previous page. The important thing to remember is to demonstrate and emphasize consistency, to explain your rationale, and to use the Day 1/Document 6 reading strategies: reading for main idea/ignoring details; underlining main ideas, descriptions, and points of view; circling examples and “shifters”; marking + and – points in the passage; and summing up the main idea in a few words. Marking these specific items in the passage provides students with the most effective means of quickly and correctly answering the test questions. Okay, so I’m going to underline this first sentence and put a positive sign mark in the margin because it starts off with the word “fascinating” and on a positive note, which probably relates to the overall tone of the passage. And I’m going to circle “quilting” since it’s the focus of that positive sentence. I’m going to underline this next sentence because the words “express” and “transcend” also usually indicate positive ideas, and I’m going to put a negative sign next to the note about literacy and learning being unavailable as a contrast to the positive ideas. I think I’ll underline the phrase “story quilts” since quilts seem to be the focus that is developing in the passage. And I’m going to underline and positively mark the things that the quilts do, such as passing on culture and symbolizing experience. In this second paragraph, I see more positive notes about what the quilts help people do, like “communicated freedom messages,” so I’ll mark that, too. I’m also going to mark “Ex” in the margin here and circle “Deborah Hopkinson” because this story seems to be an example of what the passage is talking about, as does the Log Cabin quilt example. The importance of the quilt keeps showing up, so I’m going to underline this note about them being “an important form of expression” and about “symbolically joining and stitching” family history. This note about the Valerie Flournoy story looks like another example. I’m going to mark that, so I can easily find it later if there is a question about it. This idea of the quilt as a symbol keeps showing up, so I’ll underline this “symbol of tradition” line. I’m going to circle “however” here and then make a negative sign note because this part of the story is in contrast to everything else that has been discussed so far. Finally, I’m going to mark this last positive comment about the quilts “strengthening” the family and race, and I’m going to write myself a quick sum-it-up note to help me answer any main idea questions.


Modeling Mark-it-up Script

for Teachers



Reading Strategies

1. Read quickly. 2. Read for main idea and tone/attitude; ignore details. 3. Read the entire passage (don’t just read the first and last

sentence and assume you know what it’s about!). 4. Prepare yourself for boring or difficult passages. 5. Underline main ideas, descriptions, and points of view. 6. Circle examples and “shifters.” Shifters are words like

however, although, despite, even though, nonetheless, and but. They’re important because they indicate a major shift is coming up in the passage that will most likely be tied to one or more of the questions.

7. Mark (+) or (–) to indicate positive or negative tone, attitudes,

and examples. 8. Sum up what you just read in a few words somewhere next to

the passage.



General PLAN Test-Taking Tips

1. Read and remember the directions for each section of the

test. Directions never change, and you don’t want to waste time reading them on test day!

2. Do not use pens or highlighters. You will only be allowed to

use pencils on test day, so make sure you are comfortable using one when you practice.

3. Try to write in your test booklet as much as possible.

4. Always use Process of Elimination (POE) to eliminate

incorrect answer choices before choosing the correct answer. This applies to ALL multiple questions in the English, math, reading, and science sections of the test.

5. Make sure to wear a watch. You will need to keep track of the

time. Do not rely on the proctor to keep track for you.

6. Never leave a question blank. If you are about to run out of time, make sure to fill in the remaining bubbles on your answer sheet. There is no guessing penalty, so you should always fill in all bubbles before time is up.

7. Avoid cramming for the test the night before. This usually

makes your score go down, not up!


DAY 2 - PLAN Reading FOCUS: Reading Strategies and Question Types—Process of Elimination (POE), Main Idea Questions, General Info Questions MATERIALS: Materials from previous day Day 2/Document 1 (Overhead) – Process of Elimination (POE)

Sample Question (p. 16) Day 2/Document 2 (Handout) – POE Strategies (p. 17) Day 2/Document 3 (Overhead/Handout) – Answering Main Idea

Questions (p. 18) Day 2/Document 4 – Answer Key for Answering Main Idea

Questions (p. 19) Day 2/Document 5 (Overhead/Handout) – Answering General Info

Questions (p. 20) Day 2/Document 6 – Answer Key for Answering General Info

Questions (p. 21) Teacher-Provided Additional Sample ACT/PLAN Reading Passages

and Questions (see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” on p.2) CONNECTION: Yesterday you learned what to expect on the PLAN Reading Test and how to mark-up the passages as you read. Today you will learn how to answer questions using the Process of Elimination (POE) and how to use reading strategies to help you quickly answer two of the most common question types on the Reading Test: Main Idea and General Info Questions. TEACHING POINT 1: Students who are familiar with tests like the PLAN know that they must be careful of “distracter” answer choices. Distracter answer choices are answer choices that are carefully written to look correct but are actually incorrect. So our goal on the Reading Test is to first identify these distracter answer choices and cross them out using the POE. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 1: Let me show you what we can do using the POE. Display Day 2/Document 1 (Process of Elimination Sample Question). Let’s look at this question. I can’t find the correct answer if I don’t know who the twenty-first president was. But if I first focus on finding answer choices that I know are incorrect, I can narrow it down

to the right answer, even though I have no idea who the twenty-first US president was. I start with answer choice A and work my way down, crossing off wrong answers as I go. If I come to a choice that I’m not sure about, I’ll leave it alone for the time being, and move onto the next choice. Remember never to eliminate an answer choice that you’re not sure about because it might be the right answer! Ask your class to go through each answer choice on the overhead and help you decide whether or not you should eliminate it. Be sure to actually cross off wrong answer choices as you go. Students will quickly see that even though they may never have heard the name Chester Arthur, they can easily eliminate the other choices based on what they know about them.

HANDOUT: • Day 2/Document 2 – POE Strategies • Students should take out Day 1/Document 3 –

Learning How to Mark-it-up TEACHING POINT 2: Walk students through each of the four types of common incorrect answer choices on Day 2/Document 2 (POE Strategies). Using POE is particularly helpful in answering two of the most common question types: Main Idea Questions and General Info Questions, also known as “Just Think About It” and “Just Look It Up” Questions. Ask students to look at Day 1/Document 3 (Learning How to Mark-it-up). By using our marking-it-up strategy on yesterday’s passage, we can easily eliminate incorrect answer choices on these two types of questions. Let’s look at the Main Idea Question type first.

HANDOUT: Day 2/Document 3 – Answering Main Idea Questions

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 2: Display Day 2/Document 3. Read question 1 aloud to students. Any time you see language like “the primary purpose of the passage,” it means that we are looking for the main idea of the passage, and all we need to do is look at the sum-it-up note that we wrote while marking-up the passage. So, let’s look back at what I wrote on yesterday’s passage.


Display the marked-up Day 1/ Document 3 (Learning How to Mark-it-up) and revisit what you wrote for sum-it-up. Then display Day 2/Document 3 (Answering Main Idea Questions) again. I said that “quilts [are] important in African American culture.” We call the strategy for answering Main Idea Questions “Just Think About It” because all you have to do is think about how you summed up the passage. If you read quickly and summed up the main idea, you should never have to re-read parts of the passage to answer this question type. Now, using POE, let’s go through the answer choices, see which ones DO NOT match that main idea, and eliminate them. As you go through the answers, ask students to think carefully about each choice, then look at their POE Strategies handout (Day 2/Document 2) to help them determine which ones might be incorrect. Keep in mind that after you eliminate incorrect choices, you’ll be looking for a correct answer choice that is a paraphrase, or a similar meaning using different wording, of what we said for sum-it-up. Finish up by showing students the two other questions on Answering Main Idea Questions (Day 2/Document 3) and drawing their attention to the different ways of wording a Main Idea question.

HANDOUT: Day 2/Document 5 – Answering General Info Questions

TEACHING POINT 3: Now that we’ve looked at a Main Idea Question, let’s look at some examples of General Info Questions, which are the most common question types on the PLAN Reading Test. Display Day 2/Document 5 (Answering General Info Questions). For these types of questions, we “just have to look up” the answer using our mark-it-up notes. But remember, although you’re going back to look up the correct answer, you still want to use POE to eliminate incorrect answer choices first. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 3: Display Day 1/Document 3 (Learning How to Mark-it-up), and go through each General Info Question as a class using the Answering General Info Questions handout (Day 2/Document 5). Follow the same pattern that you used with Main Idea Questions by reading each question and immediately following the steps

listed at the top of the handout. Remember, the better you are at marking-up a passage when you read it, the easier it will be to “just look up” the answer by using the marks you made.

HANDOUT: Teacher-Provided Additional Sample ACT/PLAN Reading Passages and Questions (see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” on p. 2)

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 4: Now let’s try this process using a different reading passage and questions. Ask students to work in pairs. They should be using different sample passages than the ones used on Day 1. Pairs should:

1. read the passage silently, marking-up as they go; 2. identify the questions for each passage that are either Main Idea

or General Info Questions; and 3. use their mark-it-up notes and the POE Strategies handout (Day

2/Document 2) to answer each question. WRAP-UP: As a class, revisit a few of the questions; discuss what kind of question each was and why certain incorrect answer choices were eliminated. Today we saw how the reading strategies we learned yesterday—reading quickly and marking-up the passage—can help us answer Main Idea and General Info Questions quickly. We also learned how to use POE to narrow down our possible answer choices. Tomorrow we’ll learn how to use all of these strategies to answer other types of questions. GRADEBOOK: Teachers may consider assigning participation points at the end of class for handouts and sample-passage work where the marking-it-up strategy and POE were used correctly, as well as for answered questions. Teachers might also consider assigning an additional point or two for bringing back the previous day’s handouts.



Process of Elimination (POE) Sample Question

1. Who was the twenty-first president of the United States of America? A. George Washington B. Arnold Schwarzenegger C. Al Gore D. George Bush E. Chester Arthur



Process of Elimination (POE) Strategies

EXTREMES. Pay attention to the adjectives and adverbs used in the answer choices. Descriptors that sound extreme, such as hateful or ecstatic are often too extreme and indicate a seductive and incorrect answer choice.

ABSOLUTES. Beware of answer choices with absolutes.

Words like always, never, everyone, and all usually indicate a wrong answer choice.

BAIT AND SWITCH. Watch out for answer choices that use

the EXACT same wording as the passage because it’s usually a trick! Correct answers are always a paraphrase of the actual passage and will not include the exact same wording.

NOT MENTIONED, BUT SOUNDS GOOD. Look out for

answer choices that sound correct based on what you read but that were never actually mentioned in the passage.



Answering Main Idea Questions “Just Think About It”

Step 1: Look back at your sum-it-up note. Step 2: Make sure you have a general idea of what the passage is about—“Just think about it!” Step 3: Eliminate incorrect answer choices, such as ones that focus on

details of the passage or use the exact same wording as the passage.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to:

OR 2. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is most likely to:

A. prove that stories about patchwork quilting helped win the Civil War

B. convince women of the importance of quilting C. suggest that quilting is an essential art form for African-Americans

D. illustrate the valuable role that patchwork quilts played in African American culture and history

OR

3. One of the main arguments the author is trying to make in the passage is that:

A. stories about patchwork quilting helped win the Civil War B. women must value and respect the art of quilting

C. quilting is an essential art form for African-Americans D. patchwork quilts played a valuable role in African American culture and history


Step 1: Look back at your sum-it-up note. Step 2: Make sure you have a general idea of what the passage is about—“Just think about it!” Step 3: Eliminate incorrect answer choices, such as ones that focus on details of the passage or use the exact same wording as the passage. 1. The primary purpose of this passage is to:

OR 2. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is most likely to:

A. prove that stories about patchwork quilting helped win the Civil War [too specific for main idea, and not mentioned]

B. convince women of the importance of quilting [does not attempt to do this]

C. suggest that quilting is an essential art form for African-Americans [not mentioned but sounds good]

D. illustrate the valuable role that patchwork quilts played in African American culture and history

OR

3. One of the main arguments the author is trying to make in the passage is that:

A. stories about patchwork quilting helped win the Civil War B. women must value and respect the art of quilting

C. quilting is an essential art form for African-Americans D. patchwork quilts played a valuable role in African American culture and history


Answer Key for

Answering Main Idea Questions



Answering General Info Questions “Just Look It Up”

Step 1: “Just Look It Up” using the marks and notes you made while reading. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect answer choices, such as ones that use

extremes, absolutes, “bait and switch,” or “not mentioned but sounds good.”

4. The passage represents the quilt as providing:

A. warmth and beauty B. a form of expression and a link to the past

C. the most lasting piece of family history ever conceived D. a traditional substitute for 19th and 20th century literature 5. Hopkinson’s story and Flournoy’s story are examples of:

A. the ways in which African American women gather information B. literary representations of the quilt’s position in African American culture

C. the ways in which African American families used quilting to obtain freedom during the Civil War

D. how contemporary storytellers view the art of patchwork quilting 6. The tone of the passage can best be described as:

A. mournful B. ecstatic C. revolutionary D. explanatory


Step 1: “Just Look It Up” using the marks and notes you made while reading. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect answer choices, such as ones that use

extremes, absolutes, “bait and switch,” or “not mentioned but sounds good.”

4. The passage represents the quilt as providing:

A. warmth and beauty [not mentioned but sounds good] B. a form of expression and a link to the past

C. the most lasting piece of family history ever conceived [too extreme] D. a traditional substitute for 19th and 20th century literature [bait and switch] 5. Hopkinson’s story and Flournoy’s story are examples of:

A. the ways in which African American women gather information [bait and switch]

B. literary representations of the quilt’s position in African American culture

C. the ways in which African American families used quilting to obtain freedom during the Civil War [too specific]

D. how contemporary storytellers view the art of patchwork quilting [not mentioned]

6. The tone of the passage can best be described as

A. mournful [inaccurate] B. ecstatic [extreme] C. revolutionary [inaccurate and extreme] D. explanatory


Answer Key for

Answering General Info Questions


DAY 3 - PLAN Reading FOCUS: Reading Strategies and Question Types—Line Detail Questions MATERIALS: Materials from previous days Day 3/Document 1 (Handout/Overhead) – Answering Line Detail

Questions (p. 24) Day 3/Document 2 – Answer Key for Answering Line Detail

Questions (p. 25) Day 3/Document 3-- Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage (p. 26,

Passage I, from PLAN Sample Test Booklet, Test Number 26D). Day 3/Document 4 – Answer Key Sample PLAN Reading Test

Passage (p. 28, Passage I, from PLAN Sample Test Booklet, Test Number26D).

CONNECTION: Yesterday we learned how to use the Process of Elimination (POE) and how to answer Main Idea and General Info Questions. Today we will continue to work with question-answering strategies for another question type: Line Detail Questions.

HANDOUT: • Day 3/Document 1 – Answering Line Detail Questions

• Students should take out Day 1/Document 3 – Learning How to Mark-it-up

TEACHING POINT 1: A Line Detail Question is any question that cites specific line numbers or paragraph(s). On the PLAN Reading Test, these questions tell you exactly where to look for the answer, which makes them easier than other question types! Display Day 3/Document 1 (Answering Line Detail Questions), and walk the students through Steps 1-3. Then, display Day 1/Document 3 (Learning How to Mark-it-up); model for students where you would start and stop re-reading to answer the sample questions. In order to find the primary focus of lines 44-69, I’m going to start reading 1 or 2 sentences before the section and read through line 69. Normally, I’d also read until 1 or 2 sentences after the section, but because line 69 is the last line, I have to stop there. Based on

my reading, I’m going to come up with a main idea for these lines. It sounds to me like this section is about how important quilting was to a particular family. Now let’s use POE to eliminate answer choices for Question 7. Choice A may be eliminated because the passage is about the importance of quilting, not the influence of Flournoy's book. Choices C and D may be eliminated because neither the problems between mothers and daughters nor the benefits of buying a new quilt are mentioned in the passage. B is the correct answer. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 1: Now let’s try the same thing with Question 8. Read the question, and find the line number it references; then, read the passage, starting one to two sentences before that line and ending one to two sentences after it. Note that this question is asking about the meaning of a particular phrase as it is used in the passage. Continue using POE as you go. After students complete Question 8, discuss the correct and incorrect answers as a group. Repeat with Question 9.

HANDOUT: Day 3/Document 3 Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage (p. 26, Passage I, from sample PLAN Test 26D).

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 2: Students should read the sample PLAN Reading Test passage using the mark-it-up strategy, and answer the questions for that passage on their own using the strategies they have learned. Display the answer key on the overhead, or write the answers on the board. WRAP-UP: With the class, discuss the questions and answers, particularly those that were confusing to students. Now you know how to use the POE strategy and the line-detail strategy to answer Line Detail Questions. At this point, you have learned how to tackle the most common types of PLAN Reading Test questions. Tomorrow, we’ll review those strategies and spend some time learning how to understand, or translate, other question types. GRADEBOOK: Teachers may consider assigning participation points at the end of class for handouts and sample-passage work where the marking-it-up strategy and POE were used correctly, as well as for


answered questions. Teachers might also consider assigning an additional point or two for bringing back the previous day’s handouts.

Because many Line Detail Questions test certain words and phrases in the context of the passage, a vocabulary-building activity or assignment linked to today’s passage would be appropriate as well.

Another option would be to ask students to write their own Line Detail Question(s) for a previous reading assignment from your class. They would need to model the question and answer choices after PLAN Reading Test questions, and offer a rationale for the correct and incorrect answer choices.



Answering Line Detail Questions Refer to the sample passage in Day 1/Document 3 (Learning How to Mark-it-up). Step 1: Find the specific lines or paragraph cited. Step 2: For line references, re-read starting two lines before, and ending two

lines after, the citation. For paragraphs, re-read the paragraph cited. Step 3: Eliminate incorrect answer choices, including those that provide

information found in other sections of the passage. 7. The primary focus of lines 44—69 is:

A. the influence of Valerie Flournoy’s writing on African American women B. the example of how one African American family supported its history and culture

through the quilt C. the problems that often arise between mothers and daughters

D. the benefits of buying a new quilt rather than making one of your own 8. As it is used in the passage, the phrase pictorial narratives (line 20) refers to the: A. narrator’s mental picture of what the quilts must have looked like

B. women’s stories of the Civil War C. the stories told through the images displayed on the quilts

D. African American story tellers 9. As it is used in line 6, the word transcend most nearly means: A. transform

B. overcome C. respect

D. believe


Step 1: Find the specific lines or paragraph cited. Step 2: For line references, re-read starting two lines before, and ending two

lines after, the citation. For paragraphs, re-read the paragraph cited. Step 3: Eliminate incorrect answer choices, including those that provide

information found in other sections of the passage. 7. The primary focus of lines 44—69 is: A. the influence of Valerie Flournoy’s writing on African American women

B. the example of how one African American family supported its history and culture through the patchwork quilt

C. the problems that often arise between mothers and daughters D. the benefits of buying a new quilt rather than making one of your own [Question 7: This question is asking for the main idea of lines 44-69. You need to re-read it and “just think about it.”] 8. As it is used in the passage, the phrase pictorial narratives (line 20) refers to the:

A. narrator’s mental picture of what the quilts must have looked like B. women’s stories of the Civil War

C. the stories told through the images displayed on the quilts D. African American story tellers [Question 8: This question requires you to understand a phrase that represents a primary theme in the passage in its context.] 9. As it is used in line 6, the word transcend most nearly means:

A. transform B. overcome

C. respect D. believe [Question 9: This question requires you to re-read line 6, come up with your own synonym for “transcend,” and find the answer choice most similar to your synonym.]


Answer Key for

Answering Line Detail Questions


Grade 9: Day 3/Document 3

Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage

If you look in the River Ridge phone directory today and compare the listings from 1950, not much has changed. All those people born back in the ‘20s and ‘30s are still here. They remember when Main Street had a dozen or so shops, and when every family had 5 four or five kids. When the future seemed bright. They talk about River Ridge the same way that immigrants talk about the old country—tell you how nice it was back there and how much you would have liked it. A lot of those folks will be gone soon, and they will take 10 those stories with them. It’s a shame.

There are also a lit of people around here like my wife, Paula. The woman’s been here fifteen years and she is oblivious. All the same to her we live here or in Alaska. 15

But I like River Ridge. I like knowing everyone who lives ten miles in any direction. I like the way the air smells and the trees surround you and the animals are not caged by are a natural part of everything. I like the way the news of the world sort of drifts in like a fog, 20 has an ethereal other-worldly quality. Our satellite dishes reach out for Chicago, Atlanta, New York, afraid we will miss something. Even so, the news seems to drift in.

In the cities they think we are hayseeds out here. 25 They send their news crews to find the oddball, the quaint, the traditional. They think we are ignorant, uninformed, and that we talk like country music stars. And some of us do. And so do some of them. It’s a strange thing being stereotyped. While you know that 30 what they believe about you is a lie, at the same time you are always on the watch for things that confirm what they say—folks in overalls and hats advertising seeds, big backwards country boys chewing on stalks of hay. They’re here, too. 35

Still, we know who we are. We laugh at those big city folks and their caricatures of us as hard as they do. If we’re still that way, well maybe that’s because we are basically content. No crime there.

40

And more than anything that’s what I like about 40 being out here—the limited horizons and all. I like the diminished expectations. I like the fact that, when you get right down to it, there are only so many things you can do, and only so many places to go. Things are distilled. Every time a baby is born, every wedding, 45 every feast, every graduation, every open house—all of that is important out here. I put it all in the paper, and people eat it up. Which in a way proves the opposite. Nothing is, in fact, really diminished. In River Ridge, everything, simply everything, is important. 50

I like River Ridge for all those reasons, but I stayed here only because it was the easiest thing to do. There I was, after college, deciding where to go and what to do, and my father died and left the business and something had to be done, and here I am, doing it still. For the 55 most part, it has worked out. We have a beautiful home and do not want for anything. I sometimes wonder how things would be different had I chosen to go to Chicago or Kansas City, but those kinds of thoughts are just a part of your life when you live in a small town. 60

©ACT – Reprinted with permission


1. Which of the following statements best summarizes the narrator’s belief about small-town life?

A. People who live in small towns usually long to live in bigger cities. B. Life in small towns may be limited but it does have its rewards. C. Few people want to move to small towns because of stereotypes about small-town life. D. Small towns can prosper economically by expanding businesses started by older generations.

2. Which of the following phrases best describes the narrator’s feelings about his decision to live in River Ridge as he looks back on that decision?

F. Content and comfortable G. Satisfied yet apprehensive H. Sad and nostalgic J. Resigned yet determined

3. How does the narrator feel about the people of River Ridge who were born in the ‘20s and ‘30s?

A. He is bothered by their old-fashioned stories and ideas. B. He is certain the town will disappear after they are gone. C. He enjoys their stories and knows he will miss them. D. He hopes he can contribute as much to the town as they have.

4. The narrator believes the stereotypes city people have about people from small towns are:

F. a mixture of truth and falsehoods. G. unfair and unjustified. H. an accurate image of life in River Ridge J. wrong today, but they do describe the River Ridge of the ‘20s and ‘30s.

5. Which of the following clauses does NOT name something the narrator likes about River Ridge?

A. Knowing everyone who lives within ten miles B. How bright the town’s future is C. They way the news of the world drifts in D. The way the air smells

6. According to the narrator, the most likely reason that the people of River Ridge laugh at the stereotypes city people have of them is that the people of River Ridge:

F. don’t understand they’re being ridiculed. G. themselves enjoy making fun of people living in other small towns H. laugh to hide the anger they feel. J. feel secure enough about their way of life to handle a joke.

7. When the narrator says he stayed in River Ridge “because it was the easiest thing to do” (line 52), he most likely means that he remained there because he:

A. was sure he couldn’t succeed in a big city such as Chicago or Kansas City. B. had dreamed since childhood of remaining in River Ridge. C. liked how it wasn’t difficult to know all of his neighbors. D. found it simpler to run his father’s business than to go elsewhere.

8. What does the passage suggest is the narrator’s profession?

F. Shop clerk G. College student H. Farmer J. Newspaper editor



Answer Key Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage 1. B 2. F 3. C 4. F 5. B 6. J 7. D 8. J


DAY 4 - PLAN Reading

FOCUS: Translating PLAN Question Types—Question Stems MATERIALS: Materials from previous days Day 4/Document 1 (Overhead/Handout) – Common Question Stems

(p. 31) Day 4/Document 2 – Answer Key for Common Question Stems

(p. 32) Day 4/Document 3 --Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage and

Questions (p. 33 Passage II, from PLAN Sample Test Booklet, Test Number 26D)

Day 4/Document 4 – Answer Key Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage and Questions (p. 36, Passage II, PLAN Sample Test Booklet, Test Number 26D)

CONNECTION: Over the past two days we have learned to use strategies for answering Main Idea, General Info, and Line Detail Questions. Today we will learn how to translate, or understand, the difficult wording of these and other question types. TEACHING POINT 1: You may have noticed that some of the language used in the test questions is unfamiliar and different from the way we usually speak and write. It is difficult to determine correct answers if you don't really understand the questions. Today we will focus on how questions are worded, so we can better understand what is being asked. There may be words and phrases in the question stem that you don't understand. So, you need to look at the question stem and figure out, "What is the question REALLY asking?" A question stem is the main part of the question that tells you what to look for as an answer.

HANDOUT: Students should take out Day 2/Document 3 – Answering Main Idea Questions

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 1: Let’s revisit our Main Idea Questions handout from Day 2. Since we already know that all of these questions

are asking the same thing, let’s see if we can figure out which part of each question is the question stem. Walk through each question from the Main Idea Questions handout (Day 2/Document 3) and ask students to identify what they think the question stem is, based on what they know about Main Idea Questions. Remember, the question stem is the part of the question that tells you what to look for as an answer. In this first case, the question stem is “the primary purpose.” Make sure that students discuss, as a class, the rationale for each Main Idea Question stem. Because Main Idea Questions are the most straightforward, they are ideal for practicing identifying question stems.

HANDOUT: • Day 4/Document 1 – Common Question Stems • Day 4/Document 3 -- Sample PLAN Reading

Test Passage and Questions (p. 33, Passage II, from sample PLAN Test 26D)

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 2: Let’s practice putting together all of the strategies we have learned so far and work on finding the question stems in other types of questions. Ask students to read the sample PLAN Reading Test Passage. Make sure to use your mark-it-up strategy as you read and include your sum-it-up note at the end, which will help you answer any Main Idea Questions. When the reading time is up, ask students to work in pairs to: examine the questions at the end of the passage, locate the question stems, translate the questions, and, finally, answer the questions. Once you have finished reading, work with your partner to find the question stem in each of the questions following the passage. Based on its question stem, you should decide what each question is asking, which strategy to use to answer it (for example, is it a “Just Think About It” Main Idea Question or a “Just Look It Up” General Info Question); then, use your POE strategy to eliminate incorrect answers and find the correct one. As you identify each question stem, jot it down in the Question Stem column of your “Common Question Stems” (Day 4/Document 1). Translate what the question stem is asking in the next column; then, write down which strategy to use for answering that question in the third column. Model this for students by filling in all the columns for the first question.


WRAP-UP: Review some of the question stems students found and ask them to read aloud what they wrote for “Translation” and “Strategy for Answering.” If possible, record their responses on the overhead. Remember that the quicker you are able to identify a question stem and figure out what it is asking, the more time you’ll have to use POE to find the correct answer. Tomorrow we’re going to learn how to use some of these same strategies to tackle the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test. GRADEBOOK: Teachers may consider assigning participation points at the end of class for handouts and sample-passage work where the marking-it-up strategy and POE were used correctly, as well as for answered questions. Teachers might also consider assigning an additional point or two for bringing back the previous day’s handouts. At this point, students should be consistently applying all of the strategies from Days 1-4.



Common Question Stems

Question Stem Translation Strategy for Answering +POE


(The completed table might look something like this. Answers will vary depending on sample passages and questions used.)

Question Stem Words/Phrases Translation Strategy for Answering

(always use POE!) The primary purpose of the passage…

The main idea of the passage…

Just think about it (use sum-it-up note)

The passage asserts… The text says… Just look it up

The author’s purpose… The main point… Just think about it

The main function of the second paragraph…

The main idea of the second paragraph…

Look it up and read 1-2 lines before and 1-2 lines after

As it is defined in the passage…

In this passage the word ____ means…

Look it up and think about what that word (in context) means, then use POE

The passage suggests… The passage gives hints, but does not directly state…

Look it up and think about it

The author states… The author says… Just look it up

According to the passage…

Based on information found in the passage… Just look it up

The passage indicates… The passage points out or explains briefly…

Just look it up

The author claims… The author says… Just look it up

The primary focus of lines 30-50…

The main idea of lines 30-50…

Look it up and read 2 lines before and 2 lines after

The author's attitude toward the subject…

How does the author feel about the subject? Just think about it


Answer Key for

Common Question Stems



Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage

Researchers agree that our environment is getting noisier. Noise can make people anxious, cause them to lose sleep, and elevate blood pressure. Yet one conclusion researchers have drawn is that if the hearers have control over noise levels, it reduces the physical 5 symptoms.

Richard H. Lyon, an acoustical engineer and professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, conducted a study about the effects of living near highway noise. He found some people are 10 willing to make accommodations for noise—especially if they are getting something positive in return, such as low-cost housing.

Residents right near a busy toll road “were getting noise levels in their back yards that were so loud they 15 practically had to shout to hear each other right at the same table,” Lyon said. “I asked, ‘Doesn’t this bother you?’ and they looked at me with blank stares. They had nice property in a nice area that was made more affordable because of the highway.” 20

Residents who lived farther from the road but still heard some traffic complained continuously about the highway noise even though it was not nearly as loud, Lyon added. Fueling that reaction, he said, was the perception among the wealthier residents that they were 25 paying high prices for their property and deserved total quiet.

Similarly, different people react to the same noise differently. Some people living near a Chicago hospital, for example, share resident Dolores Zimm’s 30 frustration with a low humming noise from a compressor on one of the hospital’s buildings, and others do not even notice it. Researchers say some people may be psychologically and biologically predisposed more than others to feel stress and become 35 frustrated by loud noises. Others may be able and willing to tolerate loud noises if they have come to expect the noise, or perceive that they are benefiting socially by tolerating it.

“Sound carries information,” said Lyon. “If you feel 40 that the sound is spurious and unnecessary, you’re much more likely to respond negatively than if it is perceived to be necessary.”

That, experts say, is why it is so hard to measure what harm noise may do. 45

Federal labor regulators recognize only physical hearing loss, and the noises of leaf blowers and low-flying jets do not come near the level the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says causes harm. But many researchers have found other effects from 50 exactly the kind of noise many people live with. Physical reactions to unwanted and unexpected noise can include a change in heart rate or rhythm, increased blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, excessive secretions of certain hormones, and fatigue because of 55 loss of sleep.

In a 1987 study, researchers measured people’s response to loud noises in a lab and found that the subjects’ muscles tensed, their heart rate increased, and various hormonal stress indicators were elevated, said 60 Eric Zwerling, director of the Rutgers State University. But when the study participants were given control over when the noise would be sounded, “there was a significant reduction in all the stress markers,” Zwerling said. 65

©ACT – Reprinted with permission


9. The main purpose of the passage can best be characterized as an effort to:

A. explain ways in which people can control the noise levels around them. B. describe the factors that affect how people perceive noise. C. detail the specific injuries that noise can inflict on a person. D. analyze the effects that living near highway noise has on people.

10. It can logically be inferred from the passage that the effects noise has on people are:

F. mainly physical—the result of people’s biological makeup and unaffected by psychological factors. G. mainly psychological—the result of how a person perceives noise, which is easily controlled. H. both physical and psychological, with the specific effect varying from person to person. J. both physical and psychological, although researchers don’t generally regard the psychologically effects as

important or damaging.

11. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which of the following conclusions about noise and its effects?

A. Although noise is commonplace, the lack of research showing serious health consequences from it suggests that people can learn to control its effects.

B. Given the difficulties in measuring the harm that noise causes, it is unclear whether research into the effects of noise has taught scientists anything useful.

C. Because the government regulates the major contributors to neighborhood noise levels, noise and its effects will most likely become less of a problem over time.

D. Because noise is becoming more commonplace, research may be increasingly useful in helping people find ways to deal with it.

12. Compared to the residents near a busy toll road (lines 14-20), the people described in the fourth paragraph (lines 21-

27) can be described as having:

F. more expensive property, higher noise levels, and less frustration with noise. G. more expensive property, lower noise levels, and more frustration with noise. H. less expensive property, higher noise levels, and less frustration with noise. J. less expensive property, lower noise levels, and more frustration with noise.

13. The author most likely includes information in the fifth paragraph (lines 28-38) about Dolores Zimm to illustrate the point that some people:

A. find that different loud noises have similar effects on them. B. find some noises pleasing that other people find annoying. C. are by nature more easily disturbed by noise than other people. D. are biologically more susceptible to hearing loss than other people.

14. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that it is difficult to measure the hearm noise causes people because of:

F. a lack of a reliable way to measure physical hearing loss. G. individual differences among people in how well noise is perceived and tolerated. H. a shortage of laboratory experiments designed to study the effect noise has on people. J. confusion over whether sound has an information-carrying ability.


15. It can logically be inferred from the passage that the government’s role in controlling noise is:

A. restricted by the government’s reliance on measures of physical hearing loss. B. limited by the lack of scientific evidence showing that noise can affect people’s health. C. increasing because the government has found that the number of machines that cause hearing loss is increasing. D. growing because the government has found that the amount of noisy highway traffic in residential areas is

increasing.

16. According to the last paragraph, having control over noise results in which of the following?

F. It produces only a slight decrease in the stress noise can cause. G. It may help people reduce the adverse physical symptoms associated with noise. H. It helps some people but not others handle the stress of noise. J. It fails to reduce some of the stress markers elevated by noise.



Answer Key Sample PLAN Reading Test Passage

9. B 10. H 11. D 12. G 13. C 14. G 15. A 16. G


DAY 5 - WorkKeys FOCUS: Analyzing WorkKeys and understanding how the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test measures reading skills that employers believe are critical to job success. MATERIALS: Day 5/Document 1 (Overhead) – Graphic Organizer: WorkKeys

Examples (p. 39) Day 5/Document 2 (Handout) – WorkKeys Level 3 Text (p. 40) Day 5/Document 3 – Answer Key for WorkKeys Level 3 Text (p. 41) Day 5/Document 4 (Handout) – WorkKeys Level 5 Text (p. 42) Day 5/Document 5 – Answer Key for WorkKeys Level 5 Text (p. 43) Day 5/Document 6 (Handout) – Level 3 Text versus Level 5

Text (p. 44) Day 5/Document 7 – Answer Key for Level 3 Text versus Level 5

Text (p. 45) Day 5/Document 8 (Handout) – WorkKeys Level 4 Text (p. 46) Day 5/Document 9 – Answer Key for WorkKeys Level 4 Text (p. 47) CONNECTION: Over the past few days you have analyzed the PLAN Reading Test by learning mark-it-up and POE strategies, as well as practicing how to translate and answer different types of test questions: Main Idea, General Information, and Line Detail Questions. Today you will focus on another reading test that is part of the Michigan Merit Exam: the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test. TEACHING POINT 1: Test takers should understand that both the PLAN Reading Test and WorkKeys Reading for Information Test evaluate ability to read and understand text that is written for different purposes. The WorkKeys Test assesses your ability to understand a variety of short work-place passages—written communication an employee is expected to comprehend in order to do a job. Each passage will be followed by one or more multiple-choice questions. WorkKeys has established an online database that classifies different jobs by skill levels ranging from Level 3, the simplest, to Level 7, the most complex. As you go up in levels, the text selections on the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test become progressively more difficult.

Share some reasons why the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test is an important part of the MME: • Describe the types of workplace texts that you, as a teacher and an

employee of a school district, are expected to understand (e.g., disciplinary policies or safety regulations). Discuss the importance of these written communications and the possible consequences of not comprehending—or ignoring—them.

• This new test is being administered because employers are seeking workers who understand a variety of communications for a particular job.

• Some employers are requiring WorkKeys scores from job applicants, and most community colleges are requiring them.

TEACHING POINT 2: Display Day 5/Document 1 (Graphic Organizer: WorkKeys Examples). Here are examples of the types of text that you will find on the WorkKeys Reading for Information Test. Explain to students the different types of writing on the list, including:

Memo – A brief written reminder, statement, or record; and Bulletin – A short account or statement issued for the information of

the public.

HANDOUT: • Day 5/Document 2 – WorkKeys Level 3 Text • Day 5/Document 4 – WorkKeys Level 5 Text ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 1: Today you will examine different levels of WorkKeys texts and the questions that follow them. Each WorkKeys question is a General Info Question, so you need to “just look it up.” Take a few minutes on your own to first read the question, then read the text, and, finally, answer the question. Follow this procedure for both the Level 3 and the Level 5 texts. Be prepared to explain how you selected your answers. You will have 10 minutes to complete this activity. Have students share their answers to the questions and explain how they chose them.


HANDOUT: Day 5/Document 6 – Level 3 Text versus Level 5 Text

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 2: Pair up students with partners. Now that you have worked with both a Level 3 and a Level 5 text, get together with your partner and write on the handout what makes a Level 5 text more challenging than a Level 3 text. Ask partners to share their responses with the class.

HANDOUT: Day 5/Document 8 – WorkKeys Level 4 Text ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT 3: Now you will examine a sample Level 4 text. First read the question, then read the text, and, finally, answer the question. Be prepared to explain how you selected your answer.

WRAP-UP: Ask students to share with the class their answers and the processes they used to choose it.

GRADEBOOK: For today, consider assigning points for completed handouts, note-taking, and group participation.



Graphic Organizer: WorkKeys Examples

Types of text found in WorkKeys with some real-life examples for each type:

• Memo—from coaches or sponsors of clubs and organizations • Letter—from principal, teacher, employer • Direction—job application, class assignments (research paper, lab paper) • Sign—building evacuation, parking lot specifications • Notice—upcoming events, cancellations with refunds available • Bulletin—from counselors and administrators • Policy—Student Code of Conduct, grading policies, attendance policies, dress

code policy, field trip policy • Regulation—fire regulations, safety regulations, extracurricular events



WorkKeys Level 3 Text Level 3 Sample (Reprinted with permission from ACT)

CLEANROOM PRACTICES

YOU MAY NOT USE ANY COSMETICS IN THE CLEANROOM. YOU MUST CLEAN OFF FACE POWDER, EYE SHADOW, MASCARA, AND LIPSTICK. NON-OIL-BASED LOTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE BUT SHOULD BE APPLIED BEFORE ENTERING THE MAIN AREA. TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF PRODUCT, NO COLOGNE, PERFUME, HAIR SPRAY, HAIR GEL, OR FINGERNAIL POLISH MAY BE WORN. FINGERNAILS MUST NOT GO MORE THAN 0.25 INCH PAST THE FINGERTIPS AND CANNOT PUNCH THROUGH GLOVES. THE ONLY METAL ORNAMENT ALLOWED INSIDE THE CLEANROOM IS A WEDDING BAND (WRIST WATCHES ARE NOT ALLOWED). IF THE WEDDING BAND IS NOT SMOOTH, NYLON GLOVES MUST BE WORN UNDER VINYL GLOVES. What type of product can you have in the cleanroom? A. Face powder B. Fingernail polish C. Hair spray D. Mild cologne E. Non-oil-based lotions



Level 3 Sample (Reprinted with permission from ACT)

CLEANROOM PRACTICES

YOU MAY NOT USE ANY COSMETICS IN THE CLEANROOM. YOU MUST CLEAN OFF FACE POWDER, EYE SHADOW, MASCARA, AND LIPSTICK. NON-OIL-BASED LOTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE BUT SHOULD BE APPLIED BEFORE ENTERING THE MAIN AREA. TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF PRODUCT, NO COLOGNE, PERFUME, HAIR SPRAY, HAIR GEL, OR FINGERNAIL POLISH MAY BE WORN. FINGERNAILS MUST NOT GO MORE THAN 0.25 INCH PAST THE FINGERTIPS AND CANNOT PUNCH THROUGH GLOVES. THE ONLY METAL ORNAMENT ALLOWED INSIDE THE CLEANROOM IS A WEDDING BAND (WRIST WATCHES ARE NOT ALLOWED). IF THE WEDDING BAND IS NOT SMOOTH, NYLON GLOVES MUST BE WORN UNDER VINYL GLOVES. What type of product can you have in the cleanroom? A. Face powder B. Fingernail polish C. Hair spray D. Mild cologne E. Non-oil-based lotions

Answer Key for WorkKeys Level 3 Text



WorkKeys Level 5 Text

Level 5 Sample (Reprinted with permission from ACT) First Responder Legal and Ethical Rights Many First Responders are concerned about lawsuits. Lawsuits against those who give care at the scene of an emergency are not often successful. The First Responder’s scope of practice is defined as the range of duties and skills a First Responder is allowed and expected to perform when necessary. The First Responder, like other out-of-hospital care providers, is governed by legal, ethical and medical guidelines. These guidelines establish the scope and the limits of care the First Responder provides. While on duty, the First Responder has an obligation to respond to an emergency and provide care at the scene; this obligation is called a duty to act. This duty is governed either by case law, statute, or job description. This duty applies to public safety officials, certain government employees, licensed and certified professionals, and medical paraprofessionals while on duty. If a First Responder sees a medical vehicle crash while driving to work, in most states he or she only has a moral obligation to stop. However, once a First Responder has begun care, he or she is legally obligated to continue providing care until care can be transferred to a person with equal or greater training. A conscious victim has a basic right to decide what can or cannot be done to his or her body. Therefore, to provide care for an ill or injured person, the responder must first obtain that person’s consent. Permission is implied if the victim is unconscious or is a child with a serious condition and no supervising adult present. Consequently the Responder is only negligent if he or she does not respond in a professional manner or fails to act within this duty, thus causing physical injury, which can be measured in financial terms. An off-duty First Responder stops at a construction site to help a worker who has fallen from a scaffold. According to the policy shown, the First Responder must remain on duty with the injured worker until:

A. a crew member who is not a First Responder agrees to watch over the victim until help arrives. B. another equally or more skilled person arrives and takes over. C. the Responder has done everything within his or her skill limits to help the worker. D. the Responder must leave because of other obligations. E. the Responder has met his or her moral obligation.




First Responder Legal and Ethical Rights Many First Responders are concerned about lawsuits. Lawsuits against those who give care at the scene of an emergency are not often successful. The First Responder’s scope of practice is defined as the range of duties and skills a First Responder is allowed and expected to perform when necessary. The First Responder, like other out-of-hospital care providers, is governed by legal, ethical and medical guidelines. These guidelines establish the scope and the limits of care the First Responder provides. While on duty, the First Responder has an obligation to respond to an emergency and provide care at the scene; this obligation is called a duty to act. This duty is governed either by case law, statute, or job description. This duty applies to public safety officials, certain government employees, licensed and certified professionals, and medical paraprofessionals while on duty. If a First Responder sees a medical vehicle crash while driving to work, in most states he or she only has a moral obligation to stop. However, once a First Responder has begun care, he or she is legally obligated to continue providing care until care can be transferred to a person with equal or greater training. A conscious victim has a basic right to decide what can or cannot be done to his or her body. Therefore, to provide care for an ill or injured person, the responder must first obtain that person’s consent. Permission is implied if the victim is unconscious or is a child with a serious condition and no supervising adult present. Consequently the Responder is only negligent if he or she does not respond in a professional manner or fails to act within this duty, thus causing physical injury, which can be measured in financial terms. An off-duty First Responder stops at a construction site to help a worker who has fallen from a scaffold. According to the policy shown, the First Responder must remain on duty with the injured worker until:

A. a crew member who is not a First Responder agrees to watch over the victim until help arrives. B. another equally or more skilled person arrives and takes over. C. the Responder has done everything within his or her skill limits to help the worker. D. the Responder must leave because of other obligations. E. the Responder has met his or her moral obligation.

Answer Key for WorkKeys Level 5 Text



Level 3 Text versus Level 5 Text What makes Level 5 more challenging?

Characteristics of Level 3 Text: • • • • • Characteristics of a Level 5 Text: • • • • •



Characteristics of Level 3 Text: • Sentences are simple and direct. Most have the subject first and the verb second.

• Paragraphs are short. • Instructions are direct and lead to simple tasks. • Readers must pick out a clearly stated detail. They do not need to draw any conclusions.

• Vocabulary includes common, everyday words.

Characteristics of a Level 5 Text: • Sentences are longer and more complex. • Paragraphs and sentences are filled with details and information. • Instructions include conditionals.

• Readers must apply the instructions to new situations. • Vocabulary includes jargon and specialized terms. • Writing style is complex.

Answer Key for Level 3 Text versus Level 5 Text



WorkKeys Level 4 Text Level 4 Sample (Reprinted with permission from ACT)

New Policy

Effective immediately, the following Company Standard for Dress will be in force at all times. Except on specially designated holidays, business dress attire will always be worn by all upper-level management due to the heavy contact these individuals have with clients and the public. This attire is limited to business suits/slacks for both women and men. However, casual dress is allowed for all middle-level employees during the core work week (Monday through Thursday). This casual dress will consist of long- or short-sleeved shirts; polo shirts; khaki pants; “dress walking shorts,” hemmed at the knee level or lower; and “dress” canvas shoes. Jeans, printed T-shirts, or regular tennis shoes are not allowed on core casual dress days. Fridays have been officially declared “Jeans Day” here at our company. On Fridays, any kinds of jeans are permitted (colored denims, blue jeans, etc.) However, these jeans must be in new or next-to-new condition, with no holes, writing, or other obvious “statement makers.” Printed T-shirts and regular tennis shoes are still prohibited on Friday.

According to the policy shown, “dress walking shorts” are: A. banned if they are hemmed above the knee. B. banned on Friday unless they are made of colored denim. C. permitted on any Monday through Thursday if worn with a new printed T-shirt. D. permitted only on Friday and must be hemmed below the knee. E. permitted only on Friday if the hemline is at the knee.




New Policy

Effective immediately, the following Company Standard for Dress will be in force at all times. Except on specially designated holidays, business dress attire will always be worn by all upper-level management due to the heavy contact these individuals have with clients and the public. This attire is limited to business suits/slacks for both women and men. However, casual dress is allowed for all middle-level employees during the core work week (Monday through Thursday). This casual dress will consist of long- or short-sleeved shirts; polo shirts; khaki pants; “dress walking shorts,” hemmed at the knee level or lower; and “dress” canvas shoes. Jeans, printed T-shirts, or regular tennis shoes are not allowed on core casual dress days. Fridays have been officially declared “Jeans Day” here at our company. On Fridays, any kinds of jeans are permitted (colored denims, blue jeans, etc.) However, these jeans must be in new or next-to-new condition, with no holes, writing, or other obvious “statement makers.” Printed T-shirts and regular tennis shoes are still prohibited on Friday.

According to the policy shown, “dress walking shorts” are: A. banned if they are hemmed above the knee. B. banned on Friday unless they are made of colored denim. C. permitted on any Monday through Thursday if worn with a new printed T-shirt. D. permitted only on Friday and must be hemmed below the knee. E. permitted only on Friday if the hemline is at the knee.

Answer Key for WorkKeys Level 4 Texts


DAY 6 – PLAN Reading & WorkKeys FOCUS: Designated Practice Session MATERIALS: Teacher-Provided Additional Sample ACT/PLAN Reading Passages

and Questions (see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” on p.2) Answer Keys for Teacher-Provided Samples TEACHING POINT: In order for you to be prepared to face the PLAN Reading Test and WorkKeys Reading for Information Test on your own, it is essential that you practice the reading passages that are most challenging for you individually. Distribute Handout below according to student needs.

HANDOUT: Teacher-Provided Additional Sample ACT/PLAN Reading Passages and Questions (see “Finding Additional Sample Passages” on p.2)

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT: Using the strategies you learned in the past days, read your passage and answer the questions. When you have finished, come to get the answer key and check your work. WRAP-UP: This concludes our unit of study on the genre of Reading Tests.

GRADEBOOK: Since this is a practice session, we do not recommend giving students a grade based on the number of questions they answered correctly. Instead, we suggest giving students a grade based on participation in the practice session.

ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading, Grade 9 49 Emily Douglas, Julie Martinez, Laura Schiller, Gail Setter Oakland Schools Fall 2008 Fall 2008

ELA/MME Unit of Study: READING · 2020-01-25 · ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading, Grade 9 2 Emily...

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Transcript of ELA/MME Unit of Study: READING · 2020-01-25 · ELA/MME Unit of Study: Reading, Grade 9 2 Emily...