Sample | Mastery for STAAR

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MASTERY for STAAR

Mastery for STAAR is the first and only mastery-based STAAR test curriculum. It pinpoints the most frequently tested TEKS standards and highlights the questions and topics students most often miss.

How It Works:

Districts often feel that if they have great teachers for their core subjects who follow a scope and sequence aligned with the TEKS, then they’re guaranteed good results. But that isn’t always the case.

MasteryPrep focuses on the hidden assessed standards that appear on the STAAR EOC tests, which can get lost in translation from what teachers are teaching and what students see on test day.

Mastery for STAAR was designed for high school students, but many students can benefit by participating in the program as early as 8th grade. If there are students missing the benchmarks for their course, Mastery for STAAR allows for content-based remediation in the months leading up to the test.

Implementation Models:

• One semester or full-year course

• Weekly core class or non-core class integration

• Intervention, advisory, or homeroom

• Special pullout course or after-school session

• Full virtual classroom experience for blended learning environments

What’s included:

• Student workbooks composed of comprehensive, 1-hour chapters and quick, 10-minute Snapshot exercises.

• Accompanying Teacher’s Manuals with everything included to teach a lesson.

• Fully-prepped PowerPoint slide decks

And it includes access to our SnapCourse Platform:

• Provides additional learning opportunities outside of teacher-led lessons

• Allows for guided learning without teacher intervention

ENGLISH I

• An introduction to the tech-enabled STAAR test

• 10 comprehensive, 1-hour lessons

• Almost 100 Snapshot exercises

• More than 300 STAAR-aligned practice questions

• Thorough reviews of short-constructed responses and essay-writing strategies

ENGLISH II

• An introduction to the tech-enabled STAAR test

• 10 comprehensive, 1-hour lessons

• Almost 100 Snapshot exercises

• More than 300 STAAR-aligned practice questions

• Thorough reviews of short-constructed responses and essay-writing strategies

ALGEBRA I

• An introduction to the tech-enabled STAAR test

• 8 comprehensive, 1-hour lessons

• Over 100 Snapshot exercises

• More than 300 STAAR-aligned practice questions

• Strategies for using the Demos calculator to improve accuracy across almost half of all assessed TEKS standards

BIOLOGY

• An introduction to the tech-enabled STAAR test

• 8 comprehensive, 1-hour lessons

• Almost 100 Snapshot exercise

• More than 300 STAAR-aligned practice questions

• Helpful tricks and mnemonic devices to help students remember important concepts on some of the most often missed questions

U.S. HISTORY

• An introduction to the tech-enabled STAAR test

• 8 comprehensive, 1-hour lessons

• 75 Snapshot exercises

• More than 300 STAAR-aligned practice questions

• Test-taking strategies to help students use excerpts, resources, and political cartoons to their greatest advantage

Slope in Context

In this chapter, students will calculate slope in the context of real-world scenarios when given a graph or table of values.

A3 Linear functions, equations, and inequalities.

(B) Calculate the rate of change of a linear function represented tabularly, graphically, or algebraically in context of mathematical and real-world problems. Readiness Standard

Determine the slope of a line from points or a graph

Slope in Context

LEARNING TARGETS

1. Identify the independent and dependent variable for a given real-world scenario.

2. Use the slope formula to calculate slope when given a table or graph.

3. Recognize rate of change as slope.

WARM-UP

Complete the warm-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Chapter 99 | Slope in Context

Mastery for STAAR Algebra I

Complete the warm-up. If time remains, check your answers.

The linear relationship between x and y is represented in the table. Which of the following is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

An employee is stocking canned goods on shelves. The table below shows the linear relationship between the number of canned goods stocked after certain lengths of time.

Which of the following statements gives the rate of change of the number of canned goods the employee placed on shelves with respect to the number of minutes the employee has been stocking canned goods on shelves?

A. The employee stocked 12 canned goods on shelves per minute.

B. The employee stocked 42 canned goods on shelves per minute.

C. The employee stocked 6 canned goods on shelves per minute.

D. The employee stocked 15 canned goods on shelves per minute.

WARM-UP

1. The linear relationship between x and y is represented in the table. Which of the following is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

1. The linear relationship between x and y is represented in the table.

Which of the following is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

WARM-UP

2. An employee is stocking canned goods on shelves. The table below shows the linear relationship between the number of canned goods stocked after certain lengths of time.

2. Which of the following statements gives the rate of change of the number of canned goods the employee placed on shelves with respect to the number of minutes the employee has been stocking canned goods on shelves?

A. The employee stocked 12 canned goods on shelves per minute.

B. The employee stocked 42 canned goods on shelves per minute.

C. The employee stocked 6 canned goods on shelves per minute.

D. The employee stocked 15 canned goods on shelves per minute.

WARM-UP Page Summary

Give students 8 minutes to complete the warm-up. Review the answers briefly before beginning the lesson.

SLIDE 2.1

1. The correct answer is A. The rate of change of y with respect to x is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (–9, 35) and (–6, 28).

SLIDE 2.2

2. The correct answer is C. The rate of change of the number of canned goods the employee placed on shelves with respect to the number of minutes the employee has been stocking canned goods on shelves is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (3, 18) and (5, 30).

GROUNDWORK

GROUNDWORK

Exercise A

Instructions

Use the information in the question to fill in the blanks.

You and a friend decide to climb a mountain. The beginning of the hike is at an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level. The peak of the mountain is 8,000 feet above sea level. The trail to the peak is 3 miles long and increases in elevation at a steady rate. What is the rate of change in elevation above sea level with respect to distance traveled?

Elevation change: _______________________ feet

Distance traveled: _______________________ miles

Rate of change in elevation with respect to distance: _______________________ feet per mile

Mastery for STAAR Algebra I

Chapter 99 | Slope in Context

You and a friend decide to climb a mountain. The beginning of the hike is at an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level. The peak of the mountain is 8,000 feet above sea level. The trail to the peak is 3 miles long and increases in elevation at a steady rate. What is the rate of change in elevation above sea level with respect to distance traveled?

Elevation change: ___________ feet

Distance traveled: ___________ miles

Rate of change in elevation with respect to distance: ___________ feet per mile

GROUNDWORK Page Summary

You and a friend decide to climb a mountain. The beginning of the hike is at an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level. The peak of the mountain is 8,000 feet above sea level. The trail to the peak is 3 miles long and increases in elevation at a steady rate. What is the rate of change in elevation above sea level with respect to distance traveled?

Elevation change: ___________ feet

Distance traveled: ___________ miles

Rate of change in elevation with respect to distance: ___________ feet per mile

In this section, students will calculate rate of change for a real-world scenario.

Picture this: you’re about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime with a friend. You’ll face thrilling challenges and breathtaking views on this mountain quest. But there’s one question we must answer before you set off...

What’s the question?

It’s Exercise A! There’s a ton of information packed in there, but what’s it ultimately asking us for?

The rate of change in elevation above sea level with respect to distance traveled.

Wait, what? Rate of change? Elevation and sea level? Respect? These words are kind of throwing me off. Let’s take it just one bit at a time to get a clear idea of what this question really says. First up, it says change in elevation above sea level How can we find the change in elevation of the hike?

We can subtract 5,000 feet from 8,000 feet. And what does that give us?

3,000 feet.

The end of the trail is a whopping 3,000 feet higher than the start. Make a note of that next to elevation change. The question also mentions distance traveled. What’s the distance traveled in this scenario?

3 miles.

Write 3 miles next to distance traveled. How do you know this?

Because the hike is 3 miles long.

So, we know our journey spans 3 miles, and along the way, we’ll climb an impressive 3,000 feet. How can we use these two numbers to calculate the rate of change?

We can divide them.

In math, rate is all about division. We need to divide these two numbers, but in what order? Should we divide distance traveled by elevation change or elevation change by distance traveled? We should divide elevation change by distance traveled.

In our original question, elevation above sea level comes before distance traveled. The phrase with respect to is like a division sign. The respectable variable, the one we’re giving respect to, comes after the division sign. So, what’s our final answer for rate of change in elevation with respect to distance?

1,000 feet per mile.

What does this number mean for you and your friend as you climb the mountain? For every mile we hike, we’ll gain 1,000 feet in elevation.

Phew, that’s an intense hike! Luckily, we don’t need to climb a mountain to solve rate of change questions. It’s just a matter of division and respect.

SLIDE 3.1

APPLICATION

APPLICATION APPROACH

Instructions

Use the Approach steps to answer the question below.

Text here:

When you are asked to find the rate of change of one variable with respect to another, use the following steps:

1. Item 1

2. Item 2

1. Determine the “respectable” x-variable and the y-variable.

3. Item 3

2. Select two points from the given table or graph.

4. Item 4

3. Plug those points into the slope formula, 21 21

–= –yy m xx , and solve.

A linear function is graphed on the grid. What is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

Enter your answer in the box.

Mastery for STAAR Algebra I

Chapter 99 | Slope in Context

APPLICATION

1 A linear function is graphed on the grid. What is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

Enter your answer in the box.

APPLICATION

1 A linear function is graphed on the grid. What is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

Enter your answer in the box. –0.4

What fraction do we have now?

When you get a slope question on the STAAR test that doesn’t use the word slope, what’s going to give it away that they’re looking for slope?

The phrase rate of change

That respect word is also a dead giveaway. What’s question 1 asking us to find?

The rate of change of y with respect to x

Rate of change, respect—all we’re doing here is finding slope. What’s the first step in our Approach?

Determine the “respectable” x-variable and the y-variable

What are our two variables for this question?

x and y

Which one do you think is the x-variable and which one is the y-variable? Don’t worry, this isn’t a trick question.

x is the x-variable and y is the y-variable.

Makes sense, right? Whenever you see a graph, the variable on the x-axis is always the x-variable and the variable on the y-axis is always the y-variable. What do we do next?

Select two points from the graph.

Which two points should we choose?

(–6, 1.4) and (5, –3).

Why’d you chose those two points?

Because they’re labelled on the graph.

No need to give ourselves more work. If they give us two points, let’s use them. Now that we have our two points, what do we do with them?

Plug them into the slope formula.

We’ve got this. We’re finding the change in y and the change in x and then doing a little division. What does that formula look like with the points plugged in?

1.4–(–3) = –6–5 m

What does the numerator simplify to?

1.4 – (–3) = 4.4

And what about the denominator?

–6 – 5 = –11

4.4 =–11 m

Is this our final answer? No.

Why not?

We can’t have a decimal in a fraction. How can we get rid of that decimal? We can do –4.4 divided by 11. Would you rather do that math by hand or with a calculator?

With a calculator.

Thankfully the STAAR test doesn’t expect us to divide decimals by hand. They give us a calculator in the online test platform to use, so definitely take advantage of it. Enter that problem into your calculator. What does it equal?

–0.4.

Write that in the answer box in your workbook. On the STAAR test, when you don’t have options, the test will give you a math keyboard to create your answer.

From there, it’s just a matter of punching in the digits of our answer and moving on to the next question.

APPLICATION Page Summary

In this section, students will practice applying the steps of the Approach to a rate of change question with a graph.

SLIDE 5.1

PRACTICE

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

Chapter 99 | Slope in Context

PRACTICE

Instructions

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

The values in the table represent a linear relationship between s and t

What is the rate of change of t with respect to s?

A. 15

B. 13

C. –15

D. –13

The table below shows the linear relationship between the average number of customers in a grocery store and the number of hours since the store opened for the day.

What is the rate of change for the average number of customers in the store with respect to the number of hours since the store opened? A. 18

PRACTICE

3. What is the rate of change of the total cost in dollars with respect to the number of additional minutes?

A. $3.75 per min

B. $7.50 per min

C. $1.50 per min

X.1

D. $9.25 per min PRACTICE X.1

3 What is the rate of change of the total cost in dollars with respect to the number of additional minutes?

A. $3.75 per min

B. $7.50 per min

C. $1.50 per min

D. $9.25 per min

PRACTICE Page Summary

SLIDE 7.1

4. The graph shows the linear relationship between the estimated number of liters of water used and the maximum volume that can be filled in a swimming pool. Based on the graph, which of the following is the rate of change of the estimated number of liters of water used with respect to the maximum volume filled?

A. 15 liters/ft3

B 1 15 liters/ft3

C 30 liters/ft3

D. 1 30 liters/ft3

PRACTICE

4. The graph shows the linear relationship between the estimated number of liters of water used and the maximum volume that can be filled in a swimming pool.

Based on the graph, which of the following is the rate of change of the estimated number of liters of water used with respect to the maximum volume filled?

A. 15 liters/ft3

B 1 15 liters/ft3

C 30 liters/ft3

D. 1 30 liters/ft3

Give students 10 minutes to complete the practice set. Review the answers afterward.

1. The correct answer is A. The rate of change of t with respect to s is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (–4.8, 1) and (–4, 13).

SLIDE 7.2

2. The correct answer is C. The rate of change of the average number of customers in the store with respect to the number of hours since the store opened is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (1, 8) and (4, 26).

X.2

5. What is the rate of change of the total cost in dollars with respect to the number of square feet purchased for this linear relationship? Enter your answer in the box.

5. What is the rate of change of the total cost in dollars with respect to the number of square feet purchased for this linear relationship? Enter your answer in the box.

5. The correct answer is 8. The rate of change of the total cost in dollars with respect to the number of square feet purchased is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (80, 420) and (100, 580).

WRAP-UP

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Mastery for STAAR Algebra I Chapter 99 | Slope in Context

WRAP-UP

Instructions

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

The values in the table represent a linear relationship between x and y

What is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

A. 8

B. 15

C. –8

D. –15

The table below demonstrates the linear relationship between the distance in meters above ground level and the time in seconds traveled by a helicopter.

What is the rate of change in the height above level ground with respect to time that the helicopter traveled?

5 x –12.25 –10.25 –5.25 –2 y –88 –72 –32 –6 8a

WRAP-UP

What is the rate of change of y with respect to x?

A. 8 B. 15

C. –8

D. –15

X.1 Slide 1 of 2

5. The table below demonstrates the linear relationship between the distance in meters above ground level and the time in seconds traveled by a helicopter.

WRAP-UP X.2

Enter your answer in the box.

Slide 1 of 2

What is the rate of change of y with respect to x? A. 8

B. 15 C. –8 D. –15

WRAP-UP X.1 Slide of 2

WRAP-UP Page Summary

SLIDE 8.1

What is the rate of change in the height above level ground with respect to time that the helicopter traveled?

Enter your answer in the box. 4

Give students 8 minutes to complete the wrap-up. Review the answers afterward.

4. The correct answer is A. The rate of change of y with respect to x is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (–10.25, –72) and (–5.25, –32).

–= –yy m xx –32–(–72) = –5.25–(–10.25) m

40 ==8

5. The correct answer is 4. The rate of change of the height above level ground with respect to time that the helicopter traveled is the same as the slope of the points in the table. Find the slope using two points. Let’s use the points (0, 120) and (16, 184).

21

64 ==4 16 m

21 8b

Slide of 2

Mastery for STAAR English I

Drafting a Short Answer

None

In this chapter, students will practice responding to a prompt and selecting text evidence to support their ideas.

DRAFTING A SHORT ANSWER

E1.10 Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student uses genre characteristics and craft to compose multiple texts that are meaningful. The student is expected to:

(B) compose informational texts such as explanatory essays, reports, and personal essays using genre characteristics and craft. Readiness Standard

Learning Targets

1. Write a short answer response using original language.

2. Use text evidence to support a statement.

Mastery for STAAR English I

Chapter

Drafting a Short Answer

LEARNING TARGETS

1. Write a short answer response using original language.

2. Use text evidence to support a statement.

GROUNDWORK

GROUNDWORK

Exercise A

Instructions

Define the underlined words in the prompt below.

Sample Prompt:

How does the characterization of Serenity Davis in “The Love Club” contribute to the author’s main idea? Support your answer with evidence from the passage.

How does the characterization of Serenity Davis in “The Love Club”

contribute to the author’s main idea?

Support your answer with evidence from the passage.

Mastery for STAAR English I

Chapter 99 | Drafting a Short Answer

GROUNDWORK

Sample Prompt:

GROUNDWORK

X.1

X.1

How does the characterization of Serenity Davis in “The Love Club” contribute to the author’s main idea? Support your answer with evidence from the passage.

Sample Prompt:

How does the characterization of Serenity Davis in “The Love Club” contribute to the author’s main idea? Support your answer with evidence from the passage.

The way a character is written.

The overall message of the story.

Proof from the text that supports your ideas.

GROUNDWORK Page Summary

In this section, students will practice defining key terms in a short answer prompt.

2.1

SLIDE

Imagine it’s test day and you reach a short answer prompt, and your brain completely freezes up, like, What?? I have to create my own answer now? Anyone been there?

Pause for a show of hands.

It can be really tough to jump from answering multiple choice questions to writing answers. And to make things even more challenging, these questions tend to use a lot of complicated language and really long sentences to make the question look overwhelming. Does anyone have any ideas for how we could make the question less complicated? Break down the prompt. If you look at it piece by piece, you can figure out exactly what it’s asking. Let’s practice using the prompt in Exercise A. We’ll take it one section at a time, starting with that first piece at the top of the chart.

What does it say?

How does the characterization of Serenity Davis in “The Love Club.”

Do any of these words jump out at you as challenging?

Characterization

Characterization is all about each person in the story. If a person is acting a little shady, what do you think the author is trying to imply about them? That they’re hiding something or they did something wrong.

What if the character overcomes her fears and kills a dragon? What’s the author trying to tell you about that person?

The character is brave and strong.

With these examples in mind, what do you think you should write in the box next to characterization?

The way a character is written.

Characterization sounds complex, but it’s basically how a character is presented in the story. Add that to your chart in the second column. Let’s move to the second part of the prompt. There’s more of a clue here. What are we focusing on?

The main idea.

What’s the main idea of a passage?

The central focus or topic.

The main idea is the big picture, or what the passage is really about. It’s the takeaway message from the story. For example, let’s say you’re reading a story about friends who stay close for generations. What do you think the main idea could be?

The value of loyalty or trust.

So what should we write next to main idea?

The overall message of the story.

Let’s add that to the chart, too. Time for the last one. What’s the most important part of this section of the prompt?

Evidence.

Evidence is our proof. It’s what helps us back up our ideas with specific examples from the text. If you were writing about a character’s bravery, what kind of quote would you look for?

A quote where the character faces their fears or stands up for someone.

How would you define evidence, in your own words?

Proof from the text that supports your ideas.

By taking the time to define these key terms, we’re better prepared to tackle writing prompts and answer them effectively. Breaking down a prompt into its key parts and understanding their significance will help you stay focused and on track while writing.

APPLICATION

Instructions

Use the Approach steps to answer the question below.

When you are asked to answer a short answer question, use the following steps:

1. Read the prompt and identify the main question you need to answer in your response.

2. Write one sentence that answers the question in your own words.

3. Write another sentence that includes evidence from the passage to support your claim.

Read the question carefully. Then, record your answer in the box provided.

How does the boy’s experience playing basketball in “Andre and the Hoop” contribute to the main idea of the story? Explain your answer with evidence from the selection.

Andre and the Hoop from Andre Grows Up by Jason Burton

1 An asphalt court on a summer night:

2 The kid can’t get the ball through the hoop. Though he heaves it up toward the backboard every time he takes a shot, it does not follow the graceful arc he pictures in his head. The ball does not swish effortlessly through the net, but falls heavily to the ground as if injured; it sighs tiredly, like a person flopping into a chair, and bounces awkwardly across the court.

3 Uncle Mikey passes him the ball. He jogs down the court with the boy each time, and jogs patiently back to pass it to him for the next shot. He feels responsible for the boy’s failure to shoot a basket. The hoop is just too tall. He realized this when they got to the park; he had not wanted to walk another six blocks to the playground with the lower hoops. He shakes his head with regret for his laziness.

4 Uncle Antonio and Uncle Dom bicker about overly complicated player formations. Their expressions are unreadable in the darkening twilight, their shapes the same except that Uncle Antonio wears a sweatshirt, while Uncle Dom, who is always overheated, has rolled up his short sleeves. They yell loudly every time the boy takes a shot. They jump up and wave their arms in anticipation of the rebound, but only to make their

APPLICATION

1 An asphalt court on a summer night:

Andre and the Hoop from Andre Grows Up by Jason Burton

X.1

2 The kid can't get the ball through the hoop. Though he heaves it up toward the backboard every time he takes a shot, it does not follow the graceful arc he pictures in his head. The ball does not swish effortlessly through the net, but falls heavily to the ground as if injured; it sighs tiredly, like a person flopping into a chair, and bounces awkwardly across the court.

3 Uncle Mikey passes him the ball. He jogs down the court with the boy each time, and jogs patiently back to pass it to him for the next shot. He feels responsible for the boy's failure to shoot a basket. The hoop is just too tall. He realized this when they got to the park; he had not wanted to walk another six blocks to the playground with the lower hoops. He shakes his head with regret for his laziness.

4 Uncle Antonio and Uncle Dom bicker about overly complicated player formations. Their expressions are unreadable in the darkening twilight, their shapes the same except that Uncle Antonio wears a sweatshirt, while Uncle Dom, who is always overheated, has rolled up his short sleeves. They yell loudly every time the boy takes a shot. They jump up and wave their arms in anticipation of the rebound, but only to make their nephew feel better; their cheers are no less enthusiastic after each unsuccessful attempt. They don't suggest going to the playground instead because they don't want the boy to feel like a failure.

5 The uncles refer to each other by the team nicknames they had in their high school days. No one else calls Uncle Dom "the Shark" anymore, but he feels like he's back on the old team as soon as he hears it. Each uncle would happily compete in a tournament at any time, if anyone asked them, but no one had asked for a long time. They still run through their team's old plays, reliving the big championship game, as if they might be called upon for a rematch at any moment. Slide 2 of 4

Chapter 99 | Drafting a Short Answer

APPLICATION

6 The boy looks at Uncle Mikey until Uncle Mikey's eyes seem to shine from some unknown source, faintly, like the sun through the fog. His face transforms into an unfamiliar form, blurs into something he doesn't recognize, until the boy refocuses his vision to see only what actually exists.

7 "All right, Ace," Uncle Mikey says. "Get ready for the ball. Here's your pass.”

8 The ball that Uncle Mikey holds against his chest is hard to see, a hallucination, a memory. The buildings across the street are as dim as a forgotten dream; the sidewalk bends in front of them almost by chance. Uncle Mikey lofts the ball easily to the kid, who traps it once it reaches him and squints toward the backboard, which pulses faintly with the reflection of light from the streetlight down the block. The kid dribbles painstakingly down the court; he heaves the ball with as much force as he can muster. The ball lurches heavily and clangs against the rim. It drops down to the ground, wobbling, with pent-up energy beneath its outer layer. The kid walks over to the ball, picks it up, and tosses it back to Uncle Mikey.

9 "It almost goes in, every time," the kid says.

10 Nothin' but net, this next one's gonna be nothin' but net," Uncle Antonio calls out.

11 "Sa-wish, sa-wish!" says Uncle Dom, doing a little dance. The uncles are clapping and chanting to the kid. He has never heard anything so wondrous. He does not want the game to end.

12 "All right, Ace," says Uncle Mikey. "Here it comes. Take your shot."

Mastery for STAAR English I

nephew feel better; their cheers are no less enthusiastic after each unsuccessful attempt. They don’t suggest going to the playground instead because they don’t want the boy to feel like a failure.

5 The uncles refer to each other by the team nicknames they had in their high school days. No one else calls Uncle Dom “the Shark” anymore, but he feels like he’s back on the old team as soon as he hears it. Each uncle would happily compete in a tournament at any time, if anyone asked them, but no one had asked for a long time. They still run through their team’s old plays, reliving the big championship game, as if they might be called upon for a rematch at any moment.

6 The boy looks at Uncle Mikey until Uncle Mikey’s eyes seem to shine from some unknown source, faintly, like the sun through the fog. His face transforms into an unfamiliar form, blurs into something he doesn’t recognize, until the boy refocuses his vision to see only what actually exists.

7 “All right, Ace,” Uncle Mikey says. “Get ready for the ball. Here’s your pass.”

8 The ball that Uncle Mikey holds against his chest is hard to see, a hallucination, a memory. The buildings across the street are as dim as a forgotten dream; the sidewalk bends in front of them almost by chance. Uncle Mikey lofts the ball easily to the kid, who traps it once it reaches him and squints toward the backboard, which pulses faintly with the reflection of light from the streetlight down the block. The kid dribbles painstakingly down the court; he heaves the ball with as much force as he can muster. The ball lurches heavily and clangs against the rim. It drops down to the ground, wobbling, with pent-up energy beneath its outer layer. The kid walks over to the ball, picks it up, and tosses it back to Uncle Mikey.

9 “It almost goes in, every time,” the kid says.

10 “Nothin’ but net, this next one’s gonna be nothin’ but net,” Uncle Antonio calls out.

11 “Sa-wish, sa-wish!” says Uncle Dom, doing a little dance. The uncles are clapping and chanting to the kid. He has never heard anything so wondrous. He does not want the game to end.

12 “All right, Ace,” says Uncle Mikey. “Here it comes. Take your shot.”

APPLICATION

1. Read the question carefully. Then, record your answer in the box provided. How does the boy’s experience playing basketball in “Andre and the Hoop” contribute to the main idea of the story? Explain your answer with evidence from the selection.

APPLICATION

1. Read the question carefully. Then, record your answer in the box provided. How does the boy’s experience playing basketball in “Andre and the Hoop” contribute to the main idea of the story? Explain your answer with evidence from the selection.

In “Andre and the Hoop,” the boy enjoys playing basketball with his uncles, showing the importance of family memories and bonding.

Possible answers:

They jump up and wave their arms in anticipation of the rebound, but only to make their nephew feel better; their cheers are no less enthusiastic after each unsuccessful attempt. (paragraph 4)

The uncles are clapping and chanting to the kid. He has never heard anything so wondrous. He does not want the game to end. (paragraph 11)

APPLICATION Page Summary

In this section, students will practice answering a short answer question.

SLIDE 5.1

It’s hard to predict what passages are going to show up on test day. But you know what we can be sure of? We’re going to get a short answer question. How do you know you’re looking at a short answer question?

There is a passage and a prompt that asks us to answer the question with a quote.

What’s the first thing we need to do when we come across this type of question?

Read the prompt and identify the main question we need to answer in our response.

Let’s break down the prompt to figure out the main question. First off: what title are we reading?

“Andre and the Hoop.”

On test day, you’ll need to take some time to read the passage. Before we read it, let’s nail down what we need to be looking for in the story. What’s the prompt asking us to explain?

How the boy’s experience playing basketball contributes to the main idea of the story.

There’s our focus. Take 5 minutes to read the passage and focus on the boy’s experience playing basketball and the main idea. Look up when you’re done.

Give students 5 minutes to read the passage.

What do our Approach steps say we need to do next?

Write one sentence that answers the question in your own words.

What should we be careful about when we’re answering the question in our own words?

We need to be careful that we don’t plagiarize. Also, we need to answer the question.

Remember that we need to answer the question and we need to use our own words when we do that. We want to get all the points we can! Go ahead and draft a response, and then we’ll go over those together.

Give students 5 minutes to write a response.

Let’s hear some of those responses! Who thinks they’ve got a good one?

In “Andre and the Hoop,” the boy enjoys playing basketball with his uncles, showing the importance of family memories and bonding.

Our response needs to answer all parts of the prompt. Once we’ve got that response sentence ready, what’s next?

Write another sentence that includes evidence from the passage to support your claim.

Do you think we can just grab a quote at random?

No.

What kind of quote should we be looking for?

One that relates to our answer.

Can anyone find a quote that shows how the boy enjoys playing basketball with his uncles, showing the importance of family memories?

Possible answers:

They jump up and wave their arms in anticipation of the rebound, but only to make their nephew feel better; their cheers are no less enthusiastic after each unsuccessful attempt. (paragraph 4)

“The uncles are clapping and chanting to the kid. He has never heard anything so wondrous. He does not want the game to end. (paragraph 11)

For this question type, you really don’t need any transitions. You can use any quote that proves your response, and just drop it in there in quotation marks. Once we have that, we have a complete short answer response. As long as you follow this structure, you’ll be good to go.

Transitions

In this chapter, students will learn how to use transition words and phrases to connect ideas between sentences.

60 minutes

Revising Drafts

E2.9 Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts-writing process. The student uses the writing process recursively to compose multiple texts that are legible and use appropriate conventions. The student is expected to:

(B) develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing in timed and open-ended situations by:

(i) using an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, topic, and context. Readiness Standard

ACT ORG 401

Determine the need for transition words or phrases to establish straightforward logical relationships (e.g., first afterward, in response)

ACT ORG 501

Determine the need for transition words or phrases to establish subtle logical relationships within and between sentences (e.g., in addition

SAT

Introductions, conclusions, and transitions

Learning

Mastery for STAAR English I

Chapter

Transitions

LEARNING TARGETS

Select an appropriate transition to connect ideas in a relationship.

1. Determine the type of relationship between two ideas in a sentence or passage.

2. Select an appropriate transition to connect ideas in a relationship.

3. Categorize transitions to eliminate incorrect answers on transitions questions on the STAAR.

WARM-UP

Complete the warm-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Chapter 99 | Transitions

WARM-UP Instructions

Complete the warm-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Mastery for STAAR English II

(1) The American restaurant Opaque has continued the now almost 25-year-old French culinary idea of le gout du obscurité, which means “the taste of darkness.” (2) The taste of darkness is a lights-off take on traditional dining.

(3) Adventurous diners sit blindfolded or in a perfectly dark room, even keeping cell phones and cameras off. (4) There are no menus for the diners to read as they order their food. (5) Furthermore, they select main ingredients by filling out a form before arriving at the restaurant. (6) Servers avoid providing even the most minor hints about the menu, such as asking “a butter lemon sauce or sweet potato puree?” or commenting “Oh, great choice.” (7) And with each blindfolded minute, the sense of taste takes over. (8) Even the other senses are heightened. (9) The suppression of just one sense changes the whole dining experience in a way that is remarkable.

Daniel wants to use a more appropriate transition in sentence 5. Which of the following can best replace Furthermore in this sentence?

A. For instance

B. In conclusion

C. On the whole

D. Instead

(1) The reaction to the call for human hair was remarkable. (2) American astronaut Sunita Williams donated more than 20 inches of her own hair. (3) Many others around the world also showed interest in donating their hair to child cancer survivors. (4) Locks of Love, a hair prosthetic charity founded in 1997, soon began to collect approximately 100,000 hair donations per year. (5) This year, some of the hair was donated to children at Fox Chase Cancer Center. (6) Other hair was donated to alopecia clinics. (7) The charity also sold some of its donated hair to raise money for burn-victim research and treatment.

What is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 4?

A. However

B. For instance

C. Moreover

D. As a result

WARM-UP

(1) The American restaurant Opaque has continued the now almost 25-year-old French culinary idea of le gout du obscurité, which means "the taste of darkness.” (2) The taste of darkness is a lights-off take on traditional dining. (3) Adventurous diners sit blindfolded or in a perfectly dark room, even keeping cell phones and cameras off. (4) There are no menus for the diners to read as they order their food. (5) Furthermore, they select main ingredients by filling out a form before arriving at the restaurant. (6) Servers avoid providing even the most minor hints about the menu, such as asking "a butter lemon sauce or sweet potato puree?" or commenting "Oh, great choice." (7) And with each blindfolded minute, the sense of taste takes over. (8) Even the other senses are heightened. (9) The suppression of just one sense changes the whole dining experience in a way that is remarkable.

1. Daniel wants to use a more appropriate transition in sentence 5. Which of the following can best replace Furthermore in this sentence?

A. For instance

B In conclusion

C On the whole

D. Instead

WARM-UP

(1) The American restaurant Opaque has continued the now almost 25-year-old French culinary idea of le gout du obscurité, which means "the taste of darkness.” (2) The taste of darkness is a lights-off take on traditional dining. (3) Adventurous diners sit blindfolded or in a perfectly dark room, even keeping cell phones and cameras off. (4) There are no menus for the diners to read as they order their food. (5)

Furthermore, they select main ingredients by filling out a form before arriving at the restaurant. (6) Servers avoid providing even the most minor hints about the menu, such as asking "a butter lemon sauce or sweet potato puree?" or commenting "Oh, great choice." (7) And with each blindfolded minute, the sense of taste takes over. (8) Even the other senses are heightened. (9) The suppression of just one sense changes the whole dining experience in a way that is remarkable.

1. Daniel wants to use a more appropriate transition in sentence 5. Which of the following can best replace Furthermore in this sentence?

A. For instance

B In conclusion

C On the whole

D. Instead

WARM-UP Page Summary

SLIDE 2.1

WARM-UP

(1) The reaction to the call for human hair was remarkable. (2) American astronaut Sunita Williams donated more than 20 inches of her own hair. (3) Many others around the world also showed interest in donating their hair to child cancer survivors. (4) Locks of Love, a hair prosthetic charity founded in 1997, soon began to collect approximately 100,000 hair donations per year. (5) This year, some of the hair was donated to children at Fox Chase Cancer Center. (6) Other hair was donated to alopecia clinics. (7) The charity also sold some of its donated hair to raise money for burn-victim research and treatment.

2. What is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 4?

A. However

B For instance

C. Moreover

D. As a result

X.2

(1) The reaction to the call for human hair was remarkable. (2) American astronaut Sunita Williams donated more than 20 inches of her own hair. (3) Many others around the world also showed interest in donating their hair to child cancer survivors. (4) Locks of Love, a hair prosthetic charity founded in 1997, soon began to collect approximately 100,000 hair donations per year. (5) This year, some of the hair was donated to children at Fox Chase Cancer Center. (6) Other hair was donated to alopecia clinics. (7) The charity also sold some of its donated hair to raise money for burn-victim research and treatment.

2 What is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 4?

A. However

B For instance

C Moreover

WARM-UP Slide

D. As a result

Give students 8 minutes to complete the warm-up. Review the answers briefly before beginning the lesson.

1. The correct answer is D. Sentence 4 states that the diners have no menus, suggesting a unique dining experience. Sentence 5 indicates what those diners do in place of, or instead of, using menus. Therefore, the transition word instead is appropriate here.

Choice A is incorrect because for instance is a transition used to give an example of what was discussed previously. However, sentence 5 provides an alternative to what was discussed previously, not an example.

Choice B is incorrect because in conclusion is a transition that is used to conclude an idea that was previously discussed. However, sentence 5 does not conclude an idea.

Choice C is incorrect because on the whole is a transition used to summarize an idea that was previously discussed. However, sentence 5 does not summarize previously discussed information.

SLIDE 2.2

2. The correct answer is D. Because sentence 4 shows the result of the various hair contributions described in the previous sentences, the transition as a result is appropriate.

Choice A is incorrect because however is a transition word used to introduce a contrast. However, sentence 4 does not introduce a contrast.

Choice B is incorrect because for instance is a transition used to introduce specific examples of ideas or information, but sentence 4 does not provide an example of a concept discussed in the previous sentence.

Choice C is incorrect because moreover is a transition word used to introduce new and relevant information. However, sentence 4 does not introduce new information, but rather describes a result of the information discussed in the previous sentence.

WARM-UP Page Summary

Give students 8 minutes to complete the warm-up. Review the answers briefly before beginning the lesson.

3. The correct answer is C. For example is a transition used to introduce an example of what was discussed previously. Sentence 2 states that Cameron hopes that the expedition will aid in further deep-sea research, and sentence 3 gives examples, or possibilities, of how that might occur, so for example is appropriate.

Choice A is incorrect because in the meantime is a transition used to show when something occurs, not how, and is therefore not a good fit for this sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because luckily is used to introduce a thought about a positive event that occurs by chance. However, sentence 3 is focused on providing examples of who might benefit from Cameron’s research, not on why his findings are fortunate.

Choice D is incorrect because similarly is a transition word used to introduce a comparison. However, sentence 3 does not introduce a comparison between two similar things.

WARM-UP

(1) The dive was the fulfillment of seven years of research and development by Cameron and his team. (2) Cameron and his crew state that they hope the expedition will aid in further deep-sea research. (3) However, data gathered from exploring the Mariana Trench could be used to help submarine pilots, divers, and researchers who may want to learn more about the ocean floor. (4) As for David Cameron, he says that he does not want this dive to be a one-off. (5) And one tends to take him at his word. (6) His track record includes over 70 submersible dives for deepsea and ocean-floor research.

3. Matthew has not used an appropriate transition in sentence 3. Which of these could best replace However and create a more appropriate transition between sentences 2 and 4?

A. In the meantime

B. Luckily

C. For example

D. Similarly

WARM-UP

(1) The dive was the fulfillment of seven years of research and development by Cameron and his team. (2) Cameron and his crew state that they hope the expedition will aid in further deep-sea research. (3) However, data gathered from exploring the Mariana Trench could be used to help submarine pilots, divers, and researchers who may want to learn more about the ocean floor. (4) As for David Cameron, he says that he does not want this dive to be a one-off. (5) And one tends to take him at his word. (6) His track record includes over 70 submersible dives for deepsea and ocean-floor research.

3. Matthew has not used an appropriate transition in sentence 3. Which of these could best replace However and create a more appropriate transition between sentences 2 and 4?

A. In the meantime

B Luckily

C For example

D. Similarly

SLIDE 3.1

GROUNDWORK

GROUNDWORK

Exercise A Instructions

Sort the transitions from the word bank into their correct categories.

Word Bank although finally

as a result also

first however

for instance consequently

similarly on the other hand

Transition Categories

1. Contrast

2. Support

3. Cause/Effect

4. Sequence

Mastery for STAAR English II

Chapter 99 | Transitions

In this section, students will sort transition words and phrases into categories.

SLIDE 4.1

Say you're driving down the road and there's an intersection with a traffic light just ahead. Something strange happens—the light skips yellow and jumps straight from green to red. Why would that be a problem?

Ask 1–2 students to share.

That yellow light is so essential because it works like a warning—a transition of sorts—letting you know that something’s about to change. In the same way, transitions act like those yellow lights in our writing, letting our readers know that they’re about to see some kind of change or connection between ideas. What is a transition, anyway?

A word or phrase that connects different ideas.

Transitions help us move from one sentence to another in a way that makes sense. Transitions are tools, and similar tools can perform the same job. That’s why it helps to put transitions into categories. What’s the first category in your workbook?

Contrast.

What do you think the role of a contrast transition is?

To show a difference.

Looking at the word bank on the top of your page, can you see any transitions that show contrast?

Although, on the other hand, and however

The transition word however helps signal to the reader that a twist is coming. For example, “I couldn’t stop doing the hokey pokey. However, I was able to turn myself around.” What's our next transition category? Support.

Support transitions are used to add information that agrees with the information before it. Support transitions can also provide examples to support the ideas that come before. Which transitions in the box fit into this category? Similarly, also, and for instance.

The transition word also helps to show that the idea that follows supports the sentence that comes before. For example, “The dictionary went to the gym because it wanted to stay in great shape. Also, it needed to work on its definition.” What's the next transition category?

Cause and effect.

We can use words and phrases like consequently or as a result to help show the reader that what follows happened because of what came before. “I accidentally handed my friend a glue stick instead of ChapStick. Consequently, they still aren’t talking to me.” What’s the fourth transition category on our page? Sequence.

Sequence transitions help you describe when something happened. We’ve only got two options left, but humor me anyway. Which transitions help us show sequence?

First and finally

“Why did the calendar become a comedian? Because it had great timing!” It always knew when to start with the opener and when to finally deliver the punchline. Now that we’ve got an idea of how these transitions are used to help us connect ideas, let’s see some in action.

although, on the other hand, however

similarly, also, for instance

consequently, as a result first, finally

APPLICATION

APPLICATION

Instructions

Use the Approach steps to answer the question below.

APPROACH

When you are asked to choose an appropriate transition on the test, use the following steps:

1. Use context to figure out the intended relationship between ideas.

2. Eliminate answer choices that create illogical connections.

(1) Small business owners, are you having trouble getting through everything on your checklist? (2) Employees, are you drained from endless work? (3) You are not the only ones. (4) Every day in small businesses around the globe, employees have full workdays, hours of commuting, and professional development classes in fields like management or web development. (5) By Friday, workers are barely able to roll out of bed, but they must slog through another workday. (6) Therefore, small business owners are spending their weekends filing paperwork and writing emails instead of spending quality time with loved ones.

Jessica has not used the most effective transition in sentence 6. Which transition should replace the word Therefore in sentence 6?

A. Likewise

B. On the other hand

C. Besides

D. Next

Mastery for STAAR English II

Chapter 99 | Transitions

APPLICATION

7.1

SLIDE

Page Summary

In this section, students will practice applying the steps of the Approach to a transitions question.

You’re guaranteed to see at least one transitions question on the STAAR test, but how will you know what it is? What clues do you see that tell us this is a transitions question?

The question asks for the appropriate transition, and all the answer choices are different transitions.

If all of your options are transition words and phrases, you know you’ll be building a bridge between the ideas in the sentence or passage. What’s the first thing you should do?

Use context to figure out the intended relationship between ideas.

Will someone read sentences 5 and 6 for us?

By Friday, workers are barely able to roll out of bed, but they must slog through another workday. Therefore, small business owners are spending their weekends filing paperwork and writing emails instead of spending quality time with loved ones.

We have one sentence about the impact of long work hours on workers, and another sentence that compares the similar workload of small business owners. What kind of relationship does that sound like?

Supporting.

The details in sentence 6 provide support for what comes before it. What do we do once we’ve identified the relationship?

Eliminate answer choices that create illogical connections.

Let’s go through these, starting with choice A. What kind of relationship does likewise imply? Support.

That could be the one. Let’s hang on to it and look at the others to be sure. What about choice B?

What does the phrase on the other hand make you think of?

On the other hand is contrasting.

Does contrast work here? No.

That means choice B is out. Let’s try out choice C. Can besides be supporting? No.

How do you know?

That’s contrasting.

That leaves us with our last option, choice D. Does next show support? No. It’s a sequence transition.

That means that choice A is the right answer. Remember: when faced with a transitions question on the STAAR, look for the relationships between ideas. You want to pick the transition that best makes a bridge between the sentences.

APPLICATION

(1) Small business owners, are you having trouble getting through everything on your checklist?

(2) Employees, are you drained from endless work? (3) You are not the only ones. (4) Every day in small businesses around the globe, employees have full workdays, hours of commuting, and professional development classes in fields like management or web development. (5) By Friday, workers are barely able to roll out of bed, but they must slog through another workday. (6) Therefore, small business owners are spending their weekends filing paperwork and writing emails instead of spending quality time with loved ones.

1. Jessica has not used the most effective transition in sentence 6. Which transition should replace the word Therefore in sentence 6?

A. Likewise

B. On the other hand

C. Besides

D. Next

APPLICATION

X.1

(1) Small business owners, are you having trouble getting through everything on your checklist?

(2) Employees, are you drained from endless work? (3) You are not the only ones. (4) Every day in small businesses around the globe, employees have full workdays, hours of commuting, and professional development classes in fields like management or web development. (5) By Friday, workers are barely able to roll out of bed, but they must slog through another workday. (6) Therefore, small business owners are spending their weekends filing paperwork and writing emails instead of spending quality time with loved ones.

1. Jessica has not used the most effective transition in sentence 6. Which transition should replace the word Therefore in sentence 6?

A. Likewise

B On the other hand

C Besides

D. Next

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

Mastery for STAAR English II Chapter 99 | Transitions

PRACTICE

Instructions

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

(1) The use of coal not only raises environmental concerns, but coal is also markedly inefficient in comparison to nuclear energy. (2) Indeed, producing the same amount of heat requires as much as 20,000 times more coal than uranium. (3) However, for an average household, the yearly uranium usage would be approximately 0.24 pounds. (4) That same household would require over 4,750 pounds of coal. (5) Most people could probably think of more efficient methods to power their homes.

James has not used the most effective transition in sentence 3. Which transition should replace the word However in sentence 3?

A. As a result

B. Nevertheless

C. For instance

D. Next

(1) The 2021 film King Kong was an undisputed success in some respects. (2) Over 8 million people saw it on opening weekend, and the film made more than $210 million in total. (3) For these reasons, Universal Pictures failed to benefit financially because it had spent too much money on production. (4) Film Stats Corp. reports that the total monetary loss from the film was $143 million. The 2011 film Mars Needs Moms performed even worse. Natalie Donnelly of The Weekly Film Review wrote, “in the end, the film lost Walt Disney Pictures over $150 million, a titanic loss of almost double its production budget.”

Rachael has used an ineffective transition at the beginning of sentence 3. Select the phrase that should replace For these reasons in this sentence.

A. All things considered

B. In spite of this

C. In conclusion

D. Almost certainly

Give students 10 minutes to complete the practice set. Review the answers afterward.

SLIDE 10.1

1. The correct answer is C. Because sentence 3 introduces a specific example, the transition for instance is appropriate. Sentence 2 states a general statistic about how much coal or uranium must be used to produce the same amount of energy, and sentence 3 introduces an example to illustrate what that statistic means in practical terms.

Choice A is incorrect because as a result is a transition used to introduce a consequence of the information discussed previously, but sentence 3 introduces an example, rather than a consequence, of what was discussed previously.

Choice B is incorrect because nevertheless is a transition used to highlight or signal contrasting information in a text, but sentence 3 introduces an example rather than emphasizing a contrast. Choice D is incorrect because next is a transition word used to order ideas chronologically, but sentence 3 introduces an example rather than events that occur in sequence.

SLIDE 10.2

2. The correct answer is B. Sentence 2 states the positives about how successful the movie was, but sentence 3 introduces a contrast by pointing out that Universal Pictures still failed to earn money. Because sentence 2 and sentence 3 provide conflicting information, the contrast transition in spite of this is appropriate. Choice A is incorrect because all things considered is a conclusion transition, and there is nothing here to conclude.

Choice C is incorrect because in conclusion is a conclusion transition, and there is nothing here to conclude.

Choice D is incorrect because almost certainly is a transition used to portray support. Sentence 3 introduces conflicting information from sentence 2; therefore, emphasis is not required.

PRACTICE

1. James has not used the most effective transition in sentence 3. Which transition should replace the word However in sentence 3?

A. As a result

B. Nevertheless

C. For instance

(1) The use of coal not only raises environmental concerns, but coal is also markedly inefficient in comparison to nuclear energy. (2) Indeed, producing the same amount of heat requires as much as 20,000 times more coal than uranium. (3) However, for an average household, the yearly uranium usage would be approximately 0.24 pounds. (4) That same household would require over 4,750 pounds of coal. (5) Most people could probably think of more efficient methods to power their homes. PRACTICE

D. Next

(1) The use of coal not only raises environmental concerns, but coal is also markedly inefficient in comparison to nuclear energy. (2) Indeed, producing the same amount of heat requires as much as 20,000 times more coal than uranium. (3) However, for an average household, the yearly uranium usage would be approximately 0.24 pounds. (4) That same household would require over 4,750 pounds of coal. (5) Most people could probably think of more efficient methods to power their homes.

1. James has not used the most effective transition in sentence 3. Which transition should replace the word However in sentence 3?

A. As a result

B. Nevertheless

C. For instance

D. Next

PRACTICE

(1) The 2021 film King Kong was an undisputed success in some respects. (2) Over 8 million people saw it on opening weekend, and the film made more than $210 million in total. (3) For these reasons, Universal Pictures failed to benefit financially because it had spent too much money on production. (4) Film Stats Corp. reports that the total monetary loss from the film was $143 million. (5) The 2011 film Mars Needs Moms performed even worse. (6) Natalie Donnelly of The Weekly Film Review wrote, "in the end, the film lost Walt Disney Pictures over $150 million, a titanic loss of almost double its production budget."

2. Rachael has used an ineffective transition at the beginning of sentence 3. Select the phrase that should replace For these reasons in this sentence.

A. All things considered

B. In spite of this

C. In conclusion

D. Almost certainly

PRACTICE

X.2

(1) The 2021 film King Kong was an undisputed success in some respects. (2) Over 8 million people saw it on opening weekend, and the film made more than $210 million in total. (3) For these reasons, Universal Pictures failed to benefit financially because it had spent too much money on production. (4) Film Stats Corp. reports that the total monetary loss from the film was $143 million. (5) The 2011 film Mars Needs Moms performed even worse. (6) Natalie Donnelly of The Weekly Film Review wrote, "in the end, the film lost Walt Disney Pictures over $150 million, a titanic loss of almost double its production budget."

2. Rachael has used an ineffective transition at the beginning of sentence 3. Select the phrase that should replace For these reasons in this sentence.

A. All things considered

B In spite of this

C. In conclusion

D. Almost certainly

WRAP-UP

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

WRAP-UP

Instructions

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

(1) The invention of M&Ms helped deliver sweet snacks to soldiers. (2) M&Ms owes its origins to the U.S. military’s aim to provide unmelted chocolate to American soldiers in World War II. (3) To solve the issue, Forrest Mars, Sr., borrowed from the way soldiers during the Spanish Civil War ate chocolate pellets with hard shells. (4) The idea was to cover chocolate in a sugar casing. (5) After the chocolate centers were created, they were protected by hard shells made from corn syrup. (6) Then, the candies were packed into quick-dispense paper tubes. (7) If the M&Ms inside the tubes were heated, the shells would remain intact, preventing the chocolate from melting entirely. (8) This innovation provided soldiers with energy-boosting snacks that could be carried through high temperatures and still remain solid. (9) Furthermore, there was one issue with this design: they needed a better taste, leading to the Mars company’s improvement on the hard shell’s flavor. (10) Now M&Ms can be found in almost every store across America.

Karley has used an ineffective transition at the beginning of sentence 9. Select the phrase that should replace Furthermore in this sentence.

A. Additionally

B. Moreover

C. Since

D. However

Mastery for STAAR English II

Chapter 99 | Transitions

WRAP-UP Page Summary

Give students 8 minutes to complete the wrap-up. Review the answers afterward.

SLIDE 13.1

4. The correct answer is D. Because sentence 9 presents conflicting information, the contrast transition however is required. Information before sentence 8 confirms the positives about M&Ms, but sentence 9 contrasts this with the downside of the taste.

Choice A is incorrect because additionally is a transition used to introduce new and relevant information, but the sentence that follows provides a contrast with what came before, not merely new information on the same topic.

Choice B is incorrect because moreover is used to introduce new and relevant information, but the sentence that follows provides a contrast with what came before, not merely new information on the same topic.

Choice C is incorrect because since is a transition word used to order ideas chronologically, but sentences 8 and 9 do not discuss a change in time; rather, the two sentences present contrasting ideas.

(1) The invention of M&Ms helped deliver sweet snacks to soldiers. (2) M&Ms owes its origins to the U.S. military's aim to provide unmelted chocolate to American soldiers in World War II. (3) To solve the issue, Forrest Mars, Sr., borrowed from the way soldiers during the Spanish Civil War ate chocolate pellets with hard shells. (4) The idea was to cover chocolate in a sugar casing. (5) After the chocolate centers were created, they were protected by hard shells made from corn syrup. (6) Then, the candies were packed into quick-dispense paper tubes. (7) If the M&Ms inside the tubes were heated, the shells would remain intact, preventing the chocolate from melting entirely. (8) This innovation provided soldiers with energy-boosting snacks that could be carried through high temperatures and still remain solid. (9) Furthermore, there was one issue with this design: they needed a better taste, leading to the Mars company's improvement on the hard shell's flavor. (10) Now M&Ms can be found in almost every store across America.

4. Karley has used an ineffective transition at the beginning of sentence 9. Select the phrase that should replace Furthermore in this sentence.

A. Additionally

B. Moreover

C. Since

D. However

WRAP-UP X.1

(1) The invention of M&Ms helped deliver sweet snacks to soldiers. (2) M&Ms owes its origins to the U.S. military's aim to provide unmelted chocolate to American soldiers in World War II. (3) To solve the issue, Forrest Mars, Sr., borrowed from the way soldiers during the Spanish Civil War ate chocolate pellets with hard shells. (4) The idea was to cover chocolate in a sugar casing. (5) After the chocolate centers were created, they were protected by hard shells made from corn syrup. (6) Then, the candies were packed into quick-dispense paper tubes. (7) If the M&Ms inside the tubes were heated, the shells would remain intact, preventing the chocolate from melting entirely. (8) This innovation provided soldiers with energy-boosting snacks that could be carried through high temperatures and still remain solid. (9) Furthermore, there was one issue with this design: they needed a better taste, leading to the Mars company's improvement on the hard shell's flavor. (10) Now M&Ms can be found in almost every store across America.

4 Karley has used an ineffective transition at the beginning of sentence 9. Select the phrase that should replace Furthermore in this sentence.

A. Additionally

B. Moreover

C Since

D. However

Viruses

In this chapter, students will identify the structures of viruses and the role they play in infecting cells. Students will also distinguish between the two types of viral replication cycles.

B.4 Science concepts. The student knows that cells are the basic structures of all living things with specialized parts that perform specific functions and that viruses are different from cells. The student is expected to:

(C) compare the structures of viruses to cells, describe viral reproduction, and describe the role of viruses in causing diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and influenza Readiness Standard

Learning Targets

1. Identify the structures of a virus.

2. Describe the relationship between cells and viruses regarding infection.

3. Differentiate between the types of replication cycles.

Mastery for STAAR Biology

Chapter

VIRUSES 99

LEARNING TARGETS

1. Identify the structures of a virus.

2. Describe the relationship between cells and viruses regarding infection.

3. Differentiate between the types of replication cycles.

WARM-UP

Complete

Which conclusion about the life cycle is best supported by the diagram?

A. The life cycle does not require living cells.

B. The life cycle requires a host cell to replicate.

C. The life cycle involves the process of mitosis.

D. The life cycle requires sunlight.

WARM-UP Page Summary Give students 6 minutes to complete the warm-up. Review the answers briefly before beginning the lesson.

SLIDE 2.1

1. The correct answer is B. The life cycle of a virus requires a host cell to be able to replicate more viral particles.

Choice A is incorrect because the diagram clearly illustrates a cell being used in the replication process.

Choice C is incorrect because the process of mitosis is cellular division, and this diagram does not illustrate that.

Choice D is incorrect because sunlight plays no role in viral replication, and it is not mentioned in the diagram.

WARM-UP

1. A diagram of the life cycle of a virus is shown.

Which conclusion about the life cycle is best supported by the diagram?

A. The life cycle does not require living cells.

B The life cycle requires a host cell to replicate.

WARM-UP

C. The life cycle involves the process of mitosis.

D The life cycle requires sunlight.

1. A diagram of the life cycle of a virus is shown. Which conclusion about the life cycle is best supported by the diagram?

A. The life cycle does not require living cells.

B The life cycle requires a host cell to replicate.

C. The life cycle involves the process of mitosis.

D The life cycle requires sunlight.

X.1

X.1

GROUNDWORK

Chapter 99 | Viruses

GROUNDWORK

Exercise A

Instructions

Mastery for STAAR Biology

Answer the questions and use the diagram below as your instructor leads the discussion.

A virus can replicate copies of itself without a cell. True or False?

Viruses use ___________________ to replicate.

Draw a line from each part of the diagram to its structure name. Then, fill in the spaces provided with the correct association words.

Structure Word to Associate

Capsid

Surface proteins

Genetic material

1. A virus can replicate copies of itself without a cell. True or False?

2. Viruses use __________ to replicate.

3. Draw a line from each part of the diagram to its structure name. Then, fill in the spaces provided with the correct association words.

1 A virus can replicate copies of itself without a cell. True or False?

2. Viruses use __________ to replicate. host cells

GROUNDWORK Page Summary

3. Draw a line from each part of the diagram to its structure name. Then, fill in the spaces provided with the correct association words.

In this section, students will identify parts of a virus and the different replication cycles.

Everyone pull out some paper! Over the next hour, I need you all to work on creating a handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence. In cursive.

Pause.

What’s the hold up? Can’t you knock that out real quick?

No!

But why can’t you do it? You’re all capable of doing great things. We don’t even have the original to go from.

So, in order to make a copy of something, you need to use other things? You can’t just make a copy out of nothing—is that what I’m hearing you say?

That’s correct.

SLIDE

Look at question 1. Would you say that’s true or false?

It’s false.

A virus needs a cell in order to make more copies of itself. There is a relationship there. Do you think there’s a special name for that cell?

Yes.

What do you think a cool name for a cell that houses a virus would be?

Ask 2–3 students to share.

It’s just like inviting a bunch of people over for a party. You’d be the host, the one making sure your guests have everything they need to have a good time. And the host cell? It gives viruses what they need to do a little replicating. Write host cells down in the blank for question 2. But what about the virus itself? If it needs a host cell, do you think the structure is simpler or more complex than an animal cell?

Simpler.

There actually isn’t all that much to a virus. Just three structures. Look at the diagram for question 3. What are those structures called?

Capsid, surface proteins, and genetic material

Let’s start with the basics: their appearance. What if I said the capsid was like a coat? Which part of the virus would you match it up to?

Option 3.

Do you hear it? “CAP-sid.” “Coat.” They even start with the same letter. That means option 3 is the capsid. Draw a line to it in your book, and fill in the word coat in the last column. What about surface protein? Where on the virus do you think that shows up?

Somewhere on the surface.

Which of these objects do you think matches up with that?

Option 2.

Surface proteins sit on the surface and stick out. Draw a line to match that term to option 2, and go ahead and write sticks out in that last column. I know now we kind of have the obvious choice here, but still take a second to think it through. Where is the genetic material of a cell? Inside the cell.

What is genetic material anyway? DNA or RNA.

DNA. RNA. Genetic material. No matter what it is, it lives inside the virus. Go ahead and draw your last line, then write inside in that last empty space in your chart.

4.1

SLIDE 4.2

APPLICATION

Instructions

Use the Approach steps to answer the question below.

APPROACH

When you are asked a question involving viruses, use the following steps:

1. Figure out if the question is asking about virus structure or replication.

2. If structure, use these facts to make eliminations:

• Surface proteins are structures that stick out from the capsid and connect with cells.

• Capsids act like the shell of the virus holding the genetic material.

• Genetic material is the actual DNA or RNA used by the cell to make more viruses.

3. If replication, remember these two key cycles:

• Lytic has a short cycle time.

• Lysogenic has a long cycle time.

The symptoms caused by a certain virus include fever, headache, body aches, and a blister-like rash. The virus is transmitted by direct contact. After an initial exposure, the virus may reactivate after many years. There is a vaccine for this virus.

Which description best explains the reproductive cycle of the virus?

A. Lytic, because the virus is transmitted by direct contact

B. Lysogenic, because there is an effective vaccine

C. Lysogenic, because of the long incubation time

D. Lytic, because the virus causes a rash

Mastery for STAAR Biology

Chapter 99 | Viruses

In this section, students will answer a question based on viral replication cycles.

On the STAAR test, you’ll see two kinds of questions about viruses. They might look different, but really, they only focus on two key things related to viruses. What are they? Structure and replication.

SLIDE 8.1

What should our first step be then?

Figure out which one the question is asking about. Once you know the question is about viruses—and it will mention viruses by name—the next step is to figure out if it’s asking about structure or replication. Which one are we working with in the case of question 1?

The replication cycle.

How can you tell?

It asks about the reproductive cycle in the actual question.

What if it didn’t say that specifically? Where else do we see clues?

In the answer choices.

What clues do you see?

They all start with either lytic or lysogenic, which are the replication cycles of viruses.

And what does our book tell us to remember about these cycles?

That the lytic cycle is short and the lysogenic cycle is long.

Alright, what does the description say about the length of time for this virus? What key words can you identify?

It says the virus will reactivate after many years Years? Is that a short amount of time or a long amount of time?

A long amount of time.

Which cycle does that line up with? Lysogenic.

Have you noticed anything about the names of the cycles and the length of time they represent?

The shorter word is a shorter cycle time, and the longer word is a longer cycle time.

You can totally use that to help you with the approach. A short word means a short cycle, and a long word means a long cycle. So, since we know we’re looking for the long cycle, which answer choices do we eliminate first?

A and D.

At this point, we’re down to a 50-50 chance of getting this question right, which is a pretty solid win in itself. But let’s keep going. Which of the remaining two options fits best? And how do you know?

Choice C. Its reasoning is based on time.

Choice C has the right reasoning behind it, which all comes down to length of time. We can feel good about picking choice C as our final answer.

1. The symptoms caused by a certain virus include fever, headache, body aches, and a blister-like rash. The virus is transmitted by direct contact. After an initial exposure, the virus may reactivate after many years. There is a vaccine for this virus.

Which description best explains the reproductive cycle of the virus?

A. Lytic, because the virus is transmitted by direct contact

B. Lysogenic, because there is an effective vaccine

C. Lysogenic, because of the long incubation time

D. Lytic, because the virus causes a rash

1. The symptoms caused by a certain virus include fever, headache, body aches, and a blister-like rash. The virus is transmitted by direct contact. After an initial exposure, the virus may reactivate after many years. There is a vaccine for this virus.

Which description best explains the reproductive cycle of the virus?

A. Lytic, because the virus is transmitted by direct contact

B. Lysogenic, because there is an effective vaccine

C. Lysogenic, because of the long incubation time

D. Lytic, because the virus causes a rash

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

PRACTICE

Instructions

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

A person infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be asymptomatic for many years. During that time, what is occurring within cells containing HIV?

A. The virus destroys host cells and spreads rapidly throughout the body.

B. The virus continues to replicate along with cells.

C. The virus consumes the host cell and acts as an immune cell.

D. The virus prevents host cell mitochondria from producing energy

Which statement best describes the relationship between a virus and a host cell?

A. A virus infects the host cell after dividing into two identical viruses.

B. A virus enters a host cell and uses host cell materials to reproduce.

C. Groups of viruses combine to form one particle, which then infects a host cell.

D. Groups of viruses disassemble into components and then reassemble inside the host cell.

PRACTICE

1 A person infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be asymptomatic for many years. During that time, what is occurring within cells containing HIV?

A. The virus destroys host cells and spreads rapidly throughout the body.

B. The virus continues to replicate along with cells.

C. The virus consumes the host cell and acts as an immune cell.

D. The virus prevents host cell mitochondria from producing energy.

X.1 PRACTICE

1 A person infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be asymptomatic for many years. During that time, what is occurring within cells containing HIV?

A. The virus destroys host cells and spreads rapidly throughout the body.

B. The virus continues to replicate along with cells.

C. The virus consumes the host cell and acts as an immune cell.

D. The virus prevents host cell mitochondria from producing energy.

Page Summary

PRACTICE

SLIDE 11.1

X.2

2. Which statement best describes the relationship between a virus and a host cell?

A. A virus infects the host cell after dividing into two identical viruses.

B. A virus enters a host cell and uses host cell materials to reproduce.

C. Groups of viruses combine to form one particle, which then infects a host cell.

D. Groups of viruses disassemble into components and then reassemble inside the host cell.

2. Which statement best describes the relationship between a virus and a host cell?

A. A virus infects the host cell after dividing into two identical viruses.

B. A virus enters a host cell and uses host cell materials to reproduce.

C. Groups of viruses combine to form one particle, which then infects a host cell.

Give students 10 minutes to complete the practice set. Review the answers afterward.

1. The correct answer is B. HIV remaining dormant for many years signals a lysogenic virus, which replicates along with the host cells.

Choice A is incorrect because the question states that the person can be asymptomatic for several years.

Choice C is incorrect because a virus does not consume the host cell; the virus needs a host cell to function and replicate.

Choice D is incorrect because the virus does not impact the mitochondria or prevent them from working.

SLIDE 11.2

2. The correct answer is B. The virus uses the host cell’s own materials to replicate itself.

Choice A is incorrect because the infection of a virus into a host cell happens before any viral reproduction.

Choice C is incorrect because viral particles do not group together in order to infect a host cell.

Choice D is incorrect because a virus does not disassemble to invade a host cell.

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Instructions

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

the If remains, your

Viruses can enter host organisms through skin lesions, eyes, the nose, the mouth, and other openings. Once inside the body, a virus invades a host cell so that it can —

A. use antibodies produced by the host cell

B. be protected from the hostile environment

C. dismantle the defenses of the host cell

D. replicate within the host cell

Students have been provided materials to build models of an animal cell, a plant cell, a bacterial cell, and a virus. The materials and the structures they represent are listed in the following chart. Which materials will be used in the viral model? Select TWO correct answers.

Material

Structure Represented

Black bean Mitochondrion

Red pipe cleaner Nucleic acid

Blue jello Cytosol

White paper circle Nucleus Green pencil erasers Surface protein

Mastery for STAAR Biology

Chapter 99 | Viruses

WRAP-UP

4. Viruses can enter host organisms through skin lesions, eyes, the nose, the mouth, and other openings. Once inside the body, a virus invades a host cell so that it can

A. use antibodies produced by the host cell

B. be protected from the hostile environment

C. dismantle the defenses of the host cell

D. replicate within the host cell

WRAP-UP

4. Viruses can enter host organisms through skin lesions, eyes, the nose, the mouth, and other openings. Once inside the body, a virus invades a host cell so that it can

A. use antibodies produced by the host cell

B. be protected from the hostile environment

C. dismantle the defenses of the host cell

D. replicate within the host cell

WRAP-UP

5. Students have been provided materials to build models of an animal cell, a plant cell, a bacterial cell, and a virus. The materials and the structures they represent are listed in the following chart. Which materials will be used in the viral model? Select TWO correct answers.

WRAP-UP

5 Students have been provided materials to build models of an animal cell, a plant cell, a bacterial cell, and a virus. The materials and the structures they represent are listed in the following chart. Which materials will be used in the viral model? Select TWO correct answers.

WRAP-UP

SLIDE 14.1

Page Summary

Give students 6 minutes to complete the wrap-up. Review the answers afterward.

4. The correct answer is D. The virus needs a host cell to replicate.

Choice A is incorrect because antibodies are produced by the host to fight off a viral infection.

Choice B is incorrect because the host cell is not used as shelter but rather as a place for replication.

Choice C is incorrect because a virus does not dismantle the defenses of the host cell, but rather uses the host cell as a site for replication.

SLIDE 14.2

5. The correct answers are Red pipe cleaner and Green pencil erasers These correspond to structures that are found in a virus.

Black bean is incorrect because mitochondria are only found in eukaryotic cells.

Blue jello is incorrect because a virus does not have cytosol.

White paper circle is incorrect because a virus does not have a nucleus, only eukaryotic cells do.

Political and Economic Issues of the Late 1800s

In this chapter, students will review the causes and consequences of political and economic issues of the late 1800s.

TEKS Alignment

(H.3) History. The student understands the political, economic, and social changes in the United States from 1877 to 1898. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze political issues such as Indian policies, the growth of political machines, and civil service reform; Readiness Standard

(B) analyze economic issues such as industrialization, the growth of railroads, the growth of labor unions, farm issues, the cattle industry boom, the growth of entrepreneurship, and the pros and cons of big business; Readiness Standard

Learning Targets

1. Summarize the impact railroad expansions had on the American economy.

2. Determine what factors enabled the development of monopolies and subsequent labor unions.

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES OF THE LATE 1800S

3. Explain the relationship between the rise of political machines and the demand for civil service reforms.

1. Summarize the impact railroad expansions had on the American economy.

2. Determine what factors enabled the development of monopolies and subsequent labor unions.

3. Explain the relationship between the rise of political machines and the demand for civil service reforms.

WARM-UP

Complete the warm-up. If time remains, check your answers.

WARM-UP

Instructions

Complete the warm-up. If time remains, check your answers.

The main purpose of the Pendleton Act was to —

A. reduce corruption in government hiring practices

B. prevent fraud in federal elections

C. promote transparency in government spending

D. create rules of conduct for federal employees

This quotation discusses developments in U.S. local government during the 1800s. Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.

During the late nineteenth century, Progressive reformers passed laws that required civil servants to be hired based on merit, such as performance on an examination. This reduced the influence of _________________ by preventing them from using ____________ to maintain their grip on power.

Which pair of phrases correctly completes this quote?

WARM-UP

1. The main purpose of the Pendleton Act was to

A. reduce corruption in government hiring practices

B. prevent fraud in federal elections

C. promote transparency in government spending

D. create rules of conduct for federal employees

WARM-UP

1. The main purpose of the Pendleton Act was to

A. reduce corruption in government hiring practices

B. prevent fraud in federal elections

C. promote transparency in government spending

D. create rules of conduct for federal employees

WARM-UP

2 This quotation discusses developments in U.S. local government during the 1800s. Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.

A. Which pair of phrases correctly completes this quote?

2 This quotation discusses developments in U.S. local government during the 1800s. Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.

A. Which pair of phrases correctly completes this quote?

Page Summary

Give students 6 minutes to complete the warm-up. Review the answers briefly before beginning the lesson.

SLIDE 2.1

1. The correct answer is A. The Pendleton Act was passed to try to stop politicians from hiring people who were not qualified for government jobs. Therefore, its purpose was related to corruption in government hiring practices, not federal elections, government spending, or federal employee behavior. Choices B, C, and D do not describe the Pendleton Act, so they are incorrect.

SLIDE 2.2

2. The correct answer is C. Political machines were groups that gained power in local governments and then maintained that power in part by rewarding loyal members with government positions. To address this abuse, Progressive reformers passed laws that required hiring based on merit rather than loyalty to the machine.

Choice A is incorrect because labor unions did not participate in appointing civil servants.

Choice B is incorrect because corporations used monopolies to eliminate their competition in the market, not to exert influence over government.

Choice D is incorrect because the excerpt refers to civil servants, not robber barons, who were the powerful and sometimes corrupt bussinessmen of the late nineteenth century.

Tacoma, WA

The Pacific Railroads

Duluth, MN

San Francisco, CA Promontory Point, UT

Chicago, IL

New York City, NY

New Orleans, LA

Northern Pacific

Union Pacific

Central Pacific

Southern Pacific

The Pacific Railroads made things easier for American BUSINESSES because . . .

Chapter 99 | Political and Economic Issues of the Late 1800s

Instructions

Review each candidate and decide whether they are qualified to become a city manager. Circle your answers at the bottom of each column. Exercise D

Harlan Stoutwinder

Qualifications:

• 28 years' experience living off the profits from the real estate business he inherited

• Friends with a lot of the local powerbrokers

Recommended by: leader of local political party

Hire? Yes No

G. Willoughby Wallace

Qualifications:

• 5 years' experience managing the city's finances

• 10 years' experience planning and implementing city sewer

Recommended by: local business and labor leaders

Hire? Yes No

Amelia Martindale

Qualifications:

• Top of her class at engineering academy

• Designed brilliant innovations for updated steam locomotive

Recommended by: friend-of-a-friend

Hire? Yes No

GROUNDWORK

SLIDE 7.1

The Industrial Revolution led to a boom in factory production, along with that not-so-great corruption in business and economics—but that wasn’t the end of it. The rot was showing up in politics and government, too. Particularly, it was a people problem: a problem with the kinds of people who were getting those jobs. For instance, check out Exercise D. What are we looking at?

Three candidates for a job.

And what job is that?

City manager.

City manager sounds like a pretty important job. What kinds of skills would that person need?

Ask 2–3 students to share.

This isn’t an everyday job. This requires skills, knowledge, and a clear vision for what the city needs to run effectively. Let's see if any of our candidates look up to the task, starting with the first candidate, Harlan Stoutwinder. Are you going to hire him?

No way.

Why not?

He doesn’t have the skills.

With us making the decision, Stoutwinder has zero chance of landing this job because he’s just plain not qualified. But back in the 1800s, he probably did get the job. Why do you think that is?

Because he’s friends with powerful people and was recommended by a leader of the local political party.

It was all about who you knew back then. If a completely unqualified candidate had friends in high places, they were much more likely to get the position than someone else more qualified and less connected. How do you think that affected how our government ran?

Things probably didn’t go so well.

With unqualified leadership, things started going very wrong. So, Stoutwinder gets a “no” from us. It’s important to camp on this point for a moment, though. We’ll finish the exercise shortly.

Understand that corruption was common at that time. In a particular city, it was often a political party that held the reins of power. When that was the case, who do you think got the good pay and good jobs?

The people in that political party. Their friends.

There was this deal taking place. The political machine—the well-connected group that ran the show in a particular city—would provide things that people needed and wanted: jobs, housing, and maintenance for things like buildings and roads. For the people who got those things, what do you think they gave the political machine in return? Maybe votes?

It wasn’t said out loud, but everybody in the know understood how the deal worked. The political machine doled out jobs and other things people needed. And the people who wanted those things gave the political machine votes in return. The political machine stayed in power. Wash, rinse, repeat. Do you think this way of doing things wound up with the most talented people in power? No.

Compare the other two. Who’s getting the job?

G. Willoughby Wallace.

But Ms. Martindale was the top of her class! She’s a brilliant inventor. How can you pass on that kind of talent?

Her experience isn’t very relevant.

People started to demand that the most qualified people get the important government jobs. This came to be called civil service reform, the centerpiece of which was the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883. What do you think it did? How should you find the most qualified person for a position?

Take applications? Interview people? Test them on the job?

Tests—or civil service examinations—came to be required for lots of government jobs. Why would that have helped root out corruption and friends hiring friends?

People had to have the knowledge for the job. They couldn’t just rely on their social connections. It was just a step, but it was a needed one. Lots of small actions and pressures led up to the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883. It helped make sure that anyone who got a civil service job would be highly qualified. As for Mr. Stoutwinder, he’ll need to go find a job someplace else.

Page Summary

In this exercise, students will develop an understanding of late 1800s civil service reform by assessing candidates for a government job.

APPLICATION

APPLICATION

Instructions

Use the Approach steps to answer the question below.

APPROACH

When you are asked about the late 1800s, use the following steps:

1. Eliminate answer choices not related to the decade from the STAAR Timeline.

2. If the question focuses on politics, eliminate answers not related to political machines or civil service reform.

3. If the question focuses on the economy, eliminate answers not related to monopolies or labor unions.

United States Industrialization in the Late 1800s

• Vast deposits of iron, coal, and other natural resources were discovered.

• Railroads allowed raw materials to be transported more easily.

• The factory system made manufacturing more efficient.

• Immigration supplied the nation with cheap labor.

•

Which statement BEST completes this list?

A. Trade between the United States and Asian countries flourished.

B. There was a mass migration to the nation’s suburbs.

C. Congress passed laws to regulate the creation of labor unions.

D. Entrepreneurs founded many new businesses to capitalize on the economic boom.

Chapter 99 | Political and Economic Issues of the Late 1800s

SLIDE 8.1

Every era has its own kind of vibe, which we know from our STAAR Timeline. Remind me: what’s the general vibe of the late 1800s and the first decade of the 1900s?

The Industrial Revolution. Busy. Lots of economic growth but tough for workers.

And does question 1 fit that era? Why or why not?

Yes, because the title says United States Industrialization in the Late 1800s.

Late 1800s, you say? It won’t always be the case that the question comes right out and tells us what the era is. But in this case, it does. What does the first step of our Approach say?

Eliminate answer choices not related to the decade from the STAAR Timeline.

Look over these answer choices. Do you see any that are obvious eliminations because they just don’t have the right era vibe?

Not sure.

If you aren’t confident in any eliminations based on a particular step, don’t stress it. We’ve got other steps we can fall back on. What does the second step of our Approach say?

If the question focuses on politics, eliminate answers not related to political machines or civil service reform.

Does this question focus on politics?

No, not really.

We might be jumping to step 3 of our Approach in that case, which is fine. Step 3 starts out by saying, if the question focuses on the economy. Does this question focus on the economy?

Yes.

What clues you in that this question is about the economy?

Resources. Railroads. Factory. Immigration. It all connects to money and business.

Do you see any answer choices that have nothing to do with the economy?

Choice B.

Choice B is talking about mass migration to the nation's suburbs. Something like that might be the effect of economic change. But the connection isn’t very direct. What should we do with answer choice B?

Eliminate it.

Let’s see if we can get some more use out of step

3. It starts out, If the question focuses on the economy, and then what does it say after that? Eliminate answers not related to monopolies or labor unions.

Let’s go through our remaining answers. Does choice A have anything to do with monopolies or labor unions?

No, it’s about international trade. What should we do with choice A? Eliminate it.

That leaves choices C and D. Choice C clearly mentions labor unions. Does choice D have anything to do with monopolies and labor unions? Maybe?

It’s about businesses and growth, so that’s a close fit. So, how will we make our choice? Try restating them in your own words. Start with choice C. How would you put this in your own words?

The government was trying to limit what labor unions could do.

Look back over the information in the box. Do those points fit with the idea of the government trying to place limits on what labor unions can do?

No, not really.

Let’s take a look at choice D then. How would you put that one in your own words?

The economy is growing, and people are building businesses.

Does the idea of people building businesses fit with the information we’re given?

Yes.

Which answer choice are you going with?

Choice D.

Choice D fits because our information is all about the benefits and positives of the economy at the time. It’s a way better fit than choice C because although labor unions were a thing at that time, there’s nothing mentioned here about the reasons why they were created or how the government responded to them. Choice D is our answer. 8b

APPLICATION

Which statement BEST completes this list?

A. Trade between the United States and Asian countries flourished.

B. There was a mass migration to the nation’s suburbs.

C. Congress passed laws to regulate the creation of labor unions.

D. Entrepreneurs founded many new businesses to capitalize on the economic boom APPLICATION X.1

1 Which statement BEST completes this list?

A. Trade between the United States and Asian countries flourished.

B. There was a mass migration to the nation’s suburbs.

C. Congress passed laws to regulate the creation of labor unions.

Slide

D. Entrepreneurs founded many new businesses to capitalize on the economic boom

PRACTICE

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

PRACTICE

Instructions

Complete the practice set. If time remains, check your answers.

This newspaper headline refers to an event that occurred in 1893.

The events discussed in this headline had which of the following effects?

A. Decreased support among voters for immigrant rights

B. Increased lobbying for electoral reform

C. Increased support among voters for economic reform

D. Decreased membership in labor unions

Mastery for STAAR U.S. History

Chapter 99 | Political and Economic Issues of the Late 1800s

SLIDE 11.1

Give students 12 minutes to complete the practice set. Review the answers afterward.

1. The correct answer is C. The question specifically points to the year 1893, which fits the Industrial Revolution era of the STAAR Timeline. The newspaper headline describes panic surrounding the stock market, which further indicates that the focus is on the economy. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not provide statements relevant to the economic issues of the time. Only choice C mentions economic reform, making it the correct answer.

PRACTICE

1. This newspaper headline refers to an event that occurred in 1893.

The events discussed in this headline had which of the following effects?

A. Decreased support among voters for immigrant rights

B. Increased lobbying for electoral reform

C. Increased support among voters for economic reform

D. Decreased membership in labor unions PRACTICE X.1

1. This newspaper headline refers to an event that occurred in 1893. The events discussed in this headline had which of the following effects?

A. Decreased support among voters for immigrant rights

B Increased lobbying for electoral reform

C Increased support among voters for economic reform

D. Decreased membership in labor unions

WRAP-UP

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Instructions

Complete the wrap-up. If time remains, check your answers.

Which development correctly replaces the question mark in this cause-and-effect diagram?

Industrial manufacturing spreads in the United States.

Membership in labor unions increases. ?

A. Muckrakers reveal that companies are selling unsafe products.

B. Corporations deplete natural resources throughout the country.

C. Prices for agricultural products decline sharply.

D. Factory workers are expected to work longer hours for less pay.

Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act authorized the federal government to institute proceedings against trusts in order to dissolve them. Any combination "in the form of trust or otherwise that was in restraint of trade or commerce among several states, or with foreign nations" was declared illegal. Persons forming such combinations were subject to fines of $5,000 and a year in jail.

—"Milestone Documents: Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)," National Archives

What was the PRIMARY goal of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act?

A. To promote free trade between the United States and other countries

B. To encourage competition between companies of all sizes

C. To safeguard the intellectual property of corporations

D. To protect consumers from dangerous or defective products

WRAP-UP

SLIDE 15.1

Page Summary

Give students 6 minutes to complete the wrap-up. Review the answers afterward.

4. The correct answer is D. The rise of industrial manufacturing in the United States led to plentiful jobs being offered in factories. However, these jobs were often performed in unsafe conditions, for long hours, and for little pay, so workers banded together into labor unions to fight for their rights.

Choice A is incorrect because labor unions are designed to protect the rights of workers, not consumers.

Choice B is incorrect because labor unions are designed to protect the rights of workers, not conserve natural resources.

Choice C is incorrect because the decline of crop prices was not directly caused by the rise of manufacturing.

SLIDE 15.2

5. The correct answer is B. A trust is a conglomeration of companies designed to suppress competition by controlling all or most of the market. In 1890, the Sherman AntiTrust Act was passed by Congress to break up monopolies and promote competition, thus ensuring better prices and quality for consumers.

Choice A is incorrect because the act did not concern foreign trade.

Choice C is incorrect because the act did not do anything to protect the intellectual property of corporations.

Choice D is incorrect because while promoting competition may improve product quality, doing the latter was not the primary goal of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

WRAP-UP

4. Which development correctly replaces the question mark in this cause -andeffect diagram?

A. Muckrakers reveal that companies are selling unsafe products.

B. Corporations deplete natural resources throughout the country.

C. Prices for agricultural products decline sharply.

D. Factory workers are expected to work longer hours for less pay.

WRAP-UP

X.1 Slide

X.1

4. Which development correctly replaces the question mark in this cause -andeffect diagram?

A. Muckrakers reveal that companies are selling unsafe products.

B. Corporations deplete natural resources throughout the country.

C. Prices for agricultural products decline sharply.

D. Factory workers are expected to work longer hours for less pay.

Practice Testing & Analysis:

TruScore Testing and Analysis for the SAT

TruScore SAT Testing and Analysis for the ACT

TruScore Testing and Analysis for STAAR

Professional Development:

Decoding: A Teacher’s Guide to Prep for the ACT

Decoding for the SAT

Bell Ringers:

Elements for the SAT

Elements for the ACT

Elements for the TSIA2

Curriculum:

Mastery for the SAT

Mastery for the ACT

Mastery for the TSIA2

Mastery for STAAR

SnapCourse:

SnapCourse for the SAT

SnapCourse for the ACT

SnapCourse for the TSIA2

SnapCourse for TSIA2

Boot Camps:

Boot Camp for the SAT

Boot Camp for the for the ACT

Boot Camp for the TSIA2

Boot Camp for STAAR End of Course

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