FCAT

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FCAT

• Skills for Successful Reading Comprehension

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FCAT tests a students ability to apply various
skills to the reading process.
Cluster 1 Words and Phrases
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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases

• The student should select and use strategies to
  understand words and texts, and to make and
  confirm inferences from what is read, including
  interpreting diagrams, graphs, and statistical
  illustrations.
• Content/focus
• Analyze words/text
• Context
• Conclusions/Inferences
• Interpret graphical information

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues

• You will be asked vocabulary questions on the
  FCAT, and these questions have you figure out a
  words meaning by looking at the context of the
  wordthat is, the words and sentences around it.
• Without a context (and a dictionary), its
  difficult to figure out the meaning of
  challenging words.
• For example, try defining these words
• Feigned
• Illicit
• Morbid

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
contd.

• With a context (when the word is surrounded by
  other words in a sentence), it is easier to
  figure out its meaning.
• For example, determine the meaning of the word
  based on the words context
• Keith feigned being sick, so he could stay home
  from school. Feigned means _________________
• The thief kept his illicit wealth locked in a
  closet in the basement. Illicit means
  ____________________
• After watching the sad movie, the teenager was
  plagued with morbid thoughts.
• Morbid means __________________

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
Strategies
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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
strategies contd.

• Strategies for determining the meaning of a word
  from its context
• 1. Comma clues Commas are used to link
  concepts. When you see a comma, it indicates
  that a clue is being given to help you determine
  the words meaning.
• For example Cockatiels, small gray Australian
  parrots, make excellent pets. OR One witness was
  convicted of perjury that is, he lied under
  oath. Notice the word clues are set off by
  commas.

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
strategies contd.

• 2. Context clues Certain linking words can
  provide keys to the meaning of a word.
• Synonym clues Your word may be similar to
  another word in the sentence. Look for these
  clues and, so, completely, thoroughly.
• Rusty and unreliable, the old car was thoroughly
  in need of a glemgebog.
• Glemgebog probably means overhaul or repair.
• Antonym clues Your word may be the opposite of
  another word in the sentence. Look for these
  clues but, nevertheless, despite, though,
  although, in spite of, on the other hand,
  however.
• Although Scott likes potatoes, his sister Margie
  snargles them.
• Snargles probably means hates.
• Cause and effect clues Your word may have a
  causal relationship with another word. Look for
  these clues because, as a result of, led to.
• Because the singer was so popular, the audience
  blemmled when she appeared.
• Blemmled probably means screamed or cheered.

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
strategies contd.

• 3. Charge clues (connotations the positive,
  negative, or neutral associations surrounding a
  word) Context clues and an understanding of the
  sentence as a whole should tell you whether the
  tested word has a positive or negative charge.
• Some words have a charge all by themselves
• Disgusting has a negative word charge lovely has
  a positive word charge table may not have a
  charge (its usually neutral).
• Some words have a charge based on the context of
  the sentence
• Every time I think of her, my heart is filled and
  my soul sings.
• Word Charge can help you on the FCAT
• If you know that a mystery word has a positive
  charge, you can eliminate any answer choices that
  are ____ or ____.
• If you know that the mystery word should have a
  negative charge, you can eliminate any answer
  choices that are ____ or ____.
• If the mystery word is fairly neutral, you can
  eliminate any answer choices that have strong
  ____ or ____ charges.

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
strategies contd.

• 3 Tips
• Look for Context Clues in the sentence.
• Use commas to link the word to the rest of the
  sentence.
• Use Word Charge to predict whether the word is
  positive, negative, or neutral.

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Context Clues
strategies contd.

• Putting them all together (the 3Cs)
• There are three things that will help you figure
  out the definition of a word context, comma, and
  charge.
• Although at first my coach intimidated me, he
  turned out to be a nice, relaxed man who cared
  about his team.

Clue Word Although indicates contrast
?
Comma clue the result of the sentence is not
what was expected.
Word charge This is what the coach was likeso
what did the writer think he would be like?
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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Interpreting
graphical information

• Lets take a look at what we need to do when
  interpreting graphs, charts, etc. There are 3
  simple steps
• Read the title (to know the topic/subject of the
  graphic)
• Read the main headings (to know what the author
  is trying to illustrate)
• Go to the questions Read the questions being
  asked.

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Interpreting
graphical information
Detected Primary Drinking Water Constituents
(mg/L unless specified)
Title
Headings
Questions

• According to the table, which element is
  contaminating the water to an unsafe level?
• What kind of article might this table accompany?

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Interpreting
graphical information contd.

• Lets look at some more chartsObtain the
  handouts on interpreting graphical information.

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Making Inferences

• An inference is an educated guess based on
  textual evidence.
• The way an inference question is worded can tell
  you a lot about the kinds of connection you
  should make to the passage.
• See the following chart

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Cluster 1 Words and Phrases Making Inferences
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Cluster 1 (Words Phrases) Cluster 4
(Reference Research) Making Inferences and
Synthesizing

• Lets take a look at what we need to do when
  interpreting graphs, charts, etc.
• Obtain the handouts on interpreting graphical
  information.

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Reading Between the Lines

• Making Inferences
• Or
• Drawing Conclusions

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Inferences are

• Logical conclusions not directly stated by the
  author
• Based on clues from text and personal connections
  made by the reader
• Logical conclusions made with the mind, not the
  heart
• Reading between the lines
• Putting two and two together

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Inferences are not

• Explicitly stated in the text
• (you cannot find the answer on the page the
  answer is in your head)
• Based on opinion

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Inferences come from

• Clues in the text
• Knowledge you already have from experience or
  prior knowledge

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Inferences textual clues background
knowledge

• (or personal experiences)

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Example
You see a manatee in one of Florida's coastal
rivers.
You notice that it has several deep scars on its
back.

• Background knowledge you know many motorboats
• cruise the waterway.

Inference A motorboat propeller caused the
scars.
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Steps to help readers infer meaning

• Ask yourself a question (I wonder what . . . I
  wonder why . . . I wonder how . . .) OR Choose an
  inference-type question from the test.
• Consider textual evidence left by the author that
  may represent important clues that pertain to
  your question.
• Think about what you know about the evidence.
• Using clues in the text and your background
  knowledge about the topic, try to answer the
  original question.

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Read the short story on page 188
1. Question
I wonder why would someone steal bones?
2. Textual evidence

• - Thieves attempted to steal a Tyrannosaurus Rex
  in northern Montana.

- Residents raised 55,000 for a museum to house
the fossil.
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3. Background knowledge
- thieves steal items of value
- museums hold historical artifacts and items of
value
4. Therefore

• - the fossil must be valuable (it has historical
  value and monetary value)

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FCAT tests a students ability to apply various
skills to the reading process.
Cluster 4 Reference and Research
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Cluster 4 Reference and Research

• Locates, gathers analyzes and evaluates written
  information for a variety of purposes including
  research projects, real-world tasks, and
  self-improvement. Analyzes the validity and
  reliability of primary source information and
  uses the information appropriately. Synthesizes
  information from multiple sources to draw
  conclusions.
• Content/focus
• Analyze/evaluate information
• Validity/reliability of information
• Synthesizes information (from multiple sources
  and within text)

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Cluster 4 Reference and Research Gathering,
Analyzing, and Evaluating Information from
Different Sources

• On the FCAT, you will be asked questions about
  the validity and reliability of an authors
  claims in a passage.
• For instance, what makes a particular author
  qualified to write about a subject? Or what does
  the author use to support the main points of the
  essay? (Does the author use personal opinions,
  common knowledge, or expert opinions?)

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Cluster 4 Reference and Research Gathering,
Analyzing, and Evaluating Information from
Different Sources Contd.
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Short and Extended Responses

• Short and Extended Response consist of questions
  that require a written response (usually 2 to 6
  sentences in length).
• There are two types of questions that will be
  asked
• Questions where the answers are found in the
  text(s).
• The answer is found in one place, or you need to
  piece together different parts of one or more
  texts to answer the question.
• Questions where the answers are found in your
  head.
• These type of questions require you to make a
  personal connection to something you have
  experienced.
• Or the question asks you to consider the authors
  perspective/position and your own experience. a
  combination of textual evidence and inference
  making

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Short and Extended Responses contd.

• A S-R Question is worth 2 points. Generally
  speaking, if you answer a short response
  question, then you need to make 2 references
  (textual evidence) from the text.
• An E-R Question is worth 4 points, and it
  requires 4 references from the text(s).

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Short and Extended Responses contd.

• When responding to these questions, your first
  sentence must answer the question. Do NOT merely
  restate the prompt. You may use a word or phrase
  from the prompt when writing your first sentence.
  But you must answer the question.
• For example, if the prompt states What might
  have influenced the increase in the number of
  women in the labor force between 1902 and 2002?
  then do NOT write as your first sentence Many
  things have influenced the increase in the number
  of women in the labor force between 1902 and
  2002. Many things is not an answer.
• Instead, you must answer the question Wars that
  take men away from homeland jobs have influenced
  the increase in the number of women in the labor
  force between 1902 and 2002. The underlined
  portion answers the question.
• After you answer the prompt, the next sentence
  will provide explanations and examples from the
  text to support your answer.
• Remember Topic sentence gt Explanation gt
  Example