Sample | Boot Camp for Florida End of Course

Boot Camps for Florida End of Course

Our all-new Boot Camps are designed specifically to increase the percentage of students scoring Level 3 or higher on FAST 9 and 10 ELA Reading and on the B.E.S.T. and NGSSS EOC assessments.

• Updated for the new tech-enabled test items

• Directly aligned to Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, with a focus on the most heavily assessed content areas.

What’s included:

Our Boot Camps provide test prep that fits your schedule, even at the last minute. We take care of everything. No hassle, no stress, and no attendance limits.

• Live Virtual and In-Person workshops include a student workbook for each attendee. This workbook has exercises students complete during the event as well as extra practice for prep leading up to test day.

• The On-Demand SnapCourse includes an online license to the course for each participant with extra practice materials that can be accessed on-campus or from home.

Students will be oriented to all aspects of the new Florida tests, including:

• Platform navigation

• Calculators

• Scratch paper

• Computer based testing

• Matching Item

They’ll also get familiar with these question formats:

• Selectable Hot Text

• Multiselect

• Evidence-Based Selected Response

• Table Match

• Multimedia

• Editing Task Choice

• Graphic Response Item Display (GRID)

• Equation Editor

• Matching Item

Six Boot Camps Available for the Florida End of Course Exams:

Grade 9 FAST ELA Reading

• Literary Texts

• Informational Texts

• Reading Across Genres

• Paired Passages

• Writing

Grade 10 FAST ELA Reading

• Literary Texts

• Informational Texts

• Reading Across Genres

• Paired Passages

• Writing

NGSSS Biology EOC

• Molecular and Cellular Biology

• Classification, Heredity, and Evolution

• Organisms, Populations, and Ecosystems

NGSSS U.S. History EOC

• Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century, 1860, 1910

• Global Military, Political, and Economic Challenges, 1890 – 1940

• The United States and the Defense of the International Peace, 1940 – Present

B.E.S.T. Geometry EOC

• Logic, Relationships, and Theorems

• Congruence, Similarity, and Constructions

• Measurements and Coordinate Geometry

B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 EOC

• Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities

• Graphing Linear Equations and Inequalities

• Polynomials

• Nonlinear Equations

• Exponential Functions

LITERARY TEXTS

Literary Texts Preview: Prose

Instructions

Complete the quiz. If time remains, check your answers.

from “The Prodigies”

by Willa Cather

1 “Is the carriage there?”

2 Mackenzie didn’t answer. He knew that Harriet knew perfectly well that the carriage had been waiting for half an hour.

3 “I hope we shant be late,” remarked Harriet as they drove away. “But it’s just like Kate to select the most difficult hour in the day and recognize no obstacles to our appearing. She admits of no obstacles either for herself or other people. . . . One must always take her with a grain of allowance. But even her characteristic impracticability does not excuse her for inviting busy people at four o’clock in the afternoon.”

4 “I suppose it’s the only hour at which the prodigies exhibit.”

5 “Now don’t speak disrespectfully, Nelson. They really are very wonderful children. I fancy Kate is working them to death, that’s her way. But I don’t think I ever heard two young voices of such promise. They sang at Christ Church that Sunday you didn’t go, and I was quite overcome with astonishment. They have had the best instruction. It’s wonderful to think of mere children having such method. . . . I assure you they quite deserve to be taken seriously.”

6 “All the same I shouldn’t like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks.”

7 “Poor Nelson! there’s not much danger of your ever being tempted. It’s extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible—when anything at all is possible.”

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

9 If Harriet Norton had taken up missionary work in the Cannibal Islands her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career. As a girl she had possessed unusual talent. After taking sundry honors at the New England Conservatory, she had studied music abroad. It had been rumored that Leschetizky was about to launch her on a concert tour as a piano virtuoso, when she had suddenly returned to America and married the one among all her admirers who seemed particularly unsuited to her. Mackenzie was a young physician, a thoroughly practical, methodical Scotchman, rather stout, with a tendency to baldness, and with a propensity for

Boot Camp for Grade 10

FAST ELA Reading | Literary Texts

playing the cornet. This latter fact alone was certainly enough to disqualify him for becoming the husband of a pianiste. When it reached Leschetizky’s ears that Miss Norton had married a cornet-playing doctor, he “recorded one lost soul more,” and her name never passed his lips again. Even her former rivals felt that they could now afford to be generous, and with one accord sent their congratulations to herself and husband “whom they had heard was also a musician.”

10 Harriet received these neat sarcasms with great amusement. She had known when she married him that Mackenzie played the cornet, that he even played “Promise Me”; but she considered it one of the most innocent diversions in which a married man could indulge. But Harriet had not married him to inaugurate a romance or to develop one. . . . She was sometimes glad that there was not a romantic fiber in Mackenzie’s substantial frame. She had married him because for some inexplicable reason she had always been fond of him, and since her marriage she had never been disappointed or disillusioned in him. He was not a brilliant man, and his chief merits were those of character—virtues not always fascinating, but they wear well in a husband and are generally about the safest things to be married to.

11 So, in Mackenzie’s phraseology, they had “pulled well enough together.” Of course Mrs. Mackenzie had her moments of rebellion against the monotony of the domestic routine, and felt occasional stirrings of the old restlessness for achievement and the old thirst of the spirit. But knowing to what unspiritual things this soul-thirst had led women aforetime, she resolved to live the common life at least commonly well.

12 But her married life had held one very bitter disappointment, her children. Someway she had never doubted that her children would be like her. She had settled upon innumerable artistic careers for them. Of course they would both have her talent for music, probably talent of a much finer sort than her own, and the boy would do all the great things that she had not done. . . .

13 She had awaited impatiently the time when his little fingers were strong enough to strike the keys. But although he had heard music from the time he could hear at all, the child displayed neither interest nor aptitude for it. In vain his papa tooted familiar airs to him on the cornet; sometimes he recognized them and sometimes he did not. It was just the same with the little girl. The poor child could never sing the simplest nursery air correctly. They were both healthy, lively children, unusually truthful and well conducted, but thoroughly commonplace. Harriet could not resign herself to this, she could not understand it. There was always a note of envy in her voice when she spoke of the wonderful Massey children, whose names were on every one’s lips. It seemed just as though Kate Massey had got what she should have had herself.

14 When the Mackenzies arrived at the Massey’s door Mrs. Massey rushed past the servant and met them herself.

15 “I’m so glad you’ve come, Harriet, dear. We were just about to begin and I didn’t want you to miss Adrienne’s first number. It’s the waltz song from Romeo et Juliette; she had special drill on that from Madame Marchesi you know, and in London they considered it one of her best. I know this is a difficult hour, but they have to sing again after dinner and I don’t want to tax them too much. Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them. To the left, upstairs, Mr. Mackenzie.

Boot Camp for STAAR English I | Literary Texts

Literary Texts | Boot Camp for Grade 10 FAST ELA Reading

Harriet, you know the way.” And their animated hostess dashed off in search of more worlds to conquer. Mrs. Massey’s manner was always that of a conqueror fresh from the fray. She demanded of every one absolute capitulation and absolute surrender to the object of her particular enthusiasm, whatever that happened to be at the moment. Usually it was her wonderful children.

16 When the Mackenzies descended, Kate met them with a warning gesture and ushered them into the music room where the other guests were seated silently and expectantly. When they were seated she herself sank into a chair with an air of rapt and breathless anticipation.

17 The accompanist took her seat and a very pale, languid little girl came forward and stood beside the piano. She looked to be about fourteen but was unusually small for her age. She was a singularly frail child with apparently almost no physical reserve power, and stood with a slight natural stoop which she quickly corrected as she caught her mother’s eye. Her great dark eyes seemed even larger than they were by reason of the dark circles under them. She clasped her little hands and waited until the brief prelude was over. She seemed not at all nervous, but very weary. Even the spirited measures of that most vivacious of arias could not wholly dispel the listlessness from those eyes that were so sad for a child’s face. As to the merit or even the “wonder” of her singing, there was no doubt. Even the unmusical Mackenzie, who could not have described her voice in technical language, knew that this voice was marvellous from the throat of a child. The volume of a mature singer was of course not there, but her tones were pure and limpid and wonderfully correct. The thing that most surprised him was what his wife had called the “method” of the child’s singing. Gounod’s waltz aria is not an easy one, and the child must have been perfectly taught. It seemed to him, though, that the little dash of gaiety she threw into it had been taught her, too, and that this child herself had never known what it was to be gay.

18 “O Kate, how I envy you!” sighed Harriet in a burst of admiration too sincere to be concealed.

19 Her hostess smiled triumphantly; she expected every one to envy her, took that for granted.

Literary Texts Preview: Prose

Complete the quiz in your workbook. If time remains, check your answers.

Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 “All the same I shouldn’t like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks.”

7 “Poor Nelson! there’s not much danger of your ever being tempted. It’s extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible—when anything at all is possible.”

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

Read these sentences from the passage. “Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.”

(paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Read these sentences from the passage.

“...her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career.”

(paragraph 9)

What is the meaning of slated as used in the passage?

A. recommended

B. rejected

C. trained

D. imagined

Literary Texts Preview: Prose 5

Literary Texts | Boot Camp for STAAR English I

Boot Camp for Grade 10 FAST ELA Reading | Literary Texts

Context Is Everything

Instructions

Complete the quiz. If time remains, check your answers.

Use evidence from the passage as you apply the process of elimination. Circle the correct answer.

Quotations Out of Context

Sometimes, the test will give you a short quotation to evaluate, but it’s not enough! Take time to go back and reread the whole paragraph where the sentence shows up. Compare your understanding of the paragraph with each of the answer choices and eliminate any that just don’t match.

3

Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.”

(paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

What’s different about this question? What makes it stand out?

It’s not multiple choice.

This is a selectable text question. On the computerbased test, when you see this you’ll click on the sentence of your choice. Of course, we’re working on paper today, so you’re gonna underline to signal your selection. Let’s break down the question a little bit to get to the meat of what it’s asking. Can someone read the question for us?

8 Context Is Everything

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

Exact Evidence

Let’s break this up into two parts: the claim and the evidence. What’s the claim that we need to prove? Hint: it’s in the second half of the sentence.

Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

And what is the first part of the question asking for?

It’s asking us to underline the sentence that shows...

It’s asking for evidence, or proof, that Harriet doesn’t believe in her kids’ musical talent. If we think about it this way, this can help us make sure we’re choosing the right evidence. Do we want to reread the whole passage while trying to figure this out?

Rereading is a time waster. We already read the passage, didn’t we? Instead, let’s focus on the sentences we’re given. If we need more context, we’ll go back to the passage in a bit. What process are we using to select evidence? Hint: it’s in your book!

Exact Evidence

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

The process of elimination.

How do we go about that here?

Eliminate sentences that don’t prove the claim.

We’re looking for the evidence that is directly tied to the claim. If it’s clearly about something else, we can cut it. Let’s look at that first sentence. Who will read that for us?

All the same I shouldn’t like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks.

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

Who is speaking here? Go back to the passage if you need to get the context!

Nelson Mackenzie.

Nelson Mackenzie is the one who states this. Sometimes, he’s called Nelson, and sometimes, he’s called Mackenzie. It’s an old-fashioned thing, calling men by their last names. Anyway, if Nelson’s the one who says this, does it show that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented?

No.

Why not?

Cause it’s not from Harriet’s perspective.

Our answer choice has to be from Harriet. Let’s eliminate it. What’s the next sentence?

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

Poor Nelson! there’s not much danger of your ever being tempted.

Who is speaking here?

Harriet.

Since Harriet is the speaker, we’re getting a little bit closer. What is she saying there isn’t much danger of her husband being “tempted” by?

His children being shown off like “freaks.”

Could this be the one that proves that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are talented?

Maybe.

This one is a maybe. Harriet doesn’t think her husband will ever be tempted to parade their children around, but the evidence hasn’t given us enough information to know why.

Continue slide on next page

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

Let’s keep reading.

It’s extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world.

Oof. That’s brutal honesty from Harriet. Who is Harriet talking about here? Who are Billy and Elsie?

Her kids.

Harriet and Nelson Mackenzie are discussing their children. If you’re ever unsure about a character, check the previous sentences for context clues. Nelson says that he doesn’t want to exhibit his “children about like freaks” which leads naturally to Harriet’s comment. Speaking of which, what does this sentence tell us about Harriet’s point of view on her children?

She doesn’t think they will ever amount to much.

She says they won’t “startle the world.” Usually people who startle the world do so because of their talents. What do we think about this sentence? Could this be the one?

Yes.

Let’s keep reading and make sure there isn’t anything better. What does the next sentence say?

Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself?

Who is Harriet talking about in this one?

The other kids.

So should we keep this one in the running?

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

No.

Because it focuses on the other kids, the Massey kids, we know it doesn’t work. We have to choose one that’s about Harriet’s thoughts on her own children. What is the next sentence about?

Youth in general.

So not really about Harriet’s view of her children? No.

Cut it!

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

Line 8. What does it say?

Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice.

We’ve shifted perspective. Who is the narration focusing on now?

Mackenzie.

Not Harriet. That’s what really matters. The question is asking about Harriet’s opinion, not Nelson Mackenzie’s. So what can we do?

Eliminate.

Speaking of that, whose opinion does the entirety of paragraph 8 focus on?

Mackenzie’s.

So what can we do with all of those sentences?

Eliminate.

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

We’re left with two sentences. What do the instructions say we should do if we get down to two options?

Eliminate the one that is most open to debate. Right. We need to eliminate the sentence that could be the right one, but it also might not be—the answer choice that we could force to fit, but we would have to make a lot of connections and leaps ourselves. Which sentence, out of these two, is the most debatable?

Exact Evidence

1. Underline the sentence below that shows that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented.

6 "All the same I shouldn't like to be exhibiting my children about like freaks."

7 "Poor Nelson! there's not much danger of your ever being tempted. It's extremely unlikely that poor Billy or Elsie will ever startle the world. Really, do you know when I heard those Massey children and thought of all they have done, of all they may do, I envied them myself? To youth everything is possible when anything at all is possible."

8 Harriet sighed and Mackenzie fancied he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. He had suspected before that Harriet was disappointed in her children. They suited him well enough, but Harriet was different.

The first one. Why?

It’s saying that Harriet thinks her husband won’t be tempted to parade her children around.

It hints at the idea that Harriet doesn’t believe her children are musically talented, but the sentence doesn’t exactly state why she feels this way. It’s not that explicit, or clear. Why is the next sentence a better choice?

Because she says they will never startle the world.

Saying that her children will never “startle the world” is much closer to saying they’re not talented enough to startle, or surprise, the world. That sentence is the closest choice we’ve got, and it’s the right one.

2. Read these sentences from the passage.

“...her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career.” (paragraph 9)

What is the meaning of slated as used in the passage?

A. recommended

B. rejected

C. trained

D. imagined

The Grade 10 FAST ELA test will throw a ton of vocabulary questions your way, whether you’re reading Info texts or Lit texts. We know how important it is to apply strategy here. Do you need to know the definition of every word?

No.

Nobody knows all the words. There are so many strategies for figuring out meaning, but for multiple choice, this one knocks all the others out of the park. What strategy is it?

Plug In.

How does Plug In work?

You have to put the answer choices into the sentence. What do you do with the answer choices that sound off?

Eliminate them.

Something else that’s really cool about vocab questions: you don’t have to go back and reread the passage. Why is that?

You can get enough out of the quote. The rest of the passage doesn’t matter that much.

Let’s put it into practice. What does the quote sound like if we plug the first word in?

Her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had recommended her for a very different career.

Does that make sense? Maybe.

I guess, if we want to force it to work, it could. Her friends could have recommended her for jobs, maybe? But what does that have to do with her marriage to her husband? It just doesn’t quite make sense. Continue

Plug In

2. Read these sentences from the passage.

“...her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career.” (paragraph 9)

What is the meaning of slated as used in the passage?

A. recommended

B. rejected

C. trained

D. imagined

Plug In

2. Read these sentences from the passage.

“...her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career.” (paragraph 9)

What is the meaning of slated as used in the passage?

A. recommended

B. rejected

C. trained

D. imagined

Let’s try the next one. Someone read out the quote with the word “rejected” in it.

Her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had rejected her for a very different career.

How does that sound?

Bad.

That makes zero sense. Let’s cut it.

What’s left?

Trained and imagined.

Try out “trained.” What does that sound like?

Her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had trained her for a very different career.

What do you think?

Doesn’t work.

Can you imagine? A friend training you? You train Pokemon, not friends.

Plug In

2. Read these sentences from the passage.

“...her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career.” (paragraph 9)

What is the meaning of slated as used in the passage?

A. recommended

B. rejected

C. trained

D. imagined

We still have to test out “imagined.” What does that sound like?

Her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had imagined her for a very different career.

How’s that?

Pretty good.

It makes way more sense for your friends to imagine a future for you. How does this compare to “recommend ?”

Plug In

2. Read these sentences from the passage.

“...her friends could not have been more surprised than when she married Nelson Mackenzie. They had slated her for a very different career.” (paragraph 9)

What is the meaning of slated as used in the passage?

A. recommended

B. rejected

C. trained

D. imagined

Imagined is better.

Recommended sort of fits, but we really have to stretch it and make leaps to make it work. Ultimately, recommended doesn’t fit with the idea of marriage as well as imagined does. Remember, if you’re doing mental gymnastics to make an answer choice work, it’s probably wrong. That leaves us with imagined as the best answer.

Context Is Everything

Let’s check out this question. What’s given to us to use?

A quote.

3

Will someone read that quote for us?

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

Context Is Everything

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Poor dears! There are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.

And what does the question ask?

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

Who can summarize what’s going on in this quote? Don’t look back at the passage to find out! Can you remember?

No.

I don’t think anyone would remember! Seeing this quote out of context does not give me enough information to even start the process of elimination. So what do we need to do?

Go back and reread.

How much should we reread?

The paragraph it comes from.

Context Is Everything

"I'm so glad you've come, Harriet, dear. We were just about to begin and I didn't want you to miss Adrienne's first number. It's the waltz song from Romeo et Juliette; she had special drill on that from Madame Marchesi you know, and in London they considered it one of her best. I know this is a difficult hour, but they have to sing again after dinner and I don't want to tax them too much. Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them." (paragraph 15)

It’s a lot, I know. But it has to be done. And once you do read it, you’re gonna feel so much more confident approaching the answer. Take one minute to reread the paragraph from the beginning. Underline the sentence from the question when you get to it. When you’re done, look up!

Give students one minute to reread the paragraph.

Give me a baseline summary: What does the underlined sentence mean in context? How can we translate the underlined sentence into how people talk now? “Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.”

My children have so much going on.

Seems like Kate wants to emphasize to Harriet that her kids are so busy because they are so talented. Do you think she really feels sorry for her kids, or is she just humblebragging?

It’s a brag.

Context Is Everything

“Poor

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Without going back and rereading, we were really in the dark here. We didn’t even have a baseline for what was going on. By going back and rereading the passage, we’re in a much better place to start strategizing. We know that Kate is bragging about her children, and that she wants to show off all the things that they do. Now we can shift our focus to strategy: Someone remind me, how should we approach the answer choices?

Elimination.

We have to eliminate answer choices that don’t have evidence, and that don’t answer the question. Who will read answer choice A?

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

Context Is Everything

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Context Is Everything

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

By showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age.

Does Kate regret anything?

No.

Cut it.

What about choice B? Does it work?

No.

Why?

She’s not insecure.

If anything, she feels the opposite. What should we do with choice B?

Context Is Everything

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Eliminate.

Throw it out! Done! Moving on to choice C. Will someone read choice C for us?

By making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere.

What do you think?

Context Is Everything

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Looks good.

Insincere means fake, and she seems like she is being pretty fake to me. How is she being fake, though?

She is pretending like she is worried about her kids.

She wants to seem like she’s worried, but really she just wants to rub her kids’ talent in Harriet’s face. So what should we do with that answer choice?

Hold onto it.

We need to check choice D before we can make a solid decision. Will someone read D?

By emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet.

In the paragraph you just read, is there anything about Harriet?

No.

Is there any evidence that Kate and Harriet are alike? No.

So we can do what with answer choice D?

Context Is Everything

3. Read these sentences from the passage.

“Poor dears! there are so many demands on their time and strength that I sometimes feel like fleeing to the North Pole with them.” (paragraph 15)

How does this exclamation by Kate Massey serve to develop her character in the passage?

A. by showing that Kate regrets introducing her children to music at a young age

B. ​by revealing Kate’s insecurities about her children’s talent

C. ​by making Kate’s expression of concern for her children seem insincere

D. ​by emphasizing similarities between Kate and Harriet

Eliminate!

That leaves us with choice C. Somebody remind me— what should you do when you see a short quote out of context that just isn’t enough to approach the question?

Reread the paragraph. Basic summary. Eliminate.

Boot Camp for B.E.S.T. Algebra I

SECTION X

SOLVING LINEAR EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES

Boot Camp for B.E.S.T. Algebra 1

Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities Preview

Complete the quiz in your workbook. If time remains, check your answers.

Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities | Boot Camp for B.E.S.T. Algebra 1

Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities Preview

Instructions

Complete the quiz. If time remains, check your answers.

What is the solution to 5 – 3(m – 10) = 2(10 – m)? Enter your answer in the box.

2

What is the solution set for –3x + 12 ≤ 4x + 40?

A. x ≤ –4

B. x ≥ –28

C. x ≥ –4

D. x ≤ –28

2 Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities Preview

Boot Camp for B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 | Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities

Some of the steps in Cesar’s solution to 3.5(256x – 0.75) = 7 are shown.

Statement

1. 3.5(256x – 0.75) = 7 1. Given

2. 2.

3.

Reason

3. Addition property of equality

4. x = 0.01 4. ?

Select the correct reason for line 4 of Cesar’s solution.

• Associative property

• Commutative property

• Subtraction property of equality

• Division property of equality

• Substitution property of equality

4

A system of equations is shown.

7x + 3y = 24

7y = x + 4

In each blank space, write a numeric value to complete the solution to the system. ( _______, _______)

Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities

Preview 3

Distribution Done Right

The B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 test doesn’t give you a ton to work with: you’ve got a simple calculator, some scratch paper, and your brain. That might not sound like a lot, but we’re gonna use everything we have to tackle these problems. I will show you some strategies that will work every time. Let’s say you see this problem show up on the test. What do you need to do to get the solution?

We’d have to get the m by itself on one side of the equation.

You might notice that this is a distribution question. What does that mean, to distribute?

If you distribute something, you spread it around.

In math, distribution is when you spread a value from one section of a problem to another. Let’s look back at the equation in question 1. Do you see any opportunities to distribute?

Yes. There are two spots we could distribute: – 3(m – 10) and 2(10 – m).

Distribution Done Right

1. What is the solution to 5 – 3(m – 10) = 2(10 – m)?

Whenever you need to solve an equation using distribution, follow these steps:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

The secret to distribution is taking your time and showing your work on your scratch paper. Your proctor is supposed to provide you with scratch paper before the test starts. How many of you use scratch paper in class? (Pause for a show of hands.)

If for some reason you can’t get any paper for your test, you could use the notepad or sticky notes tool, but that’s not ideal. Since you all currently have books, let’s walk through this using paper. Turn to page XX in your book and give me a thumbs up when you’re ready. (Wait for students to give thumbs up.)

Who will tell us what the first step is?

Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

Go ahead and do that now. Take your time and get it right. (Give students 10 seconds to rewrite the equation.)

Distribution Done Right

1. What is the solution to 5 – 3(m – 10) = 2(10 – m)?

Whenever you need to solve an equation using distribution, follow these steps:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

So, now that you have this, what’s the next step in the process?

5 – 3(m – 10) = 2(10 – m)

Distribution Done Right

1. What is the solution to 5 – 3(m – 10) = 2(10 – m)?

Whenever you need to solve an equation using distribution, follow these steps:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

5 – 3(m – 10) = 2(10 – m)

Make use of that paper! For each set of parentheses, draw an arrow from the outside value to each of the values inside the parentheses. It should look like this for the first bit. What do these arrows mean?

We’re going to multiply the –3 by each item inside the parentheses.

When we drew the arrows, we made sure to also circle the subtraction sign beside the three. Why is that?

If we just drew the arrows from the three, we might have forgotten the negative sign.

The single most common mistake made when distributing is to forget about the negatives. Who can tell me what your book says about that?

When you see subtraction or negatives in a question, double-check every step to make sure you don’t forget about the negatives.

Think of negative signs like the bad guy in a horror movie. Just when you think you’ve lost him in the chase, BAM, he’s right there behind you. Always keep your eyes on the negatives! Go ahead and draw the arrows for the other set of parentheses. (Give students 10 seconds to draw the arrows.)

You should have something that looks like this. So what’s the next step?

Distribution Done Right

1. What is the solution to 5

Whenever you need to solve an equation using distribution, follow these steps:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

Distribute.

Take it one set of parentheses at a time, and watch your negatives! What do you get for the first set of parentheses?

–3(m – 10) = –3m + 30

Hey, what happened to the subtraction inside the parentheses?

It turned into addition/positive when we multiplied by –3.

Right, because multiplying two negative numbers, such as –3 x –10, always makes a positive. See what I mean when I say to watch the negatives? Go ahead and distribute on the right-hand side. What do you get?

2(10 – m) = 20 – 2m

We’re done with the parentheses, but that’s not all there is. There’s still a little equation left to be solved. Our fully distributed equation should read as what?

5 – 3m + 30 = 20 – 2m

Now what do we do?

Distribution Done Right

1. What is the solution to

Whenever you need to solve an equation using distribution, follow these steps:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

5

Walk me through it. First, we’ll simplify the left-hand side. Who can do that for us?

5 + 30 are like terms, so that’s 35 – 3m.

Any like terms on the right side that need attention?

No.

Let’s bring that side down.

Distribution Done Right

1. What is the solution

to

Whenever you need to solve an equation using distribution, follow these steps:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

A Word on Question

1 15

What’s next?

Then, we’ll subtract 20 from both sides.

Last thing?

Add 3m to both sides.

And that gives you?

15 = m

There are no answer choices. We have to enter our own answer.

Keeping It Positive

Right off the bat, question 2 throws something new at us. What’s different here?

It’s an inequality.

We don’t really have an equation, right? No equal sign. What might make this problem doubly challenging?

There is a variable on both sides.

We’re gonna approach this problem a little differently, but don’t worry. There’s a method to the madness.

Keeping It Positive

2. What is the

Keeping It Positive

2. What is the solution set for

Whenever you need to solve a multi-step inequality, follow these steps:

1. Combine like terms.

2. Make sure the variable is positive.

3. Reverse the inequality if needed.

4. Simplify.

What’s the goal when you see an inequality like this?

Get the variable alone on one side.

We want to isolate the variable. To do that, what’s our first step?

Combine like terms.

Keeping It Positive

Whenever you need to solve a multi-step inequality, follow these steps:

1. Combine like terms.

2. Make sure the variable is positive.

3. Reverse the inequality if needed.

4. Simplify.

What would be the easiest to do first?

Subtract the 12 from both sides.

Which leaves us with?

–3x ≤ 4x + 28

Keeping It Positive

2. What is the solution set for

Whenever you need to solve a multi-step inequality, follow these steps:

1. Combine like terms.

2. Make sure the variable is positive.

3. Reverse the inequality if needed.

4. Simplify.

Remember, when you’re doing the math, you don’t have to do the addition and subtraction on your own. Use your calculator to make those steps streamlined. Looking at the equation now, we’re still on the first step. We still don’t have like terms together. What’s next?

Move 4x to the left side.

How do we do that?

Subtract 4x.

If we subtract 4x from both sides, what does our inequality look like now?

Keeping It Positive

2. What is the solution set for

Whenever you need to solve a multi-step inequality, follow these steps:

1. Combine like terms.

2. Make sure the variable is positive.

3. Reverse the inequality if needed.

4. Simplify.

–7x ≤ 28

We’re left with –7x. What’s wrong with that?

The variable needs to be positive.

How can we change it?

Multiply both sides by –1.

Keeping It Positive

Whenever you need to solve a multi-step inequality, follow these steps:

1. Combine like terms.

2. Make sure the variable is positive.

3. Reverse the inequality if needed.

4. Simplify.

If we move the negative sign over, what happens to our inequality?

It gets reversed.

The lesser than or equal to sign has to become a greater than or equal to sign. Remember what I said earlier about negatives? We have to be really careful when we move those around, cause they can change everything. Now that the variable is positive, what’s the next step?

Simplify.

What should we do to simplify this inequality?

Divide both sides by 7.

Remember, you don’t have to do the mental math here. You can use your calculator. Can someone go ahead and share what you get when you simplify?

2. What is the solution set for

Keeping It Positive

Whenever you need to solve a multi-step inequality, follow these steps:

1. Combine like terms.

2. Make sure the variable is positive.

3. Reverse the inequality if needed.

4. Simplify.

Which answer choice is that?

As you may be realizing already, the B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 test likes to throw curveball after curveball. What was your reaction to this problem when you first saw it? (Allow students to answer. Answers may vary.)

At first glance, it seems like this is going to be a super complicated problem. What’s up with all the blanks? Are we supposed to fill those in? Why is there a strange question mark? I asked myself all these questions before I decided to go back and find a hack for this question. To approach this problem, what’s our first step?

Solve the equation like we normally would.

What method (that we’ve already learned) can we use to approach this problem?

Distribution.

And what was our first step in “Distribution Done Right”?

Some of the steps in

are shown.

Select the correct reason for line 4 of Cesar's solution.

Watch Your Step

Use the steps outlined in Distribution Done Right to solve:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve

Copy the equation.

Next up?

Watch Your Step

Use the steps outlined in Distribution Done Right to solve:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve

Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

Which leads us to distributing. What should we do first?

Multiply 3.5(256x) and 3.5(–0.75).

Which leaves us with?

Watch Your Step

Use the steps outlined in Distribution Done Right to solve:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

896x – 2.625 = 7

We’re not quite out of the weeds yet. What’s next?

Collect like terms and solve.

What do we need to do to “collect like terms”?

Add 2.625 to both sides.

Let’s go ahead and add it up. What do we get?

Watch Your Step

Use the steps outlined in Distribution Done Right to solve:

1. Copy the equation to your scratch paper or notepad.

2. Draw arrows to visualize the distribution.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve

896x = 9.625

The solution is close, but we don’t quite have it yet. What do we need to do to solve?

Divide both sides by 896.

Again, don’t worry about doing the simple math here. Use that calculator to your advantage and find the solution. What is it?

x = 0.0107421875

That’s a long number! Does it match with the one in the table?

Yes. It’s the rounded off version.

We’ve solved for x and we’ve followed our steps. Now, we need to compare our steps to the table that the question gave us. Keep those notes handy so you can look at the table side-by-side.

Watch 3.5(256x – 0.75) = 7 3.5(256x) – 3.5(0.75) = 7 896x – 2.625 = 7 +2.625 +2.625 896x 896 = 9.625 896 x = 0.01

Now that we have our steps and the steps that Cesar took side-by-side, we can try to figure out how Cesar got his answer. Some of the terms in the question are confusing. Associative property, commutative property... etc. What if I told you those are just there to confuse you? Look at the last step you took when you found the solution. What did you do?

Divide.

Division property of equality.

Division property of equality is a complicated term for what you just did. You know that you divided, and you see that word division, so you can be sure that you’ve got the right answer. Eliminate all of the other choices, because they just don’t fit.

Substitute to Solve

On the B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 test, systems of equations questions have:

• Two linear equations

• Two shared variables

• Two unknown values in the context of a word problem

When you got to question 4, you probably noticed a new term. What is it?

System of equations.

Technically, you can have any number of equations in a system or any number of variables across the equations. You can even have non-linear equations in a system. But on the B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 test, they don’t try to overcomplicate things for you. Instead, you’ll get pairs. What are some things that show up in twos in a systems of equations question?

Linear equations, shared variables, or unknown values in a word problem.

Close your eyes for a second and imagine your dream car. Think about what it looks like, whether the interior is leather or fabric, what color paint it’ll have… really get a clear picture of it in your head. You’re sitting in the driver seat, and you start the engine. What kind of car are you driving? (Select 2 students to share.)

Now, let’s say we’re driving that <insert student’s car> down the road, blaring our favorite music. But there’s a problem. There’s just one teeny, tiny speaker doing its best to play your favorite song. And it’s… not great. We’re going to want an upgrade, right? Get us a whole system of speakers. What’s the difference between a speaker and a speaker system?

Continue slide on next page

On the B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 test, systems of equations questions have:

• Two linear equations

• Two shared variables

• Two unknown values in the context of a word problem

There’s more than one speaker.

Speaker systems are great because even though there are different kinds of speakers to make up the whole system, they still connect and play the same song. Along this same line of thinking, what do you think the difference is between an equation and a system of equations?

The system has more than one equation. Think about systems of equations like a pair of speakers. What do speakers need to make sure they’re playing the same song together?

They need to connect.

Systems of equations connect, too! Systems of equations connect because they share a solution to a set of variables. Let’s take a look at question 4.

Keeping It Positive

We’re gonna use the substitution method to solve the system of equations. Can somebody tell me what substitution is?

Substitution is when you put one thing in place of another.

In math, substitution is just that. It’s finding the solution for one thing, and using it to find the solution for another. Let’s take it step by step. What do we need to do first?

Get a variable alone.

I would always choose to go for the simplest equation first to make my life easier. Which equation is already in a simpler form?

7y = x + 4

Go ahead and solve for x. What do you get?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

4. A system of equations is shown.

In each blank space, write a numeric value to complete the solution to the system.

Boot Camp for B.E.S.T. Algebra 1 | Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

x = 7y – 4

Now that we know a solution for x, we can substitute that into the first equation to find the solution for y. Let’s go ahead and do it. What does the first equation look like when we sub in?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

7(7y – 4) + 3y = 24

We’ve narrowed it down to an equation with just one variable. What’s the next step in the process?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

Distribute.

We’ve been practicing distribution a ton in this section, and I have faith that y’all have got this! If you need a reminder of how to distribute, look back at your book in the section “Distribution Done Right.” Who can walk me through this step? (Allow a student to explain the steps they took to distribute.)

Distribution Done Right! What’s the next step?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

Collect like terms and solve.

And what does our solution end up being?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

Collect like terms and solve.

And what does our solution end up being?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

How do we find x?

Substitute the answer for y.

Let’s sub it in and solve. Can someone walk us through to the solution?

Substitute to Solve

When you're asked to solve a system of equations, use the steps outlined here:

1. Get a variable alone.

2. Substitute the solution for one variable.

3. Distribute.

4. Collect like terms and solve.

5. Plug your solution into the other equation to find the final variable.

If we sub in the 1 for y, we end up with 7x + 3 = 24. Then we can subtract and divide to solve until we get to x = 3.

What do we need to write in the answer boxes?

3, 1.