Today's Activities - NECAP test taking strategies.

First off, we went over the homework that is due today.  You had to create a dialog between two people having an argument.  We went over how the NECAP scorers actually grade your response, and we saw examples of students responses for scores of 4 (perfect) - 1 (really terrible).  Essentially, the main criteria they looked for was...

• length...sad, but true
• use of dialog punctuation rules....don't forget to indent with each change of speaker!
• detail, and being "on-topic"  You can have fun, and please be creative...as long as you flow and stay on topic.

Secondly, I actually applied those scoring techniques to your homework...congratulations, most of you scored a 3 or a 4!

Next, we talked about today's homework, which is a sample part of the reading test.  We talked about certain strategies you want to apply:

• First thing you do, is read the questions.  If you can answer some of the questions using logic, without even reading the passage, go for it!
• Secondly, after every question, write a "to-do" list of things you will be looking for while reading.
• write in the margins, a two-three word summary of each paragraph.
• once you do that, you can look back at all the summaries, and figure out the "main idea" (a.k.a. "also known as" the thesis).
• Now, as you read, and summarize in the margins, you will also highlight....be choosy about what you highlight.   Only highlight...
• sentences with words you need to define.
• parts that directly answer questions.
• sentences you think are the thesis.  (Even though your teachers have always taught you that your thesis needs to be the last sentence of the intro paragraph, in these passages, it's not EXACTLY the case...but the thesis will always be SOMEWHERE in the first couple of paragraphs.