1. A Life Changing Invention
Nathan’s teacher has asked the class to write an essay explaining how an invention has impacted their lives. Nathan is writing about the cell phone. He makes this outline. Use it to answer the questions that follow.
1. At school
A. I’m able to contact my parents if my activities are cancelled.
B. I’m able to access the homework hotline from anywhere.
C. I’m able to keep track of activities with the calendar feature.
2. At home
A. My parents can reach me wherever I am.
B. I can call my parents whenever I need them.
1 Based on the information in this outline, what would be a good title for Nathan’s essay?
A Call Me Sometime
B Staying Organized and In Touch
C Cell Phones – The Good and The Bad
D Text Messaging Is Cool
2 What is the purpose of Nathan’s outline?
F To persuade others to buy cell phones
G To compare two types of technology
H To plan what he will say in his essay
J To determine his audience
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2. VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation
Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use
Question
Correct Answer
VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation 1 B
8.7bb – Organize details to elaborate the central idea. 2 H
8.7ab – Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas.
Notes to Teacher:
The writing subtest of the Grade 8 English test will have a series of brief scenarios, each of which defines a writing task for a specified audience. Items following the statement of the writing task will address planning or prewriting activities relevant to the specified task and will be coded to the Planning, Composing, and Revising reporting category. A rough draft of a response to the specified writing task will follow the planning/prewriting test items. The rough draft will be divided into sections. The first section will have errors which require revision such as the inclusion of a sentence that does not belong or two sentences that need to be combined. Items following the first section of the rough draft will require the student to correct these errors by choosing the correct revision from the answer choices provided. These items will also be coded to the Planning, Composing, and Revising reporting category.
The second section of the rough draft will contain embedded errors in usage or mechanics. Items following this section will refer to underlined words or groups of words in the second section of the rough draft and will require students to choose the answer which represents correct usage or mechanics. These items will be coded to the Editing reporting category. In some cases, the underlined words will contain no error and the correct answer will be "as it is." Following the expanded blueprint is a list of usage and mechanics skills which are addressed in the Editing reporting category.
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Read the first part of Nathan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below.
(1)In September, my mom and dad decided it was time for me to have my own cell phone. (2)Having a cell phone has changed my life. (3)I am more organized. (4)I feel safer. (5)My parents have given me more freedom. (6)I’m involved in many school activities and need to be able to contact my parents for a ride home or for emergencies. (7)Getting a ride home is important and I also need to be able to reach my parents in case of emergencies.
3 How can sentences 3 and 4 best be combined?
A I am more organized, and I feel
safer.
B I am more organized and safer.
C I feel safer and more organized.
D Safer and organized is how I feel.
4 Which of these is a problem with sentence 7?
F Its language is too casual for an essay.
G It changes point of view.
H It repeats information already
stated in the paragraph.
J It expresses the opinions of the author.
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4. VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation
Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use
Question
Correct Answer
VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation 3 A
8.7dd – Revise writing for word choice, sentence variety, and transitions among paragraphs. 4 H
Notes to Teacher:
During the revising stage of the writing process students will revise for focus, organization, and elaboration.
To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including important details, deleting unnecessary information and varying sentences.
The Standards of Learning writing assessments ask students to use their revising skills to identify ways to improve a passage that is provided. To be successful on this section of the test, students must be able to suggest the best way to combine provided sentences, choose a more descriptive way to write provided sentences and locate unneeded information.
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Read the next part of Nathan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below.
(8)Having a cell phone has really helped me get organized. (9)Now I have a direct link to my mom and dad if I need a ride home from something. (10)I also have a built-in calendar that allows me to review my schedule at the touch of a button. (11)Before, I had to depend on my mom to maintain my calendar. (12)She is relieved that I am now responsible enough to know where I am supposed to be and when I am supposed to be there.
5 What is a more descriptive way for Nathan to write something?
F practice
G football practice or swim practice
H something after school
J some kind of practice
6 Which of these sentences could Nathan add at the end of this paragraph?
A Now I never miss an important event or appointment.
B My mom needs to learn how to use the calendar feature.
C My dad still uses a pocket calendar for appointments.
D I also like the game feature on the phone.
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6. VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation
Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use
Question
Correct Answer
VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation 5 G
8.7cd - Select specific vocabulary and information. 6 A
8.7bc – Organize details to elaborate the central idea.
Notes to Teacher:
During the revising stage of the writing process students will revise for focus, organization, and elaboration.
To assist students in developing these skills direct instruction must take place on including important details, deleting unnecessary information and varying sentences.
The Standards of Learning writing assessments ask students to use their revising skills to identify ways to improve a passage that is provided. To be successful on this section of the test students must be able to suggest the best way to combine provided sentences, choose a more descriptive way to write provided sentences and locate unneeded information.
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Read the next part of Nathan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below.
(13)I feel much safer now that I have a cell phone. (14)If I get stranded after practice, I can call either my parents and my Aunt Janie to come and pick me up. (15)If I keep my telephone fully charged, I can use it if the power goes out. (16)I know that if I see trouble, help was just a phone call away.
7 In sentence 14, how is either my parents and my Aunt Janie best written?
A either my parents nor my Aunt Janie
B either my parents or my Aunt Janie
C either my parents, or my Aunt Janie
D as it is
8 In sentence 16, how is was correctly written?
F were
G wasn’t
H is
J as it is
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8. VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation
Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use
Question
Correct Answer
VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation 7 B
8.8bj – Use and punctuate correctly varied sentence structures to include conjunctions and transition words. 8 H
8.8df – Maintain consistent verb tense across paragraphs.
Notes to Teacher:
During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling and sentence construction.
Students should be provided with many opportunities to edit and correct punctuation in their writing and the writing of their classmates.
The Standards of Learning writing assessments ask students to edit a given passage for punctuation, correct case and number, verb tense, and comparative and superlative degrees. Students will be expected to understand the use of conjunctions and transitional words.
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Read the next part of Nathan’s rough draft. Use it to answer the questions below.
(17)The best thing about having my own cell phone is the freedom I have earned. (18)Since, they know they can reach me my parents allow me to go more places. (19)I have to pay for my cell phone minutes with money that I earn. (20)Cutting grass for my neighbors. (21)My dedication has earned respect for me from my parents. (22)I know that the cell phone is the one piece of technology that has truly changed by life.
9 How is sentence 18 best written?
A Since they know they can reach me my parents will allow me to go more places.
B Since they know they can reach me, my parents will allow me to go more places.
C Since they know they can reach me, my parents, will allow me to go more places.
D as it is
10 Which item is not a complete sentence?
F item 22
G item 21
H item 20
J item 18
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10. VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation
Answer Sheet – For Teacher Use
Question
Correct Answer
VA SOL Essential Understanding Correlation 9 B
8.8bi – Use and punctuate correctly varied sentence structures to include conjunctions and transition words. 10 H
8.8aa – Use a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure.
Notes to Teacher:
During the editing stage of the writing process students will edit for use of language, capitalization, punctuation and spelling. Students can earn 14 multiple choice points and 8 possible score from the direct-writing component by accurately editing.
On the Grade 8 Standards of Learning writing assessments students will edit for the use of:
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Subject-verb agreement with intervening, phrases and clauses
Pronoun-antecedent agreement to include indefinite pronouns
Maintain consistent tense inflections across paragraphs
Choose adverbs to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
Use correct spelling for frequently used words
Choose pronouns to agree with antecedents
Subject-verb agreement with intervening phrases and clauses
Edit for verb tense consistency
Use and punctuate correctly varied sentence structures to include conjunctions and transition words.
Choose the correct case and number for pronouns in prepositional phrases with compound objects.
Maintain consistent verb tense across paragraphs
Use comparative and superlative degrees in adverbs and adjectives
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