Sawgrass Bay Elementary School FSA English Language Arts/ Writing Session Sawgrass Bay Elementary School

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Two part multiple choice

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Audio two-part multiple choice

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Sample FSA Writing Prompt Fun Without Computers? LOL!  No Cell Phones? No Computers? No, Thank You! Write an essay in which you give your opinion about whether technology should be used all the time. Use information from the passages in your essay.   Manage your time carefully so that you can read the passages; plan your essay; write your essay; and revise and edit your essay. Be sure to include an introduction; support for your opinion using information from the passages; and a conclusion that is related to your opinion. Your writing should be in the form of a well-organized multiparagraph essay.

Text Set: Technology use Source 1: Fun Without Computers? LOL! 1 NEW YORK, New York (Achieve3000, March 23, 2011). Susan Maushart is the mother of three teenagers. Maushart did what many young people would consider an unforgivable act: She unplugged her kids from their favorite electronic devices. In her book The Winter of Our Disconnect, Maushart describes her children's experiences. In her book, she explains how her kids lived, for six months, in a world without Internet, TV, iPods, cell phones, and video games. The result of what Maushart called "The Experiment" was more NP (no problem) than LOL (laughing out loud). It was nothing less than an immersion IRL (in real life). 2 Maushart decided to unplug the family because the kids—ages 14, 15, and 18— overused electronics and media. Like so many teens, Maushart said, her son and two daughters couldn't do their homework without gadgets. They would work while also listening to music, updating Facebook, and trading instant messages. Instead of laughing when they were amused, they actually said "LOL" aloud. "They don't remember a time before e-mail, or instant messaging, or Google," Maushart wrote. 3 Maushart began the experiment with a bang: She took the family off the grid altogether. She turned off the electricity for a few weeks. This forced the family to use candles instead of electric lights. They had to store food in a cooler of ice. They even had to get by without hot showers. Maushart hoped this would make life without computers and cell phones seem a little easier when the electricity flowed again… 4 So how did Maushart's children endure the winter of [t]heir disconnect? Each handled the break from technology differently. But they all handled it better than you might expect. Maushart's son Bill was hooked on video games and TV. He filled his newfound spare time playing saxophone. He ended up "swapping Grand Theft Auto," Maushart said, "for the Charlie Parker songbook." Bill became serious about playing the sax. In fact, he sold his gaming device when the ban on gadgets ended. He is now studying music in college.

Source 2: No Cell Phones. No Computers. No, Thank You Source 2: No Cell Phones? No Computers? No, Thank You! 9 NEW YORK, New York (Achieve3000, August 26, 2009). Many teens find it hard to imagine going without computers, cell phones, and iPods. They find it so hard, in fact, that they're hesitant to go to a summer sleep-away camp where these things are forbidden. That's because they would have to temporarily cut off their online social connections. 10 Take Tim Chai, for example. Tim enjoys being in touch with his friends using Facebook, a social networking Web site. He listens to music on his iPod, and doesn't go anywhere without his BlackBerry. When considering summer camps, the 17-year-old immediately ruled out any places that had rules against such devices. "I just thought it was too much for me to handle," Tim admitted. "I love my Internet. I love my phone." “Just because some adults aren’t comfortable using technology does not mean I should be punished and have it taken away.” Many teens feel being able to use electronics helps them focus and stay relaxed. Many teens listen to music while studying which they say helps them stay focused on the work. 11 Students at Jefferson High School in New York are saying that the best experiences they had in school are those when the teacher used technology to connect with other classes around the world. They report learning a great deal about sensitivity to other cultures through this technology connection. 12 Other teens report different ways that using social networking during study time is also helpful. Simon Profit suggests “You can connect with friends and see how they are working out difficult math problems or what they think about a something you are reading. By being able to talk to each other you learn more.”

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EMAIL ME @ CROWLEYJ@LAKE.K12.FL.US